{"id":800,"date":"2025-02-08T18:24:15","date_gmt":"2025-02-08T17:24:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/helplink.uk\/scottish-stores-are-profiting-from-esl-at-record-speed-we-checked-how-long-it-takes-to-get-roi\/"},"modified":"2025-02-09T12:32:25","modified_gmt":"2025-02-09T11:32:25","slug":"scottish-stores-are-profiting-from-esl-at-record-speed-we-checked-how-long-it-takes-to-get-roi","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/helplink.uk\/en\/scottish-stores-are-profiting-from-esl-at-record-speed-we-checked-how-long-it-takes-to-get-roi\/","title":{"rendered":"Scottish Stores Are Profiting from ESL at Record Speed! We Checked How Long It Takes to Get ROI"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

For the past 30 years, Electronic Shelf Labels (ESLs)<\/strong> have struggled to gain traction in the UK market. However, things are finally changing. More and more retailers are trialling this technology, seeing it not just as a way to replace paper price tags but as a powerful tool to enhance operational efficiency. Let\u2019s take a closer look at how one of Scotland\u2019s largest independent grocery chains \u2013 Scotmid \u2013 implemented ESL and how long it takes for the investment to pay off.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

ESL in Scotmid \u2013 Immediate Operational Benefits<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n

Scottish retailer Scotmid<\/strong> began testing Electronic Shelf Labels<\/strong> in August 2021. The traditional price-changing process was labour-intensive, involving printing labels, sorting them, and manually replacing them across the store. On top of that, promotional materials also needed frequent updates. <\/p>\n\n

Introducing ESL revolutionised this process:<\/p>\n\n

\u2714 Automatic overnight price updates<\/strong> \u2013 all prices are updated before staff even start their shift.\u2714 No more manual label replacements<\/strong> \u2013 store teams can focus on customer service instead of tedious tasks.\u2714 Simple product-to-label assignment<\/strong> \u2013 staff scan the product and label with a mobile app, and the system takes care of the rest.\u2714 Modern shelf appearance<\/strong> \u2013 ESLs are clearer and more visually appealing, improving the shopping experience.<\/p>\n\n

As one of the store managers summed it up: “The shop runs like a Swiss watch \u2013 precisely and without a hitch.”<\/em><\/p>\n\n

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ROI \u2013 How Long Does It Take to Get Your Money Back?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n

The return on investment (ROI) in ESL depends on how the technology is used. If it only replaces paper labels, the ROI takes around 4-6 years<\/strong>. However, when retailers leverage its full potential, the payback period can be as short as 9 months!<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n

Key factors influencing ROI include:<\/p>\n\n

\u2714 Labour cost savings <\/strong>\u2013 fewer staff hours spent on price updates.\u2714 Faster online order picking<\/strong> \u2013 ESLs with Pick To Light technology speed up product selection, improving e-commerce efficiency.\u2714 Better promotion management and dynamic pricing<\/strong> \u2013 prices can be adjusted instantly based on demand and expiry dates.\u2714 Enhanced customer service<\/strong> \u2013 ESLs can display QR codes linking to nutritional information.<\/p>\n\n

The Future of ESL in the UK<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n

While ESL technology is already widely adopted in Europe, particularly in France and Scandinavia,<\/strong> the UK market has been slower to catch up. Historically, lower labour costs in Britain reduced the need for automation. However, as labour expenses continue to rise, major retailers like Asda, Tesco, and Southern Co-op<\/strong> are now seriously considering large-scale ESL rollouts <\/p>\n\n

Will Electronic Shelf Labels <\/strong>become the new industry standard in UK retail? Signs point to yes. For Scotmid, ESL is already a \u201cgame changer\u201d<\/strong>, reducing operational costs while improving both the customer and employee experience. <\/p>\n\n

Could your retail business benefit from ESL automation?<\/strong> Contact us to learn how this technology can help you cut costs and boost efficiency in your store!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Is investing in Electronic Shelf Labels (ESL) really worth it? The Scottish retailer Scotmid switched to this modern solution, and the results exceeded all expectations! Automated price updates, time savings, and ROI in as little as 9 months \u2013 these are just some of the benefits. Find out how ESL is transforming the retail industry and why more UK retailers are following suit. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":796,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[39],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-800","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-price-labels"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/helplink.uk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/800","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/helplink.uk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/helplink.uk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/helplink.uk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/helplink.uk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=800"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/helplink.uk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/800\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":804,"href":"https:\/\/helplink.uk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/800\/revisions\/804"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/helplink.uk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/796"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/helplink.uk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=800"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/helplink.uk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=800"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/helplink.uk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=800"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}