Digital Shelf Labels Set for Major Rollout

The inflationary pressures of the past few years have made many of today’s consumers all about price. But what if the price being charged for merchandise is out-of-date on the shelf? Two words: unhappy shoppers.

The world’s largest retailer is trying a tech solution for this problem: digital shelf labels (DSLs). That technology and its many uses were discussed in a blog that appeared earlier this month on Walmart’s site that was written by Daniela Boscan, Food & Consumable Team Lead at the Texas store that first tested it.

“At Store 266 in Grapevine, Texas, we’ve been testing innovative technology that enhances the way we conduct pricing changes in stores – ultimately making us faster and improving the customer experience,” Boscan wrote. “Now, I’m excited to announce we’re expanding this new technology, called digital shelf labels (DSLs), to 2300 stores by 2026.

“This represents a significant shift in how I, and other store associates, manage pricing, inventory, order fulfillment and customer interactions, ensuring our customers enjoy an even better shopping experience.”

Walmart stores have over 120,000 products on their shelves, each with an individual price tag. Every week those stores experience thousands of pricing updates for new items, rollbacks and markdowns.

Walmart’s DSLs, developed by Vusion Group, allow workers to update prices at the shelf using a mobile app, reducing the need to walk around the store to change paper tags by hand and giving them more time to support customers in the store.

“Working with DSLs has transformed my daily routine,” Boscan writes. “This new tech enhances the way we stock shelves and fulfill orders.”

Click here for more from Boscan’s blog.