UK outdoor retailer fully deploys electronic shelf labels from Pricer to improve CX and efficiency

Outdoor and Cycle Concepts (O&CC), the largest outdoor, running and snowsports retailer in the UK, comprising of high street brands Cotswold Outdoor, Runners Need and Snow+Rock, is expanding the £1.5 million roll-out of electronic shelf labels from Sweden’s Pricer to all its 78 stores by May.

The aim of the project is to allow O&CC employees to focus on improving the customer experience (CX) and to enhance internal efficiency by implementing the digital solution for in-store automation and communication from Pricer.

The full chain roll-out of the cloud-based platform Pricer Plaza and its associated digital labels has been customised to meet the needs of this this high-end brand retailer after a pilot installation was deployed last year at the new Cotswold Outdoor store in Milton Keynes, UK.

Five more stores followed last quarter in implementing the cloud-based Pricer Plaza platform and customised SmartTAG color and HangTAG electronic shelf labels, prompting the full rollout this year.

Benefits include real-time, easy price adjustment across the whole chain.

The technology also offers the potential to do more efficient picking of online orders in future for O&CC’s Click & Collect and replenishment services. This would help ensure all products are available on the shelves at all times.

“Our mission is to inspire and support customers to get outside”, says Chris Jones, Strategic Operations Director at O&CC, pointing out that is why it already offers exceptional in-store services like 3D foot scanning, outdoor footwear and pack fitting, running gait analysis and ski boot fitting. It now has the capability to further push these services as staff time is freed up by the automated digital pricing solution. 

“Installing the solution from Pricer will drive efficiency, improve sustainability, and ultimately enable our in-store teams to dedicate more time to serving customers,” confirmed Jones. “We’re delighted to be in partnership with Pricer to help achieve this ambition during 2024.”

According to Peter Ward, Country Manager for UK & Ireland, at Pricer: “We developed a customised label to fit the needs of O&CC’s clothing department, with individual labels on each garment.” 

The strategic decision to now rollout the pilot solution across the entire chain will enhance efficiency, which as Ward points out, “is especially important during these times of high inflation and increasing basic salary staffing costs”.

Reduced running costs and extra functionality should provide a win-win for the retailer.