Having products in the right place at the right price is critical for retailers. Inventory management, however, remains a painfully manual process. Research shows manual audits are the reason why 60% of out-of-stock items are somewhere else in a store – and 50% of products ordered online are substituted or not found. The lack of accurate inventory data costs retailers $2 trillion per year -- $1.2 trillion due to out-of-stocks and $562 billion due to overstock.

Simbe Robotics is helping close these gaps with its Tally inventory management robot. The system uses computer vision, AI, and mobile robotics to deliver real-time visibility into inventory and pricing. In 2023, Simbe introduced an intelligence platform for wholesalers, updating its cutting-edge technology to accommodate the unique scale and layout of large-format settings.

The team recognized that warehouse clubs, in particular, face complex inventory challenges due to their sheer size. In March 2023, Simbe partnered with BJ’s Wholesale Club to roll out an enhanced version of its Store Intelligence solution, featuring new capabilities for Tally.

Specifically, Simbe’s computer vision now reaches much farther and higher than before, allowing Tally to scan bulk products, pricing, and promotion information on even the tallest club shelves. Simbe’s data capabilities inform product location, replenishment, and pallet optimization, tracking an item’s time-in-steel to provide suggestions for restocking based on upcoming expiration dates.

BJ’s is integrating Simbe’s technology into all 237 of its clubs in the U.S. This huge deployment validates the immediate value and proven performance of the company’s new system.

Explore the RBR50 Robotics Innovation Awards 2024.