By Rachel Williams

Copyright dailyrecord

Asda is set to introduce a major tech feature to its stores. The move will see it switch up its regular shelf labelling to help store operations. The ‘Big Four’ retailer is set to become the latest supermarket across the UK to trial electronic shelf edge labels (ESLs), following Sainsbury’s and Co-op that made similar announcements earlier this year. ESL’s are digital price tags that are used to replace the traditional paper ones, with the tech allowing for real time updates of prices and product information, essentially helping save colleagues’ time. Asda has confirmed that 250 of its newest Express stores will benefit from the new feature, with approximately 2,800 separate electronic shelf edge labels being added, with the total coming to 700,00 across the entire roll out. The supermarket firm has also said that 20 of its new Express stores that are set to open before the end of the year will boast ESL’s from day one. Introducing the digital shelf-edge labelling will reportedly simplify store operations, with employees no longer needing to manually replace item pricing, allowing them to spend more time with customers in stores. ESL’s won’t just display pricing and product information, as QR codes on shelf edges will display allergen information, in addition to displaying the cost, weight and unit price of products. Launched in partnership with VusionGroup and its partners, Renovotec and HL Display, it comes after Asda initially introduced 3,000 ESL’s at its Oxford Road store earlier this year The three-month trial proving successful among as it allowed colleagues to help customers, manage deliveries and replenish shelves. Before that, the supermarket previously tested similar technology at its Stevenage superstore, with the trial ending in 2023. Asda follows a similar move made by Sainsbury’s earlier this year, with the supermarket trialling ESL’s at a small number of stores in June, although the locations of the stores were not confirmed. Meanwhile, Co-op also announced that it would be introducing ESL’s to thousands of its stores, with the digital labelling also helping customers to join its loyalty scheme with a ‘tap to join’ feature. Joseph Sutton, Vice President Asda Express, foodservice and fuel, said: “We’re continuing to invest in enhancing our stores, and the launch of cutting-edge technology across our Express estate is proof of this. By streamlining our instore operations, we can free up our colleagues to focus on what they do best – serving our customers. “With the first of 20 new Express sites set to open next, we’re excited to build on this momentum and to bring Asda’s trusted value to even more communities across the UK.” Roy Horgan, CEO UK & Ireland – VusionGroup, said: “We are proud to be extending our partnership with Asda as they accelerate their digital transformation. This next phase is a testament to both Asda’s digital ambition and the strength of VusionGroup’s market-leading technologies. “By combining ESLs with IoT innovation and data-rich insight, we are helping to transform the in-store experience for Asda customers and colleagues.”