The shelves at every Walmart store across the country will soon look a little different thanks to the retailer’s latest initiative. Earlier this month, the largest physical retailer in the world announced it will soon move to digital price tags at all locations.
Currently, about 2,300 stores have already made the move with the remaining stores to be converted within the next year. Walmart operates 90 locations in Michigan and some have already been updated.
For customers the switch means no more paper tags on shelves and fewer workers in the aisles removing and installing new tags. It also means those who order online may see their orders filled faster as employees will be able to find the items quicker.
For employees and the company it marks a major shift in how operations will flow. Walmart says it will require fewer employees dedicated to change out tags, leading to improved service at stores as those employees will handle other tasks. What used to take hours or even days to complete can now be done digitally and ensures the price displayed on the tag is the same as the one at the register.
The tag changes will typically happen outside busy shopping hours, allowing prices to remain consistent during the day. The company is also making it clear that the digital tags are not being used for dynamic or surge pricing on items.
“It’s important to remember that prices are the same for all customers in any given store and are consistent regardless of demand, time of day or who is shopping,” the company wrote in a press release. “DSLs (digital shelf labels) simply modernize how prices are displayed at the shelf.”
Walmart said that while the tags are digital, none of the systems used to operate them will collect any sort of data on the customers.
The new labels will also help employees who will use a mobile device while stocking shelves. The device activates LED lights on shelf labels that point out exactly where the product is supposed to be stocked, creating less confusion for workers, and in turn, customers. A similar system can be used for employees shopping online orders for pickup or delivery.
