Instacart and Coles Supermarkets to Launch Smart Trolleys in Australia

Rhea-AI Summary

Instacart (NASDAQ: CART) and Coles Supermarkets (ASX: COL) announced the deployment of AI-powered Caper Carts in Melbourne, Australia starting early 2025. This marks Instacart's first retail partnership bringing smart trolleys to the APAC region. The carts feature AI, cameras, and built-in scales to automatically recognize items, enabling customers to bag while shopping and track their running total. The system will integrate with Coles' Flybuys rewards program, offering personalized deals and gamified discounts. In the US, Caper Carts have achieved a net promoter score exceeding 70 at established locations.

Positive

• First expansion of Caper Carts into APAC region, opening new market opportunities
• Integration with Coles' Flybuys rewards program enhances customer engagement
• Strong US customer reception with NPS >70 demonstrates product success

Negative

• Implementation delayed until early 2025
• Initial rollout to single location in Richmond Traders

Insights

Tech Industry Analyst

The strategic partnership between Instacart and Coles represents a significant advancement in retail technology adoption, marking Instacart's first expansion of Caper Carts into the APAC region. The implementation of AI-powered smart trolleys could substantially impact both companies' market positions and operational efficiency.

The integration with Coles' Flybuys rewards program and the gamification features demonstrate a sophisticated approach to customer engagement and data collection. This technology enables real-time purchase tracking, personalized offers and seamless checkout processes, which could drive higher customer satisfaction and increased basket sizes.

With a net promoter score above 70% in US locations, the technology has proven market viability. This expansion could serve as a catalyst for Instacart's international growth strategy while helping Coles differentiate itself in the competitive Australian retail market.

Retail Market Analyst

This partnership signals a significant shift in the Australian retail landscape, where Coles gains a first-mover advantage in smart trolley technology. The implementation could create meaningful operational efficiencies through reduced checkout staff requirements and improved inventory management through real-time tracking.

The integration of digital loyalty programs with physical shopping experiences addresses the growing consumer demand for omnichannel retail solutions. The pilot at Richmond Traders will likely serve as a important test case for broader deployment across Coles' network of stores, potentially reshaping the competitive dynamics in Australian grocery retail.

Coles Supermarkets becomes the first retailer in the Asia Pacific region to deploy Caper Carts, Instacart's AI-powered smart trolleys

SAN FRANCISCO and MELBOURNE, Australia, Nov. 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Instacart (NASDAQ: CART), the leading grocery technology company in North America, and Coles Supermarkets (ASX: COL), one of Australia's leading retailers, today announced that Caper Carts, Instacart's AI-powered smart trolleys, will be coming to Melbourne, starting in early 2025 with its Richmond Traders location in Victoria. This milestone launch with Coles Supermarkets in Australia marks Instacart's first retail partnership that brings Caper Carts to the APAC region.

To get started, customers can grab a smart trolley at the store's entrance and start shopping. Caper Carts are equipped with AI, cameras, and a built-in scale, which work together to automatically recognize items as they are added to the trolley. Caper Carts enable customers to bag as they shop and watch their running total – similar to an online shopping experience. At the end of their shopping, customers can checkout directly from the trolley.

Caper Carts will sync to Coles' Flybuys rewards program, allowing customers to earn points as they shop. Customers can scan their Flybuys card or Coles app to instantly access personalized offers and view in-store specials on the trolley's digital screen. Equipped with gamified capabilities, customers will also have the chance to win discounts by spinning a digital wheel on the trolley's screen at checkout.

"As the first retailer in Australia to introduce AI-powered trolleys, we're excited to offer our customers a convenient and engaging way to shop in-store, helping them save time, manage their budget, and checkout faster – or at their own pace," said Coles Chief Digital Officer, Ben Hassing. "The Coles smart trolley illustrates our omnichannel approach, leveraging digital capabilities to enrich the in-store experience. We are committed to testing and learning through innovative solutions to make sure we are delivering on customer needs, increasing convenience, and helping customers discover more value through their shop at Coles."

"Instacart has spent the last decade enabling retailers with the technologies they need to better serve their customers any way they choose to shop. We're now bringing personalization and convenience into the store and delivering technologies that power an omnichannel experience for grocers of all sizes and markets," said David McIntosh, Chief Connected Stores Officer at Instacart. "As we expand our international ambitions, we're proud to partner with Coles Supermarkets to bring Caper Carts to Australia for the first time and look forward to offering Coles' customers an even more personalized and seamless in-store shopping experience."

Caper Carts are more than just a shopping trolley. As a smart trolley, Caper Carts enable retailers to offer their customers a way to save money on food and grocery essentials, while offering a delightful shopping experience as they shop the store aisles. In the US, customer reception to Caper Carts has been strong with customers offering a net promoter score of more than 70 at ramped locations – in line with some of the world's most loved brands.

Caper Carts are part of Instacart's Connected Stores suite of technologies, built to help grocers bridge the online and in-store shopping experience.

To learn more about Instacart's Caper Carts and Connected Stores, visit www.instacart.com/company/retailer-platform/connected-stores.

To learn more about Coles Supermarkets, visit https://www.colesgroup.com.au/news/

About Instacart
Instacart, the leading grocery technology company in North America, works with grocers and retailers to transform how people shop. The company partners with more than 1,500 national, regional, and local retail banners to facilitate online shopping, delivery and pickup services from more than 85,000 stores across North America on the Instacart Marketplace. Instacart makes it possible for millions of people to get the groceries they need from the retailers they love, and for approximately 600,000 Instacart shoppers to earn by picking, packing and delivering orders on their own flexible schedule. The Instacart Platform offers retailers a suite of enterprise-grade technology products and services to power their e-commerce experiences, fulfill orders, digitize brick-and-mortar stores, provide advertising services, and glean insights. With Instacart Ads, thousands of CPG brands – from category leaders to emerging brands – partner with the company to connect directly with consumers online, right at the point of purchase. With Instacart Health, the company is providing tools to increase nutrition security, make healthy choices easier for consumers, and expand the role that food can play in improving health outcomes. For more information, visit www.instacart.com/company, and to start shopping, visit www.instacart.com. Maplebear Inc. is the registered corporate name of Instacart.

About Coles Supermarkets
Coles is one of Australia's leading retailers, with more than 1,800 supermarkets and liquor stores nationally. Coles employs more than 120,000 team members, engages with more than 8,000 suppliers, and welcomes millions of customers through its store network and digital platforms every week. Coles' purpose is to help Australians eat and live better every day.

 

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SOURCE Instacart

FAQ

When will Instacart launch Caper Carts in Australia?

Instacart will launch Caper Carts in Melbourne, Australia at the Richmond Traders location in Victoria starting in early 2025.

What features do Instacart's Caper Carts include?

Caper Carts include AI technology, cameras, built-in scales, automatic item recognition, running total display, and integration with Coles' Flybuys rewards program.

What is the customer satisfaction rate for Caper Carts in the US?

Caper Carts have received a net promoter score of more than 70 at ramped locations in the US.