British-based supermarket Asda has launched a new trial of electronic shelf-edge labels (ESLs) at its Express store in Manchester city center, reported Grocery Gazette. “The 12-week experiment … aims to streamline pricing updates and improve operational efficiency. The Oxford Road store, chosen for its high footfall, now has 3,000 ESLs across various product categories, with the technology allowing staff to update prices quickly, with changes reflected on shelves in as little as 15 seconds.”

The labels feature the same information as a paper tag including cost, weight and unit price except it is displayed on digital screens, wrote The Sun U.K. “These digital screens can be updated centrally by staff meaning all the correct information is shown. Asda is working with French software company Vusion Group to install 3,000 of the digital screens at the Manchester branch.”

Chris Walker, managing director of Asda Express, said: “We’re delighted to launch a new trial of electronic shelf edge labels, as we continue to invest in enhancing our in-store processes. This ‘test and learn’ trial will not only help to simplify operations for colleagues in the store, but it will also provide us with valuable learnings that will shape future technology rollouts into stores. We look forward to hearing feedback from customers and colleagues on the trial,” wrote Talking Retail.

Asda previously tested similar technology at its Stevenage superstore in 2023. Asda said it hopes to continue investing in future technology trials within its Express estate as it sets out to provide an enhanced in-store customer experience, according to Talking Retail.

Walmart also plans to replace paper shelf labels at thousands of stores with digital screens, which will allow the retailer to update prices on over 120,000 items within minutes, reported Reuters.

Updating the pricing of paper shelf labels on a weekly basis takes a store employee about two days, but the digital labels can be changed in minutes through the retailer’s mobile app for workers, Me@Walmart.

“The new labels are small square screens that look very much like the paper labels they will replace,” wrote Reuters. They will also enable workers to pick products for online order fulfillment faster, the company said in a statement.

Walmart plans to have the digital shelf price tags in 2,300 stores by 2026.