Every Checkers Sixty60 customer gets a personal butler

Checkers-owner Shoprite has launched an artificial intelligence (AI) “shopping assistant” named Pixie on its Sixty60 platform.

Described as a “trusted personal butler with a PhD in shopping”, this tool will learn from customers’ buying habits and generate personalised grocery baskets and product recommendations.

In a recent social media post, Shoprite’s chief strategy officer and ShopriteX’s managing director, Neil Schreuder, said the launch of Pixie marks another first from Checkers. 

The retailer is widely credited with disrupting South Africa’s on-demand grocery delivery market with its Sixty60 platform, which currently dominates the market.

“In 2019, Sixty60 disrupted grocery shopping in South Africa. A simple vision – can we create an app where customers can shop in just 60 seconds because it’s so simple, and then get groceries delivered anywhere in the country in just 60 minutes?” Schreuder asked.

“Today, Sixty60 has become a multi-category platform. We set a very bold ambition – we want to use the best in AI and tech to make it even easier, faster and simpler to shop online for your groceries.”

Schreuder described Pixie as a “little companion that understands precisely what products you want and need”.

“Using AI, Pixie learns every time you shop, anticipating your needs and shopping cycles and then surfacing products before you have to start searching,” he explained. 

“Imagine your grocery basket thinking for you, knowing what you need just before you run out.”

Pixie will be available to all Sixty60 customers through the app, with the first version rolling out on Thursday, 9 April.

The tool was developed by ShopriteX, the retailer’s digital innovation hub, which consists of a team of data scientists, machine learning engineers, and software developers. 

“The best of local talent, designed for South African shoppers. I’m in awe at this team’s ability to build these ideas with such speed,” Schreuder said.

He explained that, when shoppers open the app, Pixie’s Smart Basket will curate their favourite items. 

Shoppers can then swipe to add items, which should speed up checkout. “It’s like Tinder, for groceries,” Schreuder explained.

“Soon, Pixie will become even more helpful – with conversational features, automatically reordering household essentials or even planning weekly meals based on your budget or what’s in your pantry.”