Shopping at Walmart is about to undergo a significant transformation.
The retailer announced plans to phase out traditional price tags in favor of digital shelf labels, a shift expected to be a “game-changer” for both Walmart employees and customers.
In early June, Walmart began testing this technology at a store in Grapevine, Texas. The pilot program was so successful that just a few weeks later, the company announced the technology would be rolled out to 2,300 stores over the next two years.
The new digital tags will enable Walmart associates to update prices for thousands of items using a mobile app in just minutes, a significant improvement over the current process. Daniela Boscan, the Food & Consumable Team Lead in Hurst, Texas, said the digital shelf labels have “transformed” her daily routine. The technology has increased productivity and reduced “walking time,” allowing associates to spend more time assisting customers.
“A price change that used to take an associate two days to update now takes only minutes with the new DSL system. This efficiency means we can spend more time assisting customers and less time on repetitive tasks,” Boscan said.
The digital shelf labels also make it easier to locate items on shelves, whether for restocking or fulfilling online orders.
However, with the introduction of this new pricing system, there are concerns about the potential for dynamic pricing. Only time will tell how this will unfold.
