Simbe Robotics partners with Country Supplier, expands into farm supply stores

Inventory management robots are expanding their reach into new types of retail. Simbe Robotics Inc. today said it is expanding into farm supply.

Since 1959, Country Supplier LLC has served rural communities across Idaho, Utah, Nevada, Arizona, Oregon, and Washington. After a successful proof of value, the Ammon, Idaho-based partner plans to deploy Simbe’s Tally robots in more sites under its C-A-L Ranch and Coastal Farm & Ranch brands.

“Tally is redefining the way we run our business while working within our operational boundaries,” stated Mandi Dyer, chief operating officer of Country Supplier. “The Simbe teams’ dedication to understanding all aspects of our business needs and goals was instrumental in Tally’s successful implementation.”

Country Supplier enhances shopping with AI, automation

Farm supply stores provide essential products that support daily operations for farms and local businesses, noted Simbe. To meet seasonal demand, store shelves need to be well-stocked with the right products, at the right time, and at price points that customers expect

However, inventory management for farm suppliers can be challenging because of store size and product volume, the company said. It often takes two weeks to conduct manual scans of stores carrying more than 100,000 SKUs.

Simbe said its Tally autonomous robot uses computer vision and artificial intelligence to scan a store multiple times per day, reading tags on various fixture types, including shelves, hooks, bins, and top stock. The system can capture and process images of shelf conditions in near real-time, translating inventory data into actionable insights available on Simbe’s store intelligence platform and the Simbe Mobile app.

C-A-L Ranch and Coastal Farm & Home stores participating in the initial trials reported a 25% improvement in on-shelf availability and a 90% improvement in price accuracy. Over the next few months, Country Supplier plans to continue integrating Tally into all 55 of its stores.

Farm Supply and Virtual Tour designed to help multiple stores

Simbe’s new Farm Supply offering promises to help such retailers automate labor-intensive inventory tasks so that operators can focus on high-value activities that enhance both the associate and shopper experience.

Many farm supply stores also operate within co-ops dispersed across rural areas and multiple states. With Simbe Virtual Tour, retail executives can remotely view and walk stores, reducing travel while optimizing layouts, ensuring compliance, and facilitating faster decision-making across locations.

Simbe asserted that its Store Intelligence platform can deliver in-store visibility to anticipate and meet evolving customer demands for retailers operating in a fast-paced, seasonal market.

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Simbe fleet of Tally robots serves more retailers

Demand for automation across retail sectors continues to rise as business leaders look to enhance performance through strategic technological investments that elevate the shopping experience, improve store teams’ job satisfaction, and reclaim revenue, said Simbe.

The South San Francisco-based company said 2024 has been a year of accelerated growth across North America, Europe, and Asia, highlighting maturation in the retail technology industry. In October, it closed a $50 million Series C round.

In the past year, Simbe said it has has won more new retailer and banner logos and scaled more existing ones than in the previous three years combined. They included CarrefourSA, Albertsons’ United Supermarkets, TOPS Friendly Markets, Price Chopper Supermarkets-Market 32, SpartanNash’s Family Fare, Martin’s, D&W Fresh Market, VG’s Grocery, Wakefern’s ShopRite, and more.

The company’s collaboration with BJ’s Wholesale Club earned it a 2024 RBR50 Robotics Innovation Award. Simbe added that its Tally robots have:

• Completed 1.1 million traversals in 3 million autonomous hours, the equivalent to 348 years
• Traveled 1.2 million km (745,645 mi.), the equivalent of circling the globe more than 94 times
• Scanned 12.5 billion price tags, identifying over 88 million errors and enabling store associates to promptly fix them, giving customers confidence that they’re getting the best prices
• Ingested data from over 15,000 brands and vendors into the system, enabling unique brand insights that can be translated to vendor partners to strengthen supply chain operations

“Our enterprising retail partners across a growing number of verticals are ushering in a new era of retail technology and automation,” said Brad Bogolea, co-founder and CEO of Simbe.

“2024 has been another monumental year of growth for Simbe, as innovative industry leaders increasingly recognize the real, wide-reaching impact that AI and automation have on every layer of their operations,” he added. “With Simbe’s in-store intelligence, our partners are thriving in a competitive retail landscape while elevating the in-store experience for all involved.”

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