Instacart adds gamification to smart cart solution
Gamification is one of three new capabilities Instacart is rolling out for its Caper Cart smart carts.
The grocery technology company is introducing gamified quests, location-based coupons, and aisle-aware advertising formats to its AI-equipped Caper Cart smart cart offering. These new features follow updates including upgraded AI models and new in-store rewards Instacart unveiled in September 2023.
[READ MORE: Instacart adds AI capabilities for storefronts, smart carts]
Caper Cart, which Instacart acquired in October 2021, is equipped with scales, sensors, touchscreens, and computer vision technology. Grocery retailers including Bristol Farms, Fairway Market, The Fresh Grocer, Geissler's Supermarket, Kroger, McKeever's Market & Eatery, Price Chopper, Schnucks and ShopRite in the U.S., as well as Aldi in Austria, are utilizing carts with the new features.
An overview of each new Caper Cart capability follows:
Gamified quests
New gamified quests are customizable, interactive mini-games that customers can complete using a Caper Cart. Quests are designed in partnership with retailers and brands and appear on the Caper Cart digital screen with lights and sounds to alert customers when they are available.
Quests can include following a map of the store to find flash deals; earning credits for completing a "shopping streak," such as three shops with a Caper Cart in one month; or clipping a specific number of personalized digital coupons on a Caper Cart to receive credits.
Location-based coupons
With new location-based coupons, customers using Caper Carts will be alerted to nearby deals and discounts for relevant items as they shop each aisle of the store. Caper Carts offer indoor location capabilities that enable retailers and brands to know where customers are in the store as they shop.
In the future, location-based coupons will be tailored to each customer based on previously purchased items or what is in their Caper Cart. This feature builds on Instacart's current coupon offering.
Aisle-aware ads
Aisle-aware ads on Caper Carts include promotions such as a customer turning down the cereal aisle and seeing creative imagery featuring a specifc product, sponsored by its brand.
In the next stages of testing for rich formats on Caper Carts, brands will be able to showcase their rich creative based on both customer location and the addition of complementary items to their cart.
More than a dozen brands are piloting location-based ad formats at Schnucks, spotlighting products on Caper Cart's digital screen based on where customers are in the store.
"We've been excited by the positive reception we've seen from our Caper customers to-date.,” said Bob Hardester, chief information and supply chain officer at Schnuck Markets Inc. "Customers love watching their running total and clipping coupons directly on the cart – which is ultimately leading to larger basket sizes. Location-based coupons and investment into an expanded advertising platform on Caper Carts have the opportunity to be game-changing when it comes to offering a personalized experience for our customers."
Caper Carts are part of Instacart's Connected Stores suite of technologies intended to help grocers build a unified, seamless and personalized experience. Caper Carts feature Nvidia Jetson technology and are equipped with AI, cameras, sensors, and a built-in scale which work together to automatically recognize items.
The cart's digital screen allows customers to track their purchases budget in real-time. At the end of their shop, customers of many retailers can checkout directly from the cart.
"Caper Carts are ushering in a new era at the grocery store – making shopping more delightful while delivering a seamless experience for customers, retailers, and brands,” said David McIntosh, chief connected stores officer at Instacart. Over the last six months, we've nearly quadrupled our Caper Cart footprint and plan to reach thousands of carts live in stores in the coming months."
