Roaming supermarket aisles may never be the same. That’s if Kroger smart shopping cart, called KroGO, from tech developer Caper, wins customer adoption in early test runs. Add this artificial intelligence (AI) powered shopping cart to the expanding array of self-service checkout options available for merchants to offer their shoppers. Grab and go-type autonomous checkout has been popularized by Amazon Go stores, but that’s fine for a small selection of items.
Being able to fill a shopping cart’s worth of products aligns well with a typical supermarket shopping trip, especially for produce items that requiring weighing. This smart cart also gives related buying suggestions, as well as loyalty program options. The payment card terminal integrated on the cart enables bypassing checkout lines for an express exit—exactly what busy consumers are looking for.
The following excerpt from a Supermarket News article reports more on the topic:
The Kroger Co., the largest U.S. supermarket operator, is piloting an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered “smart” shopping cart from New York-based Caper Inc. Caper announced the partnership with Kroger on Tuesday. Branded as “KroGO” by Kroger, the Caper Cart has been quietly tested at a Kroger-banner store in Cincinnati since last October.
The technology enables shoppers to scan items and pay directly via the cart, eliminating the need to wait in line at the checkout area. The Kroger Co., the largest U.S. supermarket operator, is piloting an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered “smart” shopping cart from New York-based Caper Inc.
Caper announced the partnership with Kroger on Tuesday. Branded as “KroGO” by Kroger, the Caper Cart has been quietly tested at a Kroger-banner store in Cincinnati since last October. The technology enables shoppers to scan items and pay directly via the cart, eliminating the need to wait in line at the checkout area.
The Caper Cart uses AI and machine learning to scan products as customers put them in the cart, which has a built-in scale for items sold by weight. A touchscreen near the cart’s handle displays a running tally of items selected, and an attached a point-of-sale card terminal allows customers to pay for their purchases right on the cart. Shoppers bag their own groceries, and once payment is completed they exit the store.
Overview by Raymond Pucci, Director, Merchant Services at Mercator Advisory Group
