Panasonic Introduces Intelligent Retail Shelving Solution at NRF 2015

Powershelf Combines Live on Shelf Inventory Awareness, Mobile Phone Advertising, Dynamic Price Adjustments and More to Improve Profitability and Customer Satisfaction

NRF Big Show 2015

NEW YORK--()--Panasonic, a leading provider of professional retail technology solutions, introduced its Powershelf® suite of solutions at the 104th National Retail Federation (NRF) Annual Convention & EXPO. Powershelf is the first fully integrated retail merchandising solution to combine battery-free, wirelessly powered electronic shelf labels (ESLs), beacon activated mobile advertising capability, inventory and price management software and out-of-stock sensor technology. The solution can be installed on existing shelving units, delivering maximum value for retailers with minimum investment.

Rance Poehler, President, Panasonic System Communications Company of North America stated, “By leveraging our global distribution network, engineering capabilities, enhanced technology, and manufacturing prowess, we’ll help equip retailers worldwide with solutions that will directly affect their bottom line.”

Powershelf features a suite of technologies that help retailers reduce labor and material costs, ensure regulatory compliance, enable omni-channel marketing, drive sales with targeted advertising, create new revenue streams and more. Key solution features include:

  • Out-of-Stock Sensors: Powershelf Out-of-Stock Sensors immediately detect out-of-stocks and notify store personnel to remedy the situation and maximize on shelf availability sales, and consumer satisfaction. Out of stocks cost retailers 4 percent of annual sales.
  • Beacon Activated Mobile Advertising: Battery free beacons help to increase the connection between retailers and their consumers and improves the shopping experience: the proximity-based communication and at-shelf advertising allows retailers to offer their own shopping network ensuring customers only receive information and discounts relevant to them.
  • Electronic Shelf Labels (ESLs): Battery free ESLs ensure accurate pricing and enable retailers to remotely change pricing on any SKU in the store in minutes. The system also eliminates the need for battery disposal or paper price tags, creating significant cost reductions and an attractive carbon footprint friendly solution for retailers focused on environmental sustainability.
  • Lighted Shelving: Powershelf Lighting helps retailers to clearly differentiate key brands from competitors and delivers shopper-stopping power. Lighting naturally attracts consumers and can provide a lift of up to 6 percent in sales.
  • Temperature Control-Enabled Tags: In freezer and refrigerated areas, Powershelf ESLs alert retailers when temperatures are out of compliance, helping to avoid spoilage, safety risks and potential fines.
  • Modular Integrity: the prices are locked into place allowing for planogram integrity. Studies show this can add 1 percent to annual sales.
  • Ease of installation: The solution can be added directly to the front of existing retail shelving infrastructure, reducing the need for costly overhauls and the resulting customer disruptions.

“There's a massive shift in consumer shopping behavior occurring,” says Former President of Campbell’s Soup USA and CEO of Powershelf, Larry McWilliams. “Over 70 percent of people are now using mobile devices as part of their path to purchase. Retailers need to provide a retail experience to fit the mobile era. Additionally, the paper tag and manual inventory management processes that are being employed today are arguably the most antiquated processes in modern retailing. Powershelf is a foundational technology platform that transforms how products are retailed. With power and communication at the shelf, the opportunities are limitless.”

“Up to 43 percent of consumers will go to another store to buy an item if the one they are looking for is out-of-stock1. That can have a huge impact on a retailer’s bottom line,” continued Mr. Poehler. “In an increasingly competitive retail environment, out-of-stock situations are unacceptable. Arming retailers with real-time insight into their available on-shelf inventory creates a clear competitive edge. Out-of-stock sensors and the ability to communicate shortages in real-time is one of many ways the Powershelf solution can drive dramatic increases in retailer profitability while, at the same time, improving the customer experience.”

For more information on Powershelf please go to:
http://us.panasonic.com/powershelf

Media Kit:
Panasonic NRF Media Kit

For a video demonstration of the Powershelf:
http://youtu.be/snaCs9zUVH4

Sales Inquiries

Sales inquiries regarding Panasonic’s Powershelf solutions should be directed to retailsolutions@us.panasonic.com or 877-803-8492.

Panasonic Retail Solutions

Panasonic has been a global leader in retail technology for 30 years. The company’s full suite of retail solutions includes fixed and mobile point-of-sale (POS) devices, digital signage, security cameras, projectors and projection mapping solutions, interactive kiosks, telephony solutions, business analytic software, enterprise mobility service platforms (EMSP), mobile computing devices, intelligent shelving technology, targeted indoor advertising networks, consulting and more. These solutions are ideal for a wide variety of retail, hospitality and restaurant environments, including big box stores, hardware stores, convenience stores, drug stores, warehouse stores, departments stores, grocery stores, home furnishing stores, hotels, resorts, casinos, quick service restaurants and table service restaurants.

Follow Panasonic Business Solutions

Panasonic Business Solutions can be followed on social media channels, including Twitter, YouTube, Flickr and Panasonic for Business blog.

Panasonic Solutions for Business

Panasonic delivers game-changing technology solutions that deliver a customized experience to drive better outcomes—for our customers and our customers’ customers. Panasonic engineers reliable products and solutions that help to create, capture and deliver data of all types, where, when and how it is needed. The complete suite of Panasonic professional solutions for government and commercial enterprises of all sizes addresses unified business communications, mobile computing, security and surveillance, retail point-of-sale, office productivity, visual communications (projectors, displays, digital signage) and HD video production. Panasonic solutions for business are delivered by Panasonic System Communications Company of North America, Division of Panasonic Corporation of North America, the principal North American subsidiary of Panasonic Corporation.

All brand and company/product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of the respective companies. All specifications are subject to change without notice. Information on Panasonic solutions for business can be obtained by calling 877-803-8492 or at us.panasonic.com/business-solutions/.

About Panasonic Corporation of North America

Panasonic Corporation of North America provides a broad line of digital and other electronics products and solutions for consumer, business and industrial use. The company is the principal North American subsidiary of Osaka, Japan-based Panasonic Corporation and the hub of Panasonic’s U.S. branding, marketing, sales, service and R&D operations. In Interbrand’s 2014 annual “Best Global Green Brands” report, Panasonic ranked number five overall and the top electronics brand in the report. As part of continuing sustainability efforts, Panasonic Corporation of North America relocated its headquarters to a new facility, built to meet LEED certification standards, adjacent to Newark Penn Station in Newark, NJ. Learn more about Panasonic at www.panasonic.com.

1 Harvard Business Review: “Stock-outs cause walkouts” https://hbr.org/2004/05/stock-outs-cause-walkouts

Contacts

Cohn & Wolfe for Panasonic
Devin Kingdon, 323-602-1087
devin.kingdon@cohnwolfe.com
PanasonicB2B.PR@cohnwolfe.com

Release Summary

Panasonic today introduced its Powershelf suite of intelligent shelving solutions at the 104th National Retail Federation (NRF) Annual Convention & EXPO.

Contacts

Cohn & Wolfe for Panasonic
Devin Kingdon, 323-602-1087
devin.kingdon@cohnwolfe.com
PanasonicB2B.PR@cohnwolfe.com