BJ's Wholesale Club shows STEM female students how robotics and automation are powering retailers’ operations
US company BJ's Wholesale Club recently played host to Girls Inc. of Worcester and gave them a behind the scenes look at how STEM powers the world of retail.
In a LinkedIn post, Caroline Krieger, Robotics & Automation Manager at BJ's Wholesale Club, said: “These bright young women were part of the Eureka program - a STEM intensive leadership initiative for girls in grades 8-12. It was an honor to share my career journey in STEM and give them a glimpse into the exciting work I get to do everyday to bring retail robotics to life at BJ’s.”
She added: “From exploring real-world applications of technology to hearing from women leaders across the business, the day was all about showing what’s possible when passion for STEM meets opportunity. Tally (an autonomous shelf-scanning robot that is part of Simbe’s Store Intelligence platform) was a huge hit and sparked some great conversations with the group.”
“Big thanks to our partners at Simbe for helping make the visit even more memorable, and for providing some coveted Tally swag the girls were excited to take home. Here’s to inspiring the next generation of innovators, and to building a future where they lead the way.”
Simbe
Simbe recently announced the formation of its strategic advisory board.
Caitlin Allen, SVP of Market at Simbe, said: “For decades, retail has relied on three data sources: supply chain, Point of Sale, and consumer engagement. But none of those capture what happens where shoppers make purchase decisions: the shelf.”
“That’s why we're building retail’s fourth pillar of truth: shelf intelligence - the essential data infrastructure for modern AI initiatives. Our strategic advisory board will help guide this next era and is united by the conviction that digitising the shelf is the foundation of the intelligent retail operating model.”
Members of the board include:
Anne Mezzenga: CEO and Co-founder and OmniTalk; board member and former Target executive who led the Store of the Future project.
Bennett Morgan: BCG Senior Advisor; former exec at SpartanNash, Amazon, Walmart, and H-E-B.
Bob Hardester: Former CIO and Chief Supply Chain Officer at Schnucks Markets and Express Scripts.
Bruce Burrows: Former CIO at Sobeys and Loblaw.
Marybeth Hays: Board member and former EVP at Walmart U.S. Consumables & Health, with senior roles at Sam’s Club, Lowe’s, and Walmart China.
Sean Spillane: Former SVP of Strategy & Real Estate at Stop & Shop; previously spent 20 years in Accenture’s retail strategy practice.
Simbe has also added David Steck, Schnucks’ former VP of IT Store & Emerging Technology, as Expert in Residence.
Allen added: “The timing couldn’t be better. Capex surged 91% YoY in Q2, with in-store retail technology spend up 151% YoY, underscoring unprecedented investments. Our strategic advisory board knows what it takes to transform operations at scale. Their backing makes one thing clear: digitising the shelf is retail’s future, and Simbe is leading the way.”
