AI Case Study
Anheuser-Busch InBev reports in-store availability with 98% accuracy in drone trial project
Anheuser-Busch InBev undertook a pilot project to test out Pensa System's drones in one store in Montreal, Canada. Drones fly in the story and document stock availability by gathering information on either sold or misplaced items. By collecting hourly and daily data on the beer section during 200 test flights, the start-up achieved a 98% success rate on out-of-stock detection.
Industry
Consumer Goods And Services
Food Beverage And Drugs
Project Overview
"But a new startup thinks drones can solve this problem, giving close-to-real-time updates on in-store inventory to both retailers and brands. It's a lightweight alternative to the armies of cameras that track a customer's every move in Amazon Go convenience stores.
The Pensa Systems drone can fly around a store and examine items on both normal shelves and coolers, comparing what's actually in the store to planograms — a retailer's map of what things should look like.
Pensa worked with Anheuser-Busch InBev on a pilot program that focused on easy setup and integration with existing retail locations, minimizing the work required to begin getting data.
Andrew Green, Global Director of Innovation at AB InBev — the world’s largest brewer — said in a press release that the company was “enthusiastic” about Pensa’s approach and that the company plans to continue testing it. With manpower-intensive manual stock-level checks running hours behind the drone-powered alternative, retailers could find appeal in the aeronautical solution.
Of course, walking into a store and having a drone flying around you might be unnerving for customers, especially since a whizzing robot has the potential to be far more noticeably intrusive than an eye-in-the-sky camera silently watching your every move.
But, if it means there's a better chance of having your favorite beer chilled and ready for you in the cooler, it's probably a trade-off buyers will happily make."
Reported Results
"At a store in Montreal, Pensa was able to collect hourly and daily data on out-of-stocks and share-of-shelf within the beer section, recording a 98-percent success rate on out-of-stock detection over 200 test flights."
Technology
Function
Background
"For retailers and brands from Coca-Cola to Anheuser-Busch, incorrectly-stocked shelves, whether because stuff is selling or because it's been put in the wrong place, is more than an annoyance: it's potential for millions in lost sales."
Benefits
Data
Drone captured data