Simbe had the phenomenal privilege to kick off the opening session at the 2024 SpartanNash Fall Expo in Grand Rapids last week with 2,100 independent grocers! We are also delighted to announce that SpartanNash now offers Simbe’s technology as part of its Retail Services Offering to thousands of independent grocers and military commissary locations.
The decision underscores the incredible outcomes and ROI that the SpartanNash team has produced with Tally in half their corporate owned stores and emphasizes the business impact of in-store technology. In this article, I am excited to share with you what was discussed on the mainstage at the 2024 SpartanNash Fall Expo.
SpartanNash EVP, Chief Customer Officer Amy McClelland: Simbe Is An Outstanding Partner
SpartanNash’s commitment to leveraging technology to drive efficiency and effectiveness in store operations, merchandising, and marketing is truly industry-leading, and Simbe couldn’t have asked for a warmer welcome to the stage from Amy McClellan, SpartanNash EVP & Chief Customer Officer. It was an honor to hear Amy say, “Simbe’s been an outstanding partner. Having Tally in half our corporate-owned stores has been a big win on the efficiency side and customer experience, and we will continue to grow the store count where we use this technology.”
"Simbe’s been an outstanding partner. Having Tally in half our corporate-owned stores has been a big win on the efficiency side and customer experience, and we will continue to grow the store count where we use this technology."
Amy welcomed to the panelists to the stage:
- Chris Williamson, SpartanNash's VP of Corporate Retail, who oversees operations and execution across 143 stores
- Jason Kohrig, Simbe’s Sr. Director of Store Operations, who helps retailers deploy Tally into their stores.
- Caitlin Allen, Simbe’s SVP of Market, who is responsible for raising awareness about the industry-leading ways that retailers use Simbe’s technology to fundamentally change their operating models.
The trio discussed the challenges we’ve solved together, as well as the lessons learned and outcomes produced.
Why Did SpartanNash Invest in Robotics?
SpartanNash’s is deeply committed to developing its future with technology and AI innovation. Per Chris, “Finding great people becomes harder every day, so we look for ways to automate administrative processes to free up our people to do other customer service oriented tasks.” When SpartanNash CEO Tony Sarsam made robotics a corporate priority, the executive team selected Simbe because of its proven track record and wonderful people.
Says Chris, “we place bets on people, and we could tell very early in the process that the commitment to success was equal from Simbe and SpartanNash.” Caitlin agreed, noting that robotics is not a path many have traveled before, so trust (and using technology that’s already been tested in the field as only Simbe’s has) are crucial ingredients for such innovation projects.
When deploying Tally, SpartanNash was delighted that the process was so easy. Only WiFi, an electrical outlet, and a few hours were needed for each store. Notes Jason, “it’s literally plug and play, and your IT team doesn’t need to be involved.” From there, Tally began traversing SpartanNash stores several times a day, surfacing low and out-of-stock items, as well as price & promotion errors.
Said Chris, “Every time Tally goes down one of our aisles, we know we’re going to get an accurate report of where there are opportunities on the shelf [...] in every area of the store, not just the center store but also produce, deli, meat."
"Every time Tally goes down one of our aisles, we know we’re going to get an accurate report of where there are opportunities on the shelf [...] in every area of the store, not just the center store but also produce, deli, meat."
What Do SpartanNash Associates Think of Tally the Robot?
Caitlin told the story of meeting D&W Center Store Manager, Diane Olsen, who credits her trip to SpartanNash’s Presidents Club to Tally. (President’s Club welcomes the top 1% of all 17,000 SpartanNash store associates every year.) “Diane feels Tally gives her time to do the things she loves most,” said Caitlin, “which is to take care of customers.” Caitlin spoke about how much Diane knew about every shopper who passed, noting that SpartanNash did an effective job of empowering store teams with its approach to educating teams about in-store robotics.
“We communicated on a consistent basis,” recalled Chris. “We explained to associates, we’re not looking to replace you. We’re looking to free up your time for areas where you can make more of a difference.”
"We explained to associates, we’re not looking to replace you. We’re looking to free up your time for areas where you can make more of a difference."
Recalled Jason, one store manager using Tally said that the robot is a powerful tool. “The shelves just feel fuller.”
Caitlin noted that a recent survey of store teams using robotics noted increases in productivity, store sales, and customer loyalty. The survey also showed that associates’ favorite task is helping customers and their least favorite is manual audits.
What Do SpartanNash Shoppers Think of Tally the Robot?
Shoppers very often go elsewhere when the products they want to buy aren’t on the shelf, so it was exciting to hear from Chris and Jason about all the love that SpartanNash’s associates and customers have for Tally! Said Chris, “Customer reception for Tally has just been amazing. The kids absolutely love Tally and insist on coming in on Saturday to get their picture taken with the robot. And the longer they stay, the more relaxed they become, and the more time their families spend there shopping.”
“Customer reception for Tally has just been amazing. The kids absolutely love Tally and insist on coming in on Saturday to get their picture taken with the robot. And the longer they stay, the more relaxed they become, and the more time their families spend there shopping.”
Caitlin told a story of Anna, SpartanNash shopper and mom of four, who used to shop at five stores multiple times a week to get all of the items her children needed, due to their severe allergies. Since Tally arrived, Anna says she shops only at SpartanNash’s D&W store.
Why In-store Robotics Work Better Than Manual Audits
Chris acknowledged that shelf integrity scans and manual audits are the industry’s status quo solution for what Tally does. “Just because you have an audit plan in place doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s happening.”
Knowing an opportunity for growth existed in their business allowed SpartanNash to achieve:
- 98% on-shelf availability
- 30 hours rededicated to customer service / store / week
- 99.5% price & promo accuracy
- Reduction of OOS by 60%
“Tally doesn’t call out sick. Tally doesn’t decide one task is more important than the other,” said Chris. “Tally executes what we want, and that’s why we’ve seen such improvement in our metrics.”
Jason, noting SpartanNash is one of retail's top innovators in this area, acknowledged that other Simbe customers achieve equivalent results. “With the ease of our install basics, we can easily tailor our deployment plan to new chains. That’s all that is needed to enhance the employee experience and in-store execution.”
