Spar tests robot Tally: The future of shopping in Eisenstadt and Vienna!

Spar tests robot Tally: The future of shopping in Eisenstadt and Vienna!

Eisenstadt, Österreich - Spar launched the use of a robot in two of his branches on July 1, 2025. The robot, called "Tally", is almost two meters tall and is tested in an interspar in Eisenstadt and in a Eurospar in Vienna. His main task is to scan the shelves and to check whether there is enough goods. According to 5min.at aims to relieve the introduction of Tally and improve the shopping experience for customers.

Tally is used several times a day in the supermarkets, creating inventory reports that are sent to the employees by email. The test phase is designed for five months. In the first four weeks, the robot will get to know the market environment before the full use starts from mid -August. Tally will not be active during peak times so as not to disturb the customer flow.

technical details and security

The robot is equipped with cameras that automatically delete the pictures of people who run in front of the camera. However, Tally interacts with the customers because he cannot speak. These properties are intended to ensure that the robot works efficiently without affecting purchasing.
After evaluating the data collected, it is decided whether the test phase is extended or expanded.

The trend towards automation in retail is not only shown by SPAR. In other supermarkets, robot customers actively support the product search. One example is a Rewe market in which customers can tell the robot via a touchpad which product they are looking for. The robot then leads you to the shelf. Market manager Lars Gilke describes these robots as friendly and active. However, these developments also indicate challenges. Professor Stephan Rüschen from the DHBW sees such robots more as a "maximum a gimmick" and warns that they could stand in the way in peak times, which could hinder purchasing, as Tagesschau reports.

efficiency in retail by KI

The introduction of artificial intelligence (AI) in retail aims at efficiency, automation and a personalized shopping experience. As part of inventory management and sales optimization, sensors, cameras and algorithms are used to record inventory and sales data in real time. These technologies contribute to ensuring product availability and increasing customer satisfaction, which is underlined by our third source Food Innovation Camp

The Trade Association Germany (HDE) sees robotics potential help in the event of a lack of personnel, but has no concrete figures for their use. While the number of self-checkout coffers in Germany rose from 2021 to 2023, the traditional supermarket with human staff remains the dominant model. According to ruffles, a complete automation of the large supermarkets is unrealistic, which illustrates the challenges and complexity of the industry.

In a rapidly changing retail environment, such tests from robots like Tally are a clear indication of the trend towards automation and the use of AI in order to meet the requirements of an increasingly digitized world.