Today, more and more retail outlets are utilising the power of digitisation to improve efficiencies and profits across the business. Digital signage is a big part of this, and digital boards are now a common feature across many chain and independent retail stores.
However, another digital signage solution that is currently under-utilised in retail is electronic shelf labelling (ESL). Not only can ESL attract your customer’s attention and minimise pricing errors, it also has the potential to save your business time and money, and minimise your environmental footprint.
So, if you are wondering if electronic shelf labelling could take your retail store to the next level, in this article we explain why it might just be the next big thing!
Saves time and reduce errors
If your retail store stocks a large volume of products, there’s no doubt that manually changing prices on shelves is a headache. Not only is it extremely time consuming, but it can also be prone to human errors, which can lead to unhappy customers or your products being sold for less. With ESL, prices can be changed from a central point or integrated with your existing POS system in a fraction of the time, with the new prices displayed instantly, allowing your team to focus their attention on customer service and other important tasks. And, if there is an error displayed, it can be corrected in seconds.
Accurate and dynamic prices
Another key benefit of ESL is the ability to update prices instantly as they change. This makes it fast and easy to keep the price on your displayed stock accurate at all times. It also enables you to price your products dynamically, meaning you can mark down slow moving stock as needed, or adjust your pricing to match a competitor or reflect the online selling price.
Additional capabilities
It’s important to point out that ESL has many capabilities beyond displaying price and product information. For example, our ESL solution includes a small LED light which displays different colours and can be used to indicate goods on sale, notify staff of low stock levels and help team members locate items when picking orders.
This provides another level of efficiency and insight that can help your team more effectively manage product lines.
Communicate more about your products
Compared to the limitations of paper ticketing on shelves, ESL can communicate far more due to the bright display. While the product name and sell price are generally the key pieces of information shared, it is also possible to add more details to an ESL, such as product uses, ingredients or even how many you currently have available in stock. This is possible via integration, and the information can either be visually shown on the label, or accessed via a QR code that can be scanned by the customer.
Streamlined look and less waste
Today, most paper or plastic shelf labels look tired and dated, and are often prone to damage and wear and tear while on display. In comparison, the streamlined look of ESL is bright, modern and vibrant, and is housed in a strong and durable casing that is made to last. Another big problem with plastic and paper shelf labels is that you need to dispose of them regularly as stock levels and pricing changes, or as they get damaged, which creates a lot of unnecessary waste. With ESL, you will significantly reduce your waste, taking a key step in minimising your business’ environmental footprint.
Talk to us about ESL today
If you’re a manager or business owner of a retail store with a high volume of products, electronic shelf labelling can bring a whole new level of professionalism and efficiency to your shop. Contact us today to find out more and to discover how JDS can help with your shop’s ESL needs.
