Shoppers in Somers Point will soon experience a new kind of convenience at their local supermarket. Beginning Thursday, Dec. 11, the Somers Point ShopRite will become the first pilot location in South Jersey to introduce Caper Carts, a next-generation, AI-powered smart cart designed to make grocery shopping faster, easier and more efficient.
“They’re easy to use and will help shoppers to save time and money, even automatically applying coupons when they are available,” ShopRite Somers Point Assistant Manager Nick Shehadi said.
Developed by Instacart, Caper Carts use sensor fusion with AI integration, combined with built-in scales, cameras and computer vision, to automatically detect and identify items as they are placed in the cart. The system tallies purchases in real time, giving customers an accurate running total of their bill as they shop.
The carts also simplify savings. Digital coupons are automatically applied, and the cart alerts shoppers whenever additional discounts or promotions are available.
“One of the features our team is most excited about is the savings notification,” Shehadi said. “Customers won’t miss out on deals. The cart lets them know right away.”
The new system also improves accuracy when weighing produce and bulk items. Instead of walking back and forth to a scale, shoppers can weigh items directly in the cart, with results instantly added to the total.
On Tuesday, Dec. 9, staff members were busy training on the new technology, preparing for its public launch.
“People are generally curious and enthusiastic,” Shehadi said. “We expect this to be well received, but those who don’t want to use them will still be able to checkout with a cashier or a self-checkout machine ”
If successful, the technology could expand to additional stores across the region. Eventually, the era of taking items out of the cart, placing them on a conveyor belt, and scanning them — or having a cashier scan them — may be coming to an end. For now, though, every shopper can decide which option they prefer.
