Autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) are helping Utah-based family-owned grocery chain Harmons improve operations and boost the customer experience across 17 of its retail locations. The 93-year-old independent grocer is using a fleet of shelf-scanning AMRs from Simbe Robotics to optimize in-store inventory and ensure a “consistently exceptional customer experience,” according to leaders at both companies.
Today, Simbe’s “Tally” AMRs traverse Harmons’ aisles, scanning shelves to determine product availability—and bringing real-time shelf intelligence and automation in-store.
PILOTING PROGRESS
Harmons turned to Simbe and its Tally AMRs to alleviate the labor-intensive and error-prone task of manually verifying inventory in its stores—a task that typically took associates up to 30 hours per week, according to company leaders. Tally captures real-time shelf-level data on product availability, pricing, and placement, allowing Harmons to achieve cleaner data and minimize out-of-stock inventory. Ultimately, this frees up store associates to focus on what matters most: serving customers and creating a better in-store experience.
Tally’s slim design and advanced sensing suite allow it to easily traverse even the most congested store aisles. The AMR is lightweight, runs at about a third of a human’s walking speed, and features 40 sensors for movement and navigation. A low center of gravity makes the AMR tip-proof, and its motor disengages for safety, if necessary.
Harmons and Simbe began with a five-store pilot program, with Tally traveling store aisles and scanning shelves multiple times per day to automate the process and relieve store associates of the repetitive and time-consuming task.
“It’s not uncommon for associates to have been part of the Harmons grocer family for 20, 30, even 40 years, and we wanted to ensure we were introducing tech to fit their world,” Bruce Hatch, Harmons’ chief information officer, said in a statement describing the project. “Our goal for Tally was to empower and support our associates while also improving our operations and the customer experience. Simbe proved to be the perfect partner. Tally provides reliable, actionable data that helps our teams execute better, reduces missed sales opportunities, protects margin, and allows us to focus on what matters the most, our customers. It’s an essential part of how we continue evolving our business while staying true to our values.”
REAPING REWARDS
Happy with the pilot results, Harmons quickly deployed Tally across 17 of its 20 locations. Company leaders say the decision was based on Tally’s performance and design, including its ability to safely navigate around customers and pause in busy aisles.
Performance benefits of the pilot included:
- A 75% reduction in pricing errors;
- 15 to 30 hours of labor saved per store, per week;
- A threefold increase in visibility into on-shelf availability;
- A 230% increase in average e-commerce basket size.
“Harmons demonstrates how integrating real-time shelf visibility into daily operations elevates retail execution,” Cari McGinnis, senior director of client success at Simbe, said in the statement. “Beyond inventory, Tally’s shelf data fuels smarter automation, boosting performance and creating an agile, data-driven operating model centered on shoppers and store teams.”
