It is a known fact that consumers don’t purchase everything in a retail store but only what they need and that’s not much in terms of total stock available with a store. Based on 80/20 principle, it is fair to say that shoppers are interested only in a small amount of a store’s total stock.
But what if, based on the popularity of the product, electronic shelf labels are used where popular products are labeled with electronic labels (with a screen) that worked on Bluetooth low energy, that not only give out product details like MRP, discounts, manufacturing and expiration dates etc, but also advertise other relevant products with ‘periodic advertisement with responses’ (PaWR)?
Bluetooth low energy (BLE), due to its high efficiency and low power consumption, is being employed for various applications in retail, medical instruments, proximity sensor based devices etc. where a periodic response is transmitted to end user.
What is an electronic shelf label (ESL):
An electronic shelf label (ESL) is a bluetooth low energy based label used on shelves replacing the traditional labeling methods. ESLs come with display screen that display the product details as any traditional label would do but it is also used for periodic advertisement i.e clearance sale of bakery products, dairy products or any popular products is available on demand etc.
Creating smart retail shopping experience with ESL:
Retail sector is constantly trying to incorporate new technologies for creating a smart, hassle free, leisurely shopping experience for shoppers. From using RFID and EAS tags for article identification, tracking and security respectively, to introducing smart shopping carts, using QR codes based advertisement, and self checkout means.
Moving further in the direction of smart retail, electronic shelf labels are the new addition. Electronic shelf labels when implemented correctly and in an orderly fashion create an accessible, smart and hassle free shopping experience for customers but that is not all.
ESL can also be used to prevent retail losses that occur when some of the stock is expired due to low visibility and being perishable in nature like food, vegetables and dairy items.
With ESL’s smart display, consumers can locate and browse specific section, reducing the amount of time and difficulty they face in grocery and clothing section looking for items they prefer and want.
ESLs also have LEDs that attract customers and sensors that can detect ambience temperature as well. It works with a central access point (AP) where commands can be sent to ESLs for changing MRP and advertise other products, using wireless communication.
Advantages of electronic shelf labelling:
Electronic shelf labels not only enhance the total aesthetics of the retail store but also provide greater visibility to products improving the overall customer experience.
Here are some of the benefits of enabling ESL:
1.Reduced losses: Retail businesses can reduce losses resulting from perishable items like vegetables, cheese, and other FMCGs by putting them on sale and labeling them with ESLs.
2.Higher visibility: Stores often struggle with low visibility into their stock that results in extra resources being redirected towards that problem and decreased sale as well. ESL’s display attracts customers and also provides higher visibility.
3.Smart customer experience: ESLs also help create smart retail stores that is easy to explore, giving customer an increased sense of what they came to purchase and where to find it. Customer experience and loyalty is significantly improved by Electronic shelf labeling.
4.Cost effective labeling: ESL since works on Bluetooth signals (BLE) that require low energy transmission, it comes out as a cost effective tool even in large settings.
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