Autonomous Robot Platform Helps With Retail Inventory Management

Simbe, a retail automation and robotics developer, has launched what it calls “the industry’s first intelligence platform for large format retail environments.”

The platform uses data collected by Simbe’s autonomous robot Tally to automate inventory management. Simbe says its robot reaches 150% farther and higher than any existing solution, “analyzing products and price tags on even the tallest club shelves.” 

The platform was initially launched with BJ’s Wholesale Club and now, following its success, Simbe is making the solution available to the wider market.

Specific features were developed to make the platform applicable for large-scale retailers, including expanded inventory scanning capabilities and a virtual store walk-through to give managers greater insight into store conditions and stock availability. 

According to a company statement, Tally also leverages computer vision and AI-enabled shelf analytics to pinpoint trends across the robot fleet to improve operational efficiencies. 

Simbe’s platform also generates the most efficient path for workers to reach specific items, reducing fulfillment times by up to 50%, the company says.

“Today’s retailers are laser-focused on building more resilient operations and upleveling the consumer experience,” said Brad Bogolea, Simbe’s CEO. “To that end, enterprising wholesalers, like BJ’s, are employing store intelligence and strategic automation to create efficiencies and increase the satisfaction of shoppers, as well as the club teams who serve them.”

Related:Shelf-Scanning Robot for Retail Stock Monitoring, Tracking Launches

“Simbe's technology helps us easily locate inventory, automate tasks and identify low-stock items to improve execution. Tally is providing us with powerful insights based on real-time data,” said Jeff Desroches, BJ’s Wholesale Club chief operations officer. “This enables us to continuously improve our operation and offer the best possible experience to both our team members and members.”