Electronic Shelf Label
An electronic shelf label or ESL for short is a very comprehensive wireless systems which retailers use to show and prices for the products to customers. On average, a big company will change its prices about 10,000 times a week and because of this a very good and effective system must be used to ensure that this task is done properly and effectively. A vast majority of companies use a paper printing system which is very slow, takes a long time, and is tedious and labor intensive. This process of printing labels is very slow and it could take several hours to do the entire store which also means the margin of error is too high. People will more likely make a mistake and this can lead to stock loss since products may end up being sold for much less than their original price. This will have a negative effect on the company and they may end up running at a loss.
The systems for the electronic shelf label has been in use for any years but because it is expensive, people have shied away from using it. It seems that they cannot afford it. They should do a cost analysis and weigh the advantages of using this system against the advantages of using other systems like the paper printing method. The costs which are associated with the electronic shelf label are some what hefty and this has lead to companies not using it and sticking to their old and traditional methods of changing prices. These big companies should try to implement the electronic shelf label system when it is on promotion or when it is being offered at a discount.
There is another electronic shelf label system called Altirre which was implemented in the US by some grocery store chains. The system uses an RFID reader which controls about 25,000 labels across about 50,000 square feet of the shopping floor. This system is slightly cheaper than the initial and original electronic shelf label system and it has a turnover period of 5 years. The ZBD which is a UK based company that supplies ESL solutions explains that their system is very effective and it can be incorporated with other databases and record systems.
Businesses and retailers have been the asking whether the electronic shelf label is the best way to go. Retailers and sellers in Europe and Australia have joined forces together and have expressed interest in how US companies and retailers are tackling this issue of price changing. ELS systems are the best way to handle price changes and they might seem expensive in the beginning but as time progresses you will realize that it is very cost effective in the long run. ELS systems save both time and money. They are much more accurate and effective when it comes to changing prices and implementing new prices. Before you decide on whether to use and implement this system this ELS system, you must weigh the pros of using it against the cons of not using. The good thing about electronic shelf labels is that they are water resistant. They can withstand any form of normal store or weather conditions.
This system does have some weakness though. For instance they cannot withstand a heavy impact from being hit by a trolley, they are susceptible to power outages, and at times they face some difficulties when it comes to displaying in store specials and discounts. Before you introduce this system, a lot of research and cost benefit analysis should be done. Also a hazard analysis should be done to fully assess whether it is beneficial to the company. There are smaller versions and smaller systems for the Electronics Shelf Label but why buy something smaller when you can get the full comprehensive system. ELS systems are also getting revamped and being reintroduced with better and more comprehensive options and features.
Current Electronic Shelf Label on Ebay: