This Grand Junction Grocery Store Has a Surprising New Worker

I met a new employee roaming the aisles at the Orchard Mesa City Market this week. I had read about this employee, but never expected to meet them in Grand Junction.

It was Tally 4.0, a six-foot-tall AI-powered robot designed to check grocery shelves, spot missing products, and help human employees keep shelves stocked.

Get our free mobile app

Meet the New Robot Working at Grand Junction's City Market

This Colorado Grocery Store Robot Is Raising Big Questions — Wes Adams, Townsquare Media

Advanced AI Robots have arrived in Grand Junction. Their latest employer, The Orchard Mesa City Market at 2770 Highway 50, has welcomed the AI-powered Tally 4.0, developed by Simbe Robotics. Tally stands about six feet tall and glides up and down the aisles, scanning merchandise.

What Does an AI Robot Actually Do in a Grocery Store?

Tally rolls up and down the aisles inspecting inventory. It’s pretty advanced, using cameras, sensors, and AI to track empty shelves, misplaced products, and incorrect prices. The robot doesn’t stock the shelves; it just shares information with humans, who then make corrections. Simbe Robotics says the AI maintains inventory, freeing employees to get product on shelves.

Why Are Kroger and City Market Putting Robots in Stores?

Kroger says they are embracing automation to improve efficiency. Robots, like the one I met at the Orchard Mesa City Market, have been working in Colorado all year. City Market operates as a subsidiary of The Kroger Company, and Kroger says it deployed their 500^th robot in August of 2026. Simbe Robotics says more than 3000 autonomous bots were under contract in September.

Is the Robot Watching Grand Junction Shoppers?

I must admit, if Tally 4.0 gets arms, I will feel a little uneasy. According to the Los Angeles Times, the robot is supposed to monitor shelves, not identify or track humans. I did not see a Skynet symbol or trademark anywhere, so I’m guessing it’s not a terminator. Yet. Questions remain about what happens to images the AI collects.

LOOK: Will the Human Race Be Ready For the Potential of AI Robots and What They May Be Capable Of?

MORE: Grand Junction, Colorado's Favorite Pieces of Technology

I asked on Facebook, "What is the favorite piece of technology that you own?" Here's what you had to say:

Gallery Credit: Waylon Jordan

NEXT: 10 Colorado Facts: James M. Robb Colorado River State Park/Connected Lakes

Colorado seems to have a thing for State Parks within an urban setting, and why not? A hidden gem like Colorado River State Park in Mesa County is a great example of a park divided into sections that are either in the middle of town or right next to one.

Gallery Credit: Wesley Adams

Source: This Colorado Grocery Store Robot Is Raising Big Questions