Key Takeaways Morrisons becomes the first UK retailer to deploy Instacart's AI-powered Caper Carts, launching in early 2026. The smart trolleys feature interactive screens, built-in scales, and AI sen...
UK supermarket giant Morrisons has announced a groundbreaking partnership with North American grocery technology company Instacart to introduce AI-powered smart shopping trolleys to British customers for the first time. The collaboration will see Caper Carts deployed in early 2026, initially at one Morrisons store with potential for wider rollout across the chain's approximately 500 locations.
The announcement, made on September 10, 2025, represents Instacart's inaugural retail partnership in the UK market and positions Morrisons as a pioneer in adopting cutting-edge shopping technology in British retail.
Caper Carts are fully-integrated smart trolleys equipped with interactive touchscreens, built-in scales, and AI-powered sensors that automatically detect items as customers place them in the cart. The technology eliminates traditional checkout queues by allowing shoppers to scan items as they shop, track their running total in real-time, and complete purchases directly through the cart.
"Shopping is no longer solely online or in-store – it's a hybrid of both – and Caper Carts offer a seamless way to combine the convenience and personalisation of e-commerce with the inspiration and discovery that happens in physical stores," said David McIntosh, Chief Connected Stores Officer at Instacart.
The smart trolleys can automatically identify and weigh fresh produce, integrate with loyalty programs, and display personalized offers and product recommendations on their digital screens. To complete purchases, customers simply scan a barcode displayed on the trolley's screen at the store's self-checkout area.
For Morrisons, the partnership represents a significant step in its digital transformation strategy. The smart trolleys will be fully integrated with the retailer's More Card loyalty program, enabling personalized savings and promotions tailored to individual shopping patterns.
"We're constantly looking for ways to bring innovation to the weekly shop to enhance the experience for our customers, and the cutting-edge technology of Caper Carts brings the best of digital and physical retail together in-store," said Gordon Macpherson, Productivity Director at Morrisons. "We're excited about bringing the first fully-integrated AI-powered trolleys in the UK to a first store soon, and look forward to testing customer response and building understanding of how the technology works within the Morrisons store estate."
The technology promises to address common customer pain points including long checkout queues, budget tracking difficulties, and product discovery challenges while shopping.
Instacart's Caper Carts have demonstrated strong performance across international markets, with deployment in nearly 100 cities across 15 US states. Major retailers including Kroger, Coles, Schnucks, and Wakefern have already integrated the technology into their operations, highlighting growing industry demand for smart shopping solutions.
The trolleys serve multiple functions beyond basic shopping, acting as retail media platforms that can surface personalized deals, suggest product pairings, and provide new advertising opportunities directly in store aisles. This capability creates additional revenue streams for retailers while enhancing the customer experience through targeted recommendations.
Morrisons joins a growing number of UK retailers exploring smart shopping technology. Waitrose has recently begun trialling smart trolley systems at its Bracknell store, though using a different approach with handlebar-mounted devices rather than fully integrated carts.
The smart shopping cart market is experiencing rapid growth, with industry analysts projecting the global market to expand from $2.21 billion in 2025 to $5.35 billion by 2029, representing a compound annual growth rate of 24.8%.
"The aim of the Caper Cart is to make grocery shopping feel like an adventure," McIntosh told The Grocer, emphasizing the technology's focus on enabling new levels of personalization and product discovery in physical stores.
The initial deployment will serve as a proof of concept, allowing Morrisons to evaluate customer response and operational integration before considering broader rollout across its store network. The specific location for the pilot has not yet been announced.
The partnership aligns with broader industry trends toward hybrid shopping experiences that combine digital convenience with physical retail benefits. As consumer expectations evolve, retailers are increasingly investing in technologies that streamline operations while maintaining the tactile shopping experience that many customers prefer.
For Instacart, the Morrisons partnership represents a significant international expansion opportunity as the company diversifies beyond its core North American delivery platform into comprehensive retail technology solutions.
The trial is expected to provide valuable insights into UK consumer adoption of smart shopping technology and could influence similar deployments across other major British retailers.
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