11 Big Technology Changes Coming to Grocery Stores

From smart shopping carts to digital price tags, get ready for these supermarket innovations

Perry Santanachote,

AARP

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En español

Published June 17, 2025

robot arms hold a grocery bag of fresh produce

Matt Chase

Older adults may remember a time when their local grocer knew their name, saved them the best peaches and hand-wrote the week’s promotions on a chalkboard. Alas, those days are gone — and grocery stores are getting a high-tech makeover.

Supermarkets across the country are embracing technologies that make grocery shopping more seamless, convenient and personalized, especially for loyal shoppers.

The grocery store tech boom started in metro areas and happened seemingly overnight. Now it’s expanding at a quick clip to supermarkets in the suburbs and exurbs.

“We’re going to see more and more change faster and faster,” says Gary Hawkins, CEO of the Center for Advancing Retail and Technology. He attributes the wave of new grocery-shopping technology to significant improvements in computer processing power, data and artificial intelligence.

Naturally, some of us may just want to buy our milk and eggs the old-fashioned way, without having to master yet another new gadget or mobile app. But when implemented correctly, supermarket technology doesn’t have to be disruptive or require a computer science degree, says Sushant Warikoo, head of the retail business unit at Cognizant, a technology and professional services consulting firm.

“It should be frictionless and intuitive because when technology becomes the goal, you fail,” he says. “When [consumer] experience is the goal, you win.”

Grocery store apps already make it easier for older shoppers to take advantage of discounts, but supermarkets aren't stopping there. Below are nearly a dozen cutting-edge technologies you might experience on your next grocery outing. If you’re hesitant to try them out, ask for help from a grocery store clerk or take a tech-savvy shopping buddy along for the ride, suggests Kelly Steelman, an associate professor of psychology and human factors at Michigan Technological University.

1. Smart carts

A smart cart is your grocery list, store map, coupon book and checkout register all rolled into one. These high-tech carts feature wireless radio-frequency identification (RFID) sensors, barcode scanners and digital touchscreens that can guide you to the items on your list, display information about products, suggest recipes, calculate your total bill in real time, highlight deals tailored to you and even allow you to pay without waiting in line. It’s like having a personal assistant on wheels who doesn’t judge your candy aisle detour.

2. Scan-and-shop tools

These systems allow you to use your smartphone or a store-provided device to scan items as you shop, bag them directly in your cart and check out with the tap of a button. That means less waiting in line, no more lifting groceries on and off the conveyor belt at the register and a smoother overall checkout experience. Your knees and back will appreciate it.

3. Computer vision shopping

Amazon Go pioneered Just Walk Out technology, but now even small grocers and convenience stores like Hudson News are catching on by using similar services like AiFi and Cloudpick. You grab what you need, sensors and cameras track your haul, and the total is automatically charged to your credit or debit card when you walk out.

4. Biometric checkout

Tapping your card or phone to check out is convenient, but you still need to remember to bring your wallet or phone to the store. (You’d lose your head if it weren’t attached, right?) Palm-scanning systems, like those at Whole Foods, allow you to pay for groceries by simply hovering your (always-on-you) palm over a scanner at checkout.

There’s also facial scanning technology that estimates your age when you’re purchasing alcohol or tobacco products. If you’ve ever been carded buying wine in your 50s or 60s, this tech might give you a chuckle, but don’t worry — no one’s keeping a beauty score.

5. AI-powered customer service

Rather than squinting at the signs with small print hanging above the aisles, AI chat kiosks and mobile apps can help you quickly find gluten-free flour or where the store moved your favorite brand of coffee. (Rude!) Some AI assistants even respond to voice commands, which is especially helpful for shoppers who may not want to fiddle with a screen. These AI tools can also scan barcodes and suggest lower-sodium or heart-healthy alternatives so you don’t need to pull out your readers to dig through nutrition labels.

6. Personalized discounts and product recommendations

Forget clipping coupons. Digital loyalty programs at supermarkets are getting smarter. Tools like Birdzi, ShopSmart and SymphonyAI allow grocers to take the thousands of products across their store and identify deals specifically for you based on what they know about your shopping habits. They then send you alerts via email, text message or a mobile app.

“Those [deals] are going to be different than what they provide me and what they provide the next person,” says Hawkins. “What’s happening here is a shift from promoting what the brand manufacturers want to promote to providing you, the customer, savings on the stuff you want to buy.”

It doesn’t stop there. Since many grocery stores are also essentially health and wellness shops where you can pick up prescriptions, over-the-counter medications and supplements, Warikoo says you’ll also get health product recommendations based on your shopping profile. For instance, if your supermarket’s mobile app knows you have diabetes — around 29 percent of Americans ages 65 and older do — the food recommendations you get will be more diabetes-friendly.

7. Robotic shelf stockers

Some grocery stores now deploy friendly-looking robots that patrol aisles to check inventory, restock shelves and even spot spills, says Hawkins. Think of them as a less clumsy grocery store version of a Roomba.

Warikoo says these machines allow smaller mom-and-pop grocery shops to operate more effectively and improve the customer experience. “[Employees] who are there will be more focused on engaging with the customers than actually getting stuff done because automation and robots will do that.”

8. Smart scales

Quick, what’s the difference between a Gala and a Fuji apple? When you’re juggling different types of produce and can’t remember which ones are 89 cents a pound, high-tech scales at self-checkouts now use cameras and artificial intelligence to recognize the product and suggest the correct label and price.

9. Digital price tags and interactive packaging

Look closely: Those paper price tags might have gone digital. That’s because a growing number of grocers are using electronic shelf labels to update prices instantly, based on supply and demand or even competitor pricing.

In addition, many packaged goods now feature QR codes you can scan with your smartphone to learn about where the food was made, nutrition information and ingredients. This technology provides important information without you having to decode marketing lingo, says Warikoo.

10. Preordering for fresh food

Some store apps, such as those from ShopRite, BJ’s Wholesale Club and Whole Foods, now allow you to preorder from the deli, bakery or hot food counter so your food is ready when you arrive. Just a few taps on your phone and that rotisserie chicken practically walks itself into your cart.

11. Delivery drones and AI shopping agents

Prefer getting your groceries delivered to your front door? While it's still in the early stages, some supermarkets are delivering orders to customers’ homes via drone or driverless vehicle. Some food delivery services are also testing out AI personal shopping assistants that allow you to provide a grocery list and have the items dropped off at your doorstep at a specific time or to your electric car while you’re at a charging station.

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Perry Santanachote is a Denver-based freelance writer whose work has appeared in Consumer Reports, Good Housekeeping, Serious Eats and other publications.