Wegmans Is Testing AI Carts That Track Your Total & Skip the Line

Track your total, scan as you go, and check out right from the cart.

If you've ever found yourself sweating at the register as your grocery total climbs higher than your weekend brunch tab, Wegmans may have just dropped your new favorite shopping sidekick. Spoiler alert: it’s got wheels, brains, and a screen.

Photo From: Food&Wine, Instacart

That’s right—Wegmans is testing smart shopping carts at select Upstate New York locations, and they’re almost smarter than your weekly meal prep spreadsheet. These AI-powered carts, officially called Caper Carts (courtesy of Instacart), are like the self-checkout lane's cooler, much more efficient cousin. With built-in cameras, sensors, and an impressive memory for prices, these carts let you scan, bag, track your spending, and pay—all without the dreaded checkout line showdown.

Let’s break it down.

More than 100 years after Wegmans first opened its doors back in 1916 (yes, it’s been feeding the Northeast for over a century), the beloved regional grocer is serving up a side of futuristic shopping at four of its Upstate stores. The flagship test drive? Syracuse’s Dewitt location, where shoppers can now grab a Caper Cart and start swiping like it’s 2040.

“This marks the first deployment of Caper Carts at Wegmans,” Instacart confirmed in a July 1 announcement. (Translation: Syracuse, you’re the chosen one.)

Photo From: Food&Wine, Instacart

The Caper Cart is part of Instacart’s Connected Stores tech bundle—basically the Iron Man suit of grocery retail. Once you log into your Shoppers Club account on the cart’s touchscreen, you’re off to the races. Pop in an apple? It recognizes it. Toss in a box of crackers? It adds it to your real-time total. Budget-conscious shoppers, this one’s for you.

And yes, you can start bagging as you go. So, when you’re done shopping, you’re actually done. No conveyor belt. No awkward small talk while you fumble for your loyalty card. Just tap, pay, and roll on out.

Wegmans says they’re limiting the rollout for now while they collect customer feedback. As they put it: “Smart shopping carts [are] an early-stage technology that we believe could be offered to our customers as an alternative way to shop in our stores in the future.” (According to Food&Wine)

Translation: If you love this, tell your friends (and maybe tag @Wegmans while you're at it).

Bottom line? The future of grocery shopping might just involve less waiting, smarter spending, and more time for what really matters—like taste-testing your haul when you get home. Fingers crossed this tech makes its way to more Wegmans soon, because honestly? We’re ready to break up with the checkout line.