The retail world has become more crowded and competitive than ever. Consumers expect personalized experiences and there's a growing demand for convenience, as spending habits change. Technology is also advancing rapidly, providing both retailers and customers with a wide range of new apps and solutions. In addition, efficiency and optimization have become key in supply chain management and sustainability has also become a critical aspect in this ecosystem.  

To stand out in the retail industry, retailers must be agile, customer-centric, and forward-thinking. One technological innovation retailers have at their disposal to stay competitive is the use of Electronic Shelf Labels (ESLs) with e-paper displays. These dynamic, digital price signs offer multiple benefits over traditional paper labels, driving efficiency, enhancing customer experience, and potentially providing significant cost savings in the long term. Nevertheless, currently, ESLs are still not widely adopted, given the relatively high initial investment required to implement the full solution. To fill this gap in the market and make ESL more widely adopted, simple, cost-effective ESL solutions are needed.

What are Electronic Shelf Labels (ESLs)?

Electronic Shelf Labels (ESLs) are digital display systems used in retail stores to show product pricing, promotions, and other useful information. Unlike traditional paper labels, ESLs are connected to a central system, allowing for real-time updates and management. This capability means prices can be changed instantly across an entire store or chain of stores from a single location, without having to change or update the labels manually by printing paper materials.  

E-Paper Displays

E-paper, or electronic paper, is a display technology that mimics the appearance of ink on paper. The e-paper displays produced by Ynvisible come with a series of benefits that make them a much better choice for retailers, than LED or LCD solutions, or even traditional analogue labels.

Electronic shelf labels that integrate Ynvisible’s e-paper displays come with three main advantages:  

• Energy Efficiency and Sustainability: Ynvisible’s e-paper displays are ultra-low-power and therefore, much more energy-efficient than traditional LCD or LED displays. This low power consumption is crucial for battery-powered ESLs, significantly extending their lifespan, reducing battery changes and maintenance costs, and overall offering a much more sustainable solution.

• Readability: E-paper displays provide excellent readability, even in bright in-store light conditions. This makes them ideal for retail environments, where labels need to be easily readable from different perspectives.

• Simplicity and Cost Reduction: Ynvisible’s e-paper displays are flexible and thin, making them easy to integrate into different sizes and formats of ESLs, overall resulting in a simple and effective solution, that is also more cost- effective than other display technologies. ESLs based on Ynvisible’s e-paper displays can, therefore, become a competitive solution to help decrease the return on investment (ROI) barrier to entry to implementing ESLs in store.  

The benefits of using ESLs with e-paper displays:

• Real-Time Price Updates: One of the most significant advantages of ESLs is the ability to update prices in real-time. This capability leads to pricing accuracy, reduces pricing errors, and allows retailers to respond swiftly to market changes, competitor pricing, and inventory updates.

• Cost Savings: As stated above, although the initial investment in an ESL solution may be too high, especially for small retail stores and chains, the long-term savings can become substantial. Reduced costs when compared to labor for manually changing prices, in addition to savings on paper and printing costs, and lower energy consumption, all contribute to a favorable return on investment.

• Enhanced Customer Experience: ESLs can display product information and real-time promotional offers, enhancing the shopping experience. Customers appreciate the accurate and up-to-date information, which can aid in making informed purchasing decisions.

• Sustainability: The reduction in paper usage and the energy efficiency of e-paper displays contribute to a more sustainable retail operation. By adopting ESLs, retailers can significantly reduce their environmental footprint.

• Operational Efficiency: ESLs streamline store operations by automating the pricing process. Staff can focus on more value-added tasks, such as customer service and inventory management, rather than manually updating price labels.

Ynvisible’s work in ESL

Electronic Shelf Labels can come in many formats, from small price shelf labels to large signs.

Last year, Ynvisible announced the Large Format Electronic Shelf Label Display Product, designed primarily for grocery store retailers. This product offers an easy-to-read solution for displaying basic product information and pricing.  

The Electronic Shelf Label Display, with its large format, offers customers a convenient and engaging way to access information about products they are considering to purchase.

The Large Format Electronic Shelf Label Display boasts several unique selling points, including a cost reduction of up to 80% in comparison to competing reflective display technologies, highly customizable options with no minimum order quantity, ultra-low power consumption, and a durable design that can withstand the rigors of daily use in a grocery store environment.

The Future of ESLs

Integration with the Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI), and big data analytics will enable even more sophisticated pricing strategies, personalized promotions, and inventory management systems.

In the future, by combining e-paper displays with smart sensors, we could develop intelligent ESLs that display critical information, such as the freshness of a product. This can both allow retailers to strategically adapt their prices and special promotions and make it possible for customers to be better informed and make safer, smarter decisions.

Another good example of the possibilities ESLs can bring in the future are price changes based on the market, in real-time, to stay competitive. By analyzing market data, ESLs could display new prices to attract customers and contribute to increased sales.  

In conclusion, Electronic Shelf Labels with e-paper displays represent a significant step forward in retail technology. They offer a range of benefits, from operational efficiency and cost savings to enhanced customer experience and sustainability. As the retail landscape continues to evolve, ESLs are poised to become a standard feature in stores worldwide, driving innovation and competitiveness in the industry.  

To learn more about how we can collaborate for you to stay ahead of the curve with e-paper ESLs, contact us now.