Home Business Food and Beverages Company Shop UK Adopts Electro...

Company Shop UK Adopts Electronic Shelf Labels to Reduce Waste and Boost Efficiency

Food and Beverages

Business Honor
25 March, 2025

Company Shop implements ESLs, enhancing pricing accuracy and labor productivity and reducing waste.

The whole UK shop estate of the surplus food grocery chain Company Shop now uses electronic shelf labels (ESLs). Pricer is a provider of in-store automation solutions that work together on the new project, which is currently operational in Company Shop's Long Eaton and St. Helens locations. With Company Shop collaborating with Renovotec on the in-store installations, the retailer plans to finish a roll-out throughout all 13 of its locations by the end of the month. According to the surplus supermarket, the introduction was intended to increase labor productivity, optimize in-store operations, and reduce food waste through dynamic pricing.

Store coworkers no longer have to manually verify or change prices because the technology provides real-time pricing updates to the shelf edge throughout the day, freeing up more time for customer service duties. According to Company Shop, the technology is also made to increase price accuracy, particularly for surplus items with a limited shelf life, which lowers waste. Gemma Edlin, head of retail at Company Shop, stated that introducing Pricer's ESLs significantly improved labor productivity, freeing up store colleagues' time to focus on customer service, and had a particularly positive impact on members.

The organization envisions a world where surplus products never go to waste. With real-time, precise pricing through ESLs, members are assured of receiving the best prices available, leading to increased sales and reduced waste. In recent years, some UK food retailers, including Co-op, Asda, and Lidl, have switched from paper pricing tags to electronic shelf labels (ESLs) in an attempt to improve store operations. Last March, Company Shop reached a major milestone by donating 2.5 million meals from its regional distribution facilities across the United Kingdom, thanks to its partnership with discount supermarket Aldi.