ZAGREB, Croatia, October 12, 2026 — Hanshow, a global leader in digital store solutions, has partnered with Kenty Adria, a member of Fortenova Group, to support the large-scale rollout of Electronic Shelf Labels (ESL) across Konzum and Mercator stores in Croatia and Slovenia. Building on successful pilot projects, the rollout forms part of the broader digital transformation of Fortenova Group's retail network.
Electronic Shelf Labels (ESL) are digital displays that replace traditional paper price tags, enabling fast and centralized updates of prices and product information. For customers, they provide clear and up-to-date information directly on the shelf, while for employees, they reduce the need for manual price changes, save time and minimize the risk of errors.
Konzum and Mercator began introducing Electronic Shelf Labels through pilot projects in selected stores two years ago. The results of the pilot phase demonstrated significant benefits in day-to-day operations, particularly for store employees, for whom electronic labels make maintaining accurate shelf pricing considerably easier. Based on these positive outcomes, a broader rollout began in 2026, with the partnership between Kenty Adria and Hanshow helping accelerate implementation across both retail networks.
At Konzum, electronic pricing has already been introduced in more than 200 stores, with a further 260 stores planned for deployment. The largest implementation to date includes 44,000 electronic shelf labels installed at Konzum’s store on Radnička Street in Zagreb. The majority of Konzum’s retail network, comprising more than 600 stores across Croatia, is expected to be equipped by the end of the 2027 summer season.
At Mercator, electronic shelf labels have so far been installed in 50 stores across Slovenia, with the goal of deploying ESL solutions throughout the entire Mercator retail network by the end of 2027.
Across Mercator's retail network, the full rollout is estimated to require approximately 3.1 million Electronic Shelf Labels. Given that stores currently replace around 1.44 million paper price tags manually every month, full-scale implementation is expected to generate significant efficiencies by reducing manual price updates, lowering paper and printing costs, and minimizing pricing errors. Since the labels are connected to a central system, prices and product information can be updated automatically and synchronized continuously with checkout systems.
“We are introducing digital tools primarily to reduce the operational workload of our employees and enable them to focus their time where their contribution matters most. Electronic pricing is a good example: the technology takes over part of the work that is operationally demanding and repetitive, giving employees more time for direct customer interaction and support, something technology cannot replace. This is part of our broader approach to building a more productive and efficient store network,” said Stipan Škoro, Director of Retail Business at Konzum.
Urban Plestenjak, Director of Retail at Mercator, emphasized that electronic shelf labels represent an important step in modernizing stores and developing a modern retail environment.
“We are implementing the project gradually and thoughtfully, ensuring that the transition is as smooth as possible for both employees and customers. With this new solution, we want to enable employees to spend less time on administrative tasks and more time working directly with customers, as quality service remains one of our key strengths,” said Plestenjak.
At the Fortenova Group level, the project brings together teams from Konzum, Mercator, mStart, and Kenty Adria, who are jointly coordinating technology implementation, IT activities, and the procurement and delivery of the required equipment.
“Digitalizing in-store processes creates real value for us when it delivers tangible benefits for both employees and customers. The results of our pilot projects have shown that Electronic Shelf Labels significantly simplify the daily work of our store colleagues, improve price accuracy and reduce the possibility of errors. Our partnership with Hanshow now enables us to roll out this technology across a significantly larger number of Konzum and Mercator stores, taking another important step towards modernising Fortenova Group’s retail network,” said Ivo Ivančević, President of the Management Board of Kenty Adria, a member of Fortenova Group.
The project brings a range of benefits for both employees and customers. For employees, it creates a more efficient and streamlined working environment, allowing time savings to be redirected toward customer support and other value-added activities. For customers, it provides more accurate and reliable pricing information and contributes to a better overall shopping experience.
"Supporting Konzum and Mercator as they scale electronic pricing across Croatia and Slovenia marks an important milestone in our collaboration with Kenty Adria,” said Liangyan Li, SVP and Head of Global Sales at Hanshow. “The pilot projects have already demonstrated how electronic shelf labels can improve price accuracy and simplify day-to-day store operations. We look forward to supporting a reliable rollout at scale and exploring further opportunities to enhance store operations and the customer experience across the region.”
