Modern retailers in Europe and beyond are significantly shifting to the adoption of digital solutions to run their physical store chain infrastructure. The deployment provides more efficiency, accuracy, and sustainability in physical store management. One of the most essential adoptions in this inevitable shift is the electronic shelf labels of Vusiongroup. In Europe, ESLs is projected to be a key enabler for improving retail sector automation, deepening personalized shopping experiences, and the adoption of efficient pricing strategies.
What is ESL?
Electronic Shelf Label is a modern-integrated digital product pricing and information display on store shelves. They are placed on products instead of printed paper tags. They support the real-time price adjustments, reducing the human label revisions and the inherent human errors that come with it. For instance, with ESLs, retailers have the ability for real-time price adjustments depending on the emerging market trends and the shifting customer needs and behaviour. They can also enable contactless engagements, such as digital promotional campaigns across a chain of stores.
Additional benefits of ESLs, especially in the European retail sector, include automation, digital transition, paper reduction, and compliance to the EU Digital Product Passport, whose full implementation is expected by 2030.
The European retail sector has grown significantly over the past few years. Since the pandemic, until 2025, the sector has experienced an upward of 4% growth. Despite this, the sector is still under substantial geopolitical and inflationary pressure. The growth of the sector can be associated with the growing popularity of ESL in European retail. Electronic shelf labels of Vusiongroup and other brands are causing major disruptions in the European retail market today.
Reasons that ESL has taken over the European retail sector
The greatest disruptions in the European retail sector today are automation and digitalization. These trends offer enhanced shopper experiences. For instance, automation in the retail sector contributes to effective physical store management and maintenance. ESL technologies play a crucial role when it comes to automation. Also, digitalization is a global trend. E-paper technology is especially popular. ESL is a great way of implementing the e-paper trend.
Another reason that ESL is causing a disruption in the European retail sector is because it promotes operational efficiency and profitability. European retailers use ESL and similar technologies to streamline operations at their physical stores while enhancing the experience for their shoppers. For instance, adopting ESL technology promotes features like “scan and go,” which support a customer-centric retail experience.
Furthermore, ESL technology is one of the drivers of profitability in the European retail space. When retailers leverage technologies like ESL, they accomplish streamlined operations. As a result, customers experience a better shopping journey. By doing so, retailers benefit from more returning customers and loyalty from shoppers. These are the key driving factors for retail profitability.
The future outlook of the European ESL market
The European ESL market is currently estimated to be at $1,038 million as of this year (2025) and is poised to accelerate to the highs of $2,363 by the year 2030 (+17.88% CAGR). Presently, companies like Displaydata and Hackshow have been at the forefront of driving ESL market for past years. However, as the market continues to witness grow significantly, emerging competition is becoming stiff. One of the emerging disruptors is VusionGroup, a retail technology company offers products like ESL and has positioned itself as the global driver for digitalization and competitive differentiation in the European market and beyond. The company uses IoT solutions that enhance every stage of a business journey, including the retail part.
Thanks to the benefits that ESL has already showcased in the European retail market, more companies realize that the technology is no longer a side tool. ESL has become and will continue to be a critical part of in-store performance and elevating brand identity. This is why the future of the European retail sector majorly involves ESL market leadership.
Another factor that will result in ESL market leadership in European retail is the shift towards e-commerce platforms. As more shoppers gravitate towards e-commerce platforms, retailers are forced to maximize the experience of their shoppers. One of the best ways for retailers to achieve this is by deploying technologies like ESLs. By deploying such technologies, many customers experience a personalized experience that they appreciate. This will most likely drive ESL market growth in the next few years.
One more element that will drive further ESL market leadership in European retail is the increasing complexity of managing large size retail stores. Retailers are moving away from having one physical store towards operating chains of stores and providing a more diverse range of products.
In the European sector, profitability is often associated with product diversity. Managing such kinds of retail stores is not easy. This is where ESL technology comes in. ESL has proven to be a solution for some challenges that large retail stores experience. For instance, ESL offers the best solution for out-of-stock problems that large retail stores encounter. This is one of the reasons that the ESL market will continue to grow in the future.
When the electronic shelf label was becoming a trend for the first time, one of the challenges that the sector encountered was high initial deployment and implementation costs. However, newer and even existing ESL providers are working towards making the product more affordable. Also, more retailers are realizing that the return of investment is higher. This will result in further ESL market leadership.
Conclusion
It is safe to say that the robust growth of ESL applications in the European retail market is driven by automation, digitalization, and e-paper advancements in this sector. This technology is the key anchor to long-term operational agility, reliability and responsiveness, there by deepening customer trust, and eventually a catalyst for enhanced business profitability going into the future. For these reasons, the European retail sector will continue being dominated by electronic shelf label technologies for several years to come.
