British supermarket chain Asda has embarked on a pilot project involving electronic shelf edge labels (eSELs) at its Express store in Manchester city centre, UK.  

The initiative, conducted in collaboration with Vusion Group, involves installing 3,000 eSELs at the store. 

The new labels enable pricing updates in 15 seconds through a simple click. 

The 12-week trial is designed to streamline store operations and free up staff time for improved customer service.  

The Oxford Road store - the selected location for this pilot - experiences significant customer traffic, providing an optimal environment to rigorously evaluate the technology across frozen goods, fresh produce, bakery items, personal care products and alcoholic beverages. 

Asda Express managing director Chris Walker said: “We’re delighted to launch a new trial of electronic shelf edge labels, as we continue to invest in enhancing our instore processes.  

“This ‘test and learn’ trial will not only help to simplify operations for colleagues in the store, but will provide us with valuable learnings that will shape future technology rollouts into stores. We look forward to hearing feedback from customers and colleagues on the trial.” 

Asda previously trialled a similar system at its superstore in Stevenage, concluding the experiment in 2023.  

The retailer is keen on further technological explorations within its Express stores to augment the shopping experience. 

In November 2024, Asda initiated a trial of a new self-service returns system, which includes an innovative “drop box” feature, at its Ashton-under-Lyne store in Greater Manchester.