Morrisons has become the first UK supermarket to launch flashing shelf-edge labels that light up to show shoppers exactly where a product is on the shelf.

The new 'shop to light' feature links the supermarket's More Card app to electronic shelf labels installed in more than 270 stores. Shoppers search for the item they need using the Product Finder tool on the app's homepage, then tap 'flash price label'. The matching shelf label flashes magenta, making the product easier to spot, even in crowded aisles.

Morrisons says the technology is a first for a UK supermarket, although it is already widely used in the United States. The supermarket has partnered with retail technology firm Vusion to install the electronic shelf labels, which can also update prices automatically and improve pricing accuracy across its estate.

Designed for busy aisles and the Christmas rush

The feature has been launched ahead of the busy festive trading period, when shoppers are more likely to be hunting for specific items under time pressure. Morrisons says the tool was designed with high-density sections in mind, such as herbs and spices, as well as seasonal products like cranberry sauce that can be hard to find among similar lines.

Morrisons first revealed its plans to introduce the feature in September, but had not previously confirmed a launch date. The 'shop to light' tool is now live in the stores that already have digital shelf-edge labels installed, with the rollout covering more than 270 shops before Christmas.

The launch is part of a wider refresh of the More Card app. In October, Morrisons added weekly personalised offers and a new shopping list feature to the app, and the Product Finder tool now sits directly on its homepage so customers can reach it quickly while they shop.

Technology already proven in the US

Similar flashing label systems are already used by major American retailers, including Walmart, but the Morrisons rollout is the first full-scale deployment of the technology in the UK. Vusion's electronic shelf labels are also being used by Morrisons to digitise pricing across its whole supermarket estate, replacing paper labels with screens that can be updated centrally.

For shoppers, the appeal is simple: less time wandering the aisles and less time asking staff where things are. For Morrisons, the investment is part of a broader effort to make its stores easier to shop in during the busiest weeks of the year, when many customers are buying unfamiliar festive items they only purchase once a year.

The supermarket has not said whether the feature will be extended to stores that do not yet have electronic shelf labels, or whether other retailers will follow with similar systems. For now, shoppers in the 270-plus stores with digital labels can try the flashing finder by opening the More Card app and searching for the product they need.

Source: Grocery Gazette and Retail Rewired