HomeBase USA is a home improvement retailer serving customers across Texas, Wyoming, Kansas, Missouri, and Louisnana. Simbe Robotics Inc.’s Store Intelligence platform demonstrated measurable improvements in inventory accuracy and store execution in a pilot, so HomeBase USA has quickly deployed the robots and software in nine locations.
“Strengthening how we operate across every store makes it even better to work and shop at HomeBase,” stated Joel McLiney, owner and CEO of HomeBase. “Simbe helped our teams focus on what matters most each day, and the results gave us confidence to introduce Tally to all our stores in less than three months.”
Operated by McLiney Lumber and Supply LLC, HomeBase USA offers farm, ranch, hardware, seasonal, and everyday essentials. The Prairie Village, Kan.-based company said it is committed to delivering knowledgeable customer service and a well-stocked store experience.
Pilot project yields positive results
In-store inefficiencies now cost retailers 6.4% of gross sales annually, totaling $196.4 billion across key U.S. retail sectors, according to Coresight Research’s State of In-Store Retailing 2026 report.
Operating stores with extensive product assortments requires consistent execution at the shelf, asserted Simbe Robotics. When an essential item is out of stock in the rural communities and small towns that HomeBase USA serves, the nearest alternative could be far away, the company noted.
Simbe said its pilot at HomeBase reduced pricing errors by 92%, lowered controllable out-of-stocks by 58%, brought total out-of-stocks below 1%, and shortened annual physical inventories from three days to less than one.
“HomeBase’s results reflect a broader shift underway across retail,” said Simbe. “As labor remains constrained and store complexity increases, retailers are turning to continuous shelf intelligence as the foundation for inventory, pricing, and store execution decisions.”
HomeBase USA rapidly rolls out inventory robots
Founded in 2014, Simbe Robotics provides physical AI for autonomous retail operations. It said its vertically integrated system of Tally robots, fixed sensors, RFID, computer vision, and AI deliver a continuous, real-time picture of store conditions. Store Intelligence helps orchestrate actions to keep stores and channels running optimally, claimed the South San Francisco, Calif.-based company.
HomeBase USA attributed the three-month rollout of one robot per store in part to its disciplined approach to adoption, using the data to improve operations immediately rather than in a phased technology deployment.
“HomeBase’s rollout progressed quickly because Simbe’s Store Intelligence platform was incorporated into existing store routines that made the work more actionable for teams,” Negar Ballard, senior director of sales at Simbe, told Automated Warehouse. “Across its large-format home improvement stores and complex assortment, Store Intelligence gave associates a real-time view of pricing, availability, and shelf conditions.”
for HomeBase USA. Source:
Simbe Robotics
“The implementation centered on equipping teams to use those insights from Day 1,” she added. ” HomeBase provided dedicated mobile devices, moved away from paper-based processes, and established a clear daily workflow for reviewing and resolving shelf-execution issues. As teams saw less duplication and spent less time searching for issues, adoption accelerated.”
“Leadership, including direct CEO support, set expectations across locations, consistently communicated the strategic rationale for the initiative, and held stores accountable for working reports and acting on findings daily,” explained Ballard. “Performance was tracked and shared across the organization to reinforce consistency and create visibility into progress.”
Not only do the inventory systems improve pricing accuracy and merchandising execution, but they also improved the associate experience with prioritized, pre-emptive actions and provided the first encounters with robots for many shoppers, said Simbe.
“Instead of spending time searching for problems, our teams start each day knowing exactly where to focus,” said Tim Blakesley, a store manager at HomeBase. “That means more time helping customers and making life easier for associates.”
Simbe Robotics cites thousands of sites
“One of the things that impressed us most about HomeBase was how effectively its leadership inspired adoption,” said Ballard. “They built new operating habits that quickly prioritized associate time, helping delight shoppers and realize value across the business.”
Simbe said its systems are deployed across thousands of retail locations in 10 countries. Store Intelligence provides trustworthy data to improve inventory accuracy, improve inventory accuracy, pricing integrity, merchandising execution, and store operations, the company said.
Store Intelligence serves customers across grocery, home improvement, club, alcohol, and farm supply, including Kroger, SPAR, and BJ’s Wholesale Club.