The grocery shopping landscape is evolving rapidly, and Wegmans Food Markets is among the first major retailers to push this transformation forward. In mid-2025, the company began piloting next-generation AI-powered “smart carts” in select stores. These carts promise to make grocery trips faster and more convenient by allowing customers to scan, bag, and pay directly from the cart. Designed to merge digital intelligence with the tactile in-store experience, Wegmans’ initiative reflects how artificial intelligence and automation are reshaping modern retail in tangible, customer-focused ways.
Build & Launch Timeline
Wegmans announced in June 2025 that it would begin testing smart shopping carts at select stores across Upstate New York. By early July, the carts were deployed at its Dewitt store near Syracuse as part of a limited trial. The concept, developed in partnership with technology providers specializing in AI retail systems, builds upon smaller experiments Wegmans conducted in 2023. This deliberate, step-by-step rollout highlights the company’s cautious yet forward-thinking approach to introducing new shopping technology that prioritizes both efficiency and customer comfort.
Technology & Key Capabilities
The next-generation carts are equipped with cameras, sensors, scales, and embedded processors capable of identifying products as soon as they’re placed inside. Using advanced computer vision and artificial intelligence, the system tallies the total in real time and displays it on a built-in touchscreen. Shoppers can log in to their Wegmans loyalty account, view offers, and track expenses as they shop. When finished, payment can be completed directly on the cart, letting customers exit without waiting in checkout lines, making the process intuitive and nearly effortless.
Pilot Locations & Scale
Currently, Wegmans has limited its smart-cart pilot to four stores in Upstate New York, including its Dewitt, Perinton, Pittsford, and Alberta Drive locations. This focused rollout allows the retailer to gather precise data on performance, usability, and customer response before expanding further. Each store was selected for its distinct layout and shopper traffic, giving Wegmans a varied testing ground. The company aims to understand how the carts perform across different store configurations and product assortments, ensuring that any future expansion is grounded in real-world learning.
Goals & Motivation
Wegmans’ goal with the AI-cart program is to determine whether smart shopping technology complements its unique product assortment and enhances customer experience. The broader motivation lies in reducing checkout congestion, improving convenience, and offering a modern shopping alternative for tech-savvy consumers. For Wegmans, the technology also opens new doors for data collection and personalization, allowing the brand to understand shopping behaviors in unprecedented detail. The company sees this pilot not as an experiment in automation, but as a long-term investment in customer satisfaction.
Integration with Loyalty & Personalisation
A major innovation in Wegmans’ AI carts is their seamless integration with the Shoppers Club loyalty program. By signing into the cart’s display, customers can instantly access personalized deals, track savings, and receive product recommendations tailored to their purchase history. This connection transforms the cart into a personal shopping assistant, guiding choices while enhancing engagement. Instead of separate digital and physical experiences, Wegmans unites both, using real-time data to offer targeted promotions that add genuine value rather than intrusive marketing.
Operational Changes & Checkout Evolution
The introduction of AI carts aligns with Wegmans’ broader shift toward automation. The company has been upgrading self-checkout stations and testing cashless options to streamline traffic flow. With smart carts, Wegmans takes that idea even further, essentially embedding checkout into the act of shopping itself. Customers bag items as they go and pay directly on the cart, eliminating the final queue altogether. This system redefines the checkout process from a separate step to an integrated experience, blending convenience with operational efficiency.
User Experience & Shopper Feedback
Customer feedback is a key element of Wegmans’ pilot. Early users have reported appreciating the convenience of tracking spending in real time and skipping lines, especially during busy hours. However, some note a short learning curve, particularly when scanning produce or navigating the new payment interface. Employees are stationed nearby to assist first-time users, helping bridge the gap between curiosity and confidence. The company values this feedback deeply, using it to refine the system before broader rollout, ensuring the technology genuinely enhances every shopping trip.
Challenges & Considerations
Despite its promise, implementing AI carts comes with challenges. Product recognition must remain accurate across thousands of items, including loose produce and specialty goods. Technical glitches, connectivity issues, or customer hesitancy toward digital payment could also affect adoption. Moreover, ensuring privacy and secure data handling is essential as the carts collect purchasing information. Wegmans acknowledges these complexities and is approaching the pilot cautiously. Its objective is not the rapid replacement of traditional systems, but careful integration that earns customer trust through reliability.
Broader Implications for Grocery Retail
Wegmans’ pilot offers a glimpse into the future of grocery retailing. The concept of merging AI, automation, and loyalty data creates a frictionless environment that could redefine shopping norms. If successful, this technology might replace conventional checkout lines entirely, transforming stores into open shopping ecosystems where every cart is its own cashier. For the industry, it signals a deeper shift toward personalization, real-time analytics, and sustainability by reducing paper receipts and energy used in traditional checkout systems.
What Comes Next & Potential Expansion
The future of Wegmans’ AI-cart program depends heavily on pilot feedback. Should results remain positive, the company could expand the carts to more than 100 stores across the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic. Future versions may include features like voice assistance, recipe suggestions, or integration with delivery and curbside pickup. By merging in-store convenience with digital intelligence, Wegmans positions itself as a trailblazer in grocery innovation. If these tests succeed, they could redefine how millions of people shop for food in the decade ahead.
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