- Instacart (CART, Financial) launches AI-powered Caper Carts at Wegmans Dewitt, enhancing the in-store shopping experience.
- The smart carts feature automatic item recognition with NVIDIA Jetson hardware, streamlining checkout.
- This initiative expands the Instacart-Wegmans partnership that began in 2017, now integrating in-store technology.
Instacart (CART) has initiated a pilot program deploying its AI-powered Caper Carts at the Wegmans Dewitt store in Syracuse, New York. This marks the first instance of these innovative smart carts being used by Wegmans, adding a new dimension to the existing partnership between the two companies.
The Caper Carts utilize cutting-edge technology, including cameras, digital scales, and location sensors, all powered by NVIDIA Jetson hardware, to automatically recognize items added by shoppers. This integration allows customers to track their spending in real time and complete a seamless checkout while accessing their Wegmans Shoppers Club account directly on the cart's screen.
Instacart's introduction of Caper Carts is part of its broader "Connected Stores" technology suite aimed at merging online and offline shopping experiences. This deployment represents a strategic shift for Instacart, expanding beyond its traditional delivery services into high-margin, in-store technological solutions.
The collaboration with Wegmans, known for its premium customer experience, provides a valuable testing ground for this technology, which could lead to wider adoption among other grocery partners. This initiative further strengthens the partnership that began in 2017, initially focused on same-day delivery and since expanded to include pickup services, EBT SNAP acceptance, and loyalty program integration.
