BUFFALO, N.Y. — Five Tops Friendly Market locations throughout Buffalo are set to begin a new pilot program offered by the chain's parent company that features robotic inventory managers.
Northeast Grocery, Inc. announced in a press release on Thursday that the company plans to introduce the 'Tally Robot' at 37 locations across its supermarket portfolio beginning in September and lasting through January 2025.
According to the grocery company, the program will bring robots to stores, where they will navigate aisles up to three times a day, scanning shelves to locate out-of-stock items and pricing discrepancies.
Michele Wilkins, a shopper, said, "I think [Tally] is cool. I like [it.] She added, [Tally] just told me where this jerk seasoning was. Now I need to find the breadcrumbs."
“As a company, we are always looking for ways to innovate and enhance both our operations and the customer experience,” said Scott Kessler, Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer of Northeast Grocery, Inc.
“The Tally robot allows us to address inventory and pricing challenges with incredible precision while giving our store teams the tools they need to focus on what matters most— serving our customers. We’re excited to see how this AI and Robotics technology will improve our stores and are eager to evaluate its potential for expansion to other locations."
Shoppers in Amherst (two locations), Depew, Hamburg, and Orchard Park should expect to see the robots the next time they are shopping at Tops.
Sulaika Rodriguez, a shopper, said, "We are always bringing new technology in... I mean it's something new to experience."
According to the press release, guests will not be photographed or filmed by the technology as it will either pause, go around them, or turn around and come back later when they encounter a shopper.
When the pilot ends in January, Northeast Grocery will review the data from the study and determine if they will expand Tally robots to additional stores.