Archived Electronic Label Strips?

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whoisresponding

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Has anyone heard anything about Target testing out electronic label strips? The PTL mentioned it to me the other day. I guess they would be able to change the prices straight through HQ/a computer, which would take away part of the Pricing teams job. As the PATL that kind of has me worried. However I think it sounds potentially expensive and I'd imagine it wouldn't take place for some time?
 
Yuck. Even though placing the pricing labels is a tedious job, I don't think the electronic labels wouldn't look great. I've seen them in other stores and they are just bulky and ugly. I have yet to hear or read anything about that though.
 
The local grocery store in the same town as our Target does this! From a guest perspective, they're very cool and hopefully provides some sort of resolution to any pricing discrepancies, since the labels update in real time, at the same time as they would update for the POS.
 
The problem with such a system is that it wouldn't account for items which have been left in the wrong place by guests or poor zoners. I've only been on the floor a few times, but every time I've had to answer a price check for the GSTL, it was because an item was in the wrong place.
 
Well that's the case for any retail setting, isn't it?
 
Haven't heard about label strips but saw pictures of electronic ad signs. Looks pretty cool. Honestly, I'd be ok with just adhesive promotional signs that we could stick on the top of the label strip holders.
 
LED label strips would be amazing. The cost would be INSANE. I have no idea how something like that would ever be cost effective. I guess they could sell flashes, color spots, blinks, and other effects to the individual vendors. Sheesh. I just increased the price of merchandise two-fold. LOL.
 
i want to be the person hired to key in the pricing info and set up. then i want them to really tick me off. :diablo:
 
mrknownothing said:
The problem with such a system is that it wouldn't account for items which have been left in the wrong place by guests or poor zoners. I've only been on the floor a few times, but every time I've had to answer a price check for the GSTL, it was because an item was in the wrong place.
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That happens with the paper label strips

insiteful1 said:
LED label strips would be amazing. The cost would be INSANE. I have no idea how something like that would ever be cost effective. I guess they could sell flashes, color spots, blinks, and other effects to the individual vendors. Sheesh. I just increased the price of merchandise two-fold. LOL.
Click to expand...

Cost would be insane but in the long run it would be worth it and not as expensive when you consider the cost of the paper, the machines to print it, the labor etc.

On top of that planogram no longer needs to spend time removing the old labels and putting new ones in, hours that could be used elsewhere. Here is an idea that would make that even more efficient, when plano scans a product to put it in its new location the LED on the strip will start blinking (or numerous LEDs if more then one location).

Another efficient use would be the real time pricing, price accuracy and all the hours saved from no longer having to put up or takedown ad signing.

In the beginning the cost would seem too high but in the long run target would save and make so much more.
 
The potential for electronic pricing strips goes far beyond what you can picture. Stores can literally change pricing on the fly. For example, if they know they sell a certain product MORE between 5:15 and 7:02 pm daily, they can automatically adjust the price up or down for that item ONLY FOR THOSE TIMES to increase their profit margin. This has been looked at now for retail for years but has not been implemented widely because of the very high start-up costs.
 
Hardlinesmaster said:
Wow! Spot does have a good it dept.
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lol that was a mockup from microsoft, i will say our IT department is good when workbench and online planogram can stay up for an entire week


btw did anyone else notice the dude left the box on the floor in the aisle? Thats a big no-no at my store
 
I was thinking a bit more about the electronic label strips and thought about a cool possibility... not only could you cut down on the pricing workload, but maybe even use these to ensure accumulator accuracy! If you put 3 buttons on the side of the labels (up, down, and 0) you could actually effectively in real time update the accumulator! Make the accumulator continue to function as normal, but if wrong, the TM could audit an item's label and update it by keying in the actual number out there using the up and down keys! Instead of scanning outs, you just walk the aisles and hit the 0 key on anything that is out! Heck even put a big red button on the top or something that the guest can hit and the label could ask "how many do you need" and it could put a special "Guest Request" pull in the gun that the BR will pull and they could send up front! Heck maybe even have the labels have a "store open" and "store closed" mode... When they are in store closed mode, they will switch the screens to display information that is useful to the flow team instead of guests... Ahh the possibilities :)

I know I am dreaming but just saying, the future could hold some interesting things :)
 
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bikebryan said:
I wasn't paying attention to that. Watching her walk OUT of the store on the end had all my attention..........
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I think there was actually a flash where everything was being paid for as she walked out the door by one of those card scanners like they have in Europe.
 
targetpeon said:
lol that was a mockup from microsoft, i will say our IT department is good when workbench and online planogram can stay up for an entire week


btw did anyone else notice the dude left the box on the floor in the aisle? Thats a big no-no at my store
Click to expand...

Very true about online planogram... and the box on the floor would most definitely be a coaching at my store.
 
Has anyone heard any more on this? Just visited a store in the Minneapolis metro area and they were fully outfitted with them so there is at least one pilot store! Label strips were all electronic and so were promotional 3x5s! The sale balloons were also redesigned to fit in the electronic label "pod"... no folds, it just clips in. If I get back there I'll take a few pics.
 
You guys do know what happens if the label strip malfunctions and doesn't show a price, right?

We will hear more of "Oh look, there's no price on it, does that mean I get it for free?! HAHAHAHA listen to how funny I am hahahahaha I made a joke hahahaha" than ever before...
 
I'd be more worried about a disgruntled TM programming them to read something not too FFF.
(Ever hear of a 'gruntled' employee?)
 
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