Kroger shoppers are now sharing the aisles with robots at some Indiana stores.
Robots are being deployed to scan shelves for inventory. Tally the robot uses sensors and AI to detect out-of-stocks, pricing errors and misplaced products in real time.
Ohio-based Kroger hasn’t said how many stores are using the Tally robots. But they were spotted this month by IndyStar staff at stores at 227 W. Michigan St. and at 8130 E. Southport Road in Indianapolis.
The robots were piloted at Cincinnati, Ohio-area stores in 2024, under the name Barney after Kroger founder Beranrd “Barney” Kroger.
The robotic system “means our associates can more easily and quickly identify and address shelves where products are low or out of stock,” the company told the Cincinnati Enquirer.
Kroger officials then said the robots were also being tested in the company’s Indianapolis-based central division, which covers most of Indiana and part of Illinois.
A Tally robot charging station in Indianapolis offers the introduction, ”Hi, I’m Tally! I check shelf inventory!”
The robots are from Simbe Robotics, and are used at other retailers, including Shop-Rite supermarkets and BJ’s Wholesale Club.
The 79-inch-tall robots scan shelves and, within minutes, provide store associates and managers with action lists through their mobile app and digital and printed reports.
Contributing: Alexander Coolidge, Cincinnati Enquirer; Jen Guadarrama, IndyStar
Contact reporter Cheryl V. Jackson at cjackson@usatodayco.com or 317-444-6264. Follow her on X.com:@cherylvjackson or Bluesky:@cherylvjackson.bsky.social.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Why robots are joining Kroger shoppers in the aisles at Indiana stores
Reporting by Cheryl V. Jackson, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
