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Hy-Vee begins test of shelf-scanning robot

Simbe Robotics’ Tally to roll out to five stores in three states

Russell Redman

September 23, 2021

3 Min Read
HyVee-Tally robot-grocery aisle.jpg
Tally robots are already at two Hy-Vee stores in Ankeny, Iowa, and Lincoln, Neb., and are slated to deploy at three more locations in the coming weeks.Simbe Robotics

Midwestern grocer Hy-Vee plans to pilot Simbe Robotics’ Tally shelf-scanning robot at five stores, where the technology will provide autonomous inventory management.

West Des Moines, Iowa-based Hy-Vee said Thursday that Tally robots are already in at supermarkets in Ankeny, Iowa, and Lincoln, Neb., and more of the units will be deployed at stores in Lee’s Summit, Mo.; Omaha, Neb.; and Altoona, Iowa, in the coming weeks. 

Roaming the aisles at Hy-Vee stores, the Tally robots travel the entire floor up to three times daily and scan tens of thousands of products across grocery and health-and-wellness aisles. The technology checks products’ in-stock status and ensures that items are placed properly — and where customers expect them to be — and display the correct prices and promotional information.

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At Hy-Vee stores, the Tally robots roam the entire floor up to three times daily and scan tens of thousands of products across grocery and other aisles.

The on-shelf intelligence gathered by Tally’s regular scans provide accurate, frequent and actionable insights into product flow and in-store operations, enabling out-of-stocks to be reduced by up to 30%, San Francisco-based Simbe noted. In turn, the inventory management chores handled by the robot free up store associates to focus on more engaging tasks such as customer service.

“Hy-Vee has a strong reputation for excellent customer service and an employee-first culture,” Luke Tingley, senior vice president and chief information officer at Hy-Vee, said in a statement. “By employing Tally, we can continue providing that excellent service by reducing out-of-stocks and empowering our store teams with real-time insights to ensure the best customer experience across the board.”

Related:Schnuck Markets to deploy intelligence robots chainwide

Tally uses a suite of sensors to safely navigate around aisles, shoppers store employees, and because the robot is fully autonomous, it returns to its charging dock on its own, Simbe said. The robot works in tandem with Simbe’s cloud-powered software platform and APIs, which leverage computer vision and machine learning technology to give retailers a detailed picture of the state of their stores.

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Tally safely maneuvers around aisles, shoppers and store staff using a suite of sensors.

For grocery retailers, the solution can be used to conduct autonomous product audits; provide timely alerts for out-of-stock, low-stock and misplaced items; expedite price tag updates for price adjustments and promotions; provide continuous in-store performance insights for manufacturer and service partners; and sharpen product placement for a more organized shopping flow and efficient planogram, according to Simbe.

“No other retail solution supports store teams the way Tally does. The pandemic truly created a ‘new normal’ for grocery that has illuminated the need for a greater frequency and fidelity of in-store data,” stated Brad Bogolea, co-founder and CEO of Simbe Robotics. “Hy-Vee is the perfect example of thoughtfully adopting technology to improve the store experience for both customers and their teams. As retailers face a growing number of considerations, Tally provides a cost-effective solution that ensures they can continue to provide excellent customer service and create a valuable, more enjoyable working environment for their employees.” 

Related:Save Mart kicks off pilot of shelf-scanning robots

Overall, Hy-Vee generates annual sales of about $11 billion and operates more than 280 stores in Iowa, Illinois, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wisconsin.

Other grocery retailers that have deployed or are testing Simbe’s Tally robot include Schnuck Markets, which last month announced a chainwide rollout, as well as The Save Mart Cos. and Giant Eagle.

About the Author

Russell Redman

Senior Editor
Supermarket News

Russell Redman has served as senior editor at Supermarket News since April 2018, his second tour with the publication. In his current role, he handles daily news coverage for the SN website and contributes news and features for the print magazine, as well as participates in special projects, podcasts and webinars and attends industry events. Russ joined SN from Racher Press Inc.’s Chain Drug Review and Mass Market Retailers magazines, where he served as desk/online editor for more than nine years, covering the food/drug/mass retail sector. 

Russell Redman’s more than 30 years of experience in journalism span a range of editorial manager, editor, reporter/writer and digital roles at a variety of publications and websites covering a breadth of industries, including retailing, pharmacy/health care, IT, digital home, financial technology, financial services, real estate/commercial property, pro audio/video and film. He started his career in 1989 as a local news reporter and editor, covering community news and politics in Long Island, N.Y. His background also includes an earlier stint at Supermarket News as center store editor and then financial editor in the mid-1990s. Russ holds a B.A. in journalism (minor in political science) from Hofstra University, where he also earned a certificate in digital/social media marketing in November 2016.

Russell Redman’s experience:

Supermarket News - Informa
Senior Editor 
April 2018 - present

Chain Drug Review/Mass Market Retailers - Racher Press
Desk/Online Editor 
Sept. 2008 - March 2018

CRN magazine - CMP Media
Managing Editor
May 2000 - June 2007

Bank Systems & Technology - Miller Freeman
Executive Editor/Managing Editor
Dec. 1996 - May 2000

Supermarket News - Fairchild Publications
Financial Editor/Associate Editor
April 1995 - Dec. 1996 

Shopping Centers Today Magazine - ICSC 
Desk Editor/Assistant Editor
Dec. 1992 - April 1995

Testa Communications
Assistant Editor/Contributing Editor (Music & Sound Retailer, Post, Producer, Sound & Communications and DJ Times magazines)
Jan. 1991 - Dec. 1992 

American Banker/Bond Buyer
Copy Editor
Oct. 1990 - Jan. 1991 

This Week newspaper - Chanry Communications
Reporter/Editor
May 1989 - July 1990

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