Schnucks Expands Caper Carts to New Stores Across Missouri and Illinois

Starting today, we’re bringing Caper Carts to even more stores across Missouri and expanding into Illinois – marking the first time the smart carts will be available in Illinois. This expansion follows Schnucks’ first introduction of Caper Carts in 2024.

With this expansion, we’re also introducing a new feature: the lower tray. Designed to improve the cart’s versatility, this option now makes it easier for customers to add heavy, bulkier items such as cases of water, soda, or pet food to the cart. By simply scanning the item and placing it on the bottom tray, customers can confidently shop for every item on their shopping list, without having to skip heavy items or lift them all the way to the basket.

“Schnucks was an early adopter of Caper Carts, so they’ve seen first-hand how the carts can drive a double digit basket size increase,” said David McIntosh, Chief Connected Stores Officer at Instacart. “Whether customers are looking to save money, stay on budget, or simply enjoy the convenience and ability to scan, pay, and go – we’re proud to offer an engaging and personalized way to shop for Schnucks customers.”

“It’s clear to us that customers love shopping with Caper Carts – and at our newly launched stores, we’re seeing many times throughout the day where all 10 carts are in use,” said Chace MacMullan, Senior Director of Digital Experience at Schnucks. “As a family-owned grocer, we’re always looking for new ways to stay competitive and improve the in-store experience for our customers. Caper Carts are intuitive and make shopping fun and engaging.”

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 cart. Customers can bag as they shop, watch their running total, and once shopping is complete, they can conveniently checkout directly from the cart. 

Caper Carts alert customers to available promotions and discounts by syncing to their Schnucks Rewards account, as well as provide Caper-exclusive coupons just by shopping with the cart. We see customers save an average of $2.50 per trip through digital coupons alone – that's more than $200 a year for someone shopping twice a week. 

Schnucks has long been an early-adopter for many of Instacart’s technologies, first partnering with Instacart in 2017 to introduce same-day delivery. In addition to Caper Carts, Schnucks has introduced a number of Instacart Platform technologies, including e-commerce, Carrot Ads, Eversight, and Carrot Tags. 

If you're interested in Instacart Platform technology for your grocery business, click the button below to submit a Retailer Inquiry form.

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