Press Release
More ShopRites Adding Caper Carts Powered by Instacart
Wakefern Food Corp. Expands Initial Program with Instacart; Customers Can Now Use AI-powered Smart Shopping Carts at Select Stores in the Philadelphia Area
SAN FRANCISCO and Keasbey, N.J., June 27, 2024 – Instacart (Nasdaq: CART), the leading grocery technology company in North America, and Wakefern Food Corp., the largest retailer-owned cooperative in the U.S., today announced the addition of more Caper Carts at Wakefern supermarket banners.
Wakefern is adding Caper Carts at four ShopRite stores in the Philadelphia area. In May 2024, the AI-powered shopping carts arrived at the ShopRite in Hoboken, NJ, and customers there have embraced the technology. To date, 11 ShopRite stores have added the smart shopping carts as another option for customers, and Wakefern expects more of its members to adopt the technology over the next year. Stores installing the carts in June 2024 include locations in Philadelphia and surrounding areas such as the ShopRites of Morrell Plaza, Bridge & Harbison, Brookhaven, and the ShopRite of Drexeline. The carts are also planned for a new ShopRite store expected to open in Mount Kisco, NY later this year.
Caper Carts turn shopping into an adventure with an interactive screen and AI features that allow customers to scan items as they shop, manage their budget in real-time and check out seamlessly. The smart cart uses sensors, computer vision technology and built-in scales to scan items and weigh produce as they are placed in the cart. The cart also allows customers to link their ShopRite Price Plus membership to apply in-store savings and deals. To checkout, customers simply scan the barcode displayed on the cart’s screen at the store’s self-checkout area.
“We’re thrilled to expand our collaboration with Wakefern as we’ve seen remarkable customer adoption of the Caper Carts in their stores,” said David McIntosh, VP and GM of Connected Stores at Instacart. “Customers tell us they love the cart’s interactive features, like its coupon capabilities, lights, and sounds, and kids particularly enjoy spinning the gamified coupon wheel for a chance to win discounts right before checkout. For retailers – like Wakefern’s Member-owned stores – Caper Carts seamlessly plug into their operations and are uniquely customized to their brand and needs. We look forward to continuing our collaboration with Wakefern to innovate the future of grocery shopping.”
“Shoppers are excited about the technology and embracing it in the stores that are using the Caper Carts. It’s another tool our Wakefern members can offer their customers who are looking for smart, convenient ways to shop and check out,” said Charlie McWeeney, Vice President of Technology, Digital and Retail at Wakefern.
ShopRite is an available retailer through Instacart’s e-commerce platform. As part of Connected Stores, Caper Cart is another Instacart Platform technology, helping grocers bridge the online and in-store shopping experience. To learn more about Caper Cart and other Connected Stores technologies, visit instacart.com/company/connected-stores.
About Instacart
Instacart, the leading grocery technology company in North America, works with grocers and retailers to transform how people shop. The company partners with more than 1,500 national, regional, and local retail banners to facilitate online shopping, delivery and pickup services from more than 85,000 stores across North America on the Instacart Marketplace. Instacart makes it possible for millions of people to get the groceries they need from the retailers they love, and for approximately 600,000 Instacart shoppers to earn by picking, packing and delivering orders on their own flexible schedule. The Instacart Platform offers retailers a suite of enterprise-grade technology products and services to power their e-commerce experiences, fulfill orders, digitize brick-and-mortar stores, provide advertising services, and glean insights. With Instacart Ads, thousands of CPG brands – from category leaders to emerging brands – partner with the company to connect directly with consumers online, right at the point of purchase. With Instacart Health, the company is providing tools to increase nutrition security, make healthy choices easier for consumers, and expand the role that food can play in improving health outcomes. For more information, visit www.instacart.com/company, and to start shopping, visit www.instacart.com.
About Wakefern Food Corp.
From a small, local cooperative that began with eight grocery store owners, Wakefern Food Corp. has grown into the largest retailer-owned cooperative in the United States. Founded in 1946, the cooperative comprises nearly 50 members who today independently own and operate 365 supermarkets under the ShopRite, The Fresh Grocer, Price Rite Marketplace, Fairway Market, Gourmet Garage and Dearborn Market banners in New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Virginia. For more information, please visit www.wakefern.com.