Tesco opts to extend its UK trial of Simbe’s in-store autonomous inventory scanning solution Tally
Last month we reported that Tesco was trialling Simbe’s Tally in-store shelf scanning robot. Having kicked off with a single store, the pilot is now being extended to a small number of other locations. Thanks to Toby Pickard, Retail Futures Senior Partner at IGD, and a member of the judging panel for the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards, for bringing this to our attention.
In a LinkedIn post, he said: “I’ve now seen Simbe’s Tally robot in a third Tesco store in the UK - another store trialling autonomous inventory scanning. But this time, I had my son with me. His reaction was fascinating. He was completely intrigued by Tally: watching it move around the store, trying to work out what it was doing, and following it with the kind of curiosity only a child can bring to something that feels like it has just stepped out of the future.”
He added: “I’ve heard that in the US, some shoppers will even choose stores specifically because they have Tally, because their children love seeing the robot. Honestly, I can believe it. And it got me thinking…We often talk about retail automation in terms of efficiency, accuracy, labour productivity and ROI. But what happens when the technology itself becomes part of the customer experience? Could robots like Tally become something that customers - and especially children - actively want to see?”
Could, Pickard asked, the presence of robots change which stores people choose to visit? And perhaps more importantly: what happens when the next generation grows up thinking autonomous robots moving around a supermarket is completely normal? Will they see Tally as technology? Or simply as part of what a modern store is?
Pickard concluded: “There’s a fascinating intersection here between automation, operations, customer experience and the psychology of physical retail. I’m increasingly convinced that the question isn’t just, what can robots do for retailers? It’s also, what can robots make customers feel about the future of retail?”
2026 RTIH Innovation Awards
Automation will be a key focus area at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards.
The awards are now open for entries and celebrate global retail technology innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.
Our winners will be revealed at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards Ceremony, taking place at The HAC in Central London on Wednesday, 4th November.
Check out our 2025 winners here.
Our 2025 hall of fame entrants were revealed during a sold out event which took place at The HAC on 16th October and consisted of a drinks reception, three course meal, and awards ceremony presided over by award winning comedian, actress and writer Tiff Stevenson.
In his welcome speech, Scott Thompson, Founder and Editor, RTIH, said: “This is the awards’ fifth year as a physical event. We started off with just 30 people at the South Place Hotel not far from here, then moved to London Bridge Hotel, then The Barbican, and last year RIBA’s HQ in the West End.”
“But I’m conscious of the fact that, to quote the legend that is Taylor Swift, You’re only as hot as your last hit, baby. So, this year we’ve moved to our biggest venue yet, and also pulled in our largest number of entries to date and broken attendance records.”
He added: “This year’s submissions have without doubt been our best yet. To quote one of the judges: The examples of innovative developments across both traditional and digital retail spaces were truly remarkable.”
Congratulations to our winners, and a big thank you to our sponsors, judging panel, the legend that is Tiff Stevenson, and all those who attended our 2025 gathering.
