How Can Electronic Shelf Labels Support Shopper Marketing?

The shelf is a key decision point in retail, where shoppers evaluate products, prices, and promotions before making a purchase. Procter & Gamble popularized the idea of the “first moment of truth” in 2005, describing the brief window—often cited as three to seven seconds—in which a shopper notices a product on the shelf and decides whether to consider it. [1]

The concept remains relevant today. A shopper may have seen an advertisement, read a review, or added an item to a wish list, but the in-store environment can still influence the final decision. The shelf is one of the places where purchase intent may translate into action.

For retailers, the shelf is therefore an important communication touchpoint. If pricing is difficult to read, a promotion is not clearly presented, or similar products are hard to compare, shoppers may delay the purchase, choose an alternative, or leave without buying the item.

An electronic shelf label (ESL) sits close to this decision point and can support clearer, more consistent shelf communication. Beyond displaying prices, selected ESL models and connected shelf-edge displays can present promotional messages, product details, badges, or QR codes, depending on the technology and solution design.

Understanding Shopper Marketing

Shopper marketing focuses on understanding and supporting purchase decisions at or near the point of purchase. Unlike broad advertising that may reach consumers before they enter a store, it includes touchpoints such as packaging, shelf placement, in-store promotions, signage, and sampling.

Retailers have good reason to pay attention to this stage because many decisions are finalized in the store. A behavioral study published by Tesco Media found that seven in ten shoppers enjoy discovering new brands while shopping and that 71% make their final purchase decision in-store. [2]

Shelf communication can support the shopping journey through three related stages: visibility, understanding, and action. When shoppers can quickly identify a price, compare options, and recognize a promotion, decision friction may be reduced. Shelf-level communication should therefore be treated as an active part of the shopper experience rather than only as an operational display.

The Evolution from Paper Labels to In-Store Retail Media

Shopper marketing at the shelf has traditionally relied on paper labels and signs. Store teams print price tickets and promotional materials, sort them, and place them manually. This process can take considerable time and may result in delays or mismatches between shelf and checkout information. Paper also limits how quickly content can be adjusted across a store network.

Connected shelf-edge media provides an additional option for shopper marketing. Rather than treating the shelf only as a static communication surface, retailers can manage selected content centrally and update it according to campaign schedules. Where a retailer has the necessary commercial model, governance, measurement, and brand partnerships, some of this inventory may also form part of an in-store retail media offering.

Retailers are increasingly testing combinations of electronic shelf labels, shelf-edge LCD displays, end-cap screens, and other in-store media formats. These technologies serve different purposes: e-paper ESLs are typically used for pricing and concise shelf information, while LCD displays can support richer visual or video content. The appropriate format depends on the store environment, category, campaign objective, and operating model.

How Retailers Use Shelf Communication to Support Purchase Decisions

Effective shelf communication can improve product visibility and make information easier to understand at the point of purchase. In-store retail media can contribute to this experience when content is relevant, clearly presented, and coordinated with pricing and availability. Retailers can consider the following practices:

• Clear, scannable signage. Use legible pricing, concise promotional callouts, and simple product information that shoppers can understand quickly.
• Strategic product placement and eye-level positioning. Use planograms, shelf talkers, dividers, or shelf-edge strips to improve visibility and help shoppers navigate the category. Placement decisions should reflect retailer and category strategies rather than rely on the display technology alone.
• Cross-category prompts. Relevant pairings—such as pasta sauce near pasta—or clearly explained bundles can help shoppers discover related products. Their impact will vary by category, offer, and execution.
• Timely promotion signals. Clearly presenting the terms and duration of an offer at the shelf can make it easier for shoppers to understand the promotion and decide whether it is relevant.

Electronic shelf labels can support some of these practices at scale, particularly centrally managed pricing, promotional callouts, product information, and QR-code journeys. They do not determine product placement or guarantee a sales outcome, but they can reduce repeated manual label changes and help retailers maintain more consistent shelf-edge communication.

How ESLs Help Retailers Unlock Shelf Media Opportunities

Digital shelf-edge displays can also become part of a retailer’s media inventory. Depending on display type and the retailer’s operating model, brands may use approved shelf-edge placements for product launches, promotions, or category messages. The value of this opportunity depends on content standards, shopper relevance, campaign measurement, and integration with the wider retail media network.

Hanshow’s Polaris Pro series can help retailers present pricing, promotional callouts, and brand information within a consistent shelf-edge format. Its multi-color e-paper display provides additional visual options while retaining the operational role of an electronic shelf label. The content and outcomes depend on retailer configuration, campaign design, and store context.

For store zones where richer visual content is appropriate, Hanshow’s Lumina LCD solutions provide full-color display capabilities, including images and video. These displays can support shelf-edge promotions and brand activations as part of a broader in-store communication or retail media plan. They should be distinguished from battery-powered e-paper ESLs, which serve a different display and operating purpose.

Conclusion

The shelf remains an important part of the purchase journey. What has changed is the range of tools retailers can use to communicate at that point. Electronic shelf labels can support accurate pricing, visible promotions, and consistent product information, while LCD shelf-edge displays can provide richer media formats where appropriate.

Reference

1. https://journalrecord.com/2005/09/27/procter-gamble-drives-sophisticated-instore-marketing/
2. https://www.dunnhumby.com/uk/tesco-media-resources/report/tescomedia-movingmindsets/