Why aren’t electronic shelf labels used in more stores in the UK? For more than two years we’ve been showing retailers how our NetTickIT software not only enables the printing of offers in-store but can also send the same information to electronic shelf labels. Retailers have seen for themselves how the electronic shelf labels supplied to us by ZBD and Pricer all update their prices via a touch of a button. After seeing this for themselves almost every retailer that we’ve shown them to were keen to know more about electronic shelf labels.  In spite of this high level of interest and several retail trials electronic shelf labels are much rarer in the UK than many other countries including France, Sweden, Turkey, Poland and Germany.
Some retailers say they are not yet using electronic shelf labels because of the costs of installing and maintaining them. Others are concerned about ROI. Electronic shelf labels will take off in UK when retailers identify very specific needs. We think that they will be around certain types of promotions where we can see some significant benefits. Once electronic shelf labels justify the investment they will take off quickly across the UK. My prediction is that most major retailers will be deploying them, or planning to, within the next 12 months.