Identive NFC Tags Selected by Store Electronic Systems for Innovative Retail Application

Identive Group, Inc. announced that Store Electronic Systems (SES), the leader in electronic shelf labeling (ESL) systems for food and non-food retail, has selected Identive’s near field communication (NFC) tags to power innovative electronic shelf labels that allow consumers to access a wealth of information about product pricing, composition, origin and manufacturing, through a smartphone. Three million Identive NFC tags have been ordered for this ground-breaking retail application, which is the world’s largest of its kind.

“For the launch of our patent-pending NFC electronic shelf labels, we were looking for a partner that could provide us with a proven and reliable NFC solution that would in turn ensure a quick and hassle-free experience for our retailer clients around the world. We turned to Identive because of their reputation as one of the most experienced and responsive suppliers in the transponder industry and as a leader in NFC in particular,” said Philippe Bottine, CTO of Store Electronic Systems. “Identive’s focus on performance, interoperability, reliability and quick-turn production has enabled us to offer NFC capabilities across the full range of our electronic shelf label offerings. This capability is yet another differentiator for SES as we work to help large retailers improve their sales and operational performance.”

Identive’s NFC tags are embedded in SES’s electronic shelf labels and give easy access to a cutting-edge retail experience for consumers. Using any NFC-enabled smartphone, it takes only a few seconds for consumers to download the retailer’s NFC mobile app when they first enter the store. They can then tap their phones to store shelf labels to view product information and receive coupons and loyalty benefits that can be redeemed from their phones at checkout. The NFC tags can also trigger a health alert on the phone’s screen for products that contain ingredients such as dairy or nuts. Retailers can also use the NFC-tag to store information used for product and shelf management.

France-based SES is a 20-year pioneer and global leader in electronic shelf labeling for the large-scale retail sector, and to date the company’s products and systems have been installed in 5,400 stores in 50 countries. SES’s traditional electronic shelf labels are used by well known global brands such as Auchan, Leclerc, Dansk, Fairprice and Carrefour to enhance retail displays, dynamically manage product pricing and improve store productivity. The new NFC-powered shelf labels open exciting new opportunities for retailers to reinforce their brands with consumers by delivering product information directly into their customers’ smartphones.

“We are very pleased to work with SES on the launch of their NFC shelf labels, which are a simple yet dramatic innovation in retail shopping,” said David Holmes, vice president Mobility & NFC Solutions for Identive Group. “NFC is becoming a standard feature on new smartphones and soon will be virtually everywhere. With this new global concept for large retailers, SES is leveraging the convenience of NFC in a practical application that has wide appeal. SES’s innovative use of NFC technology helps consumers make better decisions, brings brands and consumers closer together and enables retailers to lower their operational costs.”