Regional grocer DeCicco & Sons expands inventory robot deployment
DeCicco & Sons is obtaining a continuous view of shelf operations with some robotic assistance.
The family-owned grocery chain, which operates 12 stores across New York and Connecticut, is rolling out the Simbe Store intelligence platform chainwide following a 35% reduction in out-of-stocks within the first 60 days at its pilot locations. Utilizing the Simbe Tally autonomous shelf-scanning robot, DeCicco & Sons captures detailed shelf conditions multiple times daily.
The grocer then leverages store inventory data and integrates it with existing systems and workflows to help associates identify and resolve issues faster while supporting store operations, e-commerce and business intelligence solutions.
According to DeCicco & Sons, it achieved measurable results within the first 60 days of deployment including:
- 35% reduction in out-of-stocks, improving product availability and helping customers find the items they expect.
- Up to 28% reduction in the average time items remained out of stock, enabling faster identification and resolution of shelf availability issues.
- Enterprise-wide access to shelf intelligence, with product information, aisle imagery, and location insights integrated through APIs into existing systems to inform e-commerce availability, supplier decisions, and store operations.
“Our customers count on us to have the products they love and a team ready to help,” said John DeCicco Jr., CEO, DeCicco & Sons. “Simbe helps us deliver on both. Digitizing our shelves is foundational to our broader technology strategy, because it gives every system we run an accurate picture of what’s happening in our stores. With real-time visibility into stores, our teams can address corrective fixes sooner and spend more time providing the personal service that brings people back to DeCiccos.”
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By establishing a common intelligence layer across its stores, DeCiccos says it can extend the value of its Simbe technology investment to other solutions and workflows over time, in areas such as merchandising, inventory management and e-commerce.
Other retailers that have implemented Tally inventory robots in their stores in the past 12 months include home improvement chain HomeBase USA, as well as regional grocers B&R Stores and Harmons.
“DeCicco & Sons recognized early that the future of retail operations depends on continuous understanding of what’s happening inside physical stores,” said Caitlin Allen, senior VP of marketing at Simbe. “By connecting that intelligence to the systems and people running its business, DeCiccos is demonstrating how physical AI can elevate shopper experience, empower associates, and lay the foundation for increasingly autonomous retail.”
