Digital Shelf Tags

[storewanderer]

The Holiday/Sav-Mor chain in rural northern California seems to have converted most/all of its stores to 100% digital shelf tags. They seemed to have their own system for shelf tags before, they weren't on a wholesaler's system. The shelf tags were basically the same size as the tiny little screens they have all over at the present time (they have some slightly larger screens for produce, basically the same size as the old paper signs were). They still have some letter sized paper signs on endcaps and large entry produce displays.

Newly installed, these look really good. I have to wonder over time how these will be cleaned. It seems like over time between dust, stains, etc., these things would be a nightmare to clean efficiently. But whatever labor is needed for cleaning every so often is surely less than the labor required to change hundreds (their ad is small) of shelf tags every week.

I also hope this is the end of scanning errors. So far so good on that front.

Would like to see other stores make this switch.

[mbz321]

I noticed in the last month or so, the Aldi stores in my area have converted to digital tags. I happened to be in one close to closing time and there was a crew installing them. They are hard to tell that they are even digital unless you pay close attention.

[rwsandiego]

I noticed in the last month or so, the Aldi stores in my area have converted to digital tags. I happened to be in one close to closing time and there was a crew installing them. They are hard to tell that they are even digital unless you pay close attention.

I saw them on my last Aldi run. Like you said, hard to tell they are an LCD.

Kohls has used them (at least in San Diego) for several years. It makes total sense. Can't tell you how many times we didn't have the correct signage back in the day when I worked retail.

[storewanderer]

The Kohl's implementation has been very poor. Many are disconnected or do not have the matching product on the displays. The ones on shoes seem to have more broken digital shelf tags than working shelf tags.

Somewhere I saw a Kroger with digital shelf tags, I think it was out in OH, and they were a gray/black style and lacked color and my main comment was they didn't "pop" the way a normal shelf tag does with colors, etc. Same comment on the ones Kohl's uses, they are not color. These ones deployed at Holiday/Sav-Mor seem to show some color (at least red) so at least they pop a bit if you look close. It really cleans up the aisles. I really like how it looks.

[Alpha8472]

I went to a Sears in Concord, California recently that had all digital price tags. There were virtually no employees, so they need to use digital price tags.

Changing price tags takes up so much time, that these digital price tags will make life much easier for overwhelmed employees. These should be used at more stores that are short handed.

[storewanderer]

Did Sears have digital tags on everything or just on appliances?

In about 4.5 months we can probably accurately prepare for the 2024 Sears/Kmart forum assuming they are still having stores open in 4.5 months.

[rwsandiego]

Did Sears have digital tags on everything or just on appliances?

In about 4.5 months we can probably accurately prepare for the 2024 Sears/Kmart forum assuming they are still having stores open in 4.5 months.

Maybe Sears can sell leftover Bed, Bath, and Beyond merchandise. Then, they can rename themselves to "Bed, Bath, and Beyond the Grave."

[storewanderer]

Did Sears have digital tags on everything or just on appliances?

In about 4.5 months we can probably accurately prepare for the 2024 Sears/Kmart forum assuming they are still having stores open in 4.5 months.

Maybe Sears can sell leftover Bed, Bath, and Beyond merchandise. Then, they can rename themselves to "Bed, Bath, and Beyond the Grave."

That may not be a bad idea.

They need something to sell in their stores.

[Alpha8472]

Even the shoe department had them on the shelves. The sheer number of tags must have cost a ton of money.

[storewanderer]

What I heard is Sears/Kmart recently vacated the Kmart IT building in Troy, MI and they had a ton of these digital shelf tags in that facility.

There was a plan to deploy these to stores before COVID but they did not deploy them to many stores. The Miami Kmart has these digital shelf tags.

What is interesting is these plastic things look quite similar to what I see Holiday/Sav-Mor using. Maybe they are using the same vendor.

Kmart is still using the same system for paper sticker shelf tags as they used about 30 years ago if not longer. I cannot believe the system even still works as they have not upgraded it or done anything to it. Super Kmart had a separate system for grocery shelf tags which I assume has been killed but was a bit newer. Kroger's shelf tags still look the same as they did 40 years ago but they have done multiple/numerous upgrades over time to their system.