The Save Mart Companies Tests Autonomous Inventory Robots
Autonomous inventory robot Tally will be roaming the aisles in more grocery stores soon.
The Save Mart Companies has launched a pilot program in partnership with Simbe to test the robots in select Save Mart, Lucky/Lucky California and FoodMaxx banners in California in the Modesto and East Bay areas. The Save Mart Companies operates 204 stores throughout California and Northern Nevada.
Tally robots autonomously audit store shelves to ensure products are in stock and in the correct location on the sales floor. The real-time data and inventory insights collected by Tally help retailers reduce out-of-stocks by up to 30% and enable store teams to focus on servicing customers. Tally can scan up to 30,000 products every day, bringing greater visibility to store inventory, streamlining operations for store teams and improving the customer experience by ensuring the products they are looking for are available and in the right place.
As part of the pilot program, The Save Mart Companies will deploy Tally in three Save Mart stores in the Modesto area; two Lucky California stores in Dublin and San Ramon; and two FoodMaxx locations in Modesto and Tracy.
After validating the pilot performance, The Save Mart Companies may explore Tally’s cloud-powered software platform and APIs to gain unprecedented information on the store’s inventory insights. This inventory information may be used to improve store performance by improving in-stock conditions, maximize customer satisfaction, and increase in-store and online sales.
“Deepening our commitment to innovation with this pilot program is a reflection of The Save Mart Companies promise to our customers to ensure the best in-store experiences,” said Hal Levitt, SVP of retail operations at The Save Mart Companies. “We’re pleased to have a strong technology partner in Simbe to support us in testing a new, effective inventory management solution in our stores and allowing us to provide better product availability.”
Since launching in 2015, Tally has been deployed by more than a dozen leading global retailers across North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. Last year, grocer Schnuck Markets expanded on its Tally pilot, bringing the robots to half its stores.
“The pandemic has further illuminated the critical need for strong on-shelf inventory data, and no retail solution provides this data with greater accuracy and fidelity than Tally,” said Brad Bogolea, CEO and co-founder of Simbe Robotics. “Retailers are facing an ever-evolving landscape, and Tally provides a cost-effective solution that enables them to stay ahead of the curve, with improved operations and efficiency."