Ahold Delhaize Rolls Out 500 Robots In US Stores

Ahold Delhaize USA is planning to roll out nearly 500 robots to its Stop & Shop and Giant/Martin’s locations.

The launch of the in-store robots called “Marty” — one of the largest deployments of robotics innovation in the U.S. grocery industry — is the result of a partnership between Retail Business Services (the services company of Ahold Delhaize USA) and Badger Technologies, a division of Jabil.

“As part of our continued focus on technology transformation, we’re pleased to support one of the most significant deployments of robotics innovation in the grocery retail industry,” EVP and Chief Information Officer for Retail Business Services Paul Scorza said in a press release. “Several companies in the grocery retail space have recently begun testing or using in-store robots — something Retail Business Services and the local brands we serve have been doing for some time. We’re pleased to support the Giant/Martin’s and Stop & Shop brands as they now lead the industry from test to large-scale usage of robots and to see the benefits the technology continues to drive for their businesses.”

The robots have already gone through several successful test pilots that were used to improve in-store efficiencies and safety. “Marty” was used to identify hazards, such as liquid, powder and bulk food item spills, which helps stores mitigate risk caused by these spills and allows employees to spend more time serving customers.

“We are excited to be part of this industry-leading rollout of fully autonomous robots that collect safety data while traversing retail stores,” said Frederic McCoy, senior vice president of Jabil Retail. “Real-time hazard alerts empower stores to resolve incidents like spills, as well as improve operations.”

The robots are currently being introduced in Giant/Martin’s and Stop & Shop and will continue through the early part of this year. Additional Ahold Delhaize USA brands will continue to test the autonomous robots in select locations.