Tesco will team up with Hanshow to deliver an estate-wide electronic shelf label (ESL) rollout across its supermarket and convenience stores in a multi-year partnership.

Following a successful pilot, the deployment will see ESLs go live in ~3,0000 locations over the next two years as part of its store modernisation plans, as Kevin Tindall, Operations MD at Tesco, told Retail Week. “The rollout marks an important step in the modernisation of our stores, delivering benefits for customers and colleagues.”

“Moving to a digital system will not only support our sustainability ambitions by significantly reducing paper use across the Tesco estate, but it will also mean that our colleagues can focus on what matters most – serving our customers.”

The ESLs will drive operational efficiencies via instant, centrally controlled price and promotion updates, which will save Tesco colleagues from manually replacing traditional paper tags.

“This collaboration reflects a shared commitment to improving store efficiency, enhancing CX and building a more sustainable retail environment through digital innovation,” Liangyan Li, Senior VP & Head of Global Sales at Hanshow, commented.

Tesco becomes one of the latest retailers to turn to ESLs to future-proof their stores through digital shelf-edge capabilities.

In December, Waitrose has announced it will deploy SOLUM’s ESLs across its entire UK store estate to automate pricing updates, allowing Partners to spend more time focusing on customer service.

More recently, WHSmith confirmed its would also deploy digital labels across its UK travel retail estate, starting with high-footfall locations including the retailer’s recently opened flagship stores at Heathrow.