Sharp e-ink Electronic Price Tag
Every once in a while, some new product that makes me say: "It's about time!" Case in point, the new e-ink from Sharp. This product comes out of Japan, and is essentially an electronic price tag.
Having worked at retail for approximately four years, I know the usefulness of this product. Though you may not know it, but those price tags are a product of a lot of hard-working, underpaid employees. For example, Wal-Mart gives its department managers a certain number of price changes that they have to do everyday. Then an employee (or, as they refer them as, an associate) Prints up a new tag and updates it into the system.
Right now, they sell for about 17 USD (2 inch display version) and 19 USD (3 inch version). However, these e-ink will enable the store to simple change the price, sell-by-date, and all other pertinent information with a few strokes of a keypad. Of course there is a problem with the batteries, but hopefully the five-year lifespan is enough for a major retailer to justify a new system like this. Who knows when these e-ink tags will take over. I'm predicting a few more years.
Source Plastic Bamboo
