Coles Supermarkets, a prominent Australian retailer, has become the first in the Asia Pacific region to implement Instacart’s AI-powered Caper Carts. These smart trolleys have been introduced at the Richmond Traders location in Melbourne. Customers can now use these trolleys for an enhanced shopping experience, allowing them to bag items as they shop and pay directly via the trolley.
The new smart trolleys are positioned at the entrance of Coles Richmond Traders supermarket. They come equipped with artificial intelligence, cameras, and a built-in scale to automatically identify items added to the trolley. The system provides customers with a running total of their purchases, mimicking an online shopping experience. At checkout, customers can complete their purchase directly from the trolley.
These Caper Carts are integrated with Coles’ Flybuys rewards program. Shoppers can earn points and access personalized offers by scanning their Flybuys card or Coles app on the digital screen of the trolley. The carts also feature gamified elements that allow customers to win discounts by spinning a digital wheel during checkout.
Coles is pioneering this technology in Australia and is committed to enhancing customer experiences through digital innovation. “Coles Supermarkets is our ideal partner to introduce Caper Carts in the APAC region because we share a similar vision for creating a personalized shopping experience that delights customers,” stated David McIntosh, Chief Connected Stores Officer at Instacart.
Ben Levinson, General Manager for Digital Product at Coles, expressed pride in being the first Australian retailer to offer such technology: “Caper Carts help our customers bag as they shop, manage their budget, and save time with faster checkout – all while providing a more personalised shopping experience.”
Instacart’s Caper Carts aim to merge online and physical shopping experiences by offering cost-saving opportunities on grocery essentials while making shopping enjoyable. In the United States, these carts have been well-received across multiple grocery chains.
For further information about Instacart’s technologies including Caper Carts and Connected Stores suite, visit www.instacart.com/company/retailer-platform/connected-stores.
