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Ed. Note: This article was previously posted at Retail TouchPoints.
BJ's Wholesale Club has entered a partnership with Simbe Robotics to roll out Tally, the solution provider's automated, radio frequency identification (RFID)-enabled business-intelligence robot, to all 237 of its stores. The retailer plans to utilize the artificial intelligence (AI)-powered solution to provide greater visibility into club conditions and drive deeper business insights.
Tally autonomously roams club aisles multiple times per day, leveraging its computer-vision capabilities to collect accurate shelf data that can ensure products are in stock, shelved appropriately and accurately priced (see Simbe Robotics Brings RFID to Computer Vision Robot, Food Retailers Piloting RFID Robot to Track Perishable Products and RFID Reading Robot Automates Decathlon Store’s Inventory Management).
Prior to the launch, Simbe worked with BJ's to refine the technology in order to optimize it for the unique layouts and product assortments of a club retailer. BJ's will use this real-time data to enable faster restocking, as well as help associates and shoppers to quickly locate products and improve inventory tracking. The goal, the company explains, is to free up associates' time to put more of their efforts toward customer service, while enabling optimal store conditions and accurate merchandising execution.
"We are excited to collaborate with Simbe to bring their industry-leading technology and platform to our clubs," said Jeff Desroches, the EVP and chief operations officer at BJ's Wholesale Club, in a prepared statement. "By deploying Tally in all of our club locations, we will gain unprecedented insights which will leverage real-time data, enabling us to continuously improve our operation and ensure that we're offering the best possible experience to both our team members and members."
A growing number of retailers are embracing in-store automation and robotics to empower their associates and drive a great customer experience. Other companies implementing similar technology include:
- Sam's Club, which rolled out automated floor-scrubbing and shelf-scanning robots to its stores throughout 2022, through a partnership with Brain Corp. and Tennant Co.
- Kum & Go, which is introducing ICE Cobotics' Cobi 18 floor-cleaning robotics at its locations, to free up associates to spend more time on tasks like stocking shelves and coolers, handling fresh food orders and engaging with customers.
- Vallarta Supermarkets, which is piloting autonomous robots at five locations to support employees by identifying in-store hazards, and is using robots equipped with inventory-management technology in a sixth store.
