Shelf label types and when each one fits
A shelf label shows the price and the required information for the product on the shelf. There are three main types: a paper label in a plastic rail, a directly printed label, and an electronic shelf label updated from a central system. Which one is right depends not on store size but on how often prices change.
Three types, three cost structures
All three carry the same required information; the regulation does not list different fields depending on whether the label is paper or a screen. Where they differ is what happens when a price changes.
Paper label with plastic rail
The most common and cheapest option. The label comes off a printer and slides into the clear rail at the shelf edge. The rail is fitted once; the label is replaced at every price change.
When it fits: When prices change rarely and the number of shelves is manageable. In a store printing once a week, the sums for going electronic do not close easily.
Printed and clip-on labels
Used where there is no rail: produce crates, counters, hanging goods. Fixed with a clip, a stem or a magnet, and moved by hand as the layout changes.
When it fits: In aisles with no shelf profile and on displays that move often. The same accessory problem exists with electronic labels; the choice of holder is a separate line item.
Electronic shelf label
An e-paper label shows the price in step with the checkout record. Updates come from a central system with no manual step. In return there is per-label hardware, access point infrastructure and a software licence.
When it fits: When prices change often, when shelf-versus-checkout mismatches are a recurring complaint, or when swapping labels is a standing staff cost. Fresh-food aisles and campaign-heavy categories come first.
Sizes
The catalogue records 27 distinct screen sizes. Dimensions are computed from the diagonal and pixel ratio; models without a recorded resolution are left out. The right size is set by your shelf rail height together with the number of fields you must show.
- Size range
- 1.0" – 35.4"
- Three most common
- 2.13", 2.90", 4.20"
- Recorded sizes
- 27
By where it is used
Requirements differ by sector: cold resistance in a freezer, humidity in produce, frequent price changes in jewellery, reading distance in a warehouse.
Frequently asked
What is a shelf label?
A shelf label shows the customer the price of the product on the shelf and the information the regulation requires. It may be paper, printed or electronic; the information it carries does not change with the type.
What types of shelf label are there?
Three main types: a paper label in a plastic rail, a printed label fixed with a clip or stem, and an electronic shelf label updated centrally. The choice depends on how often prices change, not on store size.
Which shelf label size do I need?
Two things decide: the height of the shelf rail and how many fields you must show. The catalogue records 27 sizes between 1.0" and 35.4"; the most common are 2.13", 2.90", 4.20". Use the true size tool to see a size life-size on screen.
How is a shelf label attached?
Where there is a shelf profile the label slides straight into the rail. Without one, a clip, stem, magnet or adhesive holder is used. Chilled cabinets, hanging goods and display stands need their own holders; accessories are the line item most often missed when comparing quotes.
When is it worth moving to electronic shelf labels?
The deciding question is not store size but how many labels you print each week and how many hours it takes. Without those two numbers the calculation is guesswork. A recurring mismatch between shelf and checkout price is a separate reason in its own right.