In recent years, traditional supermarkets in China have faced mounting challenges, from rising labor costs and shifting consumer habits to the growing pressure of online retail.
To address these issues and strengthen its competitiveness, a well-known supermarket chain in China has taken a decisive step toward digital transformation. Partnering with Datallen, the retailer has introduced digital shelf tags across its stores, laying the foundation for a smart supermarket model that improves efficiency, reduces costs, and enhances the customer experience.
Background & Transformation Drivers
Founded in the late 1990s, this supermarket chain has become a household name in central China, operating dozens of stores across the region. With a strong reputation for fresh produce, bakery items, and everyday essentials, it has long been a key player in local communities.
Yet, like many traditional retailers, it faced mounting challenges:
Declining foot traffic as e-commerce attracted more consumers.
Rising labor costs for frequent manual price updates across thousands of SKUs.
Operational complexity from managing an expanding chain and maintaining standardized pricing and promotions.
Lack of digital infrastructure to support fast decision-making and improve efficiency.
Recognizing these pain points, the supermarket chain embarked on a digital upgrade. Deploying digital shelf tags became a cornerstone of this strategy, enabling accurate pricing, centralized management, and greater flexibility across stores.
Project Scope & Deployment
The project involved a large-scale rollout of Datallen’s digital shelf tags across multiple product categories.
Key highlights include:
Multi-size deployment: 2.9″, 4.2″, and 7.5″ tags matched to different shelving types and product ranges.
Flexible mounting options: rails, clips, wall mounts, table stand, and brackets allowed smooth adaptation to existing fixtures.
Comprehensive coverage: tags were deployed in prepared foods, grain and staples, bakery, fruit and vegetable, and snack aisles—areas with high turnover or frequent price adjustments.
Custom templates & high-resolution displays: labels designed with four-color support to highlight promotions, QR codes, and product details in a visually appealing format.
This deployment ensured that the supermarket’s digital upgrade touched every major customer-facing department.
Outcomes & Impact
What set this project apart was not just the deployment of new hardware, but how Datallen’s ESL solution directly addressed the supermarket’s core challenges.
Since implementation, the supermarket has reported significant improvements:
System integration: Digital shelf tags were connected with the chain’s POS and inventory systems, ensuring unified and real-time updates without manual reconciliation.
Operational efficiency: Automated synchronization reduces labor, minimizes human error, and improves pricing accuracy.
Cost and labor savings: Automated price updates eliminated the need for manual relabeling.
Agility in pricing: Perishables and promotions can be adjusted instantly, reducing waste and optimizing margins.
Consistency and accuracy: Prices across shelves, checkout, and promotions now match seamlessly.
Inventory and staff support: By linking tags to SKUs, staff can quickly locate products, simplify stock checks, and manage replenishment.
Customer satisfaction: Clear, accurate, and visually appealing tags enhance trust and streamline the shopping journey.
Foundation for smart retail solutions: The deployment established a scalable, stable infrastructure for future innovations such as dynamic promotions or IoT integration.
Beyond operational benefits, this initiative positioned the supermarket as a leader in digital transformation among Chinese retail chains—setting a benchmark for others in the industry and reinvigorating its sales and operations model.
Datallen’s Technology & Partnership Invitation
Behind this successful transformation is Datallen, a specialist in electronic shelf tags and digital signage. With deep expertise in wireless communication and IoT, Datallen combines hardware, cloud platforms, and management software into one integrated solution.
Proven R&D strength: Proprietary ESL designs optimized for scale, stability, and retail use cases.
Reliable supply chain: Strong manufacturing and delivery capacity for large-scale deployments.
Comprehensive services: From system design to installation and technical support, Datallen ensures smooth implementation.
Collaborative approach: Open to working with retailers and integrators, offering flexible customization and long-term ecosystem partnerships.
The success of this project demonstrates how digital shelf tags can transform retail operations and customer experience when paired with robust technology and execution.
Datallen welcomes more retailers, supermarket chains, and system integrators to join in shaping the next wave of smart retail solutions—building smarter, more competitive stores for the future.
