Chicago, IL—SPINS has partnered with Cornerstone for Natural to enhance Cornerstone’s ELI Code and Smart Shelf Tag solutions, according to a press release.
Smart Shelf Tags are retail shelf tags equipped with patent pending ELI Codes, which, when scanned with a smartphone, can display a range of digital content including videos, PDFs, images, product attributes, and web pages, in order to engage and educate in-store shoppers. Smart Shelf Tags can also be used to train retail staff on a given product.
“SPINS is excited to be partnering with Cornerstone on this innovative solution,” says Jay Lovelace, Chief Commercial Officer at SPINS. “Retailers know their success comes from differentiation, and that’s what their passionate customers are looking for. Smart Shelf Tags help retailers predict and provide dynamic product assortments that meets their shopper’s dietary needs, health goals, and so much more.”
Cornerstone will incorporate SPINS Product Intelligence data to its solution to help retailers easily implement Smart Shelf Tags for their private label products, and to equip brands with a cost-effective solution for adding advanced product content to their ELI Codes.
“We are thrilled to have SPINS as a partner in this exciting endeavor,” says David Williams, Cornerstone’s EVP of Business Development. “Our goal is to continue adding value to our Smart Shelf Tag solution, and integrating SPINS Product Intelligence data to our offering allows retailers and suppliers alike to upgrade the content displayed on their Smart Shelf Tags instantly, inexpensively, and effortlessly.”
At Natural Products Expo East in September, the WholeFoods team attended an educational session titled Mastering the In-Store Experience. Among the panelists: Jonathan Lawrence, Senior Director of Grocery & Natural Living at Fresh Thyme Market, who were early adopters of the Smart Shelf Tag solution. His take on it: “I’ve gotten thank-you’s, and now it’s value-added for Fresh Thyme, and for the brand. Right now, we’re adding some conventional, well-known brands, along with the natural. So we have Tums right next to Genexa. Tums has done the marketing, they have the money for that. For a brand like Genexa, though—when the information is there, the selling points are right there. Tums won’t do it, because they’re Tums. This gives Genexa a shot. It makes the shelves blow up. There’s content, there’s excitement. We’re not going to have screens on our shelves, but we can offer Smart Self Tags. If you can connect, you’re going to win, and that’s your competitive advantage. Big companies are advertising; we can do ELI Codes.”
Lawrence added that retailers who are interested in this solution should reach out to him. “I’m willing to share what we’ve learned with any other retailers. Now we got it right, and we’re telling people about it.”
If you’re interested in viewing that educational session on-demand, feel free to request a recording by scanning the code to the right with your smartphone. If you’d prefer to put in the request from a computer, do so here.
