How real estate intelligence is redefining retail growth
Wednesday, November 26, 2025
| The rise of electronic shelf labels in retail |
| Published Wednesday, November 12, 2025 11:00 am |
This is a summary
"Electronic shelf labels (ESLs) are quickly moving from pilot programs to mainstream adoption in retail stores across the globe.
What started as a niche solution in European and Asian markets is now gaining traction in the United States as retailers look for ways to keep prices accurate, respond faster to market changes, and improve the in-store experience.
Market leaders like Walmart, Target and Aldi adopting ESLs in stores across the U.S. is an indication of what’s to come in the U.S. as more retailers realize the broad benefits of ESLs. Like all new technology movements, adoption doesn’t come without a set of skeptics.
Some lawmakers have expressed concern that ESLs could be used as a weapon for predatory pricing practices. This is highlighted in the "Stop Price Gouging in Grocery Stores Act," also known as H.R. 4966. However, this concern is not based on data or evidence. "
Read the original on Chain Store Age
The rise of electronic shelf labels in retail | Chain Store Age
Image credit to Vitaly Gariev on Unsplash
Retailers are expanding again—but with far more discipline. Today, it’s not about opening the most stores, but choosing locations that can truly win. Real estate intelligence is reshaping decisions by tying together customer movement, store performance and financial impact, allowing brands to validate formats faster, negotiate smarter and align real estate strategy with bottom-line results. The retailers who treat data as a daily habit—not a quarterly report—are the ones building portfolios that can flex with consumer behavior and stay future-proof.
Tariffs under the Trump administration have become so unpredictable that retailers are struggling to keep up, with costs shifting faster than buying teams can plan. Because orders are usually placed months—sometimes nearly a year—in advance, the on-again, off-again tariff changes have disrupted long-standing vendor relationships, forced last-minute capacity bets, and pushed buyers to reorder their entire sourcing strategies. Big names like Best Buy and Ikea have already shifted production away from China, while smaller retailers face far greater pressure as they juggle longer lead times, unreliable suppliers, and tighter holiday deadlines. As experts point out, this volatile trade environment is accelerating a major industry shift: retailers must evolve from lean, efficiency-focused supply chains to more flexible, resilient ones—or risk being left behind.
IKEA's net profit fell nearly one-third to 1.5 billion euros from 2.2 billion euros in fiscal year 2025, as the company absorbed the impact of U.S. tariffs and rising commodity prices while maintaining lower prices for franchisees and customers. Total revenues remained essentially flat at 26.3 billion euros, with total IKEA sales declining 1% to 44.6 billion euros due to lower wholesale prices introduced in 2024. Despite the profit decline, sales volumes grew 2.6% and store visits increased nearly 2%, reaching 915 million, as the company opened 66 new locations globally. IKEA plans to maintain current wholesale price levels in fiscal 2026 to ensure stability and affordability despite continued pressure on profitability.