The electronic shelf label has made a lot of progress since its first generation - an early e-ink price display was simple and had very limited colors (and little else). The modern e-ink price display is compact, flexible and amazingly varied. Visit any retail technology exhibition and you'll see a dazzling array of electronic shelf label displays in various sizes, colors, interfaces, and installation options.
This guide provides clarity on all specifications related to e-ink displays that matter; We provide retail specific recommendations to help you make good purchasing decisions
What Specifications of E-ink Price Labels do You Need to Know?
There are some price tag specifications to think about before you buy e ink price tags.
Display size
Smaller sizes (1.5 – 2.4 inches) are perfect for tight areas of use, such as convenience store narrow shelving, cosmetics section tight areas of store, tobacco display area behind the counter etc. These small tags are very low in power consumption and will update quickly; however, they are limited in how much information they can display — usually only price, product name, and possibly a barcode.
Medium size (2.9 – 4.2 inches) e-ink displays are the best size for most FMCG retailers. Most supermarkets like medium sized displays because it gives a good amount of information for the retailer's needs while keeping costs down. The displays allow you to show price, unit pricing, nutrition data, marketing messages, and QR code links without overloading the shopper or the retailer's budget. Medium size e-ink displays can be read by shoppers at normal shopping distances.
Larger displays (7.5 – 12.5 inches) are best used in specialty department applications. Larger displays provide additional space for origin information, preparation date, and handling information for fresh food counters. Large displays also give electronics retailers a way to show technical specifications that aid consumers in making purchasing decisions. Furniture showrooms can show style number, dimension, and materials information on larger displays. While large displays are typically more expensive than smaller ones, in these applications they can replace costly printed signs and eliminate shopper inquiries to sales associates.
Display Color Options
Black and white e-ink price tags still dominate retail because they're cheap, readable in direct sunlight, and sip power like a monk at a wine tasting, But four-color options provide a better balance between cost, power usage, and readability than either black & white e-ink price tags or full-color displays.
Color options do much more than enhance visual appeal.
For example, red can be used immediately on promotional items, close-out merchandise, and low-inventory warning signs — all while using less power than a full-color display.
Yellow is very effective for drawing attention to certified organic products, safety warnings, and member pricing.
The natural tendency of the human eye is to follow color patterns around a store, therefore your marketing plans become more successful without requiring additional training for employees or reconfiguring the layout of the store.
There are other more color options available, however, they have downsides such as reduced battery life, longer update cycles, and higher costs.
Unless you own a high-end electronics store or a small boutique where accurate color representation of products is important, there is little financial justification to invest in them.
Wireless Technology & Compatibility
Wi-Fi Price Tags Systems
Wi-Fi ESL Systems utilize your current network infrastructure by connecting directly to it. It sounds easy, until you consider all the other devices in your store that are connected to that same infrastructure using bandwidth: POS terminals, security cameras, employee devices, etc. For smaller stores this can be acceptable; however, when you have larger stores that may contain hundreds or even thousands of ESL tags; this can become an extremely complicated process.
Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) Price Tags
Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), also referred to as Bluetooth Smart, has recently become popular due to its ability to provide low power consumption and short range communications. Instead of having each ESL tag compete with other devices in your store for bandwidth; BLE tags communicate to strategically located gateways which then send information to the ESL reader(s). This makes the overall system much more stable.
Proprietary RF Systems
Proprietary Radio Frequency (RF) systems function independently from the rest of the store's technology systems and utilize their own designated frequency to communicate. Because Proprietary RF systems utilize their own unique frequency they are completely immune to Wi-Fi based disruptions. The drawback of utilizing a Proprietary RF System is that you are locked into the vendor that supplies the system.
Gateway Configuration and Management
Gateway configuration is a critical part of ESL system performance. Cloud-based management systems offer remote updates and centralized control across multiple locations, perfect for chains. Local server setups give you more control over data security and don't depend on internet connectivity, which matters in rural locations or areas with unreliable service.
Battery Life
E-ink labels can last for 5 to 10 years on the same battery, depending on how frequently real-time pricing needs to be updated. The more frequently prices are adjusted, the faster the battery drains. If prices are adjusted daily, or only twice a week, battery life will be longer. Therefore, energy consumption limitations should be considered early in the pricing design process, rather than as an afterthought.
Durability Features That Actually Matter in Real Environments
For those applications that require frequent washing of the department such as meat cases, fish counters, etc., it's best to ensure that the e-ink price tags have an IP65 waterproof rating, meaning they can function properly even if splashed with liquid, meeting the needs of most dry goods departments. Additionally, some tags also have an IP67 waterproof rating.
Cold resistant tags are a solution to a problem that most retailers do not consider until they see there labels fail due to being placed in a cold environment. The standard e-paper does not perform well at temperatures below freezing, however, cold resistant tags use special materials that allow them to remain flexible and functional at temperatures as low as -25°C. If you have price tags located in your frozen food cases, cold resistant tags are not optional, they are mandatory.
Mounting & Installation Options
Standard rail clips fit easily onto standard (metal) shelf edges. The rail clip will simply pop onto the edge of the shelf and be slid into place. Many specialty stores use a combination of wooden shelving, glass displays, and other custom display units that are not designed with standard rail clips in mind.
Magnets allow for added flexibility when it comes to locating and installing retail display systems. Simply attach magnets to an area where there is metal; just make sure that the shelving used for this application is indeed magnetic and not made from non-magnetic materials like some types of stainless steel shelving.
An adhesive-backed mounting option is a low-cost solution to install retail display products on most surfaces. They can also be used to create temporary, long-term installations as needed. This solution is ideal for those who do not plan on moving their products often and have to remove and reattach products to different locations.
A custom bracket and/or hook mounting option allows retailers to locate and mount their product on nearly all types of fixtures; however, they increase the total cost of each fixture and also add additional time to the installation process.
Software Integration
The ESL system will have to interface with the POS system, inventory management system, and potential ERP system. An open API allows for interfacing while a proprietary closed system makes it difficult if not impossible to do so.
Prior to investing money in an electronic price tag system you should request proof-of-concept integration with your existing software stack. A number of vendors claim their systems are compatible yet provide limited functional interfaces which require manual data manipulation.
A cloud-based management platform enables multiple store management from one single dashboard. This means you may be able to update prices at each location at once, or customize by region. The drawback is that you will depend upon the vendor's servers remaining up and running as well as being secure.
An on-site (on premise) software provides the retailer with greater control over their data, however on-site software also requires IT support. For many small retailers this is unfeasible. However, larger retail chains with established IT departments will find on-premise software to be the most secure and stable option.
How to Match E-Ink Price Tag Specifications to Your Industry
Supermarkets & Grocery
Waterproof tags are needed for the produce section and any other wet area in the market. Tags rated at IP67 will be able to withstand water from spray, moisture from the refrigerator, or a dropped piece of fruit. Most of the products are displayed on medium size tags (2.9 – 4.2 inches). These tags display product price, unit price, and nutrition facts so customers can see the product's value and features without overusing valuable shelf space.
The produce section is the largest category in the grocery store and therefore needs larger tag sizes (7.5 – 12.5 inches) to give customers as much information as possible about their purchases such as where it was grown, how long ago it was prepared, handling instructions, and potential allergens in the product. This additional tag size also decreases the number of times customers ask for this type of information, increasing compliance with food safety regulations.
Promotional items look great on four color tags with red accents without having to use additional shelf talkers created by employees.
Convenience Stores
Tags are typically smaller in convenience stores (1.5 – 2.4 inches), as there is less shelf space due to the high density of merchandise. With the limited amount of time that employees have available at a convenience store that operates 24 hours per day, they do not have the ability to install a lot of different types of mountings for electronic tags.
BLE systems function well in convenience stores as the store footprint is generally very small. In addition to reducing the amount of time that is spent on installing systems, BLE technology is cost effective and allows for a few gateways to be installed throughout a small format store.
Electronics & Appliance Stores
A big screen, think 7.5 to 12.5 inches works well. People checking out TVs, computers, or gadgets prefer seeing details right away instead of tracking someone down. Stuff like display dimensions, pixel clarity, power labels, or guarantee conditions. A roomier digital label handles it fine.
Consider full-color displays for premium products where color accuracy in product imagery influences purchase decisions.
Pharmacies & Healthcare Retail
Pharmacological retail is the best user of medium-sized screens (2.9–4.2 inches) that are able to provide information on the drug name, dosage, price, and in the most cases, the icons of insurance compatibility or logos of the health plan.
To read the labels of medicines, high-contrast black-and-white displays are preferred even by color users, as these are more legible for elderly customers suffering from vision impairments.
Fashion & Apparel
The 4.2–7.5-inch range allows you to convey the style numbers, available sizes, material composition, and care instructions without disturbing your minimalist aesthetic.
When your electronic price tags are integrated with your inventory system, you can have complete access to inventory information. Messages like "Only 2 left in your size" will be displayed automatically and accurately, creating a sense of urgency without employee intervention.
Color-accent displays (especially red) are a great tool to point out the sale fashion retail area where the visual merchandising is the main driver of the purchase.
Why Minewtag Electronic Price Tags Are the Smart Choice for Modern Retailers
As retailers push toward faster updates, cleaner operations, and more flexible pricing strategies, Minewtag's digital price tags deliver the performance and reliability that modern stores demand. With a full range of price tag sizes, multi-color E Ink options, BLE wireless technology, waterproof protection, and cold-resistant models built for harsh environments, Minewtag provides solutions for every retail scenario from fresh food counters to tech showrooms.
Its software platform supports cloud or on-premise deployment, easy POS/ERP integration, and centralized multi-store management, giving retailers real-time control over thousands of labels with just a few clicks. Whether you're upgrading a single boutique or deploying a chain-wide ESL system, Minewtag combines durability, speed, and smart design to help retailers work smarter, reduce costs, and deliver better in-store experiences.
