Retailers have widely adopted self-checkout and contactless payment systems, yet these technologies still face challenges such as high shrinkage rates, scanning inefficiencies, and customer frustration. Could smart carts be the solution? Retail Systems Assistant Editor Dalvinder Kular investigates.

For decades, retailers have experimented with ways to make in-store shopping more efficient, yet traditional checkout methods remain a persistent pain point.

Long queues, scanning errors, and self-checkout frustrations have led to customer dissatisfaction and increased shrinkage for retailers. While e-commerce offers seamless, personalised experiences, brick-and-mortar stores have struggled to match that level of convenience.

Smart carts have emerged as a potential solution, promising to streamline checkout, reduce friction, and enhance engagement through AI-driven automation.

However, like previous retail innovations, their success will depend on customer adoption, operational feasibility, and whether they truly address the underlying inefficiencies of physical shopping.

Two such major retailers experimenting with the tech are French grocery giants Franprix and Intermarché.

The carts feature a clip-on device powered by computer vision, capable of recognizing thousands of items without manual scanning.
Cust2Mate, which manufactures the carts, claims that they combine a physical shopping experience with the advantages of online shopping. The technology has the potential to increase the amount of products purchased, improve consumer satisfaction, and speed up the checkout process.

Some smart carts also provide personalized offers, assist with in-store navigation, and help customers determine product suitability for dietary needs.

While these features enhance convenience, questions remain about customer adoption and data privacy. Florimond De Tinguy, VP of sales at eCommerce platform VTEX, argues that by offering features like real-time price displays and product suggestions, smart trolleys enhance transparency and help customers to make informed purchasing decisions.

"Smart carts can function as digital shopping assistants, providing personalised promotions, guided navigation to in-store items, and tailored product combination suggestions,” he says. “This is a customer-centric innovation that is a natural extension of existing self-checkout models."

Gamification

A key advantage of smart trolleys is their ability to enhance engagement by making shopping more interactive. Gamified missions are interactive in-store mini-games that seek to reward shoppers with credits and savings as they browse the aisles, with the aim of improving the customer experience.

US-based retailers Schnucks and Wakefern Food recently partnered with Instacart to launch in-store gamification quests, location-based coupons, and aisle-aware ad formats.

Powered by NVIDIA Jetson, the shopping carts are equipped with artificial intelligence, cameras, sensors and an integrated scale, which work together to automatically recognise items. At the end of the shop, customers can checkout directly from the shopping cart.
Early trials suggest positive customer reception, though long-term adoption remains to be seen.

"Unlike self-checkout, Caper Cart's capabilities are changing the grocery shopping experience for consumers,” a spokesperson for Instacart says. “With the integration of gamification and personalised offers, shopping feels less like a chore and more like an adventure."

Trials of the smart carts have so far seen positive response from customers and Instacart reports seeing children convincing their parents to use the shopping carts and wanting to scan all the items themselves.

"Since rolling out Caper Carts, we've seen an incredible consumer response—people are really excited,” the spokesperson adds. “Caper Carts are being used by people of all ages from kids to senior citizens and are especially popular among couples and families."

Instacart’s research found that shoppers spend an average of 30 minutes shopping using the smart carts. Around 83 per cent of consumers are receptive to using smart trolleys for savings and budgeting and 50 per cent of consumers are interested in using AI to find the best deals, while 26 per cent are eager for AI-powered personalised offers and recommendations.

To further encourage their adoption Sarah Koch, director of marketing and communications at payment technology company Aevi, says that retailers should integrate loyalty programs and offer incentives to customers.

"Retailers should ensure smart carts are simple to use to drive adoption,” she says. “Adding incentives, like letting customers pay with their preferred method or offering exclusive rewards for smart cart users, can provide that extra motivation."

Roll out

The introduction of smart trolleys also impacts store employees, shifting their roles towards more customer-centric tasks. "By bringing the best parts of online shopping to brick-and-mortar stores, Caper Carts allow store associates to focus on what they do best—providing exceptional customer service,” the spokesperson for Instacart said.

Proper training is essential to ensure employees are comfortable with the technology and can support customers in case they need help to use smart carts, they added.

In terms of putting smart carts in stores, Instacart markets the technology as a ‘plug-and-play’ solution, suggesting minimal infrastructure investment.

“Retailers shouldn’t have to spend millions of dollars retrofitting their stores or piecing together tech solutions,” Instacart said, claiming that smart carts are more cost-effective than self-checkout, with a potentially faster ROI. However, widespread retailer adoption will depend on factors such as maintenance costs, employee training, and customer willingness to use the technology
“We know that omnichannel customers are more valuable to retailers, and we’re consistently seeing larger basket sizes when customers shop using a Caper Cart.”

In contrast to other systems, such as Amazon’s just walk out and self-checkout, Koch believes smart carts are superior.

“It’s a no-brainer! nobody wants to touch things twice! Smart carts bring the perfect mix of convenience and transparency to in-store shopping,” she says. “Unlike Just Walk Out systems, which require pre-enrolment and complex tracking, smart carts let customers see and manage their purchases in real time, keeping them in control.

“Compared to self-checkout, they eliminate scanning errors and streamline payments by integrating with contactless, mobile wallets, and loyalty rewards. It’s all about convenience, efficiency, and smooth processes because who has time for checkout drama?”

Reducing shrinkage

Some retailers implementing self-checkout systems have reported increasing levels of theft. A Deloitte survey found that shrinkage rates for self-checkout are around 25%, rising to nearly 40% for mobile ‘scan and pay’ solutions. Whether smart carts mitigate this issue remains an open question.

Instacart said that smart carts can help retailers avoid loss and reduce shrinkage due to the combination of cameras that monitor items going into the trolley and an integrated digital scale.

“This gives Caper Carts and retailers full visibility of items in the trolley, while enabling us to immediately flag suspicious activity for audit by in-store associates,” they said.

Additionally, a cart manager allows the trolleys to be managed remotely in real-time via tablet, giving retailers a remote bird’s-eye view of their stores. This provides retailers with real-time visibility into cart usage and shopping patterns, allowing them to quickly flag issues for audit.

Koch says that to prevent theft, retailers can deploy additional safeguards, such as requiring pre-authorisation for payments or linking carts to mobile wallets.

“Retailers should use data and leverage AI-powered item recognition, real-time weight sensors, and integrated payment authentication to reduce shrinkage,” she adds.

The roll out of smart carts seems to be growing. Cust2Mate has an agreement with IR2S, a provider of retail technologies, to deploy 30,000 smart carts before 2026 across retail chains in France.

Instacart reports that Caper Carts are now available in 12 grocery chains across three countries, with retailer partnerships continuing to grow.

Koch believes successful smart cart implementation hinges on customer adoption and minimising friction.

"Adoption largely depends on intuitive design and trust in the payment system—in short, customers need to feel confident that they're being charged accurately and securely."

Adoption challenges

Despite the promise of smart carts, their widespread adoption is not guaranteed. Several factors could hinder their success, from customer hesitation to operational constraints.

One of the primary concerns is customer acceptance. While tech-savvy shoppers may embrace the innovation, others—particularly older consumers or those less comfortable with digital interfaces—may find smart carts intimidating. Unlike self-checkout, which still offers a familiar scanning process, smart carts introduce a fundamentally new way of shopping that requires behavioural change.

Retailers must consider how to educate and incentivise hesitant customers to try the technology, whether through in-store demonstrations or promotional incentives.

Another key issue is privacy and data security. Smart carts rely on AI-driven tracking, personalised recommendations, and integrated payment systems, all of which require collecting and processing customer data. While this enables convenience, some shoppers may be wary of how their purchasing behaviour is being monitored and used. Clear communication on data privacy policies, opt-in features, and transparency in how information is stored and utilised will be essential in maintaining consumer trust.

Retailers must also factor in maintenance and operational costs. While smart carts promise efficiency, they are significantly more complex than traditional trolleys, requiring regular software updates, calibration, and troubleshooting. Breakdowns or system errors could lead to customer frustration and increased staff intervention, negating the intended benefits of automation. Unlike static self-checkout kiosks, smart carts are constantly in motion, making wear-and-tear a greater concern. Retailers will need dedicated technical support and contingency plans to ensure smooth operation.

Additionally, store layout and infrastructure could pose challenges. Many supermarkets are designed around fixed checkout points, and integrating a fleet of smart carts may require adjustments to existing layouts, storage areas, and charging stations. Smaller retailers, in particular, may struggle with the logistics of implementing smart carts without disrupting their current operations.

Finally, cost-benefit considerations will determine whether smart carts become a viable long-term investment. While vendors claim that the technology increases basket sizes and reduces shrinkage, retailers must weigh the upfront investment against measurable gains in revenue and efficiency. Some businesses may opt for hybrid models, where smart carts complement rather than replace traditional checkouts.

Ultimately, the success of smart carts will depend not just on their technological capabilities, but on how seamlessly they integrate into both retailer operations and customer habits. Overcoming these barriers will require a combination of user-friendly design, staff training, and clear incentives for adoption.

While smart carts present an exciting evolution in retail technology, their widespread success is not guaranteed. Retailers must balance the potential benefits—faster checkouts, personalised promotions, and reduced shrinkage—with the challenges of customer adoption, infrastructure investment, and operational adjustments.

The technology’s ability to seamlessly integrate into existing retail environments while maintaining a frictionless user experience will be key to its long-term viability. As trials expand and data emerges, the industry will gain a clearer picture of whether smart carts represent a true paradigm shift or simply an incremental improvement in self-service retail.

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