Morrisons becomes first UK supermarket to introduce ‘flashing’ shelf change

No more scanning the aisles for one product.

Finding exactly where products are when at the supermarket can sometimes be quite difficult. That’s why Morrisons has introduced one major change ahead of the busy festive period.

The grocery firm has rolled out its new ‘shop to light’ feature across its More loyalty app. It will allow for members to find exactly what they need by simply using their smartphone.

Designed to cut down shopping time, the new smart technology uses blinking electronic shelf labels that allow products to be located easier and faster. It does so by sharing the in-store location, meaning no more trips scanning several aisles for one item.

The feature can be found by accessing the ‘Product Finder’ tool on the More app homepage. From there, all customers need to do is search for the product they need and select the ‘flash price label’ option.

This will cause the corresponding shelf label to begin flashing, making it much easier to spot. Already said to be popular in the US, Morrisons has become the first supermarket in the UK to adopt the convenient tech.

Partnering with Vusion, the leading AI firm Morrisons worked with to install electronic shelf labelling (ESLs), the new tech will be rolled out exclusively across 270 of the supermarkets stores just in time for the mad Christmas dash.

According to the grocery chain, the feature will be “ideal” for navigating high-density product aisles like herbs, spices, or sauces. It will also come in handy when searching for popular seasonal items like cranberry sauce.

Taking the guesswork out of shopping, the business claims that the ‘shop to light’ feature will help festive shoppers find everything that they need, coming in handy when they need to get in all those last-minute Christmas dinner essentials.

Morrisons has said it marks the “latest demonstration” of how it is using digital innovation to improve the in-store customer experience, helping to give them “more reasons to shop” with the supermarket giant.

Gordon Macpherson, Group Productivity Director at Morrisons said: “We know that Christmas is one of the busiest times of the year for our customers, and we’re always looking for new ways to make their shopping experience as easy and convenient as possible.

“Our new ‘shop to light’ feature is a great example of how we’re using technology to make a real difference in-store, helping our customers find the products they need quickly, whether they’re shopping for their Christmas dinner or just popping in to pick up a few last-minute essentials.”

Roy Horgan, UK & Ireland CEO at Vusion, said: “Technology has a huge role to play in making the shopping journey simpler, faster and more enjoyable for customers. ‘Shop to light’ is a great example of how we can help customers find what they need while making stores more seamless.

“Morrisons has been a fantastic partner in embracing innovation, and we are incredibly proud to be working together to help shape the future of retail.”

Morrisons is not the only UK supermarket looking to improve the in-store customer experience. Asda’s newly appointed CEO David Potts recently announced some major changes with “immediate effect” this week.

General Managers have since been urged to focus on areas most important to customers, with calls for more full-service checkouts to help those completing larger shops to access help from colleagues when they need it.

Stores will also ensure that staffed checkout tills will be open more of the time and always available from at least 8am, alongside self-scan checkouts and scan and go checkouts with colleagues available to assist.