Smart shopping carts on the rise as stores adapt to pandemic era Dalvin Brown Kroger is testing out 20 smart carts by Caper. Kroger is the latest retailer to embrace automation at a time when shoppers are more thoughtful about who they come in face-to-face contact with.
Popular Searches Last week, the grocery store chain revealed it has partnered with artificial intelligence firm Caper to deploy computer vision-enabled shopping carts at a supermarket in Cincinnati. If the test run is successful, the retailer will add connected buggies to more of its stores around the country. Kroger now has 20 branded smart carts built to know what customers place inside. The wireless buggies can tally up your total, make recommendations and allow you to pay for groceries directly on the cart. The gadgets eliminate the need to stand in line around strangers or pass off items to a salesclerk.
‘KroGO’ carts enable users to scan and pay for items to avoid checkout lane
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.
“We began testing KroGo, a new smart shopping cart powered by Caper, at one store last fall in the Cincinnati area,” a Kroger spokesperson said in a statement. “KroGo offers customers a seamless shopping experience where they can scan items and pay, all on the cart. Our expansion plans will be guided by insights from our customers and associates.”