How Does an ESL Rollout Work, From Site Survey to Go-Live?
In short
An electronic shelf label rollout runs in stages. A site survey maps the shelves and your price data, the labels are linked to your POS, ERP or price file, and a pilot area proves the flow. The rest of the store follows, staff are trained, and support continues locally after go-live.
Most retailers decide on electronic shelf labels (ESL) for the same reason: paper price tags drift away from the price at the till. The harder question is what the project looks like once the decision is made.
This guide walks through a typical rollout of Pricer electronic shelf labels, stage by stage. It covers what happens at each step, what you need to prepare and where projects usually slow down.
What happens during an ESL site survey?
A rollout starts in the store, not in a spreadsheet. During the site survey we walk the floor and note what the labels will have to fit.
- Shelf types: standard shelf edges, chillers, freezers, peg hooks and promotional stands each need a suitable label and holder.
- Label sizes: small labels suit dense shelves; larger ones leave room for a promotion or a member price.
- The ceiling and layout: Pricer’s system uses optical infrared communication, so the survey checks where the infrastructure can be mounted to cover the sales floor.
- Your current systems: which system holds your prices today, and how price changes reach the shop.
The result is a written recommendation: which labels go where, what infrastructure the store needs and how the prices will reach the labels.
Which labels should go on which shelves?
Not every shelf needs the same label. The choice depends on what the label has to show and where it sits.
| Shelf or display | What to consider |
|---|---|
| Standard shelves | Label size versus how many products share the shelf edge |
| Promotions | Colour to make a sale price stand out |
| Peg hooks | A label designed to hang on the hook itself |
| Larger promotional spaces | An ePaper sign rather than a shelf label |
Pricer’s SmartTAG Color labels show black, white, red and yellow, and Pricer quotes up to 10 years of battery life for them. For peg hooks, the HangTAG is designed to hang on dual-arm hooks.
For end caps, windows and promotion areas, a larger display often works better than a shelf label. Our ePaper signage can be updated from the same price and promotion data.
How do prices get from your system to the labels?
This is the step that decides whether the labels save work or create it. A label is only as accurate as the data behind it.
Pricer describes its cloud-based platform, Pricer Plaza, as the software that manages the whole ESL system, from price updates to task automation. Our job is to connect it to the system where your prices already live:
- A POS that holds item prices and promotions.
- An ERP that pushes prices to every branch.
- A price file exported on a schedule, when there is no direct connection.
We build that link as part of our software development work. Staff keep changing prices in the system they use today, and the labels follow.
Before the link goes live, it pays to check the data itself. Missing barcodes, duplicate items and inconsistent product names show up quickly once they appear on a shelf label.
Why start with a pilot area?
A pilot is a small, real test: one aisle, one department or one store. It proves the full chain before the whole estate is labelled.
During a pilot, check that:
- Price changes in your system appear on the right labels.
- Promotions start and end when they should.
- Staff can pair a new product with a label without help.
- The LED flash guides staff to the right shelf for restocking or Click & Collect picking.
Problems found in one aisle are cheap to fix. The same problems found across a whole chain are not.
How are the labels installed without closing the store?
Installation is planned around trading. Labels are fitted aisle by aisle, and each product is paired with its label so the label knows which price to show.
For a chain, stores are scheduled one after another. Each store follows the same checklist, which keeps the rollout predictable. Pricer states that its system scales from 1 to 1,000+ stores and handles up to 35,000 price updates per hour, so the platform is rarely the limit. The limit is usually the pace at which stores can be visited and staff trained.
What do staff need to learn?
New technology only works if the team on the floor uses it. Our professional services and training cover the everyday tasks:
- Pairing a new product with a label.
- Replacing or moving a label when the planogram changes.
- Using the LED flash to find products for restocking or online orders.
- Knowing who to call when something looks wrong.
Training on day one is what turns a finished installation into a working one.
What support does an ESL system need after go-live?
Once the labels are live, most of the work is invisible. Prices flow from your system to the shelf.
Support is about keeping that flow healthy. That means watching the integration, replacing damaged labels and helping when a store changes layout. Techcon Solution provides this locally from Hong Kong through our maintenance and support service. The same team also handles the software link, so there is one contact for the whole chain.
How does Techcon Solution run an ESL project?
We manage the rollout as one project, from the site survey through installation, training and go-live. We supply the Pricer labels and ePaper signs, build the connection to your POS, ERP or price file, and support the system afterwards.
If you are planning labels for one shop or many, see our ESL & ePaper signage page, our retail solution and a real example in our DeliFans case study. Or get in touch to talk to a consultant.
Frequently asked questions
How long does an ESL rollout take?
It depends on the number of stores, the number of shelf edges and how ready your price data is. The site survey gives you a written plan with the stages and the order of stores before anything is installed.
Do we have to replace our POS or ERP to use electronic shelf labels?
No. The labels take prices from the system you already use. We build the link from your POS, ERP or price file to the labels, so staff keep changing prices where they do today.
Does the store need to close while labels are installed?
Not usually. Installation can be planned aisle by aisle and outside trading hours, so the shop keeps selling while labels replace paper tags.
How many price updates can a Pricer system handle?
Pricer states that its system handles up to 35,000 price updates per hour and scales from 1 to 1,000+ stores.
Source: Pricer – Products
How long do Pricer label batteries last?
Pricer quotes up to 10 years of battery life for its SmartTAG Color labels.
Source: Pricer – SmartTAG Color
Can the labels help staff with restocking and online orders?
Yes. Pricer labels can flash an LED so staff can find the right shelf for replenishment or for picking a Click & Collect order.
Who supports the system after go-live?
Techcon Solution supports the labels and the integration locally from Hong Kong, under a maintenance and support arrangement agreed during the project.
