ShopRite Stores Expand Computer-Vision Robotics for Inventory

Published: October 7, 2024
  • Two companies within the Wakefern supermarket family are now rolling out the Simbe Tally AI and robotics system to capture data from store aisles related to shelf-stock levels, locations and pricing
  • Pilots and early deployments found the system improved inventory stock levels and shopping experiences for store customers

Following several years piloting a robotic computer vision inventory management system, global supermarket company Wakefern Food Corporation has taken a new step in technology adoption– Inserra Supermarkets and Shop-Rite Supermarkets Inc. (SRS) are rolling out the technology from Simbe in a total of 60 new stores.

Wakefern Food Corp., the largest retailer-owned cooperative of supermarkets in the U.S., launched a pilot with Simbe to deploy its inventory robot in January, 2022. To better manage on-shelf availability and reduce time spent on manual shelf audits, the retail chain tested the Simbe AI and robotics technology until April in five stores. The pilot was expanded to 20 stores in September of the same year.

Following that initial proof of value—which confirmed that Tally’s insights enable stores to reduce out-of-stock rates and maximize inventory availability—Wakefern further expanded its deployment of Simbe’s platform to additional ShopRite stores in August 2023. Now, the rollout has grown further.

Covering Stores Across the Northeast

Wakefern has a national presence, with 48 member-companies operating 365 supermarkets. Late this summer, Inserra and SRS chose to deploy the technology across all their stores. Both companies manage stores in the New York-, New Jersey- and Pennsylvania-area. Inserra operates 23 ShopRite stores, while SRS has 37 ShopRite locations.

“This expansion reinforces Simbe’s position as the only retail intelligence company with the proven ability to deliver value at scale,” said Ben Saldinger, Simbe’s senior director of sales.

At the center of the solution is Tally. The robot operates at each store, automatically traveling the aisles to scan products and price tags, while localizing each item. The software manages data related to the details captured by the robot.

Each of the robots are equipped with both computer vision and UHF RFID reading functionality depending on the needs of the user. Wakefern’s stores are using the computer vision functionality only. Most grocery and other food products are not tagged with RFID inlays, so computer vision provides a more frictionless deployment, Simbe officials report.

How it Works

Tally robots navigate store aisles to identify an out-of-stock event, misplaced items or incorrect pricing on store shelves using AI. The technology pinpoints the location of each item, down to the position on the shelf in each aisle, which aids the accuracy of online fulfillment, Simbe officials reported.

Typically, they travel throughout the store up to four times per day during regular store hours. If they detect people or other obstacles in their path, they are programmed to stop and navigate around them.

Using the built-in cameras, the robot’s task is to scan the shelves at all levels as it passes them, capturing the images and location of goods stocked there as well as price labels on the shelves.

That data can be compared against the expected stocking information, and then update the status related to whether shelves are properly stocked, if goods are in the right location, and if the accurate advertised price is displayed. The information can be used to verify the accuracy of inventory reported online. Simbe processes data both in the cloud and onboard.

“This hybrid approach provides data quickly and seamlessly with minimal network bandwidth requirements,” said Saldinger. “Tally relies solely on a store’s Wi-Fi, and the data it captures is sent securely to the cloud for immediate processing and analysis using advanced algorithms.”

Responses to the Technology

According to Simbe officials, the robotic solution has been popular with store workers. In June, Simbe surveyed its customers’ store associates across the country and found that 90 percent said they wouldn’t want to do their jobs without Tally, said Saldinger.

That may be because the highly time-consuming and tedious task of inventory counting manually is eliminated. According to a 2023 Scandit survey, inventory counting was cited as the worst task according to store associates, by 31.2 percent—above customer support and shelf replenishment.

Saldinger said shoppers have been providing positive feedback as well. He said that according to stores that adopted the solution, their shoppers “consistently cite a more productive, enjoyable shopping experience.”

Retailers have relayed stories of customers changing their shopping patterns to make sure they and their children are in the store at the same time that Tally is traveling the aisles.

Shopper Experience with Robots

Additionally, shoppers with food allergies or dietary restrictions who especially require specific products to be on the shelf, have indicated they are happy to have the system in their stores, according to Saldinger.

Simbe’s solution is in use by retailers across three continents, the company reports, including BJ’s Wholesale Club, Giant Eagle and Carrefour. This year, SpartanNash expanded their deployment with 60 new locations and Northeast Grocery began proof of value testing in 10 stores under the brand names Tops Friendly Markets, Market 32 and Price Chopper.

This summer, Simbe released several new software offerings. Simbe Mobile is a mobile application that can be used by store workers, Saldinger said. It works on iOS and Android devices, as well as readers and scanners from Zebra. The app allows them to prioritize their inventory and pricing tasks. They can use the app to see data analytics and employ a product scan feature for inventory checks with the device.

The company has also released what it calls the Simbe Virtual Tour, a new solution to allow retailers to view their stores remotely, to optimize store layouts and make strategic stocking decisions.

RFID Deployments Gaining Tracking

Saldinger observed that while Simbe has many deployments leveraging computer vision only, the company finds that its technology partners serving the retail ecosystem are increasingly embracing RFID as well— especially for those with product categories like apparel, footwear, and electronics. Those products are often tagged with RFID tags before they come into the store, to uniquely identify a product in the supply chain or in the store.

Technologies like autonomous robots can improve these efforts by providing faster and more accurate automated tag scans, he added.

“We’ll continue to see retailers of all types leverage RFID to take precise inventory counts, track products store-wide, and better understand activity over time,” Saldinger predicted.

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About the Author: Claire Swedberg