UK grocer tries out e-ink price tags
Sainsbury鈥檚 is the United Kingdom鈥檚 third largest grocery store, but lately it seems more interested in implementing new technology. The chain announced today that, at least for a trial run at one store, it is going to do away with price stickers, opting for .
This will allow Sainsbury鈥檚 to save on paper and labor, as well as change and update prices more easily. Currently the technology can be seen only in the Shoreditch Old Street location, in upscale area of London.
"A key part of our strategy is to make sure we鈥檙e looking at new technology on behalf of our colleagues to make their lives easier,鈥� Jon Rudoe, the director of digital technology at Sainsbury鈥檚, . "So this trial will give us useful feedback about quicker, efficient digital pricing information and how much time and paper we鈥檒l save in the process."
This is not the first time that Sainsbury鈥檚, or its competitor Tesco, have gotten unusually futuristic for a grocer.
Sainsbury鈥檚 began offering with movies, TV shows, and music at the end of last year and features a lot of current media, although it is not available in the US. Last November, the company also that allows customers to skip the checkout and scan items on their phones as they shop.
At least the latter is related to primary business.
Tesco has also taken on some unconventional business ventures, such as the Hudl and Hudl2, which are actually two of the most highly rated tablets in the UK. It has also worked the Google Glass to develop a that would allow customers to order grocery items on the go by looking at the bar code.
, the intent of the app was not to replace the weekly shopping trip so much as an easy way to take note that you have run out of something.
