At the National Retail Federation (NRF) Big Show 2023, Pricer, the world’s most trusted electronic shelf label (ESL) provider, is showcasing shelf-edge automation and communication solutions to meet retail trends and support leading retailers.

Designated backroom picking areas are becoming the new paradigm in store operations, as UK retailers continue to digitalise the store and evolve its operations to support the fulfilment of online orders as well as serving customers through the store itself.  Original research of 100 senior UK retailers by Pricer showed that two fifths (39%) felt that in the last 12months there has been more pressure put on the store to fulfil ecommerce orders, while a further quarter (25%) said that bricks-and-mortar stores are having to perform more roles due to the acceleration to digital.

At NRF 2023, Pricer will showcase a Store-in-a-Store solution, enabling two co-existing Pricer Plaza ESL environments, bringing new levels of efficiency for customer service and order fulfilment.  Increasingly, as the number of ecommerce orders fulfilled from the store continue to grow, retailers are seeing the logic of keeping high-running, frequently bought items in a designated ecommerce picking area within the store, relieving store picking stress on customers and lowering ecommerce order picking times for store associates.  With Pricer’s Store-in-a-Store solution, retailers run the back-store designated picking area using high-speed pick-to-light and real-time next delivery data to fulfil ecommerce or click-and-collect orders quickly and more efficiently for customers, while at the same time driving retail space productivity with shelf edge automation.

Pricer Power and the final word on colour

Colour displays bring the experience grocery customer are seeking, and that grocery retailers need.  At NRF, Pricer will display the full range of its colour ESLs.

Pricer’s unique position as the industry leader in low-power consumption and system autonomy now reveals itself as the best platform for scalable colour adoption for retailers.

Pricer ShelfVision – for real-time shelf monitoring

Together with Tier-1 retailers, Pricer has developed an AI-enabled shelf monitoring camera, Pricer ShelfVision.

The combination of ShelfVision and real-time analytics automatically alerts associates when to restock, rearrange misplaced products or place product orders, ensuring improved product availability and helping reduce shelf gaps – something UK consumer report as a key in-store customer experience bugbear.

Original research of over 2,000 UK shoppers in Pricer’s latest ‘Pricer UK Consumer Insight Report’, showed that six in ten (61%) are still experiencing shelf-gaps and out-of-stocks in-store.  Almost half (46%) would abandon their entire basket if the item they needed was out of stock or not available on the shelf, while 54% said they would be less loyal to a brand or retailer where stock replenishment is often poor, showing the long-term impact of poor inventory availability and shelf gaps on lost loyalty and reduced customer lifetime value.

Digital signage solutions for enhanced consumer messaging

Pricer believes that the integration of digital signage and ESLs is a key element in unifying consumer messaging across all elements of in-store communications.  This allows retailers to maintain absolute consistency and control of pricing and promotion while maximising customer engagement.

Pricer’s digital shelf edge technology, SmartRail, together with ESLs are giving retailers a new frontier in endcap promotion.  The solution leverages the SaaS Pricer Plaza environment to bring a user-friendly and robust gateway for digital promotion management, to meet customers increasingly digital-first needs in-store and improve CX at the shelf-edge.

“Many leading retail brands are now integrating ESL to transform their operations and customer experience, from electronics to food, and hardware to pharmacy and convenience”, says Pricer’s Peter Ward.  “Our customers cannot afford to break the trust and loyalty they have built with their customers, and need scalable and reliable tools to build their business for the future.”

NRF 2023 is one of the leading retail technology trade shows in the world and is held in New York, on January 15-17, 2023.

To learn more about real-time solutions for in-store communication and automation at the shelf edge, please visit Pricer’s website, Join Pricer in booth 6539 at NRF 2023: Retail’s Big Show; or come see the difference at Pricer’s booth #6539 at NRF 2023.