Members Login
Username 
 
Password 
    Remember Me  
Post Info TOPIC: Kroger teams up with Microsoft to test digital shelf tag tech.
Anonymous

Date:
Kroger teams up with Microsoft to test digital shelf tag tech.
Permalink   


"Kroger is rolling out new technology to its stores that could change grocery shopping as we know it.

The technology, which digitally displays pricing and nutritional information, video ads, and coupons, is installed on store shelves where paper price tags hang. The digital shelving is being tested throughout two pilot stores and has been rolled out to about 100 Kroger stores' end caps, an industry term for the space at the end of store aisles.

The digital price tags give Kroger the ability to instantly change prices and activate promotions across its stores, enabling it to undercut sales at other retailers and freeing up employees who would otherwise change prices by hand.

The technology also communicates with customers' smartphones to help them complete their shopping lists"

 

https://www.businessinsider.com/kroger-microsoft-roll-out-digital-shelf-in-threat-to-amazon-2019-1

 

So... "freeing up employees who would otherwise change prices by hand" means freeing them up to perform other tasks in stores, right? It doesn't mean, you know, cut hours and reduce the labor force by a certain percentage, right? I mean, the front end didn't lose hours when self check out and Scan, Bag, Go was rolled out, so... this is bound to be a good thing and I'm sure the digital tech will never glitch up or fail and everything will run smoothly!



__________________


Guru

Status: Offline
Posts: 1128
Date:
Permalink   

Anonymous wrote:

"Kroger is rolling out new technology to its stores that could change grocery shopping as we know it.

The technology, which digitally displays pricing and nutritional information, video ads, and coupons, is installed on store shelves where paper price tags hang. The digital shelving is being tested throughout two pilot stores and has been rolled out to about 100 Kroger stores' end caps, an industry term for the space at the end of store aisles.

The digital price tags give Kroger the ability to instantly change prices and activate promotions across its stores, enabling it to undercut sales at other retailers and freeing up employees who would otherwise change prices by hand.

The technology also communicates with customers' smartphones to help them complete their shopping lists"

 

https://www.businessinsider.com/kroger-microsoft-roll-out-digital-shelf-in-threat-to-amazon-2019-1

 

So... "freeing up employees who would otherwise change prices by hand" means freeing them up to perform other tasks in stores, right? It doesn't mean, you know, cut hours and reduce the labor force by a certain percentage, right? I mean, the front end didn't lose hours when self check out and Scan, Bag, Go was rolled out, so... this is bound to be a good thing and I'm sure the digital tech will never glitch up or fail and everything will run smoothly!


 I knew this technology was coming to Kroger soon. 



__________________

My YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoThvckHfxfuVPEYvWy8yeA

Anonymous

Date:
Permalink   

Anonymous wrote:

"Kroger is rolling out new technology to its stores that could change grocery shopping as we know it.

The technology, which digitally displays pricing and nutritional information, video ads, and coupons, is installed on store shelves where paper price tags hang. The digital shelving is being tested throughout two pilot stores and has been rolled out to about 100 Kroger stores' end caps, an industry term for the space at the end of store aisles.

The digital price tags give Kroger the ability to instantly change prices and activate promotions across its stores, enabling it to undercut sales at other retailers and freeing up employees who would otherwise change prices by hand.

The technology also communicates with customers' smartphones to help them complete their shopping lists"

 

https://www.businessinsider.com/kroger-microsoft-roll-out-digital-shelf-in-threat-to-amazon-2019-1

 

So... "freeing up employees who would otherwise change prices by hand" means freeing them up to perform other tasks in stores, right? It doesn't mean, you know, cut hours and reduce the labor force by a certain percentage, right? I mean, the front end didn't lose hours when self check out and Scan, Bag, Go was rolled out, so... this is bound to be a good thing and I'm sure the digital tech will never glitch up or fail and everything will run smoothly!


 Probably end up going haywire like the 360 did with RRoD.



__________________


Guru

Status: Offline
Posts: 981
Date:
Permalink   

We're reattaching the failed strips now with zip ties.  It looks fresh, friendly, classy, and professional.



__________________


Guru

Status: Offline
Posts: 1817
Date:
Permalink   

If you do see the shelves, you will notice the "price tags" looks strange and or miss-shaped for the item or shelf. Also, think about a flickering light or TV screen, I thought I was going to have a seizure.

__________________
Anonymous

Date:
Permalink   

Microsoft?

 

Oh my, look out for the blue screen of death.



__________________
Anonymous

Date:
Permalink   

EUID_Unknown wrote:


If you do see the shelves, you will notice the "price tags" looks strange and or miss-shaped for the item or shelf. Also, think about a flickering light or TV screen, I thought I was going to have a seizure.


 This 100%. I can't imagine an entire aisle of them, my eyes would bleed by the end of the shift. I don't know why they didnt go with e-ink. 



__________________


Guru

Status: Offline
Posts: 450
Date:
Permalink   

The Western Hills store that I shop at has these tags! They are kinda strange, ya gotta be looking at them straight on to see the prices.

__________________
Anonymous

Date:
Permalink   

I like the idea of it.  If it actually worked, maybe we could get rid of our scanning coordinator.  She's a worthless bitch who doesn't do her job, so we are continuously drowning in old tags.

The problem is that I don't see how Kroger and MS couldn't **** it up.

How poorly does it cope with being rammed by a cart or electric cart?

 



__________________


Guru

Status: Offline
Posts: 1128
Date:
Permalink   

Anonymous wrote:

Microsoft?

 

Oh my, look out for the blue screen of death.


 ha ha yes. Just like I pulled up to McDonald's and the digital menu had a bsod.



__________________

My YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoThvckHfxfuVPEYvWy8yeA



Guru

Status: Offline
Posts: 981
Date:
Permalink   

Krogrr still uses Internet Destroyer as its official browser, so, the partnership of ineptitude makes some sense.

__________________


Guru

Status: Offline
Posts: 322
Date:
Permalink   

Considering the shelves actually run Linux, that surprises me as to why Microsoft is getting in on this. If they put their hands in, it's going to get worse before it gets better!

__________________


Guru

Status: Offline
Posts: 450
Date:
Permalink   

Customer: Excuse me, sir. How much is this item?
Kroger Employee: You have to look at the screen.
Customer: Yo screen messed up.
Kroger Employee: Aww crap, it's a BSOD.
Customer: That means it's free, right?

__________________
Anonymous

Date:
Permalink   

I can imagine the screens showing intermittent advertisements, and customers getting pissed over having to wait to see prices.



__________________
Anonymous

Date:
Permalink   

kroagrr wrote:

Krogrr still uses Internet Destroyer as its official browser, so, the partnership of ineptitude makes some sense.


Do the self check outs still run on Windows XP? I remember not too long ago, I saw the Windows XP logo when a self check out machine was being rebooted...



__________________
Anonymous

Date:
Permalink   

I think almost all of those have been "upgraded" by now.

The handhelds run Windows Mobile, though.



__________________
Anonymous

Date:
Permalink   

Anonymous wrote:

I think almost all of those have been "upgraded" by now.

The handhelds run Windows Mobile, though.


Ah, so Windows Vista then. Good to know.



__________________


Guru

Status: Offline
Posts: 450
Date:
Permalink   

Anonymous wrote:

Do the self check outs still run on Windows XP? I remember not too long ago, I saw the Windows XP logo when a self check out machine was being rebooted...


 Well, we have Toshiba self checkouts now. And they run their own operating system, called "4690." Hey, at least you won't see a BSOD. But yeah, the handhelds run some mobile/embedded version of Windows.

I do wish we'd get new pinpads that can take Apple Pay and other Pays.



__________________
Anonymous

Date:
Permalink   

Anonymous wrote:

"Kroger is rolling out new technology to its stores that could change grocery shopping as we know it.

The technology, which digitally displays pricing and nutritional information, video ads, and coupons, is installed on store shelves where paper price tags hang. The digital shelving is being tested throughout two pilot stores and has been rolled out to about 100 Kroger stores' end caps, an industry term for the space at the end of store aisles.

The digital price tags give Kroger the ability to instantly change prices and activate promotions across its stores, enabling it to undercut sales at other retailers and freeing up employees who would otherwise change prices by hand.

The technology also communicates with customers' smartphones to help them complete their shopping lists"

 

https://www.businessinsider.com/kroger-microsoft-roll-out-digital-shelf-in-threat-to-amazon-2019-1

 

So... "freeing up employees who would otherwise change prices by hand" means freeing them up to perform other tasks in stores, right? It doesn't mean, you know, cut hours and reduce the labor force by a certain percentage, right? I mean, the front end didn't lose hours when self check out and Scan, Bag, Go was rolled out, so... this is bound to be a good thing and I'm sure the digital tech will never glitch up or fail and everything will run smoothly!


 I worked at Kohl's when they switched over to electronic signs, and honestly it's about time Kroger stepped it up. Using and throwing away all those tags and signs and paper is so wasteful especially when it's a huge corporation. This will be much better for the environment. Don't see why hours should be cut for tag people because some still has to maintain the signs and input info, unless info is input at the corporate level, but since it's Kroger then they will probably cut hours.



__________________
Anonymous

Date:
Permalink   

Anonymous wrote:

I mean, the front end didn't lose hours when self check out and Scan, Bag, Go was rolled out, so... 


 Yeah, because no one uses it



__________________


Veteran Member

Status: Offline
Posts: 57
Date:
Permalink   

UC151 wrote:

Considering the shelves actually run Linux, that surprises me as to why Microsoft is getting in on this. If they put their hands in, it's going to get worse before it gets better!


 Microsoft's been embracing both Linux and cloud infrastructure services over the past several years. WSL on Win10 is pretty nice, though the sort of people who have a weird cult around Richard Stallman treat it like the devil because MS had a strategy of "embrace, extend, extinguish" back in the 90s under Gates and Ballmer said Linux was a cancer nearly 20 years ago so obviously the company still acts the same way under Nadella's leadership ¯\_()_/¯

As for why Kroger would partner with MS for this, Ars Technica's article says it best: "Microsoft's Azure cloud service handles most of that data, as Kroger (like many others) didn't want to pay Amazon for the use of its AWS cloud infrastructure. Azure is AWS' biggest competitor"

I like the idea of electronic tags since it means that the prices will automatically be updated. I'm not fond of the fact that "Kroger plans to sell digital advertisements on these displays that can be targeted to customer demographics"



__________________
Anonymous

Date:
Permalink   

Wait, do your stores have the file people hang the tags?

Our store only has one and a half file people (there's a cashier/front desk person who helps out on price change days and covers the position when the main file person isn't available) but the tags are hung by people from the departments. The file people just make signs/change prices/scan things to check for bad prices/adjust prices if required.

I suppose the digital shelf tags would take out the need to scan random stuff, but... well, take the seasonal aisles. We always start out set to POG, but by the end of a season we're shuffling things around and shoving things from the back room wherever they'll fit. I'd hope either the GM or file department can tell the digital tag strip what's in a particular location.



__________________
Page 1 of 1  sorted by
 
Quick Reply

Please log in to post quick replies.

Tweet this page Post to Digg Post to Del.icio.us


Create your own FREE Forum
Report Abuse
Powered by ActiveBoard