Asda has announced a major change to its supermarket shelves but not all shoppers will love it.
The supermarket chain is trialling the use of electronic shelf edge labels at one of its Express convenience stores in the centre of Manchester.
The labels will feature all of the same information that is usually on the paper ones, including product prices, weight and the unit price, but this will instead be displayed on a digital screen.
It means that Asda can issue pricing updates on products in as little as 15 seconds, allowing staff to make changes at the click of a button.
The supermarket is working in partnership with Vusion Group to install 3,000 electronic shelf labels at the Oxford Road store.
The trial will run for 12 weeks and aims to simplify operations of staff so that they can spend more of their time meeting the needs of customers.
The Manchester Oxford Road store sees a high volume of footfall which Asda says will help it to “stress test” the technology.
The labels will be applied to a wide variety of products, including frozen and fresh produce, in-store bakery items, toiletries and alcohol.
But the move won’t be to the taste of all shoppers as fears have been raised that the digital labels could result in “unpredictability” of prices.
Pricing expert Matt Wills previously told the BBC: “With a lack of clarity on what the reference price is, consumers might not realise they are getting a deal at all. This could also lead to unpredictability of prices, causing added complications for people on a budget squeeze, if items are seen to be continually changing in price.”
He added that there’s a risk of “price discrimination”, with some products prices being hiked because of higher demand in a particular area.
The labels may also make it more challenging for shoppers to spot price-cut items as they aren’t as visible as the brightly coloured paper labels, which are often yellow, red or orange to highlight reduced items.
Chris Walker, Managing Director of Asda Express, 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 it will also 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 has previously tested similar technology at its Stevenage superstore in 2023 and says it hopes to continue investing in future technology trials within its Express estate as part of efforts to provide an enhanced in-store customer experience.
Express.co.uk has contacted Asda for comment.
