Daily retail operations are becoming increasingly data-intensive and time-critical. The information displayed on shelves – prices, ingredients, origin, labels, availability, and promotions – must always match the data in the company’s systems. Managing product information across multiple sales channels and locations requires accuracy, timeliness, and reliable tools.
Traditional paper and price tags no longer provide the speed or accuracy that modern retail demands. Electronic shelf labels solve this challenge by bringing real-time data exchange into the physical store environment, ensuring that product information and prices are always up to date.
The labels are equipped with displays that can present various types of information – price, promotions, product features, certifications, and labels. A QR code can also be added, directing customers to a webpage where they can access more detailed product information or inspiration for use, such as recipe ideas, thus connecting the in-store experience with digital content.
In addition to delivering accurate information, electronic shelf labels create a consistent and professional visual appearance throughout the entire store. This simplifies change management, reduces manual work, and supports the implementation of a unified pricing policy across all sales locations.
Challenges of modern retail
In recent years, retail workflows have become significantly more data-intensive, and the need for faster response times has increased. The growing range of products, the number of promotions, and the diversity of sales channels have created a situation where every change – whether in price, availability, or labeling – must reach all systems and points of sale simultaneously.
At the same time, consumer expectations have also increased. Customers expect prices to be correct, promotions to be consistent, and product information to be up to date – regardless of whether they shop online or in a physical store. As a result, retail chains today face three main challenges: the speed of updates, data accuracy, and the efficient use of labor resources.
Speed – information must reach the shelf as fast as it reaches the system
Prices and promotions change more frequently than ever before. When an update made in the system reaches the sales floor only hours or days later, discrepancies inevitably arise between the actual price and the information displayed to customers. A manual workflow simply cannot keep up with this pace.
Accuracy – the same information must be reflected at every level
With large product assortments and multiple sales channels, data accuracy is absolutely critical. Even small discrepancies between the shelf label, POS system, and online store can lead to significant losses and damage customer trust. Precise data management has become a prerequisite for competitiveness.
Resource utilization – workforce should create added value
Manually updating price tags is a labor-intensive process that requires both time and attention to detail. At the same time, businesses need more staff in customer service and on the sales floor. More efficient information management allows employees to be freed from repetitive tasks and focus on activities that create greater value for the customer.
In today’s rapidly changing retail environment, success is defined by how accurately and consistently information flows from the company’s systems to the sales floor.
Electronic shelf labels for more precise and efficient retail management
If speed, accuracy, and efficient use of labor are among the greatest challenges in modern retail, then electronic shelf labels offer a practical solution. They create a direct connection between the company’s systems and the sales floor, making product information and pricing manageable in real time.
Unlike traditional paper tags, an electronic shelf label is part of a dynamic system. It always displays the most up-to-date information – whether it’s price, promotion, availability, or product features – and eliminates errors caused by manual updates. Data changes are made in a single location, but the updates are instantly reflected across all shelves and sales areas.
Centralized label management reduces repetitive manual work and frees up employees’ time for customer service or sales activities. It also ensures that every piece of product information a customer sees in the store matches exactly what is shown in the company’s systems and online store.
In addition to accuracy and time savings, electronic shelf labels offer remarkable visual and functional flexibility. They can display not only pricing information but also additional details – product attributes, origin, allergy warnings, or a QR code that directs the customer to a webpage or campaign site. Multicolor displays and LED indicators help highlight special offers or seasonal products, drawing attention where it matters most for sales performance.
Durability and energy efficiency are also key features of modern electronic shelf labels. They withstand the temperatures of refrigerated shelves, humidity, and daily wear, while maintaining low energy consumption and a long operational lifespan.
Beyond speed and accuracy, electronic shelf labels also support a company’s broader goals of digitalization and sustainability. Paperless price management reduces material use and waste, helping to minimize the company’s environmental footprint.
SoluM – a scalable and reliable system for modern retail
SoluM electronic shelf labels are designed to support the daily operations of retail environments where accuracy, timeliness, and reliability are critical. The core purpose of the technology is to ensure that information flows from the company’s systems to the shelf quickly and flawlessly – without the need for manual intervention.
Real-time data exchange enables simultaneous updates of prices, promotions, and product information across all sales locations. This minimizes delays and ensures that the prices and promotions displayed to customers are always consistent with the information in the system.
The multicolor display creates a visually consistent and professional retail environment. Colors and design elements can be used to highlight promotions, labels, or special offers while maintaining clarity and the brand’s visual identity.
Durability and reliability are ensured by a robust design and a battery life of up to ten years. With a high IP68 protection rating, the labels can be used in humid and low-temperature environments – such as refrigerated and freezer displays – without compromising performance.
LED and NFC features add interactivity and flexibility to the system. LED indicators enable quick visual differentiation – whether highlighting promotional items or stock changes – while NFC technology simplifies interaction between employees and labels or even between customers and digital content, allowing for easy price updates, stock checks, or redirection to online information.
All components are managed from a single centralized platform, reducing labor costs and ensuring consistent price management across all sales locations. This allows the company to focus on its core business while product and pricing information remain accurate, up to date, and visually consistent.
Sustainability as a strategic objective
Sustainability has become one of the core strategic directions in modern retail. Supply chain transparency, energy efficiency, and responsible resource management are now integral to a company’s competitiveness. Electronic shelf labels offer a practical, measurable solution in this development – helping reduce environmental impact while increasing operational efficiency.
Replacing paper labels with electronic ones significantly reduces material and printing costs. A single digital label can replace thousands of paper tags over its lifecycle, resulting in less waste, a smaller CO₂ footprint, and lower logistics costs.
The energy-efficient technology consumes power only when updating content, making the system extremely economical to operate. Long-lasting batteries and maintenance-free components ensure reliable performance for up to ten years, reducing maintenance needs and waste generation.
Automated data exchange and a centralized management platform reduce the need for physical materials, transportation, and manual labor. The result is lower energy consumption throughout the entire price management chain – from data updates to the display of product information on the sales floor.
Digital price management and more precise campaign coordination help optimize inventory and reduce losses caused by product spoilage – one of the major environmental impacts in retail.
Electronic shelf labels demonstrate how technological innovation can be part of a broader strategy – combining efficient management, responsible supply chains, and environmental care into a unified whole that creates added value for both the company and the customer.
Ease of use and workflow efficiency
The true value of an electronic shelf label system lies in its simplicity and reliability. Implementing new technology doesn’t add complexity – instead, it creates a smoother and more efficient workflow across the entire organization.
The SoluM electronic shelf label management system receives prices and product information directly from the company’s own system. Whenever a change is made – whether it’s a new price, a promotion, or an update to product data – it is automatically transferred to the SoluM management platform and then to all labels. The update reaches the shelf in real time, without manual intervention, ensuring that all information is always current and consistent across every sales channel.
The user interface provides a real-time overview of all labels and their status. The system integrates seamlessly with the company’s existing IT environment and connects with ERP and warehouse management software, making implementation simple and a natural part of the daily workflow.
From a store employee’s perspective, an electronic shelf label is primarily a tool that reduces manual work and the risk of errors. Price changes, seasonal promotions, or product information updates can be implemented within minutes – allowing employees to dedicate more time to customer service and sales.
Visual consistency and brand expression
Modern retail is no longer defined solely by product selection and pricing – the store’s visual identity and the environment in which the customer moves are equally important. Electronic shelf labels help create an organized, consistent, and professional shopping environment where every detail reinforces the brand’s overall image.
SoluM labels enable the use of a company’s visual identity elements – logo, colors, design, and layout guidelines – to maintain brand consistency across all retail locations. This ensures visual coherence and reinforces the perceived quality of the brand in every sales environment.
Beyond functional accuracy, clear and visually harmonious labels give the sales area an organized and modern appearance. Color accents, LED indicators, and well-designed information fields help draw attention to promotions or new products without visually overwhelming the store environment. The result is a unified visual language in which every shelf and product detail supports the brand’s promise – precision, professionalism, and a thoughtfully crafted customer experience.
Why choose SoluM electronic shelf labels?
- Complete price control and accuracy – all prices and product information are updated automatically in real time, reducing manual work and human error.
- Remote management and centralized control – price changes can be managed conveniently from a single system, regardless of the store’s location.
- Energy efficiency and durability – SoluM labels operate on a single battery for up to 10 years.
- Clear, modern display – models with different screen sizes and color options are suitable for both grocery and industrial retail environments.
- Extensive integration capability – the solutions are compatible with existing POS systems and warehouse management software.
The future-driven standard of retail
Electronic shelf labels have become a natural part of modern retail, where precision, efficiency, and environmental awareness are interconnected. SoluM technology provides a solid and scalable foundation for managing pricing and product information in real time across all sales channels – quickly, securely, and without errors.
Nixor, the official SoluM partner in Estonia, helps businesses unlock the full potential of this technology. From system integration and setup to visual design support and technical assistance, Nixor provides comprehensive guidance throughout the entire implementation process. The result is a reliable and future-proof solution that combines precision, visual quality, and sustainability – empowering retail to move to the next level of development.