Stop & Shop, Badger Tech Join Forces to Combat School Hunger with Robot Selfies at NRF 2024

Retail robotics company Badger Technologies partnered with Stop & Shop’s “School Food Pantry Program” to fight school hunger, donating 10 meals for every selfie NRF visitors took with Stop & Shop’s in-store robot, Marty at NRF 2024.

Launched in 2019, the School Food Pantry Program works by identifying schools in need and providing food, gift cards and personal care items for school pantries. 

Vendor partners include Campbell Snacks, Coca-Cola, General Mills, Unilever and Procter & Gamble.

Visitors to NRF could participate by taking a selfie with Marty and uploading it to Instagram. Badger Technologies pledged 10 school meals to Stop & Shop’s program for every selfie uploaded.

“Nourishing people through food is an integral part of our DNA that drives our dedication to addressing hunger in the communities we serve,” said Karen Mitchell, Stop & Shop’s chief marketing officer. “By taking and posting selfies with Marty, NRF’24 attendees, exhibitors, and retail industry visionaries can join us in helping local schools fight hunger among students in need.”

“As champions of local communities throughout Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, and New Jersey, Stop & Shop is continuing to lower the barriers that limit students’ ability to succeed in the classroom,” said William Santiago, Badger Technologies’ CEO. Together, we can make a difference in helping provide students with much-needed meals.”

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Debuted in January 2019, Marty robots are now deployed in nearly 400 of Stop & Shop’s stores, used to greet customers and perform duties such as scanning shelves to identify products that need restocking, confirming pricing information, and monitoring for spills and other hazards.