Quick reference for the technology, industry, and product terminology used across electronic shelf labels (ESLs), digital signage, and shelf-edge automation. Includes brand-specific product names from ZKong, SoluM, Vusion (formerly SES-imagotag), Hanshow, and Pricer.
General ESL terminology
Foundational concepts that apply to every electronic shelf label deployment.
- Electronic Shelf Label ESL
- A small e-paper or LCD display mounted at the shelf-edge in place of a paper price tag. Receives prices and content wirelessly from a central system.
- Shelf-edge
- The forward-facing horizontal strip of a retail shelf where price labels live. The shelf-edge is the primary surface ESLs replace.
- Endcap
- The display at the end of an aisle, typically used for promotions. Often uses larger ESLs or dedicated digital signage.
- Planogram POG
- A visual diagram of where each SKU sits on each shelf. ESL platforms can pull from planograms to auto-place tags.
- Refresh rate
- How quickly an ESL screen can update its content. E-paper refreshes in 1–8 seconds; LCD shelf-edge bars update instantly.
- Battery life
- How long an ESL operates on its coin-cell battery before replacement. Modern BWRY ESLs achieve 7–10 years; some specialized models claim 15+ years.
- Coin-cell battery
- Small lithium battery (typically CR2450 or CR2477) used in most e-paper ESLs. Non-rechargeable; replaced once over the device life.
- Master data
- The single source of truth for product information (price, description, barcode). ESL systems sync from POS or ERP master data.
- Dynamic pricing
- Changing prices in response to demand, inventory, or time-of-day. ESLs make dynamic pricing operationally feasible at scale.
- Markdown automation
- Auto-discounting items as they near expiration. Common in fresh, deli, and bakery; reduces shrink by 15–30%.
Display technology
The screen technologies behind ESLs and shelf-edge displays.
- E-paper e-ink, EPD
- Reflective display technology that holds an image without power. Used in 95% of modern ESLs. Manufactured primarily by E Ink Corp (Taiwan).
- BW
- Black-and-white e-paper. Cheapest tier. Used for basic price-only ESLs.
- BWR
- Black, white, and red. Allows price highlighting in red. Standard for most US deployments through 2024.
- BWY
- Black, white, and yellow. Less common; used in specific brand color schemes.
- BWRY
- Four-color e-paper: black, white, red, yellow. Current mainstream tier (2025–2026). Standard for new ZKong, Hanshow, and Vusion ESLs.
- Spectra 6 E Ink Spectra 6
- E Ink's six-color e-paper (black, white, red, yellow, green, blue). Enables full marketing creative on the shelf-edge. Found on ZKong Quantum, SoluM Newton Pro Full Color, Hanshow Polaris Max.
- ACEP Advanced Color ePaper
- E Ink's high-color-count technology (32,000+ colors). Used in premium signage; very slow refresh (~30s).
- Pixel pitch
- Distance between adjacent pixels on a display. Lower pitch = sharper image. Modern ESLs use ~150 PPI.
- Stretched LCD
- Long, narrow LCD panels designed for shelf-edge bars. Wired (always-on power); used for video and animated content.
- Bezel
- The frame around an ESL screen. Narrow bezels (under 2 mm) are a 2026 selling point — Quantum Series leads here.
Connectivity & infrastructure
How ESLs talk to the cloud and each other.
- IoT gateway AP, access point
- Wireless hub that sits on the store ceiling and relays content from cloud to ESLs. One gateway typically covers 5,000–20,000 ESLs.
- 2.4 GHz proprietary RF
- The radio band used by most BWRY ESLs. Custom protocols (not Wi-Fi) for power efficiency. Range: 30–50 m line-of-sight.
- Sub-GHz
- Lower-frequency radio (433 / 868 / 915 MHz) used in some industrial ESL deployments for longer range and obstacle penetration.
- BLE Bluetooth Low Energy
- Used for short-range ESL configuration via mobile app, and for indoor positioning + shopper analytics.
- NFC tag Near-Field Communication
- Passive chip embedded in some ESLs that lets shoppers tap their phone to get product details, reviews, or recipes. Available on most Quantum, Arrow, Newton Pro variants.
- RFID Radio-Frequency Identification
- Wireless inventory-tracking tags. Sometimes integrated with ESL systems for shelf-out-of-stock alerts.
- POS integration
- Connection between the ESL system and the store's point-of-sale (POS) system, ensuring shelf prices match register prices in real time.
- Cloud platform
- The web-based system used to manage ESLs across stores. Each ESL brand has its own: ZKong Cloud, SoluM SSP, Vusion VusionLive, Pricer Plaza, Hanshow All Star.
- Edge sensor
- Optional sensor on or near an ESL — light, motion, or weight — used for shopper analytics, shelf-out-of-stock detection, or planogram compliance.
- Pick-by-Light
- ESL feature where labels blink or display arrows to guide warehouse pickers or shoppers to the right SKU. Used heavily in 3PL and pharmacy.
Industry & retail terms
Retail-operations vocabulary that shows up in ESL specifications and ROI math.
- SKU Stock Keeping Unit
- Unique identifier for a specific product variant. A typical US grocery store has 30,000–50,000 SKUs.
- EAN/UPC barcode
- Standard product barcodes. EAN-13 (Europe) and UPC-A (US) are the most common. Most ESLs display both.
- QR code
- 2D barcode often shown on ESLs for product info, recipes, or promotions. Modern ESLs auto-generate QR codes from the cloud.
- Cold chain
- Refrigerated and frozen product handling. ESLs in cold chain require freezer-rated models like Shield Series (-25°C operation).
- Shrink
- Inventory loss from theft, damage, or expiration. ESLs reduce expiration shrink via markdown automation.
- Out-of-stock OOS
- SKU not on shelf. ESLs with edge sensors can flag OOS in real time. National OOS rate in US grocery is ~8%.
- Price-error chargeback
- Penalty paid by retailers when shelf price differs from register price. Several US states fine $50–500 per error. ESLs eliminate these.
- Click & collect BOPIS
- Buy-online-pickup-in-store. ESL pick-by-light helps pickers locate items in-store quickly.
- Retail media
- Advertising shown in retail spaces. ESLs are now ad-monetizable — Vusion calls this "In-Store Digital Retail Media."
- Loss prevention
- Reducing inventory shrink through cameras, anti-theft, and shelf monitoring. Some ESL platforms integrate with loss-prevention dashboards.
Brand products
Product line names from the major ESL vendors. Useful when comparing or migrating between brands.
- ZKong Quantum Series
- Ultra-narrow-bezel BWRY e-paper ESLs. 5 sizes: 2.3″, 2.8″, 3.1″, 3.5″, 4.2″. 10-year battery. See specs.
- ZKong Arrow Series
- Wireless e-paper shelf-edge bars. 10.95″, 17.06″, 22.74″ widths. Battery-powered (no electrician needed). See specs.
- ZKong Shield Series
- Freezer-rated ESLs (-25°C operation). 7 SKUs covering 2.13″ to 4.2″. See specs.
- ZKong Valley Series
- Standard BWR/BWRY ESLs. 13 SKUs. Mainstream pricing for general retail. See specs.
- ZKong Blade Series
- Larger-format BWRY ESLs (4.2″ to 11.6″). 25 SKUs. For endcaps and category signs. See specs.
- ZKong Essence Series
- Premium full-color e-paper ESLs. See specs.
- SoluM Newton
- SoluM's mainstream BWR ESL line. Award-winning Red Dot 2020 design.
- SoluM Newton Pro
- Updated Newton with BWRY color and longer battery. Compare to ZKong.
- SoluM Newton Pro Full Color
- SoluM's Spectra 6 (6-color) ESL line. Premium tier.
- SoluM SSP SOLUM Solution Platform
- SoluM's cloud management platform.
- Hanshow Stellar Pro
- Hanshow's flagship BWRY ESL line.
- Hanshow Lumina Aqua
- Waterproof variant. Used in fresh / cold-chain.
- Hanshow Lumina Edge
- Wired LCD shelf-edge bar (always-on, full color). Compare to Arrow Series.
- Hanshow Lumina Max
- Larger-format Hanshow LCD shelf bar.
- Hanshow Nebular / Nebular Pro
- Hanshow's BWRY ESL with claimed 15-year battery life.
- Hanshow Polaris Pro / Max
- Hanshow's Spectra 6 (6-color) ESL line.
- Hanshow All Star Platform
- Hanshow's cloud management platform.
- Vusion EdgeSense
- Vusion's edge sensor module — pairs with ESLs for shelf monitoring.
- Vusion VusionLive
- Vusion's cloud management platform.
- Vusion VusionRail
- Vusion's wired shelf-edge LCD bar product.
- Vusion OX
- Vusion's mainstream BWRY ESL line. Compare to ZKong.
- Pricer Plaza
- Pricer's cloud management platform.
- Pricer Avenue
- Pricer's premium ESL line.
- SES-imagotag VICOS
- Legacy name for Vusion's cloud platform (pre-rebrand). Same product, current name is VusionLive.
- SES-imagotag Captana
- Legacy name for Vusion's analytics layer. Now branded under Vusion Retail Intelligence.
Compliance & standards
US regulatory and certification terms relevant to ESL deployments.
- FCC Part 15
- US Federal Communications Commission rules for unlicensed radio devices. All ESLs sold in the US must carry an FCC ID.
- UL listing
- Underwriters Laboratories safety certification. Required by some retailers for in-store electronics.
- RoHS
- Restriction of Hazardous Substances (lead, mercury, cadmium). EU mandate; widely required by US enterprise buyers.
- FDA calorie labeling
- US FDA rule requiring chain restaurants (20+ locations) to display calories on menus. ESLs with menu-board integration handle this automatically.
- Pharmacy Class III
- FDA classification for medical-device-related labeling rigor. Some pharmacy ESL deployments must meet Class III display accuracy standards.
- Cannabis Metrc
- State-mandated cannabis tracking system. ESLs in dispensaries must sync price + THC content from Metrc-derived inventory.
- Weights & Measures (NTEP)
- State certification for retail scales. Some ESL+scale combinations require NTEP approval.
- State pricing-accuracy law
- ~12 US states (CA, NY, MA, MI among them) impose per-violation fines for shelf-vs-scanner price mismatches. ESLs eliminate this risk.
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