Solum provides ESLs for Kölle Zoo to modernize pet retailer store operations
Key takeaways
- Kölle Zoo has deployed around 300,000 Solum Newton electronic shelf labels across 28 stores, completing the rollout in eight weeks.
- The system enables centralized, rapid updates to pricing and product information.
- Time saved on price and promotional changes allows store teams to focus more on customer service and specialist pet-care advice.
Solum, a spin-off from Samsung Electro-Mechanics, has supplied electronic shelf labels (ESLs) to German pet retailer Kölle Zoo, supporting the digitalization of its store operations.
By integrating Solum Newton ESL, the central advanced information management system platform and the associated infrastructure, Kölle Zoo aims to improve efficiency for communication of price and product information at the shelf, while freeing up time for customer advice, service, and engagement.
Jochen Goppold, senior sales manager at Solum Europe, says: “Kölle Zoo is known for the highest standards of expert advice and customer service in specialist pet retail.”
“We are therefore delighted that our ESL platform has made a measurable contribution to the digitization of its store operations. The significant reduction in the workload associated with price and promotion changes, together with the additional capacity created for customer service and advice, clearly demonstrates the value that digital technologies can deliver for retailers today.”
Enhancing efficiency
The rollout covered around 300,000 ESLs across 28 Kölle Zoo stores and was completed in eight weeks. The companies underscore that with the digital shelf label solution, price and product information can be managed centrally and updated quickly, reducing the amount of manual work, while lowering the risk of errors.
According to Kölle Zoo, depending on the season, campaign, and product range, retail stores may need to implement up to several hundred price changes. With the ESLs, processes that previously required extensive manual coordination can be managed more efficiently.
With the extra time saved on workflow, store teams can focus on customer-facing activities. The companies say this creates additional value for customers, particularly in specialist pet retail, where expert advice plays an important role.
Michael Dipper, head of IT at Kölle Zoo, says: “We were impressed by the battery life of more than ten years, the very low field failure rate, the design of Solum Newton ESLs, and the professional, partnership-based collaboration between all the teams involved. This enabled us to implement the project quickly, efficiently, and to a high standard.”
Earlier this year, Solum and Competera, an AI-driven pricing solution provider, expanded their partnership to further connect AI-driven pricing intelligence with real-time ESL execution across European retail networks.
UK supermarket chain Waitrose recently rolled out Solum ESL to more than 200 stores nationwide. However, in the US, a recent poll showed bipartisan support in the country for banning surveillance pricing and ESLs in grocery stores.
