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Albertsons to test Veeve smart shopping cart

Several dozen stores to pilot technology later this year

Russell Redman

May 19, 2022

4 Min Read
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Veeve Smart Carts are designed to allow customers to scan as they shop, pay and go, without having to wait at the checkout line.Veeve

Albertsons Cos. has partnered with Veeve Inc. to pilot “smart” shopping carts that enable customers to ring up items as they shop and pay without going through checkout.

Plans call for Albertsons to pilot artificial intelligence-powered Veeve Smart Carts at “a few dozen stores” across the country later this year, Seattle-based Veeve said Thursday.

Veeve Smart Carts are designed to allow shoppers to scan, pay and go. The technology combines barcode scanning and computer vision to identify products as they’re added to or removed from the cart, which also has a built-in scale that automatically captures the weight and calculates the price of unpackaged groceries, such as fresh produce. A touchscreen near the cart handle keeps a running total of the items added. When finished shopping, customers press the “checkout” button on the screen and tap to pay or insert a credit/debit card using the adjacent payment device. They also can choose to receive a receipt via email.

“Veeve Smart Carts offer a sophisticated yet simple self-checkout experience for people who value flexibility and time savings,” Alyse Wuson, senior director of omni experiences at Boise, Idaho-based Albertsons Cos., said in a statement. “Our goal is to enhance the grocery experience no matter how our guests choose to shop, and Veeve’s technology brings the ease and integration of e-commerce right to the grocery cart.”

Related:Instacart acquires smart cart maker Caper

To use the cart, customers enter their phone number on the screen to check in and place a handled Veeve canvas shopping bag into the basket. The smart cart platform integrates with store loyalty programs, including Albertsons’ Just For U, as well as with existing retailer mobile apps and ad networks, according to Veeve. Through the touchscreen, customers can look up and compare products and receive “turn by turn” directions to find items in the store, the company said. The screen also can present real-time product recommendations based on items already in the cart.  Shoppers, too, can access their order history and personalized offers, clip digital coupons and request assistance.

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Veeve said its smart cart platform integrates with grocery retailer loyalty programs, such as Albertsons' Just For U, as well as mobile apps and ad networks.

Veeve noted that its smart cart, which is also being piloted by Western grocer Raley’s, deploys at grocery stores without the need for additional retrofit.

“We’re thrilled to partner with Albertsons Cos. to deliver a personalized in-store shopping experience. This deployment is an important and inevitable next step in connecting the consumer’s ecommerce activity with a totally new, digitally driven in-store shopping experience,” commented Shariq Siddiqui, co-founder and CEO of Veeve. “Working with Albertsons Cos., we are building a link between multiple consumer channels and the brands they trust while keeping customer loyalty central to the experience.”

Related:Amazon Dash Cart enables customers to skip checkout lane

The nation’s second-largest supermarket retailer, Albertsons operates 2,276 food and drug stores in 34 states and the District of Columbia under such banners as Albertsons, Safeway, Vons, Jewel-Osco, Shaw’s, Acme, Tom Thumb, Randalls, United Supermarkets, Pavilions, Star Market, Haggen, Carrs, Kings Food Markets and Balducci’s Food Lovers Market.

While Amazon leads the “skip the checkout lane” retail field with its Just Walk Out cashierless technology — now at its Amazon Go convenience stores and selected Amazon Fresh and Whole Foods Market supermarkets — grocery chains have exhibited increased interest in smart cart solutions.

Last fall, online grocery delivery giant Instacart announced the acquisition of smart cart maker Caper Inc. in a $350 million deal. Caper’s cart already was being piloted at U.S. grocers such as The Kroger Co. (which branded the cart “KroGO”), Wakefern Food Corp. and Schnuck Markets. Sobeys Inc., one of Canada’s largest food and drug retailers, rolled out the Caper Cart after piloting the technology in October 2019.

Besides Just Walk Out, Amazon offers the Amazon Dash Cart, which was developed for Amazon Fresh stores and keeps track of shoppers’ purchases and allows them to complete their transaction while exiting the store. The Dash Cart is now available at 14 of the 30 Amazon Fresh locations, with the other 16 providing Just Walk Out shopping.

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About the Author

Russell Redman

Senior Editor
Supermarket News

Russell Redman has served as senior editor at Supermarket News since April 2018, his second tour with the publication. In his current role, he handles daily news coverage for the SN website and contributes news and features for the print magazine, as well as participates in special projects, podcasts and webinars and attends industry events. Russ joined SN from Racher Press Inc.’s Chain Drug Review and Mass Market Retailers magazines, where he served as desk/online editor for more than nine years, covering the food/drug/mass retail sector. 

Russell Redman’s more than 30 years of experience in journalism span a range of editorial manager, editor, reporter/writer and digital roles at a variety of publications and websites covering a breadth of industries, including retailing, pharmacy/health care, IT, digital home, financial technology, financial services, real estate/commercial property, pro audio/video and film. He started his career in 1989 as a local news reporter and editor, covering community news and politics in Long Island, N.Y. His background also includes an earlier stint at Supermarket News as center store editor and then financial editor in the mid-1990s. Russ holds a B.A. in journalism (minor in political science) from Hofstra University, where he also earned a certificate in digital/social media marketing in November 2016.

Russell Redman’s experience:

Supermarket News - Informa
Senior Editor 
April 2018 - present

Chain Drug Review/Mass Market Retailers - Racher Press
Desk/Online Editor 
Sept. 2008 - March 2018

CRN magazine - CMP Media
Managing Editor
May 2000 - June 2007

Bank Systems & Technology - Miller Freeman
Executive Editor/Managing Editor
Dec. 1996 - May 2000

Supermarket News - Fairchild Publications
Financial Editor/Associate Editor
April 1995 - Dec. 1996 

Shopping Centers Today Magazine - ICSC 
Desk Editor/Assistant Editor
Dec. 1992 - April 1995

Testa Communications
Assistant Editor/Contributing Editor (Music & Sound Retailer, Post, Producer, Sound & Communications and DJ Times magazines)
Jan. 1991 - Dec. 1992 

American Banker/Bond Buyer
Copy Editor
Oct. 1990 - Jan. 1991 

This Week newspaper - Chanry Communications
Reporter/Editor
May 1989 - July 1990

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