Czech supermarket chain Albert has rolled out AI-powered shelf-scanning technology to improve the accuracy of its inventory management.

The retailer, which operates around 350 stores across the Czech Republic and is part of Dutch-Belgian retailer and wholesaler Ahold Delhaize, is deploying the technology to identify out of stock items and pricing errors in real time, which it said will reduce reliance on manual checks by store staff.

Albert has partnered with technology firm Brain Corp to deploy the technology following earlier trials with autonomous floor-cleaning robots from the San Diego-based firm.

Albert said it previously relied on structured daily inventory routines, with employees scanning shelves after replenishment cycles to identify gaps. The retailer said staff shortages, time pressures and inconsistent execution often delayed corrections, leaving products unavailable and impacting both sales and customer experience.

According to the supermarket, the technology has delivered accuracy levels in the high 90 per cent range when identifying products, price tags and anomalies such as empty shelf space. This was already above an initial 90 per cent target and performance improved over time, with the system learning from repeated scans to enhance recognition capabilities.

Albert said the data generated by the robots has already helped uncover operational issues, including outdated pricing labels, enabling faster corrections and more consistent planogram compliance.

With the installation of the technology, Albert said it will reduce manual workloads, improve on-shelf availability and provide staff with better visibility of issues needed their attention.

"The data was clear, consistent, and accurate. This allowed us to identify human errors – for example, outdated prices on some paper tags, which we corrected immediately," said Ivana Stastnikova, store operations process lead, CSE Region at Albert. “Innovation at Albert is about measurable impact […] we adopt technology when it delivers tangible operational benefits.”

---