Sainsbury's announces huge change to shelves that customers may notice soon
Co-op are also due to implement the change by next year.
Sainsbury's supermarkets have announced a major change that shoppers may soon notice on store shelves. The classic British supermarket has become the latest grocer to trial electronic shelf-edge labels (ESLs) in an aim to modernise its stores and improve operational efficiency.
ESLs offer retailers the opportunity to update their prices in real time, which aims to reduce pricing errors and better manage promotional offers. For those who work in supermarkets, it will also save time, as paper labels will no longer need to be manually changed by staff.
Speaking to the Grocer, a Sainsbury's spokesperson said that the store was trialling electronic shelf-edge labels in a small number of stores. However, they refused to share any further details on the pilot, which is being monitored for both customer experience and back-end efficiency gains.
It has not yet been confirmed exactly which or how many stores will be taking place in the ESL trial, but Sainsbury's customers may soon notice the new digital labels while browsing the supermarket.
The retailer began trialling the new electronic labels across three of its larger-format stores last year, including in its 'Future Store' in Witney, Oxfordshire, which was refitted in November 2023, the Express reports.
The change comes as part of Sainsbury's 'Future Store' programme, which aims to modernise the supermarket's store operations and improve customer experience using digital tools.
Sainsbury's is testing ESLs across a variety of its product categories, including beers, wines & spirits, health products and general merchandise, according to industry sources.
The trials are said to be testing both the hardware used to display prices as well as evaluating the potential labour savings that could come from automated pricing updates.
The retailer follows a number of other major UK supermarkets that have made the move towards using electronic labels in stores.
Co-op recently also announced plans to add electronic labels to all of its 2,400 stores by next year.
Co-op head of operations Steven Logue said: "With convenience at the heart of everything we do, Co-op is committed to continually exploring innovative technology that can improve how we operate.
"The electronic labels have the potential to enhance product information and transparency, avoid paper waste, and make everyday tasks like picking online orders easier."
Co-op recently fell victim to cyber attacks, along with M&S, which left store shelves empty.
The chain was forced to shut down IT systems and slow deliveries after hackers attacked their servers.
During the attack, the cyber criminals breached IT networks and stole customer and employee data. They claimed to have the private details of 20 million customers in Co-op's membership scheme.
Although shelves were widely empty, the store has since recovered from the incident.
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