Grocery store chain SPAR Austria has initiated the deployment of smart electronic shelf labels (ESL) across its stores. 

By the end of 2024, 200 SPAR supermarkets, including both company-owned and independently-owned outlets, are expected to be equipped with ESLs. 

The transition to digital labels was driven by the need to make price labelling more efficient for employees and to provide an appealing shopping experience for customers.  

SPAR Austria CEO Hans Reisch said: “Care is essential when selecting appropriate technology, particularly regarding price labelling for food.  

"We have thoroughly tested this option and are pleased that we can offer our customers and employees an innovative and forward-looking solution. The electronic shelf labels are an important step in the digitisation of our company and a sign of our quality and service."  

The ESLs, developed by VusionGroup and VusionCloud, are multi-coloured intelligent systems that deliver accurate product and price information in real time, ensuring that consumers always see the correct prices on the ESLs.  

The implementation follows a multi-year intensive testing phase by SPAR Austria, which involved significant IT work in-house.  

The testing phase revealed that certain products could damage electronic contacts and some power supply systems were prone to errors, necessitating adjustments.  

The ESLs have already been installed in select locations, including the SPAR start-up market in Kufstein and the EUROSPAR supermarket in Eugendorf. 

"Through the 4-colour ESLs, we offer our customers the most accurate price, advertising, and product information. Our employees now have a great solution to quickly replenish shelves and retrieve information about the item at any time, leaving more time for our customers," Reisch added. 

In August 2023, SPAR Austria launched a new app to improve customers’ shopping experience.