Robotics

Stop & Shop, Badger give Marty the Robot refresh, bigger reach

Photo courtesy of Stop & Shop.

September 28, 2023

Stop & Shop is teaming up with Badger Technologies to expand the use of Marty the Robot at more than 300 of the grocer's Northeast stores and has made Marty just a bit smarter in the quest to boost the customer shopping experience, according to a press release.

Marty can now monitor real time data to improve on-shelf product availability and price accuracy and can alert store associates when items need restocking. The smarter Marty detects misplaced items while continuing the usual task of spotting potential floor hazards and spills.

Badger multipurpose autonomous robots were rolled out at Stop & Shop stores starting in January 2019, representing the grocery industry's first large-scale rollout of in-store robotics.

"Marty has delivered tremendous value for us already in terms of creating a safer in-store environment, and we're excited to announce these new automated shelf-scanning capabilities, which will deliver even more value for customers and associates," Gordon Reid, president of Stop & Shop, said in the release. "With Marty's new ability to find and fix on-shelf product availability and to confirm pricing information, associates can spend even more time with shoppers."

The new Marty utilizes computer-vision technology, AI-driven business intelligence, and cloud-based analytics. Equipped with multiple sensors, Marty traverses store aisles while navigating without disrupting the shopping experiences.