As grocery retailers face mounting pressures from rising inflation, increasing labor costs, and evolving consumer expectations, staying competitive requires embracing modern solutions designed to combat these modern issues. With Electronic Shelf labels (ESLs) grocery retailers can not only address these issues but also gain a competitive advantage while keeping pace with an industry that is rapidly changing. With the right integration strategy and technology partner by your side, retailers can use ESLs to unlock a wide array of benefits.
Here are five key reasons why ESLs are an essential investment for Grocery Retailers in 2025:
1. Combat Inflation with Real-Time Price Adjustments
Many of the independent retailers that I’ve worked with finally invested in ESLs as a solution to the very real shortage of store personnel handling daily price changes in the age of unpredictable inflation. Inflation has been a persistent challenge for grocery retailers for the past few years, and while it may fluctuate, it never fully disappears. ESLs enable retailers to adjust prices instantly, ensuring they can keep pace with inflation and manage price changes efficiently—without the hassle of manually changing signage.
2. Reduce Labor Costs
With razor-thin profit margins, grocery retailers are always looking for ways to streamline operations. ESLs eliminate the need for employees to manually replace paper tags each time there’s a price change. This not only cuts labor costs but also reduces the expenses associated with traditional signage materials. These expenses add up more than you may think, as I have personally seen large retailers see an ROI quicker than expected just by eliminating the need for printing materials and the associated hardware and software.
3. Optimize Pricing with Greater Agility
When used with business intelligence tools such as TruView, retailers can use their real-time insights into when and why things are selling to allow for dynamic pricing adjustments that can maximize margins, improve sales, and quickly adapt to supplier price fluctuations or consumer demand shifts.
4. Enhanced In-Store Marketing and Communication
ESLs do more than just display pricing— they enhance marketing and communication. Retailers can showcase QR codes, real-time reviews, and even promotional videos. For example, VUSION Rails from VusionGroup transforms shelf edges into interactive videos, boosting customer engagement.
However, to fully utilize these features, retailers need a clear integration strategy and potentially a dedicated team. For example, implementing QR codes or reviews may require data management from the retailer. Fortunately, ESLs are a versatile tool that can evolve with retailers’ needs. Many may start with the benefits from real-time price adjustments and later add marketing features. For instance, TRUNO recently helped a Hispanic supermarket add bilingual item descriptions months after the ESLs had been installed, showing how digital signage can be adapted for enhanced communication over time.
5. Stay Competitive in an Increasingly Digital Industry
As more retailers embrace digital signage, those who wait risk falling behind. Shoppers are increasingly drawn to stores that offer the convenience and accuracy of ESLs, associating them with innovation and higher-quality shopping experiences. Keeping pace with this trend is essential for maintaining a competitive edge.
ESLs: More Than Just Price Tags
ESLs are no longer just a convenient solution to display pricing—they're an essential tool to remain competitive in 2025. From reducing operational costs to enhancing customer engagement, with a good overall strategy and the right technology partner by your side, ESLs provide a multifaceted solution that addresses the core challenges retailers face every day while futureproofing your store for challenges ahead.
Ready to Rollout ESLs? Trust our Team of Experts