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ARTICLE · 20 OCTOBER 2025

Retailers Test The Waters With Electronic Shelf Labels

Foot Anstey
Foot Anstey
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Foot Anstey

Foot Anstey

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After cautious trials, the idea of introducing electronic shelf labels (ESLs) into stores is beginning to gain traction. Co-op confirmed in 2025 that all 2,400 of its stores will be equipped with ESLs by 2026...

United KingdomConsumer Protection
Nathan Peacey
Nathan Peacey
Ella McCarthy
Ella McCarthy
Elin Bebbington
Elin Bebbington
Brighton Dube
Brighton Dube

After cautious trials, the idea of introducing electronic shelf labels (ESLs) into stores is beginning to gain traction. Co-op confirmed in 2025 that all 2,400 of its stores will be equipped with ESLs by 2026 while discount retailer Company Shop has already rolled out ESLs across its UK stores.

The headline benefit of ESLs is labour efficiency. Price updates that could otherwise take staff hours can be pushed to shelves faster, which can be a significant saving at a time of rising staffing costs and tight margins. ESLs may also assist retailers with adapting to regulatory shifts; with new rules on unit pricing targeted for introduction on 1 October 2025, ESLs could offer a way for retailers to adjust unit measures quickly by electronic means compared to having staff members manually sort through shelves and update labels.

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