Podcast ¦ Punk CX: Making in-store grocery shopping fun and going viral on TikTok – Interview with David McIntosh of Instacart

Summary

Instacart is expanding its online grocery service into physical stores with its connected store initiative. The company is partnering with retailers to bring its online delivery experience into brick-and-mortar locations. The centerpiece of the initiative is the Caper cart, an AI-powered shopping cart that offers personalized and seamless experiences to customers. The cart features a screen that displays running totals, allows customers to sync their online shopping lists, and offers gamification experiences. Instacart aims to create a unified shopping experience where customers can seamlessly switch between shopping online and in store.

Key Points

• Instacart is partnering with retailers to bring its online delivery experience into physical stores through its connected store initiative.
• The centerpiece of the initiative is the Caper cart, an AI-powered shopping cart with a screen that offers personalized experiences and makes checking out easy.
• The cart allows customers to sync their online shopping lists, view offers and coupons, and engage in gamification experiences while shopping.
• Instacart’s connected store initiative aims to create a unified shopping experience where customers can seamlessly switch between shopping online and in store.
• The initiative is driven by the needs of both Instacart’s retail partners and its customers, who want the convenience and personalization of online shopping in physical stores.
• The Caper cart features sensors that detect what customers put in the cart, a digital scale that confirms the weight of items, and a location sensor for personalized experiences.
• Customers can sync their online shopping lists with the cart and receive notifications when they forget items on their list or when items are ready for pickup.
• Instacart plans to continue expanding its suite of connected store products, including digitizing the deli, order management systems, and in-store planning tools.
• By partnering with retailers and leveraging its technology, Instacart aims to address labor shortages and long lines in stores and help retailers digitize their businesses.

Key Statistics

• Instacart has been running its podcast, the Punk CX podcast, since January 2011.
• The connected store initiative was inspired by the needs and feedback of both Instacart’s retail partners and its customers.

Key Takeaways

• Instacart is expanding its online grocery service into physical stores through its connected store initiative.
• The initiative is driven by the needs of both Instacart’s retail partners and its customers.
• The centerpiece of the initiative is the Caper cart, an AI-powered shopping cart with a screen that offers personalized experiences and makes checking out easy.
• The Caper cart allows customers to sync their online shopping lists, view offers and coupons, and engage in gamification experiences while shopping.
• Instacart aims to create a unified shopping experience where customers can seamlessly switch between shopping online and in store.
• The cart features sensors that detect items, a digital scale, and a location sensor for personalized experiences.
• Customers can sync their online shopping lists with the cart and receive notifications for forgotten items and when items are ready for pickup.
• Instacart plans to continue expanding its suite of connected store products, including digitizing the deli and offering order management systems and in-store planning tools.
• By partnering with retailers and leveraging its technology, Instacart aims to address labor shortages and long lines in stores and help retailers digitize their businesses.
• The connected store initiative is part of Instacart’s mission to create organizations that produce better outcomes for both customers and employees.
• Instacart has been running the Punk CX podcast since January 2011 and has a large archive of episodes to explore.
• The connected store initiative is sponsored by Qualtrics and will be featured at the Qualtrics Expo in London in June.