Caper

Caper is a cutting-edge, AI-powered smart shopping cart developed by Instacart to fundamentally transform the physical retail landscape. It bridges the gap between the convenience of online shopping and the tangible experience of in-store browsing. By integrating advanced technologies like computer vision, sensor fusion, and a user-friendly touchscreen, Caper creates a seamless, checkout-free shopping journey. This innovative solution is designed not only to delight customers by eliminating wait times but also to empower retailers with powerful tools to increase sales, optimize operations, and open up new revenue streams through in-store advertising. Caper has been successfully deployed in numerous grocery chains, including ALDI, Schnucks, and Wakefern, proving its value in the modern retail environment.

How to use Caper

The Caper cart is designed for intuitive use by shoppers, making the in-store experience faster and more interactive.

1. Start Shopping: A customer simply grabs a Caper Cart upon entering the store.
2. Add Items to Cart: As the shopper places items into the cart, its built-in cameras and sensors automatically identify each product. There's no need for manual barcode scanning. For fresh produce or bulk items, the cart's integrated scale instantly calculates the weight and price.
3. Engage with the Screen: The large touchscreen on the cart's handle displays a real-time, itemized list of what's in the cart. It also presents personalized promotions, suggests complementary products, and can even help navigate the store aisles.
4. Pay on the Cart: When the shopping is complete, the customer can pay directly on the cart's secure payment terminal using a credit card, debit card, or other digital payment methods.
5. Exit Seamlessly: After payment, the shopper can simply walk out of the store, completely bypassing traditional checkout lines for a truly frictionless experience.

Core Features of Caper

• Scanless Item Recognition: Utilizes a sophisticated combination of computer vision, sensors, and AI algorithms to automatically detect and identify items placed in the cart.
• Integrated Touchscreen & Scale: A large, interactive screen provides a running total, personalized recommendations, in-store navigation, and targeted advertising. A built-in scale handles produce and bulk items with ease.
• On-Cart Payment System: Features a secure, integrated payment terminal that accepts various forms of payment, enabling a complete checkout-free experience.
• Retailer Analytics Platform: Offers retailers access to a powerful dashboard with insights into shopper behavior, popular paths, product affinity, and store performance to optimize layout and promotions.
• Omnichannel Integration: As part of Instacart, Caper seamlessly connects the in-store experience with online accounts, unifying shopping lists, loyalty programs, and promotional efforts across channels.
• In-Aisle Advertising Revenue: The cart's screen serves as a high-margin digital advertising platform, allowing brands to reach consumers at the critical point of decision.

Use Cases for Caper

Caper's technology is versatile and beneficial for various retail environments.

• Grocery Stores and Supermarkets: The primary use case, where Caper helps reduce checkout friction, manage labor costs effectively, and increase average basket size through targeted upselling and promotions.
• Large-Format Retailers: Ideal for big-box stores, home improvement centers, and other large retail spaces where long checkout queues are a significant customer pain point.
• In-Store Marketing and Advertising: Consumer packaged goods (CPG) brands can leverage the cart's screen to run targeted ad campaigns, reaching shoppers in the aisle as they make purchasing decisions.
• Data-Driven Store Optimization: Retailers can use the aggregated, anonymized data on cart movement and customer paths to optimize store layouts, product placement, and overall operational efficiency.

Advantages of Caper

Caper offers a compelling value proposition for shoppers, retailers, and brands.

• For Shoppers: Eliminates the frustration of waiting in line, provides a more engaging and convenient shopping trip, and offers easy access to personalized deals and discounts.
• For Retailers: Proven to increase average customer spending, creates a significant new advertising revenue stream, improves operational efficiency, reduces dependency on checkout staff, and provides invaluable data on in-store customer behavior.
• For Brands: Delivers a unique and highly effective point-of-purchase advertising channel to influence buying decisions directly.

Pricing and Plans

Caper is an enterprise-level solution for retailers. Pricing is customized based on the specific needs of the business, including the number of carts required, the store size and count, the chosen cart model (e.g., Caper Cart, Caper Scan), and the level of integration. To receive a detailed quote and learn more about the solution, interested retailers are encouraged to book a demo through the official Caper website.