Davis Food & Drug rolls out smart carts from Instacart

Davis Food & Drug, a three-store independent retailer in Utah, said it is replacing most of its traditional shopping carts with Instacart’s Caper Carts.

The smart carts feature an interactive screen that allows shoppers to access coupons and deals through the retailer’s loyalty program, as well as track items as they are added to the cart. The carts also leverage AI to generate personalized product recommendations and gamified elements that incentivize spending.

“Introducing Caper Carts is part of our ongoing commitment to not just keep up with industry trends, but to lead them, ensuring our customers enjoy the most convenient and innovative shopping experience possible,” said Constantine Davis, president of Davis Food & Drug.

The family-owned retailer operates stores in La Verkin, Roosevelt, and Vernal, Utah. It was founded in 1988 by Constantine Davis’ parents, Jim and Debbie Davis. In 2016, Davis Food & Drug began partnering with ecommerce solutions provider Rosie, which was acquired by Instacart in 2022 and is now part of the company’s Connected Stores suite of technologies.

“We're proud to provide local grocery partners like Davis Food & Drug with tech solutions that seamlessly connect their in-store and online offerings,” said Nick Nickitas, general manager of local independent grocery at Instacart.

A handful of retailers nationwide have been testing the Caper Carts on a limited basis, including some ShopRite stores in New Jersey and Pennsylvania; Schnucks, Price Chopper, and McKeever’s in Missouri; and Save Mart and Lucky in California. Last year, Geissler's Supermarkets, a seven-store IGA retailer with locations in Connecticut and Massachusetts, said it was replacing most of its carts with Instacart’s Caper Carts.

In addition, Instacart recently announced a partnership with Associated Wholesale Grocers, the Kansas City, Kan.-based wholesaler, to offer Caper Carts to that company’s independent retailers.