Giant Food Stores and Stop & Shop are set to become the latest retailers to let a team of robots loose in its stores.

The move is part of Ahold Delhaize's initiative to put nearly 500 robots into all of the two retailers' locations. 

 “As part of our continued focus on technology transformation, we’re pleased to support one of the most significant deployments of robotics innovation in the grocery retail industry,” says Paul Scorza, EVP and CIO for Ahold Delhaize's Retail Business Services. “Several companies in the grocery retail space have recently begun testing or using in-store robots – something Retail Business Services and the local brands we serve have been doing for some time.”

The robots, named Marty, have been piloted at Giant locations. They move unassisted and identify hazards while wearing name tags and large, googly eyes. The robots are produced by Badger Technologies, a division of Jabil Retail.

“We are excited to be part of this industry-leading rollout of fully autonomous robots that collect safety data while traversing retail stores,” says Frederic McCoy, senior vice president of Jabil Retail. “Real-time hazard alerts empower stores to resolve incidents like spills, as well as improve operations.”