TECHNOLOGY FOCUS HHoow Aw AI aI annd Sd Smmarart Ct Carartts As Arree TTrraannssffoorrmmiingng G Grroocceerryy S Shohoppppiingng By Abasto new survey by Instacart and studioID reveals that the customer experience. grocers across the United States believe smart carts Also, grocers said smart carts, such as Caper Carts, can do are the place where arti昀椀cial intelligence (AI) will have this in myriad ways. the biggest industry impact moving forward. In addition, 85% of respondents said the ability of a smart cart A Instacart, maker of Caper Cart—the AI-powered to generate revenue through displaying targeted digital ads was smart cart—and studioID surveyed 150 grocery industry impactful to their decision-making about implementing them. respondents to gain insights not only into grocers’ strategic technological solutions but also into the ways grocers are decreasing friction throughout the shopping experience and Recurring responses included: leveraging the innovations available now. • Increased engagement with loyalty programs. • More personalized customer deals. • Seamless item scanning capabilities.. • Easier approaches to weighing produce. • Smoother checkout process. Ads on smart carts give shoppers more customized recommendations and introduce experiences to help them discover new brands and products. On average, customers spend over 30 minutes shopping with a Caper Cart. “吀栀e ultimate omnichannel platform for us is the Caper Among Those Avenues: • Average basket size. The Importance of AI and Smart • Capturing valuable customer data (where permitted by Carts in the Retail Industry: applicable laws and contract terms). Current AI usage focuses largely on operations such as • Analyzing shopping patterns and trends to optimize store monitoring produce freshness or detecting out-of-stock items. layouts. Grocers believe AI will soon take on an increasingly customer- • Positioning themselves as innovative and customer facing role, including personalizing ads and promotions. focused. 60% of survey respondents believe smart carts will soon be the most impactful application for AI in grocery retail. “With Caper Carts, we’re able to leverage technology to bridge Cart’s screen,” said Chris McCrae, Retail Technology and the online and in-store shopping experience. We’re taking Innovation Lead at Wakefern Food Corp. what customers love about shopping online and blending it Wakefern is the parent company for approximately 380 with their favorite parts of shopping in-store,” said Ahmed stores across a half-dozen banners and deploys smart carts at Beshry, Caper Co-Founder and Senior Director of Business many of its ShopRite stores. Development at Instacart. Instacart said that Caper Carts are or will soon be deployed In the survey, 47% of respondents emphasized the “high across North American retailers, including Bristol Farms, priority” of ensuring that new technology integration enhances Fairway Market, Geissler’s, and Kroger, among others. 2424 NNOOVVEEMMBBEERR/ D/ DECECEEMMBBEER 2R 200224 4 AABBAASSTOTO..CCOOMM