Morrisons ends AI trolley trial as Instacart retires Caper Carts

Morrisons is winding down its trial of AI-powered shopping trolleys at one store in Ashton-on-Ribble, Preston. The trial began in July; the source does not specify the year.

The carts, made by Instacart’s Caper Carts business, used built-in cameras and scales to track shoppers’ purchases as they moved around the store. A touchscreen displayed the trolley’s contents, and customers could pay at a dedicated checkout lane by scanning a barcode.

Instacart said retailer adoption “has not scaled quickly enough to justify our continued investment” in Caper Carts, according to The Grocer. The company is also withdrawing the carts from US stores, including locations operated by Schnucks and Wegmans.

A Morrisons spokesperson told The Grocer that the trial offered insight into customers’ changing shopping habits and that the company would continue piloting and developing solutions. The source does not say how many shoppers used the carts or give a reason from Morrisons for ending the trial.

The report contrasts the trolley trial with Morrisons’ AI cameras that monitor shelf stock, trigger orders for low-stock items and alert staff to potential problems. It also describes other AI systems used to forecast demand and reduce shortages and waste, but provides no details about those systems.