SPAR Austria expands inventory robot trial

The five-month trial at the EUROSPAR supermarket in Sagedergasse and the INTERSPAR hypermarket in Eisenstadt demonstrated the contribution that digital technologies can make to day-to-day supermarket operations. SPAR is the first food retailer in Austria to use an inventory robot in regular store operations. The robot moves through the store several times a day, scanning shelves, identifying inventory levels and gaps, and automatically transmitting this information to mobile devices used by employees without disrupting daily operations.

Thanks to regular and accurate inventory checks, missing products can be identified early and restocked quickly. This improves product availability and creates a smoother shopping experience for customers. The results show that automated shelf scans can significantly reduce time-consuming inspection rounds and the search for missing inventory. This noticeably reduces employee workload, allowing them to devote more time to advising and assisting customers. Acceptance in stores has also been high. The inventory robot is seen as friendly, moves quietly and safely through the aisles thanks to its sensors, and automatically avoids people. Image data of people captured incidentally is deleted immediately and not processed further.

The positive experiences in Vienna and Eisenstadt have laid the foundation for this next phase of expansion. A total of six EUROSPAR and INTERSPAR stores in Austria have now been equipped with the inventory robot.

Source: SPAR Austria

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The origins of the SPAR brand in Austria date back to 1954. The current SPAR AG was created in 1970 when the original founding families joined other regional wholesalers to form SPAR Austria AG, a 100% privately owned Austrian company. Company-owned stores operate throughout the country in the multi-format retail strategy developed since the 1960’s, whilst independent retailers operate under sub-license from SPAR Austria and continue building the brand’s presence.