Simbe expands Store Intelligence platform capabilities to fresh departments

Simbe, a global provider of retail shelf digitization, announced Store Intelligence capabilities tailored for fresh departments. The company said these capabilities will deliver near real-time visibility into some of grocery’s most operationally complex and strategically important zones.

With expanded multimodal coverage across produce, deli, bakery, prepared foods and more, Simbe said it is helping grocers reduce shrink, increase availability and consistently deliver the fresh experiences that drive shopper trust and loyalty.

Customers demand item quality in fresh departments

Fresh departments now account for 42% of total grocery sales and 41% of online grocery revenue, yet they remain among the most labor-intensive and shrink-prone areas to manage, according to Simbe. The perimeter has the highest shrink in the store, with an average rate of 6.6%. 

“From produce to baked goods, fresh is the performance center of the grocery store because of its importance to shoppers,” said Brad Bogolea, co-founder and CEO of Simbe. “Deloitte research shows they’re three times more likely to switch grocers if fresh execution falters. Simbe gives retailers the visibility and control to meet those expectations, at a time when outdated, manual processes are no longer an option.”

Simbe said its Store Intelligence platform empowers grocers with an integrated suite of technologies to solve these challenges:

• Tally, Simbe’s autonomous mobile robot, scans packaged fresh goods daily, identifying out-of-stocks and pricing issues with unmatched accuracy.
• Tally Spot, a fixed-sensor offering, provides high-frequency monitoring for fast-selling items like rotisserie chickens, pre-cut fruit and grab-and-go meals.
• Virtual Tour delivers panoramic views of perishable zones, enabling HQ and regional teams to assess merchandising and freshness without needing to be on-site.
• Aisle Views offer time-lapse shelf imagery, supporting better planning, rotation and merchandising decisions across locations.
• RFID-enabled Tally Spot further improves freshness tracking and inventory rotation using real-time expiration data.

Real-time stock visibility

Simbe said its multimodal Store Intelligence platform delivers the real-time visibility retailers need to manage every zone of the store, including the uniquely complex perimeter. By combining autonomous robotics, fixed sensors, RFID and immersive virtual tours, Simbe said it provides full-store transparency, even in environments that have historically been difficult to monitor.

“Fresh is where brand promise meets operational reality,” Bogolea said. “Through automation, the retailers leading in this space are redefining how their teams execute, how they serve shoppers and how they grow. We’re proud to support that shift with the visibility they need to turn fresh into a true competitive advantage.”

The company said this transparency enables retailers to:

• Maximize production and availability during peak hours
• Reduce shrink by catching overstocks early and rotating aging inventory
• Cut food waste by up to 88% to support both ESG and financial goals
• Improve labor efficiency by replacing time-consuming audits with autonomous scans
• Maintain consistent execution across stores, even with limited on-site supervision
• Deliver fresher shelves and better shopper experiences across every store, every day

“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,” said Bennett Morgan, former EVP and Chief Merchandising Officer of SpartanNash. “Simbe's fresh capabilities are a complete game-changer for keeping eyes on what shoppers see.”

Simbe also announced it hired two new VP of Sales, Brian Hughes and Barbra Chase.