Solum has plans to bring its electronic shelf labels (ESLs) to independent convenience stores. The company promises they can reduce staffing hours and, as a result, costs for retailers.
Solum is directly targeting local shops for its new Newton range of ESLs. The range includes two sizes of freezer labels and labels for gondola ends.
The firm developed as part of tech giant Samsung. Recently, it’s worked with Herbert Retail and MSP Systems to roll out advanced colourcoded ESLs in two Bassett Retail Londis stores in Weymouth.
The company’s senior UK sales manager Hugh Walker told Better Retailing Solum’s offer is “unique” in the ESL market. This is because it incorporates inhouse software and overseeing import to the UK.
Meanwhile, Solum aims to strike partnerships with more-common convenience channel EPoS providers. This will build on agreements with CBE, MHouse and Retail Solutions, among others.
Currently, Solum has “no set target or geographical areas” eyed for the expansion. However, Solum has already rolled out its ESL in CJ Lang Spar stores across Scotland, as well as regional Co-op stores across the UK via Herbert Group. This is alongside “many other individual stores across all fascias”, Walker said.
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“The autumn budget has focused many retailers on how they can reduce labour tasks and enable their staff to work more efficiently in key areas of the business,” Walker said.
“Our recent case study with CJ Lang Spar in Scotland, who have deployed Solum ESLs into all their stores, has seen that around two days a week for promotion weeks is released back into the stores, and removes a lot more tasks from the staff.”
According to Walker, Solum’s convenience customers have used their labels to reduce prices gradually towards the end of the day on time-sensitive fresh and baked goods “to enable selling out at the end of the day and eliminating wastage”.
Some 24-hour stores in Solum’s early trials have also used its ESLs to adjust pricing in peak late-night times on impulse products and alcohol. Walker said this can “cover the additional costs of being open all night”.
The labels also use a ‘pick by light’ feature to mark products needing to be collected for a home delivery basket. Walker said this helps “eliminate errors”.
There are multiple ways shops can access Solum’s ESL services depending on their existing EPoS providers.
“If in doubt, contact us to discuss the Solum solutions,” Walker said.
“We will ensure they are put in touch to work with the right delivery partner who can provide the full service from indicative costs, shop survey through to installation, training and support.”
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