A New Era of Hybrid Shoppers Across Europe

According to European Supermarket Magazine, a new era of hybrid shoppers has emerged across Europe. These consumers expect seamless and personalized experiences both online and in-store.

Simplification

Now, more than ever, supermarkets are streamlining the way they serve their customers, who have come to expect that the discounts and easy payment options available online will also be part of their in-store experience.

Additionally, customers want to get in and out of stores quickly, often shopping on "autopilot," which limits their discovery of new products.

Grocery retailers are now focusing on enhancing the in-store experience through a series of value-added innovations and ways to inspire shoppers. AI-powered smart carts represent one such innovation that can attract customers to a store and encourage them to return.

Smart carts, such as Instacart's Caper Carts, use AI-driven technology to transform shopping into a fun and personalized experience, helping shoppers manage their budget, check out quickly, and easily discover deals and products that inspire them in grocery aisles.

Digital Experience

All of this is possible with the Caper Cart digital screen, which allows customers to view their total spending, access personalized discounts, and earn cashback through gamified experiences. The screen also provides retailers with the ability to customize the user interface to meet their specific needs, enabling CPG brands to interact with customers while they shop.

David McIntosh, Chief Connected Stores Officer at Instacart, believes smart carts are a winning innovation for both grocers and shoppers.

“Caper Carts are used by people of all ages, and we have seen an incredibly positive response from customers,” says McIntosh.

“At the same time, grocers see a fast return on investment once they implement Caper Carts, as customers purchase larger baskets with incremental spending.

Since shoppers can see their running total while they shop and access relevant, aisle-based offers and recommendations, Caper Carts lead to larger basket sizes, as customers experience less checkout shock,” he adds.

Winning Innovation

Instacart began over a decade ago with a clear mission: to make online grocery shopping accessible and affordable in North America. The company is seen as a pioneer in the space, introducing the Instacart app, which brought the grocery industry into the digital era with same-day delivery in the U.S.

Today, Instacart partners with over 600 retailers to power their e-commerce solutions with its technology. The company is also at the forefront of the retail media wave, working with over 6,000 CPG brands to provide high-performing ad formats, data insights, measurement, and third-party verification in North America.

With the introduction of Connected Stores, Instacart’s suite of in-store technologies, the company now enables retailers to create seamless, personalized experiences for customers. Caper Carts are one of its top innovations.

Equipped with AI, cameras, sensors, and a built-in scale, Caper Carts automatically recognize items as they are added. These carts are user-friendly and allow customers to bag their groceries while shopping, tracking their total costs in real time—similar to an online shopping cart. At the end of their trip, customers can skip the checkout line and pay directly from the cart.

Caper Carts use NVIDIA Jetson hardware to capture and process a full visual view of the cart and its contents, making AI accessible to shoppers of all ages. With NVIDIA Jetson’s power, items placed in a Caper Cart are captured quickly and accurately.

As part of its international ambitions, Instacart is now collaborating with retailers to bring its Connected Stores offering, including Caper Carts, to other countries. In Austria, HOFER became the first European supermarket to offer Caper Carts.

Since its launch in June 2024, HOFER has seen increased basket sizes among customers using Caper Carts and high shopper satisfaction with the carts' intuitive design. In Australia, Coles supermarkets recently introduced Caper Carts as the first grocer in the APAC region to adopt the technology.

Budget-Friendly Innovation

Given the pressures of the rising cost of living, shoppers are prioritizing ways to save money. Caper Carts address this by providing personalization and financial transparency.

Caper Carts enhance savings by connecting directly to supermarket loyalty programs, revealing additional discounts. For example, when a customer walks down the pasta aisle, the Caper Cart’s digital screen might highlight a discount on pasta sauce and notify the shopper with an on-screen alert.

Shoppers can also engage with the gamified coupon wheel on Caper Carts for a chance to win discounts and cashback on their total spend.

“Caper Carts bring the beloved attributes of online grocery shopping into the store while unlocking a new incremental revenue stream for retailers,” says McIntosh.

“We’ve seen that 44% of Caper Cart sessions in the U.S. included at least one clipped coupon from one of our retail partners, which is an early sign of how we can influence purchasing decisions through the Caper Cart’s digital screen.”

Serving Customers Better

In the U.S., Instacart has found that customers spend an average of 30 minutes using Caper Carts and that many people seek out stores offering these carts—even if they have never shopped there before. Caper Carts have achieved a Net Promoter Score (NPS) of over 70 in rollout locations, aligning with some of the world’s most beloved brands.

For grocers, the innovative retail technology within Caper Carts allows them to meet customer needs through insights, loyalty programs, and cost savings. Designed for ease of use and minimal maintenance, Caper Carts receive automatic software updates to ensure they stay equipped with the latest features and enhancements.

Schnucks, a leading U.S. grocery chain, has reported that customers using Caper Carts purchase larger baskets. On peak days, Caper Carts processed more than 10% of in-store sales at a Schnucks location where only ten Caper Carts were deployed alongside approximately 160 traditional carts.

Instacart seamlessly integrates Caper Carts into each supermarket’s operations. The Instacart team works closely with retailers, providing in-store support to ensure successful implementation and increased customer engagement. Caper Carts are designed to last throughout the day, recharging between uses with stacked charging technology.