The Problem
Naval Mart operates in a highly competitive retail environment where customers are increasingly price-sensitive and digitally informed. Shoppers frequently compare prices across multiple stores before making purchasing decisions. However, inside physical stores, this process is slow, manual, and frustrating.
Key challenges faced by Naval Mart included:
- High dependency on staff for price queries
Customers repeatedly asked staff for item prices, offers, and comparisons, increasing workload and causing service delays. - Lack of real-time price transparency
Customers had no instant way to verify whether they were getting the best deal compared to other marts in Karachi. - Reduced customer confidence and engagement
Uncertainty about pricing often led to abandoned purchases and lower trust in in-store pricing. - Operational inefficiency
Staff time was consumed answering repetitive questions instead of focusing on higher-value customer service tasks.
The Mart needed a solution that could provide instant, reliable price intelligence inside the store without increasing staffing costs.
The Solution: Price Guru
Haprow deployed its dual-screen, voice-interactive TimTim Retail Robot, customized and rebranded as Price Guru.
Price Guru acts as an in-store AI price analyst:
- Customers ask verbally: “What is the price of Nestle Milk 1L?”
- Price Guru instantly responds with:
- The current price at Naval Mart
- A comparison with other major marts in Karachi
- Simultaneously, the second screen displays a clear visual analysis, including:
- Competitor prices
- Best-value indication
- Price difference breakdown
This creates a transparent, data-driven shopping experience directly on the retail floor.
The Core Problem It Solved
Price Guru eliminated price uncertainty at the point of purchase.
Before Price Guru, customers had to rely on:
- Memory
- Online searches on their phones
- Or staff estimates
All of which were slow and unreliable.
With Price Guru:
- Price validation became instant, objective, and trusted
- Customers no longer needed to leave the aisle or consult multiple staff members
- The store itself became the source of price truth
This directly addressed the biggest psychological barrier in retail:
“Am I paying the right price?”
Business Impact
- Increased Customer Trust
Transparent price comparison positioned Naval Mart as a fair and customer-first retailer. - Faster Purchase Decisions
Real-time confirmation reduced hesitation and cart abandonment. - Lower Staff Load
Routine price queries were automated, improving operational efficiency. - Stronger In-Store Engagement
The robot attracted customers, turning price checks into an interactive experience. - Competitive Differentiation
Naval Mart became one of the first to use an AI-powered retail price assistant in Pakistan.
Significance in Pakistan
Price Guru transformed a traditional retail pain point into a competitive advantage in Pakistan. Instead of fearing price comparison, Naval Mart embraced it and brought it inside the store using AI and robotics.
This deployment demonstrates how physical retail can compete with e-commerce by offering:
Instant intelligence + Human-like interaction + In-store convenience