Robots present tenacity in retail

Ricoh showed its comprehensive service systems for retail at NRF. Credit: Georges Mirza

Like every NRF in the recent past, on-shelf availability systems were exhibited throughout the retail event’s show floor. Solutions ranged from robots to fixed cameras and handheld devices.

Most of these products are now over a decade in the making. Although significant progress has been slow, vendors have demonstrated persistence and determination in developing their capabilities to deliver inventory data accurately and repeatedly at scale, while striving to improve speed.

Although we are not at the vast coverage needed for meaningful use of the data, we are at the cusp of realizing it and for large retailers to give it a second look. Tomorrow is not soon enough.

As every year, the question arises: Which solution is best? The answer always returns to the basics. What problem are you trying to solve, in what environment, and for which categories? No single technology does it all. Ultimately, multiple systems must work together to create a frictionless and satisfying in-store experience for the shopper.

Retail robots show maturity

Simbe Robotics has positioned itself as a leader in robotic shelf data collection. It strategically communicates in conferences and social media, systematically announcing and showcasing its advancements. The company has the largest number of retail banners for a robot solution globally.

Around NRF in New York, Simbe announced the release of Tally Spot, a fixed camera. This addition to Tally and Tally RFID means that Simbe now covers all aspects of on-shelf, availability-based insight systems.

Certainly, one advantage of adding a fixed camera is to build up and leverage processing capabilities. Why is the timing of this announcement interesting? We are starting to see wider chainwide adoption and success of shelf-fixed cameras.

Simbe introduced the Tally Spot Fixed camera system at NRF 2025. Credit: Georges Mirza

Although not exhibiting, Badger Technologies attended the show and shared its recent progress and successes. It continues to have the largest rollout of shelf-based robotics at a single retailer. I was informed that the company will have news to announce shortly, but it chose not to exhibit at NRF until it is ready.

Brain Corp was available off-site at the Classic Car Club adjacent to the Javits Center. The company has the largest robot rollout with its floor-sweeping robot and recently entered the shelf insights space.

Brain Corp also shared a video of its new project, Brawn, a mobile manipulator that picks products from the shelf. Finally, someone went public with what I consider the next phase of the robot journey in retail and fulfilling its destined purpose. Could Brain be trying to leapfrog current technologies?

Not your typical robot

A company that has consistently topped my list is Spacee. After navigating a year filled with what I will call “startup challenges,” it made a significant showing at NRF in collaboration with Spar.

Spacee’s shelf system involves a robot that travels through a tube mounted on the opposite shelf, capturing images and videos of the corresponding planogram and processing them for valuable shelf insights. Spar Group handles all merchandising activities at the store level on behalf of brands and retailers.

This could be what Spacee needs to highlight its unique features and expand its presence among retailers. The computer vision and artificial intelligence company’s smart shelf technology, integrated with Spar’s back-end tools, could provide a comprehensive, end-to-end solution.

Spacee’s shelf-based moving robot at NRF 2025. Credit: Georges Mirza

Many many possibilities for retail

I could not help but notice Vusion‘s significant and prominent presence, showcasing its capabilities, from electronic shelf labeling (ESL) to shelf cameras. Through acquisitions, the company has been growing its portfolio and providing a more complete solution.

It demonstrated various use cases of on-shelf availability, including fresh produce. Vusion made an impressive showing of capabilities in one central exhibit, all focused on the shelf.

I noticed a new addition — the extended use of e-paper for shelf and aisle signs. In addition to Vusion, and BrightSign displayed a similar capability. Although the unit cost is still high, I believe this will become more mainstream over time, as it is also a valuable component of retail media at the store level and personalization of the shopper experience.

Vusion fixed camera for Fresh. Credit: Georges Mirza

Focal Systems is building on its latest success, the chain-wide rollout of over 500 Morrisons stores. This marks the largest rollout of fixed cameras at a single retailer worldwide, thus beginning to demonstrate scale.

Last year, Focal Systems underwent a leadership change and updated its company image to reflect that. It showed off its new version of fixed-shelf cameras at the conference, which are slimmer, high-resolution, and designed to provide more detailed insights.

Focal Systems showed its new shelf camera at NRF 2025. Credit: Georges Mirza

I was intrigued by the new collaboration between Zebra Technologies and Targetwhich involves embedding computer vision capabilities onto Zebra devices for on-shelf product detection. Although this is yet another image data collection product, it has the advantage of Zebra’s wide industry presence in handheld devices used by store associates.

Target is collaborating with Zebra. Credit: Georges Mirza

At your service

The Temi service robot at NRF 2025. Credit: Georges Mirza

Are we witnessing a reemergence of service robots in stores? Indeed, the latest advancements in robotic platforms and computer vision make these solutions more practical and less gimmicky.

At NRF, I encountered Themeswhich is offered through a robotics-as-a-service (RaaS) model. It can perform various tasks in applications, from healthcare and food service to retail. Its immediate application in retail is to act as a guide, assisting shoppers and answering their questions.

The robot appeared friendly yet robust. The market is much more receptive to this than it was a decade ago.

Bring order to chaos

With the accelerating growth of technology at the store and shelf levels, I do not foresee a slowdown anytime soon. However, installing, monitoring, and servicing everything from the back of the store to the shelf, floor to ceiling, presents a challenge.

I came across Ricoh at NRF and learned about its “Service Advantage” offering. The company has a process for servicing all hardware at the store and a platform for monitoring and ensuring optimal performance.

Ricoh’s complete technology service. Source: Ricoh

Reflection: The future of the retail technology landscape

The initial excitement over new technology at stores is slowly fading, and the focus is shifting to the value that hardware and software provide and the problems they solve. Product maturity and market readiness are beginning to emerge. Partnerships and consolidation will continue to intensify in order to deliver comprehensive solutions to retailers.

Differentiation will center around the solution layer built on sensors. Traditional tool makers must rapidly invest to leverage and accommodate these new and large datasets for AI. Most newcomers will consider building versus partnering with traditional players.

When these innovations can accurately and repeatedly deliver actionable data at scale, they will transform the space, rendering some practices and systems obsolete. The rest will become more intelligent and capable of realizing the management category’s return-on-investment promise of making retailers more effective. Are you making it a top priority?

About the author

Georges Mirza has looked ahead at trends in developing transformative systems for the retail and consumer packaged goods (CPG) markets. He established a roadmap for robotic indoor data collection, image recognition, and analytics for retail to address out-of-stocks, inventory levels, and compliance.

Having previously managed portfolios of space and category management solutions at Nielsen, Blue Yonder, and SymphonyAI Retail CPG, Mirza advises companies on strategizing and prioritizing their roadmaps for growth. Follow him on LinkedIn or Twitter.

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