California-based grocery technology company Instacart has expanded its partnership with Aldi South, one of the fastest-growing grocers in the USA.

The partnership includes the rollout of Instacart’s connected stores technologies across Aldi stores in the USA, including in-store mode and Carrot Tags, as well as Instacart’s fulfilment technology to power ecommerce orders.

In addition, Aldi is testing Caper Carts in Austria; these AI-powered smart shopping trolleys are designed to ease the checkout process and personalise the shopping experience.

The connected stores products are designed to help grocers build a unified, seamless and personalised shopping experience both online and in-store. Since 2017, Aldi has partnered with Instacart to provide same-day delivery for its customers in the USA and will now bolster its omnichannel approach by deploying several connected stores technologies to digitise its stores.

In-store mode helps customers see what’s in-stock, get important details about items on their list, sort items by aisle, and access in-store promotions and discounts through the Instacart app. For retailers, in-store mode helps provide a 360-degree view of their customers, no matter if they shop online, in stores or both.

Powering more speed and efficiency, Carrot Tags make finding products easier. They have pick-to-light capabilities, meaning that Instacart shoppers can select an item on their phone and the corresponding shelf label will flash. They have already launched in more than 100 Aldi stores in Illinois and Ohio and will roll out nationwide in the coming months.

By leveraging the technology behind the Instacart shopper app, Aldi is streamlining fulfilment to power its ecommerce pickup orders. Instacart’s fulfilment technology is one example of how Aldi operates with simplicity and efficiency to deliver products at low prices, helping store staff easily pick and pack items for kerbside pickup by customers.

As part of its international ambitions, Instacart is partnering with Aldi to bring Caper Carts to additional countries, starting with a test in Austria where customers can use Caper Carts at its Sattledt store.

Shoppers can find the carts near the store entrance, start shopping by adding items directly into the cart, and keep an eye on their running total via the digital screen. Checkout is available through a fast lane if the customer is paying by card, helping alleviate waiting in queues and streamlining the shopping experience.

“With a large portion of customers preferring a blend of in-store and online experiences, Aldi is enabling the best of both worlds to its customers through our technologies,” said David McIntosh, vice president at Instacart. “We’re thrilled that Aldi is the first retailer to test Caper Carts in Europe, enabling us to bring Instacart’s leading grocery technology to the region for the first time. Since launching Caper Carts with other retailers in the USA, we’ve seen an incredibly positive response from customers of all ages and we’re excited to begin scaling globally.”

Scott Patton, vice president of Aldi in the USA, added: “By integrating Instacart’s connected stores technologies nationwide, we are creating a seamless shopping journey for the millions of customers that shop with us every day. Whether shopping online, through mobile app, or visiting our stores, customers can manage their weekly grocery shopping through multiple touchpoints both quickly and affordably.”

To access Aldi for same-day delivery and pickup in the USA, shoppers can select the Aldi storefront from the Instacart app or visit www.instacart.com/store/aldi/storefront. To learn more about Instacart platform, visit instacart.com/company/platform.

Aldi (aldi.us) is one of America’s fastest-growing retailers, serving millions of customers across the country each month.