Latest news with #KeithPollard
The Journal
24-05-2025
- Business
- The Journal
There are robots working in SuperValu (and they're coming to a supermarket near you)
Tally the robot in Supervalu in Rathborne, Dublin 15. ROBOT WORKERS ARE gliding around the aisles of two branches of SuperValu, and will soon be arriving in more stores. The Irish supermarket chain's Tally robots are able to check shelves are full and that prices are correct, and can even order additional stock if a product has run out. Staff in the Swords Pavilions and Rathborne, Dublin 15 branches of SuperValu, where the robots are being trialled, are worried. Mandate trade union and its shop stewards have raised workers' concerns about the longer term implications of the robots with the company. The Journal / YouTube How do the robots work? SuperValu told The Journal the robots travel around the store three times a day to identify what's missing from the shelves. They do this using cameras and by performing AI analysis of images. Any images of people in the background are automatically blurred out for GDPR reasons. If a product is in the back storeroom, Tally alerts human workers that it's time to re-stock. If a product is out of stock, the robot orders more. Customers at Rathborne SuperValu seemed to be already well used to shopping alongside a robot when The Journal visited in recent days. Shoppers paid little attention to Tally's blinking lights as it silently glided down the bread aisle. Certainly no-one in the supermarket, except The Journal's reporter, was following the robot around, agog, taking photos and videos. Luckily, the robot is very nimble when it comes to gliding around any obstacles in its way, such as gawping journalists. SuperValu confirmed that robots are 'programmed to navigate around obstacles and stop immediately if there is a person in close proximity'. The devices have been fitted with heavy bases so they won't tip over. Advertisement Tally is watching you (so it doesn't bang into you). Valerie Flynn / The Journal Valerie Flynn / The Journal / The Journal Worker concerns Keith Pollard of Mandate said the trade union has received assurances from SuperValu that the robots are not a replacement for workers. The company's promises included that there will not be a reduction in headcount or working hours at the two stores where the Tally system is being trialled. 'Not surprisingly – despite the company's strong assurances – our members in both stores were obviously worried about the introduction of Tally and its longer-term implications,' Pollard said. 'We're determined to protect the terms and conditions of our members in SuperValu so we'll be keenly observing the outcome of the Tally trial and where it goes to next,' he added. Barry Minnock, who is in charge of data, AI and emerging technology at Musgrave, SuperValu's parent company, said workers' roles 'are not and will not be impacted'. 'The reason we are investing in Tally is to further enhance on-shelf availability and service to our customers, complementing the fantastic work of our staff,' Minnock said. Recent decades have seen a trend towards supermarkets reducing the number of staff needed, including through the introduction self-service checkouts and with the replacement of fish and butchers' counters with pre-packaged products. Fashion and homeware retailers have recently followed suit with the introduction of self-service tills. The introduction of coin slots in trolleys – nudging customers to return their own trolley – reduced the need for supermarket car park trolley collectors, while it is many years since any Irish supermarkets paid staff to pack customers' bags at the tills. It's been reported in the UK that electronic shelf labels could be one of the next innovations to reduce supermarket staff costs. British supermarket chain Morrisons is also trialling Tally, the first UK supermarket to do so, trade magazine The Grocer reported last month. Time magazine named Tally 3.0, from Californian company Simbe Robotics, one of the top 200 innovations of 2023. Further roll-out Minnock said the trial which got underway in two SuperValu stores in October has been 'very successful' at keeping shelves stocked. The trial is now in its second phase, which has more fully integrated the robots into other systems and processes within the supermarkets. 'Subject to trial results, we will roll out to further SuperValu stores,' Minnock said. However, the robots are not suitable for stores with tight aisles, Minnock added. That may mean robots are unlikely to be coming to Centra – also owned by Musgrave – any time soon. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Comic books, Star Wars, opera and jazz: Weekend options in metro Detroit
This first weekend of May brings a wide variety of arts options to explore across metro Detroit. Here are just five you may want to add to your calendar. From the earliest days of fandom to the rise of iconic superheroes and gritty anti-heroes, Detroit has been a quiet but powerful force in shaping comic book history. Opening on Saturday, May 3 (Free Comic Book Day) at the Detroit Historical Museum, "Heroes vs. Villains: Detroit's Comic Book Story" will share the histories of the iconic characters and local creatives who helped define the modern world of comics. "Heroes vs. Villains" also shines a spotlight on the many Detroit-affiliated writers, artists, publishers and fans whose work brought characters to life, helped stories find wide audiences and pushed the boundaries of visual storytelling. Visitors will discover how Detroit creatives like Rich Buckler, Keith Pollard, Jim Starlin, Arvell Jones and Matt Feazell changed the game, one panel at a time. The exhibition opens to the public at noon; Detroit Historical Society members can enjoy members-only early access at 10 a.m. Detroit Historical Museum, 5401 Woodward Ave., Detroit. Free with museum admission. In honor of Star Wars Day (May 4), Sunday at 3 p.m. at the Macomb Center for the Performing Arts, the Macomb Symphony Orchestra will perform a wide canvas of John Williams' legendary music from across the 'Star Wars' galaxy. All ages are welcome for this thrilling afternoon. Macomb Center for the Performing Arts, 44575 Garfield Rd., Clinton Twp. Tickets $25. Royal Oak's Habatat Detroit Fine Art, the world's oldest and largest art glass gallery, presents 'Glass53,' opening Saturday, May 3. Habatat represents the finest glass artists in the world working with collectors and museums internationally. More than 400 works of art glass are featured in Habatat's 16,000-square-foot gallery. The show will open at 8 p.m. with a gala that's free to attend. Habatat Detroit Fine Art, 4400 Fernlee Ave., Royal Oak. Free admission. Ever wondered how a new opera comes together? The Motor City Lyric Opera, now in its 23rd season, will present 'Be Beautiful Inside,' a workshop performance, at 4:30 p.m. on Sunday, May 4, at The Schvitz Detroit. Guests are invited to watch, review and provide feedback for the musical work based on Beth Griffith-Manley's book 'I Am Beautiful Inside & Out.' (The author will also be in attendance.) The performers hail from Motor City Lyric Opera's Opera on Wheels Ensemble: Angela Bonello, Tyler Middleton, Will Fishwick and Lydia Bangura along with instrumentalists Sonia Lee and Jean Schneider. The Schvitz Detroit, 8295 Oakland Ave., Detroit. Free, with donations accepted. Saturday, May 3, at 7:30 p.m. at Beverly Hills' Seligman Performing Arts Center, Chamber Music Detroit will take guests on a sonic journey spanning centuries. The Miró Quartet will pay homage to the 1938 collaboration between Benny Goodman and the Budapest String Quartet, with special guest bass/baritone Joseph Parrish and clarinetist David Shifrin. The evening will open with Mozart's clarinet quintet and proceed to encompass big band songs arranged for baritone and quartet such as 'Begin the Beguine' and 'A Night in Tunisia,' as well as Goodman tunes arranged for clarinet and quartet. Seligman Performing Arts Center, 22305 West 13 Mile Rd., Beverly Hills. Tickets start at $30; digital streaming available for $12.50. Contact Free Press arts and culture reporter Duante Beddingfield at dbeddingfield@ This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Comic books, Star Wars, opera and jazz: This weekend in metro Detroit
