“We’re constantly looking for ways to bring innovation"
Morrisons has revealed plans to roll out Instacart’s AI-powered smart trolleys in early 2026. The first launch will take place in one store, with the possibility of expanding nationwide.
The high-tech trolleys are designed to change how customers shop. They allow users to scan items while shopping, track spending in real time, and check out with ease.
Each trolley comes with interactive screens, built-in scales, and AI-powered sensors. These features guide customers as they place items inside, including weighing fresh produce directly.
To complete purchases, shoppers will simply scan the barcode on the trolley’s screen at self-checkout.
Gordon Macpherson, productivity director of Morrisons, said:
“We’re constantly looking for ways to bring innovation to the weekly shop to enhance the experience for our customers, and the cutting-edge technology of Caper Carts brings the best of digital and physical retail together in-store.
“We’re excited about bringing the first fully integrated AI-powered trolleys in the UK to a first store soon and look forward to testing customer response and building understanding of how the technology works within the Morrisons store estate.”
David McIntosh, chief connected stores officer at Instacart, added:
“As we continue to expand internationally, we’re thrilled to partner with Morrisons to bring Caper Carts to the UK for the first time.
“Retailers like Morrisons are transforming the in-store shopping experience with new technologies such as Caper Carts that help customers shop faster, easier and in more inspiring ways while deepening loyalty along the way.”
This comes as artificial intelligence becomes a growing part of the UK supermarket experience.
Asda recently began piloting AI-powered cameras to monitor stock levels. These systems promise to automate the detection of empty shelves, spoiled produce, and low availability.
The supermarket installed Focal Systems cameras in five stores. The devices are mounted on poles at the end of aisles, scanning around eight feet of shelf space opposite.
The cameras capture hourly images of shelves to detect stock levels, out-of-stocks, spoiled produce, and other conditions.
According to The Grocer, the technology remains in an early pilot phase.
In April 2025, Focal Systems CEO Kevin Johnson revealed that “deep learning breakthroughs in computer vision have enabled the precise identification of products, shelf conditions, and anomalies in highly complex and dynamic retail environments”.
He added that the “innovations have transformed what was once a manual, time-consuming process into a fully automated, intelligent retail operating system, making real-time shelf visibility not just possible, but powerful”.
This has been made possible by “advances in edge computing”, meaning data can be “processed locally” with “improved cloud infrastructure supporting integration with retailer systems”.
Meanwhile, the move by Morrisons follows its decision to cut 650 prices ahead of the festive season. The supermarket said it wants to help households manage costs during a challenging period for UK shoppers.
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