What is a Shelf Tag?

When it comes to basic store organization, shelf tags are a vital part of it. These are product labels that are affixed to the edge of shelves in a physical store. It may be made of paper, metal, or plastic and can be attached to a shelf using screws or magnets. Other shelf labels may come in the form of replaceable inserts for permanent label holders. Some shelf labels are also digital and display the product information through an LCD screen, these are called electronic shelf labels or ESLs.

Shelf tags have two main purposes. Firstly, as a place marker to make it easier for customers to locate a certain product while shopping. Unless the store is due for rearrangement or a remodeling project, shoppers can always trust that this label will indicate where the product they’re looking for is. In that regard, a shelf tag is something like the house number of a residence. Additionally, shelf tags also help make staff members’ jobs easier by making it easy to reorder and restock a product.

Oftentimes, a shelf tag has more than just the name of the product and its price. It may also contain a barcode or reorder number that employees can easily reference. Whenever an item is low in stock and a new delivery has to be scheduled, employees simply need to locate the shelf tag to find the information that they need. So whether a shelf label is static or digital, these are a necessity in retail establishments of any size. However, ESLs are rapidly becoming more popular in the retail industry because of the advantages that they provide. 

With the arrival of electronic shelf labels (ESLs) in the market, retailers can take their business to new heights in organization and efficiency. For one thing, ESLs greatly reduce labor and costs when it comes to updating and maintaining shelf tags in the store. Whenever a retail establishment has a sale or another promotion, staff can simply change the price from a central server and have that change reflect across hundreds of ESLs in a few minutes.

Moreover, using ESLs also help retail establishments build an omnichannel experience if they have an online store and other shopping channels. After all, it can be difficult keeping track of store prices, stock levels, and other vital store information across different channels. Fortunately, electronic shelf labels help make this information accessible in one place. Every change is recorded and reflected on the server so retailers have a more accurate view of how their business is doing across different channels. This is something both retail workers and customers will appreciate.

Another benefit that ESLs provide is that they help increase a store’s shelf edge influence. When a customer is browsing the shelves, they are usually also making purchasing decisions in their head. If they find something that catches their attention, they will ponder over it and come to a conclusion faster right at the shelf’s edge. After all, they are already there and shouldn’t waste time. One way retailers can increase the likelihood of a buying decision being made by more customers is to use ESLs to provide more product information. When customers have a lot of information right then and there, they are more likely to make a purchase and the store has more sales.

Go above and beyond what static shelf labels can do with ESLs from SOLUM. We are the leading manufacturer of electronic shelf labels worldwide. For more information about our digital solutions, feel free to contact us today.