Instacart paid $350 million for Caper, a smart cart maker, and one expert says the deal shows great technology fails if stores do not adopt it.
Instacart paid $350 million for Caper, a company that makes smart shopping carts. An expert now calls the deal a cautionary tale. The lesson is that a clever gadget does not fix much unless stores actually put it to use.
A smart cart scans items as you shop. The idea is to speed up grocery checkout, so you spend less time waiting at the register. On paper, that sounds like an easy win for shoppers and for stores.
According to Inc., the expert says the deal offers a lesson about technology and retail adoption. In plain terms, buying or building good technology is the easy part. Getting stores to roll it out and use it is harder.
Shoppers could see faster checkout if stores adopt these carts. Store owners face a bigger question. If you run any business, a new tool only pays off when your staff and customers use it.
The material available does not say how many stores use Caper carts today. It also does not name the expert, explain what went wrong, or say what Instacart plans next. Those details would show how big the adoption problem really is.
Before buying new technology for a business, plan how your staff and customers will actually use it, because the tool alone will not pay off.
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