Kroger Co. has begun testing a smart shopping cart that enables customers to scan and pay as they go at one of its Greater Cincinnati stores.
Downtown Cincinnati-based Kroger, the nation’s largest operator of traditional supermarkets, started testing KroGo, its smart shopping cart, at its Madeira store last fall, a Kroger spokeswoman said.
The new cart developed by New York-based retail technology company Caper Inc. features a video screen and technology that allows shoppers to skip checkout lanes.
“KroGo offers customers a seamless shopping experience where they can scan items and pay, all on the cart,” a Kroger spokeswoman said. “Our expansion plans will be guided by insights from our customers and associates.”
Kroger frequently tests new technology before rolling it out broadly. It has 2,800 stores in 35 states.
The cart’s video screen provides promotional information, shopping list recommendations and can guide customers around the store. The carts also include a scale to determine the price of items sold by weight. Shoppers can scan their loyalty card and pay at the cart, without going through a checkout line. They bag their groceries after paying at the cart and then leave the store.
Kroger also touts KroGo for enabling customers to pay and leave the store with less contact than if they used the standard checkout procedures.
Kroger’s test closely follows rival Amazon, owner of Whole Foods Market, which said last summer it was adding smart carts called Dash Carts at its new Amazon Fresh store in the Los Angeles area. It has since expanded Amazon Fresh to five California stores and two in Illinois, with more likely to come.
Caper says it developed the world’s first artificial intelligence-powered shopping cart. It has installations with three national retail chains, including Kroger.
“In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the demand for autonomous checkout technology is driving grocers and retailers to innovate and adopt new technologies that keep shoppers safe and streamline checkout," Caper CEO and co-founder Lindon Gao said in his company’s announcement of Kroger’s test. "We are excited to partner with Kroger on this pilot and look forward to gaining valuable feedback from its customers and associates."
