Press Release
New Wave of Local and Independent Grocers Adopt Instacart Caper Carts
Bowman’s Market, Maurer’s Market IGA, Neiman’s Family Market, Queen’s Price Chopper and Soelberg’s Market among new grocers implementing Instacart’s AI-powered smart carts to enhance in-store shopping experience
SAN FRANCISCO, November 11, 2024 – Instacart (NASDAQ: CART), the leading grocery technology company in North America, today announced that multiple local and independent grocers, including Bowman’s Market, Maurer’s Market IGA, Neiman’s Family Market, Queen’s Price Chopper and Soelbergs Market are adopting Caper Carts, Instacart’s AI-powered smart carts, across their stores. This move signifies a growing trend among independent grocers to embrace and integrate technology that enhances and makes the grocery shopping experience more delightful for their customers.
Customers shopping in these stores – which operate across Idaho, Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, Oregon, Utah, and Washington – can now enjoy a more personalized shopping experience using Caper Carts. Caper Carts are equipped with cameras, sensors, and a built-in scale, which work together with an Edge AI system to automatically recognize items as they are placed in the cart. Once added, they are able to watch their running cost total – similar to an online shopping cart.
Caper Carts also feature an interactive screen that tracks spending, provides access to deals, and offers product recommendations based on the customer’s location in the store and the carts’ contents. Integrated with retailers’ existing loyalty programs, Caper Carts allow customers to access personalized promotions and rewards throughout their shopping journey – delivering additional value along the way. The carts reward shoppers with automatic discounts, including digital coupons, as their basket value grows – so the more they shop, the more they can save. At the end of their shopping, customers can checkout directly from the cart.
“Over the past year, we’ve seen a wave of innovative, independent grocers adopting Caper Carts,” said Nick Nickitas, General Manager, Local Independent Grocery at Instacart. “Caper Carts are enhancing the in-store grocery shopping experience by boosting sales, increasing the visibility of promotions and affordability, and creating new advertising opportunities for retailers through the engaging digital screen. These carts are an absolute hit with customers, helping local independent grocers solidify their place in the hearts and minds of the communities they serve.”
Caper Carts is part of Instacart’s Connected Stores suite of technologies, including Storefront, Carrot Ads, Eversight, Carrot Tags and more, designed to bridge the online and in-store shopping experience for both retailers and customers.
To learn more about Connected Stores, visit instacart.com/company/retailer-platform/connected-stores.
Quotes from grocers introducing Caper Carts:
“We’re always looking for new ways to improve the shopping experience for our community and the Caper Carts are a fantastic solution,” said David Cook, Chief Financial Officer of Bowman’s. “These carts not only make it easier and faster for our customers to shop but also allow us to continue providing the friendly, hands-on service that makes our store unique.”
“Neiman’s Family Market has been a fixture in our Michigan communities for over 40 years, and we’ve always believed in combining tradition with innovation,” said Bryan Neiman, President and CEO of Neiman’s Family Market. “Introducing Instacart’s Caper Carts in our stores is our way of honoring our family’s legacy of exceptional customer service. These smart carts will help us create a more personalized and efficient shopping experience, allowing us to better serve the families who have been shopping with us for generations.”
“At Maurer’s Market IGA, we’re committed to giving our customers the best possible shopping experience while maintaining the personalized service they’ve come to expect,” said Jeff Maurer, Owner of Maurer’s Market IGA. “By introducing Instacart’s Caper Carts to our stores, we’ll be blending innovation with our traditional values to make grocery shopping more convenient and enjoyable for our community. We’re excited to offer this smart technology that will help our customers track their spending and save money while they shop.”
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. Maplebear Inc. is the registered corporate name of Instacart.