Northeast Grocery, Inc. Announces Launch of Tally Robot

This week, Northeast Grocery, Inc., the parent company of Price Chopper/Market 32 and Tops Friendly Markets, announced the launch of Tally in select stores, with the goal of enhancing inventory management, improving pricing accuracy, and elevating the overall customer shopping experience. Northeast Grocery, Inc. is the first retail grocery chain to utilize this technology across many of its markets in New York, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Vermont, and New Hampshire. 

Tally will autonomously navigate store aisles up to three times a day, scanning shelves to identify out-of-stock items and pricing discrepancies, which will allow store teams to address issues more quickly and efficiently. This proactive approach to inventory management will free up store staff to focus on providing a higher level of customer service.

There is no greater proof point than a customer who wants to use a technology again

Scott Kessler, Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer of Northeast Grocery, Inc., introduced the technology to his team, which he had used while at BJ's Wholesale Club.

“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."

Tally offers significant benefits to associates, shoppers and store operations

Tally’s technology offers significant operational benefits. By identifying up to 10 times more out-of-stock items than manual store checks, Tally has the potential to reduce out-of-stock rates by 60%, ensuring that customers are more likely to find the products they need. Additionally, stores using Tally in previous pilot programs have seen a 90% improvement in pricing accuracy, making sure customers are charged correctly at checkout.

Tally’s detailed reporting will give stores and business intelligence teams daily actionable data, allowing them to focus on high-priority issues such as restocking shelves and correcting price tags. This is expected to not only improve operational efficiency but also positively impact sales as stores see better product availability and pricing accuracy.

Tally is designed to complement the work of store employees, not replace them. By handling repetitive tasks like scanning shelves for inventory and price accuracy, Tally frees up team members to engage in other important activities and responsibilities that contribute to an exceptional shopping experience, in turn creating a more fulfilling and enjoyable work environment as well.

Local and retail industry coverage of the announcement was significant

Positive coverage for the announcement appeared in The Daily Gazette, Chain Store Age, ABC News 10, Buffalo Business Journal, WBEN-AM, Times Union, Store Brands, WGRZ, Buffalo News, among others.