Ahold Delhaize, in cooperation with Hanshow Technology, is to equip all of its European stores with electronic shelf-edge labelling. Both companies also want to develop new digital ‘in-store’ services and explore possibilities together.
Dynamic prices
A number of Delhaize stores in Belgium and Albert Heijn stores in the Netherlands already have electronic shelf-edge labelling (ESL) provided by Hanshow. With ESL, customers can easily obtain product information and pay using their mobile phones or Near-Field Communication (NFC) cards. ESL also offers numerous advantages for retailers: it ensures more accurate prices and allows for dynamic pricing methods, such as automated price reductions for items that are approaching their expiry date.
The collaboration between Ahold Delhaize and Hanshow is in the process of being strengthened and intensified. The number one priority is to install ESL in all of the group’s European stores in the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Romania, Greece, Serbia and the Czech Republic. In addition, both companies are setting up an innovation lab to develop new digital solutions, such as contactless payments, in-store navigation, and advertising.
Improved customer experience
“The digital applications we will develop through this partnership will improve our customers’ experience in our stores and enable us to work more efficiently,” explained Wouter Kolk, CEO of Ahold Delhaize Europe & Indonesia in a press announcement.
The timing of Ahold Delhaize’s announcement regarding the accelerated roll-out of ESL is particularly noteworthy. Ten days ago, a small-scale survey by the Brabant Broadcasting Company, revealed that the prices at cash registers in Albert Heijn do not always correspond to the shelf prices in the store. In those sites where ESL was already in use, there was no sign of the problem and all prices were correct.
