Popular grocery delivery company Instacart is giving customers more access to features used by its gig workers allowing for better product search and self-checkout options.
The company says that shoppers will now be able to enjoy more features with "connected stores," including access to a rolling smart cart that will offer support for ordering fresh foods, creating lists, a better search feature, and self-checkout options, The Verge reported.
The "Caper Cart" feature detects what items in a list are placed in a cart and checks them off the list in the app.
A self-checkout feature will also be available, with exceptions. The previous version allowed for self-checkout at select Kroger stores, so customers did not have to wait in line.
New carts can hold 65 percent more products, the company says. New carts in-store also charge by being stacked instead of needing to have batteries changed. Customers will also be able to pay in the app.
Analysts say the new move goes against the service's delivery feature, but demand for online delivery has been dropping after the pandemic.
The company is hoping that customers will want to pick up their grocery orders, with the option to add on products they may have remembered as they arrive to the store.
