TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Simple Mart Retail has invested NT$450 million (US$14 million) to introduce three million electronic shelf labels across more than 800 stores, a move aimed at optimizing inventory control and enhancing its smart operations, CNA reported.
At a press conference on Wednesday, Company President Chiu Kuang-lung (邱光隆) said the program, supported by the Ministry of Economic Affairs, is being conducted in cooperation with E Ink Holdings and M2Comm. The company has introduced color e-paper signage, electronic shelf labels, sensors, and AI-powered systems at one of its stores in Taipei’s Daan District, which serves as a model smart retail outlet.
The company said that one 75-inch color e-paper display has been installed at the store’s entrance to replace printed flyers, enabling real-time content updates. Data collected from the electronic display, weight sensors, and AI systems are integrated to analyze consumer behavior and recommend products to shoppers.
E Ink Holdings said that electronic displays could significantly reduce carbon emissions compared with LCD screens and printed flyers. The integration of e-price tags in Simple Mart stores could also cut nearly 7,000 tonnes of carbon emissions annually, marking a step toward paperless operations.
Chiu said the electronic shelf labels also eliminate the need to print around 1.9 million shelf price tags monthly. The labels also reduce the need to repeatedly replace paper tags, saving each store 18 hours of manual work each month.
M2Comm developed Sub-1GHz wireless network technology for electronic shelf labels. Company President Wei Chun-kai (魏駿愷) said the e-price tag system, integrated with cloud services, enhances cybersecurity and allows retailers to respond in real time to promotional updates, store expansions, and data management needs.
Since last year, Simple Mart has been supporting upgrades at stores that did not meet automated and sustainable operation standards, Chiu added. The company aims to expand its network to 900 locations this year, with franchise stores accounting for half of the total outlets.
