Technology

Australia retailer Coles Supermarkets deploys Instacart’s Caper Carts

Photo: Courtesy of Instacart/Coles Supermarket

February 25, 2025

Coles Supermarkets is the first retailer in the Asia Pacific region to deploy Instacart's Caper Carts.

Coles has more than 1,800 locations and liquor stores in Australia and employs more than 120,000 team members, according to a press release.

Coles has rolled out the AI-powered smart trolleys at its Richmond Traders location in Melbourne.

Caper Carts are equipped with AI, cameras, and a built-in scale, which work together to automatically recognize items as they are added to the trolley. They enable customers to bag as they shop and watch their running total — similar to an online shopping experience. At the end of their shopping, customers can conveniently checkout directly from the trolley.

In Oct. 2024 Instacart added gamification, personalized offers and advertising to its Caper Cart to give shoppers a more seamless shopping experience.

"Coles Supermarkets is our ideal partner to introduce Caper Carts in the APAC region because we share a similar vision for creating a personalized shopping experience that delights customers," David McIntosh, chief connected stores officer at Instacart, sad in the release.

Caper Carts sync to Coles' Flybuys rewards program, allowing customers to earn points as they shop. Equipped with gamified capabilities, customers also have the chance to win discounts by spinning a digital wheel on the trolley's screen at checkout.

"We're proud to be the first retailer in Australia to offer AI-powered smart trolleys to our customers, bringing our omnichannel vision to life," Ben Levinson, general manager for digital product at Coles, said in the release. "Caper Carts help our customers bag as they shop, manage their budget, and save time with faster checkout — all while providing a more personalized shopping experience. We're always looking for new ways to further improve the customer shopping experience and are excited to introduce smart shopping trolleys as another convenient way to shop our aisles."

Check out this episode of the CX Innovators podcast featuring Nick Nickitas, general manager, local independent grocery, at Instacart, and his insight about the Caper Cart.