The first number in planning
How many labels do you need?
Six tools on this site ask for this number: update speed, coverage, TCO, payback, battery life and environmental balance. None of them said where it should come from. Here you derive it from your own store layout, and the result carries over to those six tools.
The calculation is purely a product of the measurements you enter; we assume no market averages. Because shelves are not uniform and promotional stands are not counted, we give the result as a range. The exact number can only come from your planogram — share it with your supplier before collecting quotes.
1. Your aisles
Add a separate row for each different aisle size. Tick the double-sided box for island units where both faces are used.
2. Facings per metre
This single number drives the whole calculation, and it is not something to guess: go to one metre of your shelf and count how many products sit side by side. If it varies by aisle, take the midpoint between the densest and the sparsest.
3. Areas outside the shelving
Chilled and frozen cabinets are not counted in shelf metres; they are counted per unit. Aisle ends, checkout areas and display stands are a separate item.
Spares kept in store so you do not wait for a technician after a failure. Storage labels are excluded from this rate.
Result
Breakdown
Carry this number to the tools
When you save it, the figure is stored in your browser and pre-filled in the tools below; each one states where it came from and lets you undo it in one click. Nothing is sent to a server.
With the number in hand, what comes next
The label count feeds more than the budget: how many of these products carry the mandatory fields directly determines your rollout schedule.
ERP data readiness checker