Beginning this spring, a neighborhood grocer called Stop & Shop will utilize driverless grocery vehicles from Robomart to give consumers in the Greater Boston area the opportunity to shop right from their doorsteps.

​The vehicles will be used to bring a selection of Stop & Shop's produce, as well as meal kits and convenience items, directly to consumers, in an effort to address their desires to select their own fresh produce when shopping online or using a mobile app, while also delivering an even more convenient grocery shopping experience for Stop & Shop customers in the Boston area.

The vehicles will also provide the potential for Stop & Shop to expand beyond its existing brick-and-mortar footprint.

“This is one way in which we’re leveraging new technology to make shopping easier for our customers - by essentially bringing the store to them,” explains Mark McGowan, Stop & Shop president.

“We also recognize that many of our customers want the opportunity to make their own choices when it comes to fresh produce, and we're proud to be the first retailer to engage with Robomart to address our customers’ needs with their cutting-edge solution.”

Using a smartphone app, Stop & Shop customers in the Boston area can summon a Robomart vehicle. When the vehicle arrives, customers go outside, unlock the vehicle’s doors, then personally select whatever items they’d like to purchase.

When customers are finished shopping, all they have to do is close the doors to send the vehicle on its way. The vehicles’ RFID and computer vision technology automatically records what customers select to provide a checkout-free experience, and receipts are e-mailed within seconds.

“For decades, consumers had the convenience of their local greengrocer and milkman coming door to door, and we believe that by leveraging driverless technology we can recreate that level of convenience and accessibility,” says Ali Ahmed, founder & CEO of Robomart.

“We’re extremely excited to bring our vision to life with Stop & Shop, one of the most pioneering and forward-thinking grocery chains in the world.”

All of Robomart’s autonomous, electric vehicles will be remotely piloted from a Robomart facility. The vehicles will be restocked with fresh Stop & Shop goods throughout their journey, to make sure that customers are offered the best selection for purchase.