Business & Finance
Smart grocery carts linked to higher grocery spending, study finds
Fox News reports that shoppers using digital carts spent 32% more, according to a recent academic study.
The short version
- A study from Bayes Business School found shoppers using smart grocery carts spent an average of 32% more than those using regular carts.[Fox News]
- Users of the digital carts also bought 25% more items and remained in stores 23% longer during analyzed shopping sessions.[Fox News]
- Companies including Instacart and Amazon continue expanding smart cart deployments across U.S. grocery chains through 2026.[Fox News]
- Researchers emphasized the findings reflect an association and do not prove the carts directly caused the increased spending.[Fox News]
Key facts
- Bayes Business School researchers found shoppers using smart carts spent 32% more on average than those with traditional carts.[Fox News]
- The study evaluated 12,418 shopping sessions at a German supermarket chain during March 2025.[Fox News]
- Smart-cart shoppers bought 25% more items and spent 23% more time inside the store.[Fox News]
- Instacart reported that thousands of its Caper Carts were deployed across more than 100 cities and 15 states as of May 2026.[Fox News]
- Amazon plans to roll out its Dash Cart to dozens of additional Whole Foods Market stores across the U.S. by late 2026.[Fox News]
What remains uncertain
- Whether smart carts directly caused shoppers to spend more, as the study established only an observational association.[Fox News]
Sources
Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.