Dive Brief:
- Wegmans is piloting new, smaller shopping carts at two upstate New York stores, the grocery company confirmed with Grocery Dive.
- The new carts are lighter, quieter, easier to maneuver and feature conveniences like cup and phone holders. They’re also better suited for larger items and family-pack purchases.
- The carts are still undergoing updates based on initial feedback that Wegmans received from shoppers and employees.
Dive Insight:
At a time when most grocers are testing smart carts — and about a year after Wegmans itself confirmed it was piloting the tech-forward carts — the New York grocer is taking a more classic approach to improving the in-store customer experience.
Wegmans first rolled out the redesigned carts to its Pittsford and Penfield, New York, locations in mid-July, the grocer wrote in emailed comments. This month, Wegmans is introducing a limited number of redesigned small carts at both stores based on feedback from shoppers and workers and said it will continue gathering customer feedback to evaluate next steps.
The carts, which are manufactured in the U.S., aim to improve the shopping experience as well as better support the store team, Wegmans said, noting that its previous small cart design was more than 15 years old.
