Scotmid has completed a £4m in-store digital installation programme – hitting its 12-month rollout target.
Following successful trials, Scotmid has now deployed more than 550,000 electronic shelf labels (ESLs) across its food stores in Scotland and the north of England, in a move aimed at providing more user-friendly and easy-to-read product information for customers.
The retailer says the technology also improves productivity across its stores, enabling retail information on shelves – such as pricing and promotion details – to be updated centrally.
In addition, the system has been shown to increase wider store efficiency, improve pricing and product information compliance, reduce paper wastage, and enhance store team morale.
The technology is manufactured by SoluM, a Samsung-invested company, and is run in partnership with Cambridge-based technology integrator Herbert Retail.
Stewart Dobbie, Head of Innovation and Change at Scotmid, said: “We strive for continuous improvement; we are already thinking ahead to the many ways that ESL can further enhance the in-store experience.
“Our store teams are delighted with the change from paper ticketing to Electronic Shelf Labels, it has given us all a morale boost.”
Martin Johnston, Store Manager at Scotmid’s Inverkeithing store – the retailer’s first store to have Electronic Shelf Labelling installed, added: “The old process of paper labels was laborious, a task we all dreaded. The installation instantly boosted morale and increased our pride in maintaining store standards.
“My colleagues have more time to interact with our customers, the part of the job they most enjoy. I can’t imagine going back to a retail environment without ESLs.”
The installation programme was delivered in partnership with Southern Co-op, which is hoping to complete its ESL installation programme to all stores in 2023.
