Instacart Teams With POS Firms to Advance Smart Cart Usage

Instacart has teamed with two point-of-sale (POS) providers to promote smart cart usage.

The grocery technology company announced Monday (Jan. 13) new partnerships with Dumac Business Systems, a POS solutions provider for independent grocery and convenience stores, and Truno Retail Technology Solutions, whose systems power more than 13,000 locations across North America.

According to an Instacart news release, these partnerships will see Dumac and Truno offer Caper Carts — Instacart’s artificial intelligence (AI)-powered smart carts — to stores in their grocery networks.

“Grocers are the backbone of communities across the U.S., and we’re committed to getting them the tools and technology they need to succeed,” said Nick Nickitas, Instacart’s general manager of local independent grocery.

“By teaming up with established POS leaders like DUMAC and TRUNO, we’re making it easier than ever for grocers of all sizes to partner with Instacart, unlocking a modern shopping experience with Caper Carts while serving their communities,” Nickitas added.

Instacart introduced Caper Carts after acquiring Caper AI in 2021. Equipped with digital screens, the carts allow customers automatically to scan items whole they shop, monitor spending for budget management and access discounts directly on the cart.

Last year, Instacart CEO Fidji Simo told investors in a letter discussing the company’s quarterly earnings that shoppers were “seeking out stores” that offered Caper Carts, including those new to that merchant.

As PYMNTS wrote last month, Caper Carts are an example of the ongoing blurring between online and offline shopping as D2C brands adopt omnichannel strategies.

“This approach offers consumers a seamless experience across multiple touchpoints. According to Harvard Business Review, 73% of retail consumers now use several channels during their shopping journeys,” that report said.

Meanwhile, Instacart earlier this month launched a partnership with Samsung. As PYMNTS reported, this collaboration involves the use of AI in select Samsung refrigerators to help consumers place grocery orders through the appliance screen and receive those groceries through same-day delivery through Instacart.

It’s part of a multi-year effort that combines Samsung’s food recognition technology called AI Vision Inside and Instacart’s product-matching API.

“We’ve all dreamt of a refrigerator that could replenish itself, and now thanks to this partnership with Samsung, that’s no longer the stuff of science fiction,” Instacart Chief Product Officer Daniel Danker said in a news release.