Highlights
Instacart has also launched a new model of the Caper smart shopping cart (pictured) with a 65% increase in capacity over his and a slimmer, lighter design. You can even sync your Instacart-compatible shopping list to find items and mark them as purchased as soon as you add them to your cart. Carrot tags light up electronic shelf labels to make items easier to find, and cross-departmental links let you skip the line and pick up orders from bakeries and delis. Behind the scenes, connected store systems alert employees as soon as an item is low or out of stock.
Instacart may have had success with deliveries at the height of the pandemic, but it’s adapting to a time when many people are getting used to in-person grocery shopping again. The company leverages new and existing technologies to introduce a connected store “experience” that theoretically combines the benefits of delivery apps and retail. First, the platform allows you to pay for items by scanning them with your mobile phone. It’s not as convenient as Amazon’s automated Just Walk Out technology, but it does save you the trouble of using a self-checkout terminal.
There could be fewer empty shelves, or at least fewer inventory checks. Instacart has already tested the technology in select stores and is now available to retailers in the US and Canada. Outlets such as Joseph’s Classic Market, Schnuck’s and Wakefern Food Corp. Instacart is working with Bristol Farms to build a store in Irvine, Calif., and plans to use the full package in the coming months”. The company does not hold back on its goals. Instacart clearly wants to attract grocers who can’t (or don’t want) to use Amazon’s platform. Retailers don’t have to install expensive camera arrays or redesign entire locations, he said, Instacart.
If you prefer home delivery, this might not draw you back to the store, but it could be a worthwhile upgrade to retail shopping, especially for those who don’t shop at Amazon Fresh or Whole Foods.