By Emily Parker
Copyright manchestereveningnews
Asda has announced it will be making a major change across 250 of its Express stores, which shoppers will begin to see from the end of the year. The change is expected to have an extensive impact of the operation of Asda ‘s smaller stores that will look to “transform the in-store experience for Asda customers and colleagues.” The retailer has revealed it will now be rolling-out electronic shelf edge labels – known also as ESLs – across its Express convenience stores. The change comes as a way to simplify operations for Express store colleagues, as they will no longer be required to manually replace pricing labels in-store. New technology displays allergen information at the shelf when shoppers scan a QR code. ESLs will also display the cost, weight and unit price of an item. Never miss a story with the MEN’s daily Catch Up newsletter – get it in your inbox by signing up here The decision to roll out the new technology comes after ESLs were trialled at Asda’s Manchester Oxford Road store for three months. Following the success of the trial, Asda has now announced it will be rolling out ESLs to 250 Express store, with the retailer hoping to roll-out the labels to 20 stores before the end of the year. The store is working in partnership with Renovotec and HL Display on the roll-out, which is expected to see over 700,000 ESLs added to Asda stores. Asda also announced it would be launching up to 20 new Express stores before the end of the year, starting with its upcoming Castleford site on Wednesday, October 7. These new Express stores will also feature ESLs from day one. 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 in-store 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, also added: “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” The announcement comes after a number of other major UK supermarkets revealed earlier in the year they would be trialling ESLs. Sainsbury’s revealed they would be trailling ESLs across a small number of stores earlier this year in an attempt to modernise and improve operational efficiency. The Co-op also previously announced it would be replacing all paper pricing tags with electronic ones in a bid to improve customer experience, enhance transparency, and reduce paper waste in its stores. Major discount store Home Bargains also revealed this week they would be moving to an automated solution to price labels, hoping to modernise markdown processes. Join the Manchester Evening News WhatsApp group HERE
