An excellent plan, with only one minor flaw

[simont]

The Tesco near work has recently been teching-up the price labels attached to its shelves. In several aisles, the old-fashioned pieces of paper with product details and price printed on them have been replaced with little electronic gizmos with LCDs of comparable size, and the same product and price information is displayed on those.

I have to assume the useful feature of this system is that they can update the prices at the touch of a button from their lair central control room; they can introduce special offers, rescind special offers, or just keep prices generally in line with the current economic conditions without having to send a henchman stock control operative out in person to physically replace lots of labels.

I am therefore at a loss to explain why they have two different types of gizmo, one with a beige case for normal prices and one with a red case for special offers. Surely this precisely defeats the purpose – now they have to send someone round to replace the gizmos again whenever they want to start or stop a special offer!

Comments

[geekette8.livejournal.com]

When I worked in a shop in my teens as a Saturday / summer job, we were not allowed to re-price items already on the shelves with a higher price (each item had an individual price ticket on it). We were allowed to price new stock with tickets showing a higher price and have both on the shelves at the same time, or re-price existing stock with a lower price, though.

I never understood what legislation it was that governed this (or if it was just the shop policy, but the fervour with which it was enforced always made me assume it was more than just policy) but I wonder if it has changed? Shelf price labels really don't work with that scheme at all and instantly remotely update-able ones even less so!

[deerfold.livejournal.com]

Hopefully it will stop what I saw in Sainsbury's in Leeds on Saturday happening:

Taramasalata
Was: £1.29
Save: 19p
Now: £1

I mentioned it at the checkout - the chap said "oh yes, that's happened a couple of times before, I'll get someone to have a look"

[simont]

If that was a printed sign, though, then presumably there's no reason whatever system bug caused that drivel to be sent to the printer might not cause exactly the same drivel to be sent an electronic price label?

[deerfold.livejournal.com]

True (and thus my use of "hopefully". But at least they could correct every store at once. Although it would probably take longer from someone noticing it to it being fixed.

I do take your point about the cases.

I am starting to believe that many shop assitants walk around in a daze - it's the only reason I can think of that our local B & Q had a sign up which misspelled the name of the town we are in in approximately 1ft high lettering.

[feanelwa.livejournal.com]

Hahahaha shop assistants can't even control the number of tenners they can keep in the till at once, never mind what the sign on the shop says. As if. That's like blaming a nurse for the ward you're visiting being on an inconveniently high floor when the lift is broken. The stupidity is in a higher class than that.

[gerald_duck]

Clearly the objective is that they be able to increase the price between your putting the item in your basket and reaching the checkout.

[cartesiandaemon.livejournal.com]

Or pretend to do so.

Price: 1.27
Price: 1.28
Price: 1.29
Price: 1.54
Customer: WTF?
Customer: Runs to checkout.
Price: 1.59
Customer: Hey!
Price: 2.05
Customer: Look at this! The price is...
Price: 1.27
Customer: Nevermind.
Cashier: £1.27 please, sir.
Customer: *pays*
Customer: Hold on a minute, why did I buy this? I was just browsing...

Or, to temporarily flicker the price lower, to make you think you got a bargain, the possibilities are endless :)

[pseudomonas.livejournal.com]

When RFID in more durable products comes in, they'll be able to spot the people wearing really expensive clothing and carrying posh accessories, and then raise the prices. Shelves that can see you coming :)

[feanelwa.livejournal.com]

Does that mean I would be able to wear clothes I made and get my food for free? ;)

[keirf.livejournal.com]

They have red cases on the special offer gizmos to draw your attention to them. In the future they'll be able to change the colour of the plastic case remotely and then everything will be fine.