Sainsbury’s has become the latest major supermarket to trial electronic shelf-edge labels (ESLs) as part of a broader push to modernise its stores and improve operational efficiency. The retailer quietly began testing the digital pricing technology in three of its larger-format stores late last year, including its ‘Future Store’ in Witney, Oxfordshire, which was refitted in November 2023.
The move sees Sainsbury’s join a growing list of UK supermarkets exploring ESLs as a way to streamline pricing, reduce labour costs, and improve accuracy on the shop floor.
“We are trialling electronic shelf-edge labels in a small number of our stores,” a Sainsbury’s spokeswoman told The Grocer. The supermarket declined to provide further details on the pilot, which is being closely monitored for both customer experience and back-end efficiency gains.
According to industry sources, Sainsbury’s is testing ESLs across a variety of product categories, including beers, wines & spirits, health and general merchandise.
The trials are said to be evaluating both the hardware used to display prices and the potential labour savings that could come from automating pricing updates.
Fixtures specialist Harrison Retail partnered with Sainsbury’s to develop the bespoke shelf fixings needed to support the devices. The ESL technology itself is understood to be supplied by multiple providers, though neither Sainsbury’s nor Harrison Retail disclosed specific details about the tech partners involved.
ESLs have gained popularity in the retail sector for their ability to update pricing in real time, allowing supermarkets to react quickly to market changes, reduce pricing errors, and better manage promotions.
Sainsbury’s Witney store, already a testbed for new technology, has been at the forefront of the grocer’s innovation efforts.
The supermarket has been investing in its ‘Future Store’ programme as part of its ongoing strategy to modernise store operations and improve customer experience through digital tools.
While it remains unclear whether Sainsbury’s will roll out ESLs across its wider estate, the trials reflect an increasing trend among UK grocers to digitise shelf-edge pricing, with Tesco, Morrisons, and Co-op also known to have run similar tests.
For now, shoppers in select stores may notice the sleek new screens replacing traditional paper tags.
