Pay at the shelf, not at the till

Electronic Shelf Labeling

“Electronic shelf labeling (ESL) has drastically changed thanks to the cloud. It provides retailers and consumers a broad arsenal of software and service solutions. These solutions improve products but also optimize shops and sales experience,” says Nicolas Méraud, Sales Manager Northern Europe/UK at SES-imagotag. “These days it goes much further than digitalizing the traditional price tag on a product. ESL technology offers the opportunity to synchronize the physical store and e-commerce, which is a good thing for both customer and retailer.”

ESL meets consumer information needs

“ESL technology is both customer- and retailer-driven,” Nicolas goes on. “For the retailer, it’s a handy way of finding information. In addition to prices, the screen also gives access to other product information. Using smartphones and QR codes, customers can find out a lot about the ingredients and origin of a product, and even learn about possible recipes. Thanks to our most recent technology, it is no longer necessary to have an app from a particular store or chain.”

Waiting at the cash register is a thing of the past

“The electronic labels also provide the possibility to pin down the exact location of a product in the store. An illuminated screen guides the customer to the product he or she is, looking for. Consumers can even pay directly at this spot. There is no need to go to the cash register afterwards.”

The electronic labels also provide the possibility to pin down the exact location of a product in the store. An illuminated screen guides the customer to the product he or she is, looking for. Consumers can even pay directly at this spot. There is no need to go to the cash register afterwards.

Nicolas Méraud, Sales Manager Northern Europe/UK at SES-imagotag

Stock management becomes measurable

Some advantages for the retailer are obvious, such as fast price modification. “You can also indicate how fresh a product is, and this may or may not be linked to a special price when the sell-by date is near,” says Nicolas.

“But thanks to connectivity and the use of cloud technology, ESL can also help staff in stocking shelves. It is possible to detect whether a certain product is still available on the shelf and whether the product is in stock or not. This means that our technology is helpful for stock management in stores. Figures don’t lie: the error margin in pricing is reduced to virtually nothing and shelf stocking gets a sizable measurable boost.”

Belgian market helps to set the tone

The Belgian market seems to be taking on a pioneering role in the implementation of the possibilities offered by ESL. “When we look at our neighboring countries, we get a rather varied picture,” Nicolas explains.

Historically, Carrefour was our first customer in Belgium. Now we have installed our technology in all Mediamarkt stores, too, and we are working with Colruyt. We have also joined forces with a few Delhaize franchise holders where we are now installing our latest technology.”

Improved customer experience

“Physical stores will continue to hold a central position in an omnichannel retail environment,” Nicolas concludes. “But we have to be bold enough to make full use of the potential offered by digital technology and electronic labels. This is not only the lever to improve store management efficiency but also an instrument to enhance the customer experience. The entire sector needs to realize this. The store of tomorrow wi ll be data- driven and will use the possibilities offered by the Internet of Things. And ESL is an important chapter in this story.”