We test-drove a new smart shopping cart

Here’s the skinny on using them the first time

Are electronic carts the future at supermarkets? ShopRite is experimenting with a line of AI-powered smart shopping carts called Caper Cart by Instacart.

This reporter wanted to see what they’re all about, so on a Thursday afternoon, I went to ShopRite of Brookdale in Bloomfield to give these new wheels a spin.

Some fellow shoppers found the cart amusing, with one saying, “Do you got blinkers on that thing?”

Sure, the build of the cart feels a little heavier than your average metal rolling bin. And yes, it lights up like a Christmas tree when you put an item in the basket. Don’t be alarmed.

If you want to look like you’ve used these carts before on your very first time, here’s the play by play.

How Caper Cart works: a tutorial

I arrived at ShopRite around noon and walked right past the traditional shopping carts huddled outside the main entrance. Once inside, I found what I was looking for: the Caper Cart, which is powered by AI and computer vision technology.

I made my selection from the pack of 15 and was greeted by a screen in front of the cart handle that let me choose a quick tutorial or to “begin shopping.”

I figured the tutorial was the way to go, and I wasn’t disappointed. It showed me how to scan my purchases and wait for a beep. That’s when a green light surrounds the cart, signaling I have successfully put my purchase in my digital cart as I drop it in my physical cart.

“Is that going to pay my bills, too?” a passerby quipped.

The tutorial also gave instructions on how to add produce to my digital cart. (You need to find the four-digit code on the produce and then tap “Add Item” on your cart screen. Next, type in the code, select the produce you chose, and lay it in the cart to be weighed through sensors before your price appears on the screen.) I bought some bananas and they scanned with no problem while everything else was in the cart. The price and the weight seemed accurate.

No need to keep tabs on your items. The screen listed them all, including eggs, whole wheat sliced bread and those bananas, along with their prices. I decided to put the chocolate chip cookies back on the shelf, and without my making another move, the product also automatically disappeared from my digital cart.

Then I was ready to go. I pushed the “Checkout” option on the screen and saw my items and their prices. I hit “Next” and was told to take my cart to a self-checkout lane or a cashier. I chose the first option, and a kind worker directed me to the proper checkout for the electronic carts, in a different part of the store. A cashier greeted me and scanned my barcode, and then I paid with a credit card.

I dropped off my Caper Cart with the other traditional carts outside the store.

PROVIDED BY WAKEFERN FOOD CORP. The new electronic shopping cart line from Instacart, called Caper Cart, is seen at a ShopRite store in Bloomfield.