What began as a pilot project covering in 2024 is now turning into a chain-wide roll-out: Walmart is set to take its pricing and inventory management fully digital, announcing plans to implement Electronic Shelf Labels (DSLs) across all 5,200 U.S. stores within the next year.
Over the past two years, Walmart has already swapped static labels for digital ones in 2,300 locations. According to the retailer, this digization has added hours, if not days, to their employee’s capacity, which they can now fully dedicate towards serving customers. A typical Walmart supercenter or discount store can carry upwards of 120,000 items. Between new inventory, rollbacks, markdowns, and regular price updates, swapping out traditional shelf labels has long been a labor-intensive task.
The retailer now uses a centralized system to update all prices consistently across locations. The ESLs come from French provider Vusion (formerly SES Imagotag) and are connected via the Vusion Cloud platform. The total project, according to prior announcements, carries a price tag of around $1 billion.
The Edgesense labels by Vision don’t just display prices – they also help employees with inventory management. Using mobile devices, they can trigger LED lights on specific shelf labels to help them identify the items that need restocking. This “Pick to Light” system also guides employees when fulfilling online orders, helping them locate products faster.
Despite the shift to digital, Walmart is maintaining its Everyday Low Price (EDLP) strategy. Prices are updated centrally and only outside shopping hours. According to Walmart, the main goal is too free up the employees’ time in favor of better service.