Retail Trends: AI Enabled Caper Smart Shopping Carts

In Oct 2021, Instacart announced it has acquired Caper AI. The smart AI powered shopping carts’ startup enables instant checkout and cashier free experience for shoppers. Instacart’s strategy aligns well with plans to integrate traditional retail into modern digital technologies with this acquisition. Instacart and other retailers also recognizes Amazon’s massive push into online shopping via their cashier-less systems, which was an inspiration behind them doing so. Autonomous Services like those offered in a regular smart Cart include computer vision techniques along other ingenious elements such as sound measurements from items being detected by sensors installed on shelves or even weight readings off of scales using air pressure detectors

As I walked in to my neighborhood Kroger Marketplace store I was greeted by quite a handful of KroGo/ Caper Smart Shopping Cart. And they have already found a legion of happy shoppers who are more than happy to be doing their own shopping, bagging, and checkout. The automated carts are lined up alongside traditional shopping buggies near the entrance at Kroger, so shoppers can still choose ordinary carts if they want. This trend is similar to introduction of smart Dash Carts at Amazon’s Woodland Hills supermarket which is essentially a Dark Store.

Retail 101: What is a Dark Store?

A Dark Store is a retail store that is used to fulfilling online grocery orders, but the physical space isn’t available to the public to shop

Where is Caper Smart Shopping Cart available now?

• Kroger, USA
• Wakefern, USA
• Sobeys, Canada
• Auchan, France
• Auchan, Spain
• Other smaller convenience stores

With the integration with Instacart, we will see more of Caper’s technology being pushed to a wider network of existing groceries and supermarkets.

WHAT ARE THE KEY STEPS IN THE AI POWERED CAPER SMART SHOPPING CARTS?

1. Bag as you shop with your own reusable bags or store grocery bags.
2. Scan loyalty card if applicable
3. The screen tracks items you add to the cart and can surface discounts and recommendations
4. Shop with less contact by scanning and paying from the cart.
5. See your running order total as you shop to help stay within budget.
6. Enjoy faster checkout and be on your way quickly.
7. There are limitations for certain products like Pharmacy items, Gift Cards, Tobacco etc which are meant to be ringed in by a store cashier or self-checkout only.

BENEFITS OF AI ENABLED CAPER SMART SHOPPING CART TO RETAILERS:

1. Freeze up store workers’ bandwidth to focus on storekeeping as assistance needed by customers would be reduced due to self-checkout.
2. Retailers can recommend certain items based on what customers have already put in their cart. The connected shopping carts’ ability for increased average order value and free up associate bandwidth and product cross-selling due superior recommendations by analyzing shopper buying behavior with market basket analysis – all allowing retailers an opportunity to recoup the investment on the smart cart within one year.
3. Partnering retailers can analyze shopper information from the store to better manage inventory and glean where people interact most within the store, layout and aisles.
4. Better crowd management as shoppers are able to complete their trips faster, thereby reducing lines in the checkout counter and in the aisles. As retailers are increasingly looking for ways to reduce face-to-face interactions amid the pandemic this is a win-win for all parties involved.
5. Making the smart screen capable of providing shoppers with discount, coupons and product recommendations on proximity or affinity of products.
6. The connected nature of these carts also allows retailers to record what customers are buying and enhance targeted marketing efforts
7. In addition, the connected carts help reduce errors and identify opportunities for product placement. For example, the connected cart can tell if an item is out of stock or mislabeled and can alert a human employee for assistance.
8. AI analytics on the connected carts can assist in tracking store traffic data, optimizing staffing levels, and providing recommendations for better inventory management.
   1. Even though AI Enabled Intelligent Shopping Carts have many benefits, there are some downsides to using them as well. For example, while these carts can be customized according to the retailer’s needs, they can be expensive and time-consuming to set up with a long Return on investment. For example, a typical Caper AI enabled shopping cart can cost upwards of $5000-$10000.

CONCLUSION:
The connected shopping cart is a valuable tool that retailers should consider implementing to stay competitive. The smart carts can provide an efficient way to help track what items are being purchased, and increase average order values with the impulse buying nudge feature of these carts . As such it’s worth watching this trend develop as more stores adopt them!