Driving Efficiency and Profitability with Smart Shelf Technology

Challenge

One of the world’s largest retailers sought to give store associates more time to focus on serving shoppers by streamlining repetitive and time-consuming tasks. Internal teams identified that several in-store processes were taking longer than anticipated and detracting from overall workflow efficiency and associate engagement. Known for embracing innovation at scale, the company prioritized a fast-track initiative to solve this challenge and bring more intelligent, tech-enabled solutions directly into stores.

Solution

The transformation began with the deployment of EdgeSense™—a shelf-level solution featuring electronic shelf labels embedded in a  more secure, faster and fully connected, Bluetooth-LE enabled rail system. The system enabled the retailer to execute price updates rapidly and consistently, reducing the need for hands-on effort while increasing pricing accuracy across departments.

Results

The benefits contributed to fewer markdowns, more agile price adjustments, and stronger sell-through rates—all of which led to healthier margins. Financially, the rollout delivered an internal rate of return 6 percentage points above target. The success led to an expansion across the chain, with additional focus on improving planogram accuracy, operational efficiency, and the in-store experience for both associates and customers.