WHSmith links with SOLUM to digitise travel store shelves

WHSmith is preparing to upgrade parts of its global travel store network with electronic shelf labels from SOLUM, in a partnership that aims to speed up price changes, streamline operations and give passengers a more digital shopping experience in airports and rail hubs.

Digital shelf labels move into the travel retail mainstream

Electronic shelf labels, or ESLs, are gaining momentum across European grocery and convenience chains, and the partnership between WHSmith and SOLUM signals that the technology is now moving firmly into high-footfall travel environments. Publicly available information on SOLUM’s recent projects shows the company rolling out its Newton family of ESLs with retailers in the United Kingdom and continental Europe, positioning the supplier as one of the more active players in large multisite deployments.

For WHSmith, which operates hundreds of units in airports, railway stations and motorway services, the collaboration offers a way to digitise thousands of paper price tags that must currently be printed, shipped and manually replaced. Reports on other SOLUM projects in Europe indicate that retailers using similar systems have been able to push price or promotion changes to entire estates within minutes, replacing processes that once took hours or days at store level.

The move aligns WHSmith with a wider trend in travel retail, where operators are searching for ways to make compact stores more efficient as passenger numbers rise and staffing remains tight. By automating routine price and product updates at the shelf edge, management can reallocate staff time toward customer-facing roles such as queue management, product guidance and add-on sales.

Analysts tracking the ESL market note that travel locations are particularly well suited to digital labels, as trading conditions can change rapidly with flight schedules, daypart patterns and currency shifts. A centrally controlled ESL platform allows head office teams to react quickly, whether that means rolling out short-term offers to clear stock before season-end or aligning airport prices across territories.

How SOLUM’s ESL technology changes the shelf edge

SOLUM’s ESL portfolio, including the Newton Pro and the newer Newton Core+ ranges, is built around low-power e-paper displays designed to be readable under strong artificial lighting, which is a common feature in airport and station stores. According to product documentation and recent launch materials, the devices are engineered for rapid price updates, multi-year battery life and two-way communication with store systems, supporting a shift from static paper tickets to networked digital endpoints.

The labels can display not only prices but also barcodes, unit pricing, promotions and basic product information. In some configurations, integrated LED indicators and buttons allow staff to trigger visual cues at the shelf for tasks such as locating items for click-and-collect orders or identifying stock that needs replenishment. Industry coverage of SOLUM’s work with fulfilment and robotics partners suggests that the same infrastructure can be extended later to support more advanced in-store automation.

In practice, each label is associated with a product record in WHSmith’s back-end systems. When prices or promotions change centrally, updated data is transmitted to the labels over a dedicated wireless network, and the new information appears on the shelf within seconds. Observers of previous SOLUM deployments report that this approach can increase price accuracy, as it reduces the risk of human error during manual label changes and keeps shelf-edge information aligned with the point-of-sale system.

The technology also opens the door to richer content at the shelf, which is particularly relevant in travel locations where shoppers often make quick decisions on snacks, magazines, books and travel accessories. With ESLs, retailers can highlight multi-buy offers, last-minute travel essentials or seasonal ranges more dynamically than with static cardboard barkers, while still keeping the shelf edge uncluttered.

Operational and sustainability gains for travel retailers

One of the strongest arguments for ESL adoption in retail has been operational efficiency. Industry case studies on SOLUM projects with supermarkets and co-operative societies in the UK point to measurable reductions in staff time spent on printing, sorting and attaching paper tickets. For travel retailers operating in expensive and space-constrained locations, even modest labour savings can have a noticeable impact on profitability.

Automation of price and promotion changes is particularly valuable in airport stores, where trading calendars, duty free rules and passenger flows can drive frequent adjustments. With electronic labels in place, WHSmith’s central teams can coordinate updates across multiple terminals or even multiple countries without relying on overnight ticket packs and manual checks. This can help limit pricing discrepancies that might otherwise frustrate time-pressed passengers.

There is also a sustainability dimension. ESL suppliers, including SOLUM, consistently highlight the reduction in paper waste and printing consumables when retailers move from disposable labels to durable digital tags. For an operator of WHSmith’s scale, eliminating regular reprints of shelf tickets across its travel network could avoid significant volumes of paper and toner use over the lifetime of the system.

From a maintenance perspective, travel locations pose particular challenges, with high traffic, trolley impacts and frequent fixture changes. SOLUM’s recent product releases emphasise robust casing designs and flexible mounting options that are intended to withstand such environments while keeping labels securely fixed to shelves, bins or hangers. If these durability claims are reflected in WHSmith’s rollout, the retailer could limit the operational disruptions that sometimes accompany new hardware installations.

Passenger experience and the future of travel shopping

For travellers, the most visible change will be the shift from paper price tickets to clean, monochrome digital labels across a growing number of categories in WHSmith stores. Industry feedback from earlier ESL projects in grocery and convenience formats suggests that shoppers generally adapt quickly, often appreciating clearer typography and more consistent information layouts compared with a patchwork of printed labels and stickers.

ESLs can also support clearer communication of promotions and unit pricing, which may be particularly useful for international passengers less familiar with local packaging sizes or currencies. By standardising how prices, savings and multi-buy offers are presented, WHSmith has an opportunity to make rapid, on-the-go purchases feel more transparent and less stressful for customers trying to catch a flight or train.

Travel retail specialists observe that digital shelf infrastructure is increasingly being used as a stepping stone toward more connected stores. In SOLUM’s case, recent partnerships with pricing, signage and fulfilment technology firms point to a roadmap where ESLs serve as part of a wider digital fabric connecting shelf edges, back-office systems and potentially even mobile or loyalty applications. WHSmith’s collaboration positions the company to tap into such capabilities as they mature.

The pace and scope of the rollout across WHSmith’s travel estate have not been fully detailed in publicly available information, but the partnership reflects a broader push to modernise store environments frequented by passengers. As other travel retailers test similar solutions, airport and station concourses are likely to see a growing mix of digital labels, screens and connected fixtures that reshape how everyday items are presented and purchased on the move.