Instacart is scaling its Connected Stores initiative to help grocers to combine in-store and online experiences by expanding its top feature, Caper Carts, an AI-powered smart cart, in the US and internationally. The carts are equipped with scales and sensors that enable self-checkout.

Instacart announced its first overseas initiative with Caper Carts in Austria as part of its existing partnership with German supermarket chain Aldi.

• Caper Carts have been deployed across North America at retailers including Bristol Farms, Fairway Market, Geissler’s, Kroger, McKeever’s Market & Eatery, Price Chopper, Schnucks, ShopRite, and Sobeys, according to Instacart.

David McIntosh, VP and GM of Connected Stores at Instacart, told Retail Brew that Schnucks customers using Caper Carts are purchasing more items: On peak days, Caper Carts have processed more than 10% of in-store sales at a Schnucks store, which means that more than 10% of dollars spent in the store were flowing through Caper Carts. He also said Instacart plans to have thousands of Caper Carts deployed worldwide by the end of 2024.

Retail Brew caught up with McIntosh to talk about Caper Carts in Europe.

Keep reading here.—VC

No matter if it’s summer or spooky season, marketers usually have one particular time of year on the brain, and that’s Black Friday/Cyber Monday (BFCM).

That’s why the marketing maestros at Klaviyo gathered insights from 80k global brands to help guide your BFCM prep. And these aren’t just willy-nilly tips. They’re insights based on what has worked for the 80k most successful global brands that used Klaviyo last year.

In Klaviyo’s toolkit, you’ll find data-backed guidance that can help:

• Grow your lists using optimized forms.
• Maximize campaign results by channel.
• Optimize flows so you’re ready for new visitor influxes.

Actionable templates, checklists, and strategies based on business size await. Grab ’em here.

While inflation in July fell below 3% for the first time since 2021, prices remain a hot-button issue for consumers—and politicians and major corporations alike are outlining their proposals to help bring them down.

Both Vice President Kamala Harris and Walmart CEO Doug McMillon last week announced plans to be proactive about lowering food prices. On Friday, the Democratic presidential candidate unveiled a series of economic proposals, including one that would instruct the Federal Trade Commission to penalize food producers and grocers for price gouging.

“We all know that prices went up during the pandemic when the supply chains shut down and failed, but our supply chains have now improved and prices are still too high,” Harris said during a campaign event in Raleigh, North Carolina.

The announcement got a reaction from Donald Trump, who in a Truth Social post last week said Harris planned to “implement SOVIET Style Price Controls.” While penalizing “price gouging,” a somewhat ambiguous term, is not the same as full price controls, many economists are divided about their effectiveness in lowering prices.

Keep reading here.—AV

On Wednesdays, we wear pink spotlight Retail Brew’s readers. Want to be featured in an upcoming edition? Click here to introduce yourself.

Elle De Freitas is co-founder and CEO of Wonderkind, a studio focusing on social media, design, and photography for CPG brands that’s worked with companies like Goodles and Kin Euphorics.

How would you describe your job to someone who doesn’t work in retail? Very simply, we design how brands show up in the world, from logos, website, packaging, and photoshoots to their digital footprint with social media and marketing content. These are food, beverage, beauty, and home goods brands you find at local stores or that pop up on your TikTok or Instagram (our goal!)

One thing we can’t guess about your job from your LinkedIn profile? A huge part of my job is being a counselor. I give a lot of advice—naturally about work, but a lot of personal advice is woven in. I don’t try to force a separation between work and personal lives for my team, because realistically you can’t “turn off” your personal life. I believe leading, coaching, and cultivating a strong culture means having empathy, and holistically understanding my team’s backgrounds and situations from all angles.

What’s your favorite project you’ve worked on? Our client Halfday, a better-for-you, gut-healthy iced tea, has a really fun vibe (nostalgic ’90s) which is so on brand for us and provides a ton of room to get creative.

Keep reading here.—EC

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