Caper AI – Better than Amazon Go?
There’s more than Amazon Go
When talking about Cashierless technology, Amazon has always been and probably will continue to be the biggest name to mention. However, the market is shifting.
On Oct 19 2021, Caper AI became the hot topic because Instacart, one of the leading online grocery platforms, announced the acquisition of Caper AI for $350 million in cash and stock.
Who is “Caper”?
Caper was founded in 2016 in New York. It is a startup developing technologies to automate brick-and-mortar checkout experiences.
Caper offers two products: the Caper Cart and the Caper Counter.
The Caper Cart is a combination of shopping cart and cashier. It has 4 computer vision enabled basket cameras to detect the items. A screen is mounted on the cart, which interacts with customers during the shopping (showing the current items in the cart, recommending nearby deals and showing the direction to the product). A POS device is also attached making it easy for customer to pay afterwards.
Caper’s cart is also the first one being approved by NTEP (federal government’s National Type Evaluation Program) in U.S. It got certified for accurately selling items priced by weight and measures.
The Caper Counter is a device also equipped with AI and cameras to scan products from five different angles. It is designed to fit small format stores.
Why “Caper” rather than Amazon?
Technically, Caper fulfills all the needs of a Cashierless store. It provides customer a seamless shopping experience without barcode scanning and waiting in the line. Its AI systems can track the whole shopping journey, extract data for store layout and stock management, personalize deals and promotions and more. Hard to tell the difference from Amazon, right?
However, the biggest advantage of Caper is the install expenditure. Different from Amazon, Caper calls its system “Plug and Play”. No modification in the store needed, no change of POS system. All the technic is equipped in the Caper Cart or the Counter. Caper Cart promises a 10-month breakeven as well.
Currently Caper Cart is used by retailers in the U.S., Canada, and some EU countries. With Amazon as one of the biggest names in Cashierless technology, we believe that Caper will get its fair share in the market and become a strong competitor.
