Stop & Shop Upgrades Marty the Robot at 300+ Stores
Stop & Shop and retail automation provider Badger Technologies have teamed up to expand the Ahold Delhaize USA banner’s use of Marty the Robot at more than 300 Stop & Shop stores across the grocer’s Northeast footprint. Marty now does product checks to help ensure greater on-shelf availability for customers by alerting store associates when items need to be restocked. As well as flagging out-of-stocks, the multipurpose autonomous robot now detects misplaced items while continuing its usual tasks of finding potential floor hazards and spills. The solution was initially rolled out at Stop & Shop stores back in January 2019.
“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,” noted Stop & Shop President Gordon Reid. “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.”
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The robot is also supporting Stop & Shop’s Feed it Forward community initiatives. For instance, Marty recently visited a young boy recovering from cancer as part of the grocer’s fundraising efforts, and the robot will additionally be involved in Stop & Shop’s hunger, military and breast cancer initiatives. On Sept. 22, Marty, Stop & Shop, and the Boston Red Sox will appear at Fenway Park to mark Hunger Action Month.
“Over the years, Stop & Shop has done a great job of communicating the robot’s purpose, and Marty has gained a loyal following among shoppers and community members of all ages,” said William “BJ” Santiago, CEO of Nicholasville, Ky.-based Badger Technologies, a product division of Jabil. “The addition of inventory, pricing and trend data with the introduction of this upgraded Marty reinforces Stop & Shop’s continuing dedication to improving storewide efficiencies while creating long-lasting value for customers.”
The updated Marty uses computer-vision technology, AI-driven business intelligence and cloud-based analytics to enhance the shopping experience. Real-time inventory tracking allows Stop & Shop to make restocking and price corrections quickly. Marty also continues to monitor floor conditions and help lower the risk of slip-and-fall accidents. Thanks to its multiple sensors, Marty can navigate store aisles without getting in shoppers’ way.
Stop & Shop Supermarket Co. LLC is an Ahold Delhaize USA company that operates more than 400 stores throughout Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York and New Jersey. Ahold Delhaize USA, a division of Zaandam, Netherlands-based Ahold Delhaize, is No. 10 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2023 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America. Its brands are Food Lion, FreshDirect, The Giant Co., Giant Food, Hannaford, Stop & Shop, Peapod, and Retail Business Services. PG also named the company one of its Retailers of the Century and its 10 Most Sustainable Grocers.
