The change will affect some of the supermarkets’ busiest convenience stores
Asda has announced a significant change that is happening to a common item found in all its UK stores. The supermarket giant confirmed plans today (October 3) to introduce electronic shelf edge labels (ESLs) across its largest and busiest Express convenience stores.
This initiative will see 250 shops adopt the new technology from VusionGroup and its partners, Renovotec and HL Display. These digital labels, familiar to what is used in every Aldi store in the UK, were tested for three months at Asda’s Oxford Road Store in Manchester.
The trial enabled Asda staff to dedicate more time to helping customers, managing deliveries and restocking shelves as the chore of physically changing out-of-date price labels wasn’t something to think about. Approximately 2,800 individual electronic shelf edge labels will be installed in stores, eliminating the need for colleagues to manually update pricing in-store.
The technology also helps by displaying allergen information at the shelf edge via QR codes, alongside the price, weight, and unit cost of products. Asda recently announced plans to open up to 20 new Express stores by the end of the year as part of its convenience store opening programme.
Each new Express store will feature the electronic shelf edge labels (ESLs) from the outset, improving efficiency and customer experience, reports the Mirror.
Joseph Sutton, Vice President Asda Express, foodservice and fuel, said: “We’re continuing to invest in enhancing our stores, and the launch of cutting-edge technology across our Express estate is proof of this. By streamlining our in-store operations, we can free up our colleagues to focus on what they do best – serving our customers.”
Roy Horgan, CEO UK and Ireland – VusionGroup, said: “We are proud to be extending our partnership with Asda as they accelerate their digital transformation. This next phase is a testament to both Asda’s digital ambition and the strength of VusionGroup’s market-leading technologies. By combining ESLs with IoT innovation and data-rich insight, we are helping to transform the in-store experience for Asda customers and colleagues.”
Asda has continued to invest in enhancing the customer experience through the recent rollout of a ‘Bake on the Shop Floor’ model to bring freshly baked goods to smaller Asda Express stores. This new setup involves bringing ovens directly into these stores, allowing them to bake pastries and other products on-site.
And, further changes could be on the horizon for Asda customers in the coming months. According to previous reports, customers at several of Britain’s largest supermarket chains were given a heads up that major changes to checkout systems could take place within months if proposed till operation overhauls go ahead.
Meanwhile, bargain hunters should pencil in certain key dates if they’re hoping to make the most of toy discounts ahead of Christmas. Whilst most of the big supermarkets have already unveiled their biggest offers, some promotions are still to come.
Certain shops are offering discounts of up to 50% off the original prices on selected items, while stocks last. Some are even selling exclusive toys that can only be found in their shops – like Aldi’s popular Wooden Toy Event.
