The news: Wegmans added Instacart’s Caper Carts—AI-powered smart carts—to a store in Syracuse, New York.

• Caper Carts register customers’ items as they’re placed in the cart using embedded sensors, allowing for a seamless checkout at the end of a shopper’s grocery trip.
• Customers can log in with their Wegmans Shoppers Club credentials through their Caper Cart to access digital coupons and personalized offers.

Why this matters: Instacart currently counts retailers like Aldi, Kroger, Schnucks, Gelson’s, and Hornbacher’s among its stores using its Caper Cart. 

Expanding to another major retailer like Wegmans is a huge opportunity for Instacart to push its tech mainstream, backed by sizable consumer interest: Only 9% of customers currently use smart carts in their grocery shopping, but 64% of shoppers would be eager to try it, according to the Progressive Grocer. 

For Wegmans, introducing Caper Carts could help boost volume. Integrations into its loyalty program, gamified quests, location-based coupons, and aisle-aware advertising formats, match consumers’ requests for retailers. 

• 55% of customers find gamification opportunities extremely/very important in their grocery loyalty programs, per a May 2024 survey from Lobyco. 
• And 62% of customers have used a digital offer to save on groceries within the last month. 

Our take: Wegmans has staked its brand on exceptional customer service. 

Its partnership with Instacart signals optimism towards AI improving its customer experience, but consumers still feel tepid interest in the tools—19% admit that AI could make shopping more convenient, but 56% are not interested in utilizing the tool for food purchases, per Algonia.

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