Are electronic carts the future at supermarkets? ShopRite is experimenting with a line of AI-powered smart shopping carts called Caper Cart by Instacart. This reporter wanted to see what they’re all about, so on a Thursday afternoon, I went to ShopRite of Brookdale in Bloomfield to give these new wheels a spin.
Some fellow shoppers found the cart amusing, with one saying, "Do you got blinkers on that thing?" golf cart
Sure, the build of the cart feels a little heavier than your average metal rolling bin. And yes, it lights up like a Christmas tree when you put an item in the basket. Don’t be alarmed.
If you want to look like you’ve used these carts before on your very first time, here’s the play by play.
I arrived at ShopRite around noon and walked right past the traditional shopping carts huddled outside the main entrance. Once inside, I found what I was looking for: the Caper Cart, which is powered by AI and computer vision technology.
I made my selection from the pack of 15 and was greeted by a screen in front of the cart handle that let me choose a quick tutorial or to "begin shopping."
I figured the tutorial was the way to go, and I wasn't disappointed. It showed me how to scan my purchases and wait for a beep. That's when a green light surrounds the cart, signaling I have successfully put my purchase in my digital cart as I drop it in my physical cart.
"Is that going to pay my bills, too?" a passerby quipped.
The tutorial also gave instructions on how to add produce to my digital cart. (You need to find the four-digit code on the produce and then tap "Add Item" on your cart screen. Next, type in the code, select the produce you chose, and lay it in the cart to be weighed through sensors before your price appears on the screen.) I bought some bananas and they scanned with no problem while everything else was in the cart. The price and the weight seemed accurate.
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No need to keep tabs on your items. The screen listed them all, including eggs, whole wheat sliced bread and those bananas, along with their prices. I decided to put the chocolate chip cookies back on the shelf, and without my making another move, the product also automatically disappeared from my digital cart.
Then I was ready to go. I pushed the "Checkout" option on the screen and saw my items and their prices. I hit "Next" and was told to take my cart to a self-checkout lane or a cashier. I chose the first option, and a kind worker directed me to the proper checkout for the electronic carts, in a different part of the store. A cashier greeted me and scanned my barcode, and then I paid with a credit card.
I dropped off my Caper Cart with the other traditional carts outside the store.
At any point in your shopping experience you can log in to your ShopRite Price Plus membership for savings and deals.
To the left on your cart screen you will see the items that are on sale for Price Plus members and the aisle or department where they can be found.
The carts also have a cup holder, which I did not use on this trip.
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It was interesting to see that not one other shopper was using the Caper Cart while I was at the store.
The shopping may be easier if you are a Price Plus member, because you can see the deals and where items are found. The average shopper, however, may not feel that lugging the cart is worth it to save a few minutes at the self-checkout.
Cheryl Williams, Wakefern’s chief information officer, told Progressive Grocer, "Our goal is to offer our customers the best possible shopping experience, and the new, enhanced Caper Cart streamlines the shopping and checkout process while offering new opportunities to engage with customers at the point of purchase.”
The ShopRite in Bloomfield is not the only place to give these smart carts a try. Karen O'Shea, a communications supervisor at parent company Wakefern Food Corporation, said New Jersey ShopRite stores in Spotswood, Byram and Sparta also have Caper Carts. Plans are in the works for them to be introduced in Mullica Hill, Hoboken and Old Bridge, with dates to be announced.
bump car ride O'Shea told NorthJersey.com the carts are available during regular store hours, but ShopRite Bloomfield employees said they can be used from 10 a.m. until 4 to 6 p.m.