How Does YALATECH Electronic Shelf Label Reduce Food Waste in Retail

According to the United Nations, the carbon footprint of all wasted food worldwide reaches 3.5 billion tons per year, out of a total of 55 billion tons.

However, food waste is particularly common in the retail business. Globally, a total of 10.8 million tons of food is wasted in supermarkets each year. In developed countries, 30% of the food that rots in the landfill is eliminated from the counter. The main types of food thrown away by supermarkets are baked goods, meat, seafood, processed foods, vegetables and fruits. Piles of rotting food generate greenhouse gas emissions, which are a major contributor to man-made climate change.

Food loss is an urgent issue for the retail business

Due to fierce market competition and changing demand, a large amount of food can not be sold out before its shelf life. The modernization of retail store management and systems and the digital upgrade of merchandise management are key factors in reducing retail food waste in daily operation management.

In fact, discounting is the most direct and effective way. Discounted sales of food on the verge of expiration are popular among consumers, generate profits for stores and supermarkets, and also reduce food waste.

However, updating the price labels by hands is time-consuming and labor-intensive for large supermarkets. At the same time, manual price changes do not guarantee the accuracy of the information and can easily confuse the date of sale, shelf life and other information.

Digital management of merchandise can reduce food waste

YALATECH ESL solutions can cover all the merchandise in one or dozens of stores. Once the food promotion starts, tens of thousands of ESL tags are automatically updated in a very short period of time.

Through digital management, all stores of the same brand can offer consistent discounts at the same time, and employees can quickly find information such as shelf life through proximity communication devices or back-office systems, allowing expired items to be handled in a timely manner.

In addition, ESL's flashing light alerts employees when the items are about to expire. Food waste is mitigated when items nearing expiration are detected and disposed of in a timely manner through discount promotions and other methods.

Ultimately, YALATECH ESL solutions have reduced food waste in the retail business.