Today I was at one of my local grocery stores to quickly pick up a few random food items, and as I made my way around the store I ran into this thing in the bread and dairy aisles:
Martin’s Supermarkets, a grocery chain located in Northern Indiana and Southern Michigan, are now integrating some of their locations with an autonomous robot that analyzes inventory on shelves and refrigerators with the power of artificial intelligence.
The robot was about my height, probably a tad more (I’m 6′ ft), high enough to scan the refrigerators and shelves.
This is the first time, from what I have observed, to have seen this robot so its rollout must have been very recent. This robot was seen in service at the Heritage Square Plaza in Granger, Indiana (location #2 on the map).
The grocery store chain has made no announcement on their website about the new integration.
The robot when not in service returns to a docking port/station to be recharged.
This robot’s name in particular is called “Tally.” According to the sign at the docking port, Tally is touted as the “latest innovation for a better shopping experience.”
Tally joined the Martin’s team to scan shelves and find out-of-stock products and verify pricing.
Tally’s data helps the store team spread more time focusing on our customers, so we provide the best possible shopping experience.
The sign at the store said
The robot technology is courtesy of Simbe Robotics. The company says their Tally robots “knows when products are in the wrong aisle or on the wrong shelf; Tally knows when you have inventory in the back to prioritize restocking; Tally knows when a product is out on shelf or missing facings, and alerts you to restock; and Tally helps identify the root cause when products are not present on shelf.”
The company claims that around $448 billion in inventory are lost due to incompetence and stocking errors and deficiencies, leading to empty shelves and out-of-stock products. The Tally robot is designed to eliminate and recoup some of these fees for the stores. Similarly, another $472 billion is purportedly lost “due to lack of performance optimization,” Simbe says. Promotions and sales certainly don’t help the problem and increase the rate of error.
Simbe analyzes all of this and works to flush out these errors. The robot “knows which shelves are most effective, and keeps them stocked with high-margin SKUs,” the company says, adding that the Tally bots can “retailers align with HQ and brand planograms.”
The rollout of Simbe’s robots were accelerated by The Covid War, which ushered in social distancing, under staffing, less physical contact with items, cash, and people; prompting more businesses to go autonomous and contactless. In a case study published in 2020’s Q3, Simbe released a report about the benefits of their robot and how much money it will save stores.
The company called this “The Future of Grocery,” helping stores achieve what they call “retail nirvana.”
We know this sounds like science-fiction. Thanks to sensor, artificial intelligence and navigational technologies, this science is reality.Tally is a power tool for your team. It lets them deliver a better experience for your customers and a better bottom line for your business.
The company wrote
The robot’s computing also links with the store’s digital inventory app that can be accessed on smartphones and iPads, which can alert staff and managers to shortages, out-of-stock items, misplaced products, and so forth.
The robot also alerts staff to the best-selling items and aisles versus others in real-time. via cloud-based technology.
Multiple Tallys can be linked together at monitored all at once.
Into 2018 Martin’s Supermarkets were acquired by SpartanNash based in Michigan, a publicly traded grocery distributor. The acquisitions was completed in early-January, 2019, The South Bend Tribune reported.
On May 10th, 2023, Simbe announced a new partnership with SpartanNash to bring the Tally robots to their locations, which also include Family Fare and D&W Fresh Market locations, along with some pharmacies and fuel centers.
Tally has currently been deployed to 15 locations under their headship.
SpartanNash Executive Vice President, Corporate Retail Tom Swanson, said in a statement:
Tally’s speed, accuracy and automation enable our Associates to save time in inventory tracking and spend more time on the floor serving store guests.
Simbe Robotics Co-Founder and CEO Brad Bogolea, also spoke of their partnership with SpartanNash:
When we first started working with SpartanNash, we knew this was a partner that recognized the powerful role technology can play in enhancing in-store operations and, as a result, the customer experience.
It’s been so rewarding working together to further deploy our retail solution. We’re excited to continue providing powerful insights for SpartanNash to help improve the shopping experience for store guests and Associates.
AUTHOR COMMENTARY
[25] The desire of the slothful killeth him; for his hands refuse to labour. [26] He coveteth greedily all the day long: but the righteous giveth and spareth not. Proverbs 21:25-26
While Tallys are not new and the originals have been around a couple years short of a decade, the latest 3.0 models are smarter and more efficient, and are taking over stores everywhere. I’ve learned that when some new like this appears in my little “mayberry,” then that let’s me know the rest of the country for the most part has been saturated with this garbage.
There goes our jobs with this, again…
The Martin’s location this was at was not the normal one I shop at, but I was close by for other reasons so I decided to pop in for a few items. They call this location “Guchi Martin’s,” because its one of the more modern ones and all the “cool kids” hang out there, as they have an entire sprawling setup of couches and TVs, and salad bars, food stands, handmade pizzas and sandwiches, and Starbucks; so a lot high school and college students hang out there after class. Wherefore this location also has proportionally more “karens” and more incompetent and idiot staff there, too.
He also that is slothful in his work is brother to him that is a great waster.
Proverbs 18:9
People are so lazy, incompetent, and stupid anymore; and because of it businesses are now replacing dumb staff with robots to cut salaries and make up for the lost revenue; though I’d be willing to bet you most of these missing revenue numbers comes from Walmart, Sam’s Club, and others like them; for we know the types of clientele those stores have…
Give it a little more time and Tally will have arms and a cart trolly to stock the shelves, and give directions to customers to precisely find items.
[7] Who goeth a warfare any time at his own charges? who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof? or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock? [8] Say I these things as a man? or saith not the law the same also? [9] For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen? [10] Or saith he it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that he that ploweth should plow in hope; and that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope. (1 Corinthians 9:7-10).
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Ritzy looking store Jacob. Agree with the growing laziness. In my job now, many are. Can’t even be bothered to throw away literally an inch or two of dirty mop water left in the buckets.
I was one, back in 2011. Worked as a lost, part-time retail inventory scanner. Didn’t care much about it. Or the many errors. Just always waiting for the next break and to jet out of there. After salvation, the bible whipped me into shape.
Titus 2:9-10
9 Exhort servants to be obedient unto their own masters, and to please them well in all things; not answering again; 10 not purloining, but shewing all good fidelity; that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things.
Colossians 3:22-24
22 Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God: 23 and whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; 24 knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.
Ephesians 6:5-9
5 Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ; 6 not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart; 7 with good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men: 8 knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free. 9 And, ye masters, do the same things unto them, forbearing threatening: knowing that your Master also is in heaven; neither is there respect of persons with him.
2 Thessalonians 3:12
Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread.
Ephesians 4:28
28 Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.
Acts 18:3
3 And because he was of the same craft, he abode with them, and wrought: for by their occupation they were tentmakers. (Paul was a tentmaker after getting saved)
I minimally shop at Martin’s. Their prices were always extortionate even when I was a little boy.
I understand. I go to nice shops too when I really need an item nowhere else to be found. Not your fault the store is well-kept. Lately. lots of grocery stores here have been very messy. So I saw the photos and had an immediate reaction to how nice they look is all.
would not shop there..Boycot
All of these so called political fear mongers think we are stupid when in reallity they are the stupid ones..