How Electronic Shelf Labels Are Transforming Independent Grocery

Independent grocers face rising labor costs, thinner margins, and higher shopper expectations. To support retailers in navigating these evolving challenges, IGA recently hosted a webinar featuring experts from Aperion to examine the ways electronic shelf labels (ESLs) are enhancing and modernizing store operations.

“Electronic shelf labels have become more than just a price tag," IGA Senior Director of Connected Commerce Sarah Rivers said. "They do much more, including streamline pricing updates, improve accuracy, and integrate with your other technologies to create a connected, user-friendly experience.”

Watch the webinar recording below or keep reading for a recap.

Why Now? The ESL Market’s Rapid Shift

Greg Adamsky, who leads Aperion’s business development in the Eastern region, explained that ESL adoption has reached a tipping point. Four factors are driving the change:

Labor Costs and Quality
“The combination of costs going up and labor quality going down is giving angst to grocery retailers,” Adamsky, said. “That’s making many look at ESLs as the next logical step.”
National Retailers Leading the Way
“By the end of 2026, Walmart expects to be fully converted,” he noted. “That national move is giving consumer awareness.”
Expanded Functionality
ESLs now integrate with e-commerce, digital coupons, and price optimization tools. “The increased functionality drives ROI,” Adamsky, explained. “You’re not just saving labor—you’re optimizing price and profitability.”
Real-Time Pricing
“One of my customers in Philadelphia changes fish prices daily,” he said. “He doesn’t have to wait a week for updates—that flexibility directly improves profit and freshness.”

Bottom line: Most stores see a return on investment within 18-24 months, and Aperion works with grocers to calculate that ROI based on their specific data.

Inside the Technology: Designed for Flexibility

Tom Engelen, who leads business development in the Western region, described ESLs as “surprisingly flexible tools” that go well beyond displaying prices.

Key features include:

Flashing LEDs in seven colors for order picking, vendor management, and promotions.
QR codes and NFC chips for digital coupons and loyalty programs.
Multi-page displays that toggle between shopper-facing info and backroom data like reorder dates or on-hand counts.
10-year battery life, often stretching to 15 years in practice.

“If you can make a PowerPoint slide, you can design a tag,” Engelen said. “Our team collaborates on templates, trains your staff, and supports you long-term.”

Aperion’s system uses proprietary wireless channels to prevent interference with Wi-Fi or security networks. Installs typically occur during normal store hours with minimal disruption.

Beyond Pricing: The Connected Store Advantage

Aperion Senior Solutions Architect Tyler Spaletta emphasized that ESLs are changing how stores think about pricing and operations.

“With ESLs, price updates sync automatically with your POS,” he explained. “You don’t have to worry about hanging tags in a specific order or mismatched prices at checkout.”

Retailers are using ESLs for:

Automated markdowns (e.g., drop from 30% off to 50% off over time).
Inventory visibility (like North State Grocery’s twice-daily on-hand updates).
Planogram compliance using alerts for empty spots.
Dynamic labeling for produce country of origin.
Customer engagement via QR codes for coupons or product details.

Spaletta shared how one grocer uses ESLs to instantly switch a product’s origin label, “from Mexico to California, just like that," ensuring compliance without chaos.

And when asked how customers react to digital tags, Spaletta smiled. “Most shoppers don’t even realize they’re digital — they think you just put your paper tags in a case. But your team feels the difference immediately.”

Overcoming Shopper Concerns

Some shoppers worry ESLs could be used for price gouging. Aperion Sales Manager Andrew Lickiss clarified that’s not the case.

“In reality, prices are often changing downward. Retailers use the flexibility to discount aging produce or promote meal deals — like rotisserie chickens that drop from $7.99 to $5.99 at dinnertime,” Lickiss said.

Rivers encouraged grocers to be proactive. “Explain to shoppers that ESLs help them save money and get more accurate pricing," she said. "Transparency builds trust.”

Lickiss added a success story from a Colorado independent that announced its ESL rollout through a local newspaper. “Customers came in saying, ‘These are the digital price tags we heard about — this is awesome!’”

Implementation Insights: Pilot Smart, Think Big

When it comes to rollout strategy, the panel shared practical advice:

Pilot broadly, not narrowly. “Make sure every department is represented,” Lickiss said. “You’ll gather better insights than if you just test dairy or produce.”
Plan for full-store adoption. “You won’t realize true ROI until you go all in,” he emphasized. “Running paper and digital tags side by side just adds complexity.”
Cost guidance: Aperion recommends budgeting roughly $10 per active SKU — an all-in figure covering tags, software, infrastructure, and installation. “Focus on total cost of ownership, not just tag price,” Lickiss advised.

Crawl, Walk, Run: Building a Connected Store

As the webinar wrapped up, Rivers summed it up best, saying, “Start with pricing, then expand to shelf management, ordering, eCommerce, and digital coupons. Your ROI keeps getting better as your store becomes more connected.”

For independent grocers, ESLs aren’t about chasing technology — they’re about creating efficiency, accuracy, and a modern in-store experience that builds shopper loyalty.

Next Steps

To learn more or schedule a consultation:

Greg Adamsky (Eastern U.S.) – gregory.adamsky@Aperion.com

Tom Engelen (Western U.S.) – tom.engelen@Aperion.com

“This isn’t about technology for its own sake,” Rivers reminded attendees. “It’s about empowering independents to thrive in a connected commerce world.”