Fitness, sports and leisure are among the largest sectors in the retail industry and are characterized above all by their huge product portfolios. From sports equipment to sportswear and small accessories, customers are offered an extensive selection in large retail spaces, which is especially popular at the beginning of the year. However, the stationary trade is in constant competition with numerous online offers and their strongly fluctuating prices. For this reason, correct and dynamic product and price labelling is essential for the success of retail shops.
ESL as a bridge between offline and online retail
With an ESL solution, linked to the existing ERP system, sports and leisure retailers can keep pace with e-commerce. Digital price tags with e-ink replace the classic paper labels and save labour time and resources in the long run. Employees no longer have to change price labels manually, which can take up to several hours given the large product range in sports and leisure retail. Instead, thanks to central control, seasonal prices, discounts and adjustments can be automatically displayed simultaneously with the online shop on the entire shop floor across all store branches. Customers thus always have the best price, even on site, which significantly increases the attractiveness of offline shopping.
Long battery life, little paper
The sustainability trend also includes sports retail. From environmentally friendly materials to climate-neutral production, manufacturers and brands are thinking about better processes. Electronic price tags support companies on the path to more sustainable businesses thanks to their durability. With a battery life of up to 10 years, electronic shelf labels are in use for a long time and consume little energy. In addition, they save tons of paper waste caused by the constant changing of classic price labels.
All prices and products at a glance
The core of every hardware solution is the corresponding software. It allows for price tags to be linked to the merchandise management system and to be managed easily. Employees no longer have to walk through the entire store to check labels on shelves, but can do this comfortably on the computer. The result is a significant reduction in workload.
More than just price labelling
Electronic labels can display much more than just product name and price. Through the strategic use of QR codes, customers can be guided specifically to further information. In the sports and leisure sector, for example, this can be comparisons for bicycles, product tests for fitness equipment or detailed product pages for sportswear with all information on available sizes and colors. If there is no adviser on site, customers can call up further information themselves and save themselves online research at home.
ESL in action
Large food retailers are usually seen as prime examples for the implementation of electronic price tags. However, our customers also include large sports and leisure companies such as Fahrrad XXL Franz with several branches throughout Germany. There, the introduction of electronic price tags is not only relevant for the coverage of the entire product portfolio, but also for the alignment with the online shop. For this purpose, electronic shelf labels from SES-imagotag were introduced and linked to the existing merchandise management system. You can read the entire best practice including customer testimonials in our references.
As modern and dynamic as sports itself
The sports and leisure sector is all about trying new things, going beyond one’s limits and always being on the move. Retailers in the sector should show this same kind of attitude and not shy away from modernization. Next to electronic price labelling, this also includes, for example, the introduction of digital signage. With modern technologies, processes become more dynamic or even completely automated in order to give employees more time for what is really important: customer consultation and interaction.
On our website, you can discover more information about electronic price tags from SOLUM or SES-imagotag in various sizes and learn more about ESL software. We are also happy to provide you with comprehensive advice on the topic of infrastructure and implementation in your company during a personal consultation.
