AI shopping carts could drive up your grocery bill

is making its way into the grocery aisle, and it could have an unexpected effect on how much you spend. You grab a grocery cart, start working through your list and notice a screen on the handle offering directions, coupons and product suggestions. It can keep a running total and may even let you skip the checkout line. That sounds convenient. It also gives the store a new way to reach you while you are deciding what goes into your cart.

Here's how the study worked, where these smart carts are already showing up in the U.S. and how to use one without letting it push your grocery bill higher.

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The research comes from Bayes Business School at City St George's, University of London. The study, published in the Journal of Business Research, looked at how digital shopping carts were associated with spending and shopping behavior. Researchers studied smart shopping carts at a well-known German supermarket chain during March 2025.

They analyzed 12,418 individual shopping sessions over the month. Of those trips, 9,422 involved shoppers actively using the smart-cart technology. These were grocery carts fitted with tablet-style screens on the handle. Shoppers could use the technology for digital shopping lists, personalized recommendations and in-store navigation. The carts also supported checkout-free payment.

Researchers recorded how much shoppers spent and how many items they bought. They also measured how long each shopping trip lasted. The differences were substantial.

Smart-cart shoppers spent 32% more on average than non-users. They also purchased 25% more items and spent 23% more time in the store. The spending gap grew during afternoons and weekends. Meanwhile, shoppers tended to spend the most time in stores during the evening.

Those numbers naturally caught the researchers' attention because a cart that increases shopper engagement could become a valuable tool for stores. Dr. Sabrina Gottschalk, a lecturer in marketing at Bayes Business School and lead author of the study, said the findings suggest retailers could see significant revenue gains from the technology.

She pointed to special offers and new product recommendations as potential opportunities. The screen also creates another place for retailers and brands to advertise while someone is actively deciding what to buy. That last part catches my attention. The screen may help you find something faster. At the same time, it can put another product in front of you when you are already in shopping mode. Your grocery cart has essentially become another .

There is an important limitation here. The study found an association between smart-cart use and higher spending. Because the researchers observed shopping behavior rather than randomly assigning shoppers to different carts, the results do not prove that the technology itself caused the 32% increase.

Someone choosing a smart cart may already have planned a bigger grocery run. A shopper with a longer list could also be more interested in technolo