Utah-based Harmons, an independent, locally owned and operated grocer, says it has deployed Simbe’s autonomous shelf-scanning robot, Tally, which is designed to optimize inventory management.
Following a successful five-store rollout, Tally is now live across 17 of Harmons locations, bringing real-time shelf intelligence and automation in-store, according to the company.
Store employees typically spend up to 30 hours per week manually verifying and scanning out of stock inventory, a time-intensive and error-prone task, the grocer says. Tally captures real-time, shelf-level data on product availability, pricing and placement, enabling Harmons to achieve cleaner data, better execution and minimize out-of-stock inventory. Ultimately, this frees up Harmons’ store employees to focus on what matters most: serving customers and creating a better in-store experience, the grocer says.
With the shopper experience central to Harmons’ mission, ensuring shelves are stocked with the right items, in the right place, at the right price is critical for success, the compay says. Simbe’s Tally autonomously traverses aisles and scans shelves multiple times daily to automate and guarantee the completion of repetitive and time-intensive tasks.
“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,” says Bruce Hatch, chief information officer for Harmons. “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, reduce missed sales opportunities, protect margin and allow 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.”
Harmons says its deployment decision was based on Tally’s performance and design, such as its ability to safely navigate around customers and pause in busy aisles. Key pilot outcomes include:
- Twenty percent reduction in out-of-stocks across high-margin, high-velocity items, increasing sales, improving customer satisfaction and enabling smarter inventory decisions.
- Increased pricing accuracy with automated daily scans replacing manual checks.
- Comprehensive shelf intelligence, strengthening planogram execution and revealing real shrinkage for faster resolution and margin protection.
“Harmons demonstrates how integrating real-time shelf visibility into daily operations elevates retail execution,” says Cari McGinnis, senior director of client success for Simbe. “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.”
Harmons joins Simbe’s growing base of U.S. and international retailers in 10 countries across grocery, club, alcohol, home improvement and farm supply, including new clients like HomeBase USA, DeCicco & Sons and Prime Markets, all leveraging automation to modernize store operations and boost shopper satisfaction, Simbe says.
