Regional DIY retailer Homebase USA, which operates in Texas und Wyoming, will be rolling out Simbe Robotics’ Tally autonomous shelf-scanning robot across its store network over the coming months. The decision follows a successful pilot at two locations and reflects the retailer’s focus on improving inventory accuracy and driving operational efficiency.
Homebase USA operates large-format stores carrying tens of thousands of SKUs across multiple specialist product categories. Maintaining accurate pricing, product availability and correct shelf placement across such extensive sales floors had been a labour-intensive task that was challenging to manage consistently.
Indeed, manual inventory checks consumed up to 30 hours per week, limiting the time staff could devote to customer-facing and other value-added activities. By automating this routine, Homebase aims to free store teams to focus on higher-priority tasks while improving execution on the shop floor.
Cutting pricing errors and out-of-stocks
Simbe’s vertically integrated solution combines autonomous Tally robots, fixed sensors, RFID, computer vision and artificial intelligence to monitor shelf conditions continuously. The system scans shelves multiple times a day, capturing real-time data on product availability, pricing accuracy and item placement. The pilot delivered measurable operational improvements, including a 92 per cent reduction in pricing errors and a 58 per cent decrease in controllable out-of-stocks.
Insights generated by the system are delivered directly to store teams through a mobile application and dashboard, enabling associates to prioritise corrective actions. “Instead of spending time searching for problems, our teams start each day knowing exactly where to focus,” explains Tim Blakesley, Store Manager at Homebase. Thanks to this real-time visibility into shelf conditions, Homebase is convinced to be able to respond faster to operational challenges and address issues before they affect sales or customer satisfaction.
