Kroger Testing Smarter Carts
Kroger is getting smarter about its carts.
Caper, which describes itself as the creators of the world's first AI-powered shopping cart, says that Kroger has selected Caper's AI-powered shopping cart to test at a Cincinnati store.
The new "KroGO" branded smart cart, powered by Caper, offers customers a seamless shopping experience where they can scan items and pay directly on the cart, eliminating the need to stand in line and checkout.
The Caper Cart is a cost-effective and plug-and-play solution for grocers and retailers that doesn't require a store retrofit or operational overhaul to deploy quickly. This is Caper's third deployment with a national retail chain in the past 12 months, signaling increased demand from retailers for autonomous checkout technology.
“In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the demand for autonomous checkout technology is driving grocers and retailers to innovate and adopt new technologies that keep shoppers safe and streamline checkout," said Lindon Gao, CEO and co-founder of Caper. "We are excited to partner with Kroger on this pilot and look forward to gaining valuable feedback from its customers and associates."
The Caper Cart is powered by deep learning and computer vision to recognize items placed in the cart instantly. The carts include a built-in scale to measure items sold by weight and a built-in screen that can deliver shopping list recommendations, promotional offers and wayfinding capabilities. Shoppers can scan their loyalty card and check out directly from the cart.
The use of smart carts and artificial intelligence promise to gain more energy this year, with Amazon and other food retailers turning to those technologies.
Cincinnati-based Kroger employs nearly half a million associates who serve 9 million-plus customers daily through a seamless digital shopping experience and 2,800 retail food stores under a variety of banner names. The company is No. 3 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2020 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America.
