Coconut Grove shoppers at Milam's Market can now grab a cart that knows the store better than they do.

The family-owned grocer at 2969 SW 32nd Ave. has deployed 10 AI-powered "Coupr" smart carts as part of a pilot program with the New York-based startup. The carts feature a tablet-sized touchscreen that provides turn-by-turn aisle navigation, tools for comparing nutrition labels and prices, and digital coupons that pop up as shoppers pass relevant products. There's no cost to use them.

Julian Janna, 31, founded Coupr after struggling to find items on grocery runs. A Colombia-born former J.P. Morgan financier who earned his MBA at Columbia Business School in 2024, Janna chose Milam's as his launch partner because the six-store, family-owned chain could move faster than a corporate giant.

Lee Milam, the chain's president and chief operating officer, said the partnership made sense because Janna "was looking for a smaller retailer to partner with … and being a family business we're able to be a little bit more accessible and flexible, so I think it helped make a good fit for him."

The pilot initially launched at Milam's Coral Gables East location on 37th Avenue in fall 2025, but usage was low. College-age shoppers near the University of Miami tended to buy in smaller quantities and skipped the full-size carts. The program shifted to the Coconut Grove and Pinecrest stores, which are the only two Coupr test locations operating.

Shoppers log in on the cart's screen with a phone number or through the Coupr app. They can input a grocery list by typing, speaking, scanning a handwritten note or importing a photo. The system reads handwriting and adds items automatically. It remembers preferences tied to the login.

Rod Barco, 28, a Gulliver Schools graduate shopping at the Grove location, said the cart surfaced a wine promotion automatically. A bottle normally priced around $60 showed up at $44 as he passed the display.

One limitation: The AI assistant responds only in English, even when a shopper types or speaks in Spanish. Janna said multilingual support is in active development.

Milam's has deliberately avoided self-checkout kiosks, sticking with full-service cashiers. Lee Milam said the Coupr carts complement that philosophy by giving shoppers instant answers without shifting labor onto customers.

Diego Escalante, Janna's assistant, is stationed at the store entrance to introduce the carts and walk shoppers through their first use.

Lee Milam said the pilot runs through the end of summer 2026, with a goal of expanding from 10 to 20 carts per store. No formal expansion beyond the two locations has been announced. Janna said he eventually wants to pitch Coupr to larger chains like Publix and Winn-Dixie.