Robotics
Simbe brings real-time visibility to fresh departments, tackling shrink, food waste
Grocers facing high shrink and labor costs in fresh food departments are turning to Simbe’s blend of robots and sensors, a self-service style solution that cuts waste, boosts efficiency and helps ensure shelves stay stocked with fresh products.
August 29, 2025 by Sandra Carpenter — Editor, Networld Media Group
Grocery retailers have long struggled with the high costs and thin margins of fresh food departments. These areas, from produce and meat to prepared foods, are labor-intensive and highly perishable, which makes them far more vulnerable to waste than the center store. On average, fresh departments carry a 6.6% shrink rate, the highest in the store, according to Tom Gehani, Simbe's VP of product. That means lost revenue, reduced margins and product pulled from shelves before it can be sold.
These challenges are driving grocers to adopt automation and self-service technology in new ways. The industry has already embraced self-checkout kiosks and digital ordering stations to reduce friction for shoppers. Now retailers are applying the same philosophy of automation to operational tasks, relying on technology that can streamline repetitive work, provide real-time data and improve the customer experience without adding headcount.
That is where Simbe, a San Francisco-based retail technology company, is focusing its attention. Best known for its Tally robot, Simbe has expanded its offerings to include a hybrid model that combines mobile robots and fixed sensors. Together, they provide store teams with a clear and constant view of fresh departments. According to Gehani, this integrated approach is proving to be a turning point for grocers.
"We measure success in fresh departments through a combination of product availability, shrink reduction and operational efficiency metrics," Gehani told Kiosk Marketplace in an email interview. "Key indicators include improved on-shelf availability, reduced out-of-stocks during peak periods, faster replenishment times and lower rates of expired or discarded product."
How robots and sensors work together
Simbe's platform is built around two core technologies. Tally, the company's autonomous robot, scans packaged items such as bagged salads and juices once a day. It collects high-fidelity images, detects pricing errors and identifies misplaced products. At the same time, it creates a comprehensive record of stock conditions across the store.
Tally Spot, the fixed sensor solution, covers a different but equally critical role. It monitors high-priority zones such as the rotisserie counter or cut fruit displays throughout the day. Because these are high-velocity categories where conditions change rapidly, the sensors capture issues that could easily be missed between Tally's full-store sweeps.
"The two work in tandem," Gehani said. "Tally delivers precise, in-depth coverage across the store, while Tally Spot adds frequent, targeted scans where timing matters most. All of the data flows into our Store Intelligence platform, giving store teams and regional managers a unified, near real-time view."
Reducing shrink and waste
The payoff is significant. Simbe says its system can help reduce food waste by as much as 88%. Gehani described how a typical workflow plays out in a fresh department. "Tally Spot's high-frequency scans and RFID-enabled expiration tracking can flag items nearing their sell-by date. A store manager can take immediate action, whether that is rotating product to the front, marking it down to drive faster sales or adjusting production schedules for the rest of the day," he said.
Over time, the system also reveals broader patterns. A retailer might see that rotisserie chickens consistently sell out during the dinner rush but linger unsold after lunch. By adjusting production schedules, the store avoids lost sales and excess product. The same approach applies to cut fruit, salads or fresh meat, where even a few hours of insight can change the outcome.
Impact on staff and operations
One question retailers often raise about automation is how it affects the role of store employees. Gehani said the impact has been positive. "Store teams tell us that Tally and Tally Spot free them from constant manual checks so they can focus on higher-value work like replenishing, prepping or helping customers. Instead of walking the floor searching for issues, they start each shift with a prioritized list of exactly where attention is needed," he said.
The efficiencies add up. Simbe estimates the technology saves up to 50 hours a week per store. "90% of store managers say Tally makes their job easier and they prefer to work with it," Gehani said. One operations leader even joked that if Simbe tried to remove the robot, "the team would not let us get to the front door because they see it as an essential member of the team."
From pilot to enterprise scale
Simbe's grocery customers prefer to remain anonymous for now, but the company notes that pilots are running across a variety of formats. Store sizes range from 20,000 to 200,000 square feet, covering both regional grocers and club retailers. This pattern reflects a familiar trajectory for self-service adoption. Much like self-checkout, which began as a pilot in select locations before scaling, real-time monitoring in fresh departments is moving from experimentation to everyday use.
A broader shift toward self-service
For the self-service industry, the implications go beyond shrink reduction. Tools like Tally and Tally Spot represent a shift in how retailers think about automation. The same principles that make kiosks valuable to shoppers — speed, accuracy, and convenience — are being applied to the operational side of the business.
Near real-time visibility is a form of self-service for store managers, who can validate conditions remotely or during off-hours. As one senior operations leader told Simbe, "I can spot-check departments remotely, especially when stores are busy or during night visits. It gives us a faster way to validate freshness and availability."
That kind of autonomy is reshaping how grocers approach labor, inventory, and the customer experience. By giving store teams actionable insights, the technology reduces stress, improves morale, and ultimately ensures that shelves are stocked with fresh, appealing products.
Looking ahead
As margins tighten and shoppers demand higher standards, grocers are under pressure to reduce waste and improve accuracy in every department. Simbe's technology illustrates how automation is evolving to meet those demands. It is no longer only about the checkout line or digital ordering. It is about giving retailers the same kind of real-time, self-service tools that consumers already expect.
"Our clients rely on Simbe daily to catch issues early, improve production accuracy, and protect both sales and shopper trust," Gehani said. For an industry searching for new ways to balance efficiency with customer satisfaction, that combination may prove invaluable.
About Sandra Carpenter
Related Media
Subscribe
Get the latest news and resources from Automation & Self-Service.
Recent Posts
