Simbe pairs Tally robot with fixed sensors and virtual tours to tackle fresh‑food losses

Simbe has expanded its Store Intelligence platform with Tally Spot fixed sensors, panoramic Virtual Tour imaging and time‑lapse Aisle Views to give retailers near‑real‑time oversight of produce, deli and grab‑and‑go zones — aiming to cut shrink, speed replenishment and reduce perishables waste.

Simbe Robotics has extended the reach of its Store Intelligence platform with a set of tools designed to tighten oversight of fresh and prepared food departments — a perennial pain point for grocers battling shrink, spoilage and the expectations of increasingly convenience‑minded shoppers. According to the original Retail Technology Innovation Hub report, the vendor’s update pairs its existing Tally autonomous shelf‑scanning robot with fixed sensors, immersive panoramic imaging and time‑lapse aisle views to give headquarters and regional teams near‑real‑time sightlines into produce, deli, bakery and grab‑and‑go zones.

At the core of the package remains Tally, the autonomous shelf‑scanning robot that Simbe says digitises shelving with a mix of 2D/3D sensing, computer vision and optional RFID to deliver frequent scans of packaged fresh goods. The company claims Tally can detect out‑of‑stocks, pricing anomalies and planogram deviations multiple times per day and integrate alerts into store workflows to prioritise associate tasks. Complementing the mobile robot, Simbe has introduced Tally Spot — a fixed‑sensor solution intended for high‑turnover, high‑risk micro‑zones such as rotisserie chickens, pre‑cut fruit and hot deli counters — and the vendor says the two modalities together form an industry‑first multimodal offering. These product descriptions and capability claims come from Simbe’s public product pages and the company’s press materials.

Simbe has also pushed forward its remote‑viewing features: Virtual Tour stitches Tally imagery into immersive panoramic walkthroughs while Aisle Views produce time‑lapse shelf imagery, enabling remote assessment of merchandising, freshness and compliance without travel to stores. The company’s prior announcements frame these features as a way to reduce the need for frequent store visits and to speed coaching and resolution of execution issues across multi‑site operations. Simbe positions these tools as extensions of its Store Intelligence analytics and mobile tasking.

On the business case, Simbe points to operational gains and sustainability wins. In company material the vendor reports an 8.5‑times improvement in shelf visibility versus manual audits and says more frequent scans enable earlier replenishment, lower perishables waste and reduced estimated greenhouse gas emissions. Simbe also promotes a perishable‑focused capability, Tally 360, which it says gives daily visual oversight of fresh departments and supports data‑driven merchandising and replenishment. Those figures and examples are drawn from Simbe’s own reporting and case material, and the company frames them as indicative of the platform’s potential to change routine store operations.

Industry voices underline why the capability matters. “Fresh is table stakes for differentiating the customer offer from online and value players, and timing of the execution is a recurring issue that loses the sale and erodes shopper trust. Simbe’s fresh capabilities are a complete game‑changer for keeping eyes on what shoppers see,” Bennett Morgan, former EVP and Chief Merchandising Officer at SpartanNash, told Retail Technology Innovation Hub. The comment reflects a wider retailer focus on execution in perishables as a means of preserving basket spend and customer trust.

Simbe’s announcements also highlight practical deployment choices: modular installation options for fixed sensors, support for Intel RealSense sensing, pilot partnerships and roadmaps that further integrate mobile, fixed and RFID data into near‑real‑time storeside analytics. The company’s materials stress shopper‑friendly robot design and integration with mobile apps to route tasks to store associates, but these are vendor statements that prospective customers should validate locally against existing systems and store routines.

The launch sits squarely within a broader industry drive to bring more automation and sensor fusion into bricks‑and‑mortar grocery: retailers are under pressure to close online/physical experience gaps while cutting waste and improving margins. The Retail Technology Innovation Hub notes grocery retail will be a focal area for the 2025 RTIH Innovation Awards, which are open for entries and culminate in a winners’ ceremony in Central London on 16 October 2025 — a sign that vendors and retailers alike are prioritising fresh‑food solutions in the current innovation cycle. As ever, the most useful next steps for retailers will be measured pilots, transparent third‑party verification of detection rates and a clear integration plan that balances technology benefits against upfront costs and operational change.

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Source: Noah Wire Services

Noah Fact Check Pro

The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first
emerged. We’ve since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed
below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may
warrant further investigation.

Freshness check

Score:
8

Notes:
The narrative was published on August 11, 2025, and appears to be original content. No substantially similar content was found online prior to this date. The report is based on a press release from Simbe Robotics, which typically warrants a high freshness score. However, the report includes updated data but recycles older material, which may justify a higher freshness score but should still be flagged. The earliest known publication date of similar content is May 20, 2025, when Simbe announced significant advancements to its computer vision technology. ([globenewswire.com](https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2025/05/20/3084938/0/en/Simbe-Expands-Next-Generation-Computer-Vision-Technology-to-Transform-Retail-Execution.html?utm_source=openai)) This earlier announcement did not specifically focus on fresh departments.

Quotes check

Score:
9

Notes:
The report includes a quote from Bennett Morgan, former EVP and Chief Merchandising Officer at SpartanNash: “Fresh is table stakes for differentiating the customer offer from online and value players, and timing of the execution is a recurring issue that loses the sale and erodes shopper trust. Simbe’s fresh capabilities are a complete game-changer for keeping eyes on what shoppers see.” This quote appears to be original and not found in earlier material. No identical quotes were found in earlier publications.

Source reliability

Score:
7

Notes:
The narrative originates from Retail Technology Innovation Hub, a publication that focuses on retail technology news. While it is a specialised outlet, it is not as widely recognised as major news organisations like the BBC or Reuters. The report is based on a press release from Simbe Robotics, a reputable company in the retail technology sector. However, the reliance on a single source for the information may raise questions about the objectivity and comprehensiveness of the report.

Plausability check

Score:
8

Notes:
The claims made in the report are plausible and align with known developments in the retail technology sector. Simbe Robotics has previously announced advancements in its Store Intelligence platform, including the introduction of Tally Spot and Virtual Tour capabilities. The report’s focus on fresh departments is consistent with the industry’s emphasis on improving fresh food operations. However, the report lacks specific factual anchors, such as detailed data or third-party verification, which would strengthen its credibility. The tone and language used are consistent with typical corporate communications.

Overall assessment

Verdict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): OPEN

Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): MEDIUM

Summary:
The narrative presents plausible and timely information about Simbe Robotics’ expansion of its Store Intelligence platform to enhance fresh department performance. While the report is based on a press release from a reputable company, it relies on a single source and lacks third-party verification, which raises questions about its objectivity and comprehensiveness. The inclusion of a direct quote adds credibility, but the absence of specific data or supporting details limits the overall trustworthiness of the report.