Digital shelf-edge LED in grocery promo zone
Objective
Replace printed shelf strips on two promotional gondolas with low profile digital rails that sync to the store’s pricing API. Content needed to remain legible under 5000K overhead fluorescents and survive daily bumping from carts and restocking cages.
Hardware integration
Custom aluminum rails house fine-pitch modules behind anti-glare polycarbonate. Power and data spine along the vertical post reduces visible cabling; quick connectors allow segment replacement without dismantling the bay. Thermal design assumes intermittent full-white promos; we validated surface temperatures with IR during a simulated “flash sale” loop.
Software and operations
Players pull JSON price updates every five minutes with offline fallback to the last known good frame. Store staff use a tablet dashboard for emergency overrides (recall messaging, blackout). Night mode dims to 15% when the aisle lights drop for cleaning shifts.
Results
Promo conversion on tagged SKUs improved in A/B testing versus static strips. After eight months, two modules were swapped for impact damage; spare stock rotation plan kept downtime under thirty minutes per bay.
Rollout: pilot store plus documentation pack for franchise partners.
“Ops finally trusts digital at shelf level—it doesn’t blink out every Monday anymore.” — Category manager