{
  "id": 16900359,
  "title": "Morrisons AI trolley trial is over, as partner Instacart retires its carts",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/28/morrisons-ai-trolley-trial-is-over-as-partner-instacart-retires-its",
  "topic": "ai",
  "section": "AI",
  "published": "2026-10-28T12:44:31.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "TechRadar",
    "slug": "techradar",
    "url": "https://www.techradar.com/ai-platforms-assistants/morrisons-ai-smart-trolley-trial-is-over-as-partner-instacart-winds-down-its-cart-operations-but-supermarkets-seem-intent-on-automating-the-wrong-tech"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Morrisons has ended its AI trolley trial, with partner Instacart ceasing development of the Caper Carts. The smart AI trolleys, which automatically tallied shopping expenses as customers shopped, were introduced in July. Instacart stated that retailer adoption had not been fast enough to justify continued investment in the Caper Carts technology. The trolleys were also being withdrawn from US stores, where they had been tested at retailers like Schnucks and Wegmans. The trial, which took place at a single Morrisons store in Ashton-on-Ribble, Preston, relied on cameras and scales built into the carts to track purchases. Customers could browse their selections on an integrated touchscreen before paying at a dedicated checkout lane. Despite the technology being available in the US, both Instacart and Morrisons found that the trolleys did not gain enough traction. The experience highlighted that shoppers often prefer familiar methods and that the added convenience may not have been worth the learning curve. While AI cameras tracking stock levels and predicting demand have proven more successful for retailers, the report suggests that shoppers would likely appreciate a seamless shopping experience with items readily available, rather than an intelligent trolley.",
  "summary": "Morrisons had been testing smart trolleys powered by AI in Preston, but the technology is being retired.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}