Weis Markets Teams with Instacart to Bring AI-Powered Smart Carts to Pennsylvania Stores
Weis Markets is enhancing the in-store shopping experience with the introduction of Instacart’s Caper Carts at select Pennsylvania locations, with additional deployments planned throughout the year. Powered by Instacart’s AI-driven Connected Stores technology, the smart carts are designed to make grocery shopping more convenient, personalized, and rewarding. Customers can track their spending in real time, access exclusive digital coupons directly from the cart and seamlessly connect their Weis Rewards accounts to unlock personalized features and loyalty benefits.
The new technology blends digital convenience with the traditional in-store experience. Once linked to a Weis Rewards account, shoppers can receive tailored recommendations through features like Buy It Again, which highlights previously purchased items to help streamline future trips. The carts also support location-based promotions and on-cart savings opportunities, giving customers access to deals as they move throughout the store.
"Weis Markets and its associates have always been committed to delivering a best-in-class shopping experience, and Caper Carts are a meaningful step forward in that journey," said Greg Zeh, SVP, Chief Information Officer at Weis Markets. "From real-time spend tracking to on-cart coupons that make saving effortless, this technology offers our customers a convenient and frictionless shopping experience."
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Cooklist Expands AI-Powered Grocery Shopping Tools Across Major Retailers
Cooklist is expanding the reach of its AI Shopping Assistant platform through new partnerships with leading grocery retailers, including The Kroger Co. and Wegmans Food Markets, as Progressive Grocer reports. The rollout makes the technology available to millions of digital shoppers across hundreds of stores, with additional grocery chains expected to adopt the platform in the near future. Designed to enhance online grocery shopping, the AI-powered assistant helps customers build personalized shopping carts through conversational interactions rather than traditional keyword searches, Progressive Grocer notes.
The platform can respond to detailed shopper requests by considering factors such as dietary preferences, nutritional goals, budgets, and previous purchases. It can also transform recipes discovered online—including those from social media and food blogs—into ready-to-purchase ingredient lists. By integrating with existing e-commerce systems, the technology enables grocers to offer a more customized experience while making it easier for shoppers to find products that fit their needs.
Beyond convenience, Cooklist believes the platform provides retailers with deeper insights into customer behavior and shopping intent. Longer, more detailed interactions allow grocers to better understand what shoppers are trying to accomplish, creating opportunities for stronger engagement, increased loyalty, and larger basket sizes. As artificial intelligence becomes a more practical tool for everyday grocery shopping, solutions like Cooklist’s aim to help regional and national retailers compete by delivering more personalized and intuitive digital experiences.
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Best Buy and Meta Team Up to Create Interactive AI and VR Shopping Experiences
Best Buy is expanding its partnership with Meta by introducing immersive in-store destinations designed to help shoppers explore emerging AI and virtual reality technologies firsthand, as Chain Store Age reports. The new “Meta Lab @ Best Buy” concept will debut in 50 stores across the U.S. this summer, offering customers an opportunity to interact with Meta’s latest wearable and mixed-reality devices in a dedicated retail environment.
The interactive spaces will showcase Meta’s lineup of AI-powered glasses and VR headsets through a variety of hands-on experiences, Chain Store Age notes. Shoppers will be able to test products, receive personalized assistance from Meta specialists, and use digital tools to compare styles and features. Smart mirrors and virtual try-on technology will allow customers to see how different eyewear options look before making a purchase, while other displays will demonstrate lens capabilities in varying lighting conditions.
The initiative reflects growing consumer interest in experiencing new technology before buying, according to Chain Store Age. Best Buy notes that many customers prefer to see and try AI-enabled eyewear in person, making the retail environment an important part of the purchase journey. By combining interactive demonstrations with expert guidance, Best Buy and Meta aim to make advanced technologies more accessible while creating a more engaging shopping experience for consumers.
Learn more here.