Schnuck Markets, Inc. and Instacart, the leading grocery technology company in North America, today announced the companies will expand their omnichannel partnership by deploying Caper Carts, Instacart’s smart carts, in select stores. Caper Carts automatically identify items as they are added to the cart using computer vision and artificial intelligence (AI), allowing customers to bag as they shop, skip the line and seamlessly checkout on the Cart from anywhere in the store. Caper Carts will first roll out at select Schnucks St. Louis stores this fall, with a broader planned rollout later this year following successful initial deployments.
“As a third and fourth generation, family-owned grocer, we’re always thinking about how we can best serve our customers while also driving the digital transformation of the grocery industry. As part of that effort, we’re proud to deepen our partnership with Instacart and further bridge the gap between in-store and online shopping for Schnucks customers,” said Chace MacMullan, Senior Director of Digital Experience at Schnucks. “We believe the future of grocery will lean heavily into personalization – whether it’s achieved through in-store smart carts or by providing the best possible e-commerce experience for our customers. We aim to make customers feel like each shopping experience was custom-made for them, and we’re excited to take another big step forward with the rollout of this pilot of Instacart’s Caper Carts.”
For the first time, select Caper Carts will feature a bottom rack for bulky and heavy items. In addition to fully automated Caper Carts that automatically detect items as they are placed in the cart, Schnucks will also be testing a Lite version, where customers manually scan items before placing them in the Cart. Caper Carts can be wirelessly upgraded with new features and are the only smart cart on the market to offer stacked charging so that they do not have to be plugged in individually or undergo labor intensive battery swaps.
Customers will also be able to use their Schnucks Rewards account with the Caper Cart to get a more convenient, personalized experience – giving them easy access to clipped promotions and allowing them to view deals from the weekly circular as they browse the aisles.
“We’re proud to partner with Schnucks on their rollout of Instacart’s Caper Carts, which bring together the best of online and in-store shopping to spearhead their digital transformation and create a truly convenient and personalized experience for customers,” said David McIntosh, Vice President and General Manager of Connected Stores at Instacart. “With this launch, Schnucks is building on their existing Instacart-powered offerings across e-commerce, ads, electronic shelf labels (ESLs), and more – redefining in-store shopping and checkout for customers. At Instacart, we’re committed to developing new and innovative technologies that help retailers seamlessly create a unified commerce experience, and are excited to work with Schnucks to reimagine the future of grocery together.”
Schnucks has long partnered with Instacart to bring its omnichannel strategy to life, and the debut of Instacart’s Caper Carts is the next step in their efforts to connect the online and in-store shopping experience for customers. Schnucks first partnered with Instacart in 2017 to introduce same-day delivery, and has since deployed a number of Instacart Platform technologies to digitize its stores and serve its customers:
- E-commerce: Schnucks customers can shop online through the Instacart App or Schnucks owned-and-operated e-commerce properties, powered by Carrot Connect. Customers can shop in a variety of ways – including for same-day delivery, pickup, or delivery in minutes with “Schnucks Now” from the Instacart App, Schnucks.com, or the Schnucks Rewards mobile app. Available on the Instacart App, customers can also use their EBT SNAP benefits online, and Instacart+ members can use their membership on either storefront to get free delivery and reduced service fees.
- Carrot Ads: With Carrot Ads, Schnucks is using its e-commerce presence to create new revenue streams and highlight consumer packaged goods (CPG) brands to more customers. CPG brands can connect with customers as they shop at Schnucks online, showing relevant ads to customers at multiple points in their shopping journey.
- Eversight: By digitizing its operations, Schnucks is able to use Instacart’s Eversight pricing and promotions solution to optimize in-store pricing in response to real-time conditions and deliver more valuable promotions for customers. Powered by AI, Eversight’s robust data and technology solutions enable retailers to make better decisions that deliver affordability to customers while still growing their business. Schnucks is also piloting Eversight on its online storefronts.
- Carrot Tags: With Carrot Tags’ pick-to-light functionality, order pickers tap an item on their mobile phone to have the corresponding ESL flash, making it easier to find items on the shelf and improving found rates and efficiency. Carrot Tags will roll out to Schnucks stores in the coming months.
