BJ's Rolls Out Robotic Inventory Technology

Shoppers at BJ’s Wholesale Club will soon see a new “friend” working the aisles as the retailer has partnered with Simbe to roll out Tally to all club locations.

Touted as a business intelligence solution, the robotic Tally autonomously roams club aisles multiple times per day, leveraging computer vision technology to collect shelf data to help ensure products are in-stock, shelved appropriately, and accurately priced. 

According to BJ’s, this real-time data will unlock “powerful efficiencies” that enables faster restocking, directs BJ’s team members and members to quickly locate products, and provides valuable visibility into inventory tracking. Ultimately, Tally allows team members to be more efficient and re-focus more of their time towards providing exceptional customer service, company officials said. 

Additionally, data captured by Tally can be virtually reviewed to ensure optimal club conditions and accurate merchandising execution.

“We are excited to collaborate with Simbe to bring their industry-leading technology and platform to our clubs,” said Jeff Desroches, executive vice president, chief operations officer, with BJ’s. “By deploying Tally in all of our club locations, we will gain unprecedented insights which will leverage real-time data, enabling us to continuously improve our operation and ensure that we’re offering the best possible experience to both our team members and members.”

Brad Bogolea, CEO of Simbe, added his company partnered with BJ’s to refine its computer vision technology to accommodate the unique layout and product assortment in a warehouse club. 

“By leveraging Tally to automate inventory tracking, BJ’s will gain transformative visibility that will inform decisions, improve operations, and provide even greater value to members,” he said.