Carrefour expands pioneering robotic deployment in Middle East

Carrefour’s franchisee in the Middle East, Africa and Asia is increasing its use of inventory control robots at stores in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Majid Al Futtaim, a UAE-based holding company that franchises Carrefour stores across seven countries in the region, became the first retailer to leverage robots in the Middle East by deploying the Simbe Robotics “Tally” autonomous shelf-scanning unit at select Carrefour stores in the UAE in 2019. Now the company is adding 11 more Tally Robots across 12 Carrefour stores in the UAE to support with stock management and control. 

Tally robots are equipped with cameras and sensors that make them capable of scanning up to 15,000 products, three times a day; checking for stock errors such as out-of-stock items, price mismatch, wrong barcodes, or stock misplacement. The robot assists with stock audits using artificial intelligence (AI), which supports efforts to reduce the workload for store team members. 

In the U.S., Midwestern grocer Schnucks has been gradually expanding a rollout of Tally robots in its stores since 2017. In September 2020, Schnucks launched the technology in an additional 46 stores, leveraging Tally’s real-time inventory data to improve the shopping experiences in 62 locations.

“Majid Al Futtaim is committed to pioneering tomorrow’s retail, and we are constantly working to better our processes, enhance our efficiency and digitize our operations in the region,” said Philippe Peguilhan, country manager of Carrefour UAE at Majid Al Futtaim Retail. “This is exactly what Tally Robot has achieved. With product availability, placement and pricing data fully automated, we can offer a more efficient and convenient service at our Carrefour stores, while freeing up our colleagues to be more focused on helping our customers with their shopping experience.”

Customers can find Tally robots on the floor of UAE-based Carrefour stores in the Mall of the Emirates, City Centre Deira, City Centre Mirdif, City Centre Me’aisem, Dubai Festival City, Ibn Battuta Mall, City Centre Ajman, Abu Dhabi Airport, Yas Mall, Jimi Mall, City Centre Al Zahia, and Cityland Mall.