With 3,000 tags covering 50% of a 2,000 square meter store in Aparecida de Goiânia, the Supermercados Brasil chain optimizes the management of prices displayed on shelves and plans to expand technology to six other units
The network Supermarkets Brazil, with seven stores spread across four cities in Goiás, turned to technology to strengthen its competitive advantages over its competitors. Given the high frequency of promotions by other supermarkets in the region, in addition to the need to combat inefficiencies and make operations profitable, the retailer implemented 3,000 electronic labels (or ESLs, Electronic Shelf Labels) in the Aparecida de Goiânia unit, 19 kilometers from Goiânia.
ESLs helped to increase revenue and reduce operating costs (Disclosure/Seal Sistemas)
The goal was to test the effectiveness of the solution in the face of the constant circulation of 8,700 product units (SKUs) between the shelves and the store's stock area, whose total area reaches approximately 2,000 square meters. Even though it covers a part of the unit (around 50% of items available to consumers) and still does not include sections such as beverages, butcher's and home appliances, the results observed since the installation of the technology, in the first quarter of 2024, have been very encouraging.
With the support of Seal Sistemas, an integrator of advanced technologies for the supply chain and responsible for the development and implementation of the project, the Supermercados Brasil store recorded a reduction of up to 90% in the time needed to change prices on the shelves. This new reality was essential to avoid selling products at outdated prices and to free up employees for other more strategic functions – factors that contributed to increasing the unit's revenue and reducing operating costs.
Whereas previously around 10% of the store's 110 employees were mobilized each week to manually change prices when all shelf labels were printed, today only one employee is assigned to access the system that manages the electronic labels. With this advancement, the values displayed on the ESLs are updated instantly and at the same time for all products covered.
Technology has also helped the retail chain to increase the level of automation in the store and improve its visual aesthetics, with cleaner and more informative shelves – elements that were noticed by customers. Other differentials include support in combating shelf stockouts and saving paper.
“The electronic tags were quickly integrated into the connected infrastructure and management system that we were already using in the store, which was essential for adapting the use of technology to our operational routine. Given the improvements already observed, we are preparing for the next steps, including applying NFC (Near Field Communication) technology to ESLs to enable interaction with smartphones,” says Fernando Lopes, Director of Supermercados Brasil.
“There are also plans to expand the implementation of tags to the other six stores in the chain by 2025,” adds the executive, referring to the other units located in Goiânia, Goianésia and Niquelândia.
“Electronic labels and their well-known innovations materialize increasingly broad access to high technology by retailers of different sizes and regions of the country. The project in the Supermercados Brasil chain demonstrates our commitment to democratizing the adoption of advanced solutions that go beyond improvements in price management, as they also provide an omnichannel vision and increase interactivity between retailers and consumers, encouraging loyalty,” says Wagner Bernardes, CEO of Seal Sistemas.
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