How Instacart's Technology is Transforming the In-Store Grocery Experience

Laura

·June 12, 2025

·9 min read

How Instacart'
style= — Image Source: unsplash

Imagine you go to your grocery store.
You grab a smart cart.
The cart scans your items as you shop.
It also gives you recipe ideas right away.
Instacart's technology puts these tools in your hands.
You pay without waiting in line.
Shoppers save time and get helpful advice.
Stores run better and customers are happier.
This change makes shopping easier for everyone.
Grocery trips are now smarter and faster thanks to Instacart's technology.

Key Takeaways

Instacart’s smart carts scan your items as you shop.
They show your total cost and let you pay fast.
You do not have to wait in line.
This saves you time and lowers your stress.
Digital kiosks and AI tools give shopping tips just for you.
They show prices right now and suggest products you may like.
These tools make shopping easier and more fun.
The Instacart app helps you make shopping lists.
It helps you find products and see what is in stock.
You will not leave empty-handed or be surprised at checkout.
Stores using Instacart’s tech sell more and work faster.
They get better data and give better service.
This means you have a better shopping trip.
Instacart links online and in-store shopping together.
This makes shopping smooth and saves you time.
You will want to come back again.

Instacart's Technology

Instacart'
style= — Image Source: unsplash

Smart Carts

When you use a smart cart in the store, you get more than just a place to put your groceries. Instacart's Technology brings Caper Carts to many stores. These carts scan your items as you shop. You see your total cost in real time. You can pay right on the cart, so you skip the checkout line. The cart even gives you recipe ideas and helps you find items in the store.

Smart carts do more than make shopping faster. They help you stick to your budget. About 83% of shoppers like smart carts because they help save money and track spending. If you want to find a product, the cart can guide you. Over half of shoppers stop searching after five minutes, but smart carts make it easier to find what you need. Some carts even let you spin a digital wheel for discounts, making shopping fun.

Retailers see big benefits, too. Stores that use smart carts report less congestion and shorter lines. They also get better data about what shoppers buy. Instacart's Technology lets stores offer a first-class experience that meets modern customer needs. By the end of 2024, thousands of Caper Carts will be in stores, showing strong confidence in this technology.

Kiosks

You may notice digital kiosks and screens in many grocery stores. Instacart's Technology powers these kiosks to help you shop smarter. You can use a kiosk to check prices, find products, or get meal ideas. Many shoppers like these features. In fact, 47% say digital screens improve their shopping experience. Nearly half of shoppers also like electronic shelf labels, which show real-time prices and deals.

Self-service kiosks are very popular. About 84% of U.S. shoppers prefer using them. Younger shoppers, like Gen Z and millennials, use kiosks the most, but older shoppers are catching up. These kiosks make checkout faster and easier. Some stores use RFID tags to speed up price scanning. You can finish your shopping and pay quickly, without waiting in line.

Kiosks also help stores sell more. Almost 27% of shoppers try new products after seeing them on digital displays. This means kiosks not only help you but also boost sales for the store.

AI Tools

Instacart's Technology uses artificial intelligence (AI) to make your shopping trip personal and efficient. AI tools learn from your shopping habits. They suggest products you might like, such as gluten-free foods or items for your favorite recipes. These tools also help stores run better promotions and set the right prices.

You benefit from AI in many ways. For example, AI-powered promotions can increase sales by 4% to 8%. Stores see a 2% to 3% boost in profits from these targeted deals. AI chatbots answer your questions and help you find what you need, with over 90% accuracy in understanding your requests.

Here is a table showing how AI tools improve grocery shopping:

Metric Description	Numerical Value	Impact Area
Grocers recognizing AI opportunity	64%	Belief in AI benefits
Financial opportunity from AI improvements	$2.5 billion	Customer experience improvements
Sales lift from AI promotions	4% to 8%	Sales increase
Operating profit boost from AI promotions	2% to 3%	Profit increase

Instacart's Technology connects all these tools through the Instacart Platform and Connected Stores. This ecosystem lets you move smoothly between online and in-store shopping. You get a seamless experience, and stores gain powerful tools to serve you better. Instacart now works with over 1,400 retail banners and 80,000 stores in North America. This wide reach shows how Instacart's Technology is changing grocery shopping for everyone.

Shopper Benefits

Convenience

You want shopping to be fast and simple.
Smart carts and kiosks help you skip long lines.
Scan items as you shop and pay on the cart.
Many people use the Instacart app while shopping.
The app helps you make a list and find things.
Check off items as you buy them.
This saves time and lowers stress.

Tip: Use self-checkout kiosks to finish faster, especially when it’s busy.

A study found Instacart helped create over 186,000 grocery jobs in the U.S.
More jobs mean more workers in stores.
This gives you better service and shorter waits.

Metric	Proof of Shopper Benefits from Instacart Technology
Job Creation (Pre-pandemic)	Instacart made about 116,000 jobs in U.S. groceries by 2019
Job Creation (Pandemic)	Instacart added about 70,000 jobs during COVID-19
Total Jobs Created	About 186,000 total jobs made by Instacart
Revenue Growth (Pre-pandemic)	Instacart raised grocery sales by $2.9 billion by 2019
Revenue Growth (Pandemic)	Extra $3.5 billion sales growth during the pandemic
Total Revenue Increase	$6.4 billion total yearly sales growth from Instacart
Grocery Employment Share	Instacart made about 70% of new grocery jobs from 2013-2019
Pandemic Job Creation Share	92% of new grocery jobs during COVID-19 came from Instacart
Wage Impact	Instacart raised weekly pay for grocery workers by about $22
Geographic Scope	Effects seen across the U.S., like in CA, NY, IL, and WA
Causal Evidence	Many studies show a direct link

Personalization

You get shopping tips that fit your needs.
The app suggests foods for your diet, like gluten-free or vegan.
Recipe ideas pop up as you add things to your cart.
This helps you plan meals and try new foods.

Note: Many people like getting special deals and coupons on their phones.

Stores use screens to show new products and deals.
Almost 27% of shoppers try new things after seeing them on a screen.

Real-Time Info

You always know what is in stock.
The app updates item locations and stock every hour.
If something is missing, you get a replacement idea right away.
This stops surprises at checkout.

Instacart tracks how fast you find things.
The app sorts your list to match the store layout.
Store managers can update item spots quickly.
The system guesses if you will find each item, using data from other shoppers.

Bar chart of job creation and revenue growth by state

You get a smoother, quicker, and more helpful shopping trip every time.

Retailer Advantages

Sales Growth

Store owners want more shoppers and bigger sales. Instacart's Technology helps stores get more customers. Many stores see more orders and money each year. In 2024, Instacart handled over 290 million orders. Gross Transaction Volume was $33.4 billion, showing lots of people shop this way. The platform’s revenue grew 11% from last year, reaching $3.38 billion. See the table below for these numbers:

Metric	Statistic	What It Means
Gross Transaction Volume	$33.4 billion	Stores sell a lot with Instacart
Revenue 2024	$3.38 billion	11% more than last year
Orders Completed 2024	290 million+	More people buy from your store
AI Tools	Store View, Universal Campaigns	Easier to see and manage products

Stores can get more orders by giving free delivery on baskets over $10. This makes people buy more and helps stores earn more.

Data Insights

Store owners need to know what is working. Instacart's Technology gives you strong data tools. You can look at dashboards and reports in the Instacart Platform Portal. These reports show:

Gross merchandise value (GMV)
Average basket size
How products and categories do
Promotion results
Search conversion rates

You can sort reports by brand, department, or category. Save and download reports for later. You can also use Google Analytics to track what shoppers do, like clicks and views. This helps you see patterns and make smart choices.

Tip: Try the Insights Center to check sales and market share. Pick the dates and focus on what matters most for your store.

New Revenue

Stores can make money in new ways with Instacart's Technology. Delivery fees, service fees, and partnerships all help stores earn more. Retailer partnerships, like ads and special store tech, are about 30% of Instacart's total revenue. Here is a quick chart:

Revenue Stream	Percentage Contribution
Delivery Fees	45%
Service Fees	25%
Retailer Partnerships	30%

Stores can earn from commission fees, ads, and tech tools. Many big and small stores use these tools to grow. You can use them too and help your store do better.

Omnichannel Edge

Seamless Experience

You want shopping to be easy, online or in-store.
Instacart lets you start a list at home.
You can finish shopping at the store.
Over 90% of people use both ways to shop.
Most shoppers spend more when they use both options.
You can see what is in stock right away.
Smart carts help you check out faster.
Many people plan to shop online even more next year.
This smooth experience saves time and makes shopping fun.

Note: People who use both ways often spend more and keep coming back.

Integration

Instacart's Technology connects data from your whole shopping trip.
It tracks what is on shelves and how fast orders are picked.
Sales from online and in-store are counted together.
Stores use this to keep shelves full and staff ready.
You get special offers because the system learns your likes.
Stores use this info to change layouts and manage stock.
The app shows you where your order is in real time.
Smart tools group orders and plan fast delivery.
This makes shopping better for you and for stores.

Tracking products helps stores keep shelves full.
Sales data shows how well the store is doing.
Smart carts gather info to make shopping better.

Differentiation

You see a difference when stores use Instacart's Technology.
Digital tools like scanless smart carts and kiosks make shopping simple.
Instacart gives stores real-time dashboards and very fast delivery.
You get deals made just for you.
Other companies may offer online shopping, but few connect everything.
Instacart helps stores see what works and change fast.
This brings in more shoppers and keeps them coming back.
You get a special, connected shopping trip that stands out.

Feature	Instacart	Other Platforms
Smart Carts	Yes	Rare
Real-Time Data Dashboards	Yes	Limited
Ultrafast Delivery	Yes (15 minutes)	Sometimes
Unified Online & In-Store Data	Yes	Not always

You notice Instacart’s Technology changes how you shop for food.
Smart carts, kiosks, and AI tools help you shop faster.
Shopping feels more personal with these new tools.
Experts think AI will keep making shopping better soon.
Instacart’s leaders want online and in-store shopping to work together.
You will see stores use more new technology soon.
This will make every grocery trip easier and more connected.

FAQ

How do smart carts help you save time?

Smart carts scan your groceries as you shop. You see your total right away. You pay on the cart. You skip the checkout line. This makes your trip faster and easier.

Can you use Instacart’s app while shopping in-store?

Yes, you can use the Instacart app in the store. The app helps you make lists, find products, and get real-time updates. You check off items as you shop.

What if you cannot find an item in the store?

The Instacart app shows you where to find items. If something is out of stock, the app suggests replacements. You always have options, so you do not leave empty-handed.

How does Instacart protect your personal data?

Instacart uses strong security tools to keep your data safe. Your information stays private. You control what you share. Instacart follows strict privacy rules.