Online, pricing and promotions can be changed almost instantly through Shopify. In a physical setting though, it’s still a manual process of printing and replacing labels. That means prices fall out of sync, promotions take longer to be launched on the shop floor, and store teams end up spending more time updating labels than serving customers.

We’ve been testing how to remove that overhead by connecting electronic shelf labels (ESLs) directly to Shopify.

Prototyping and hardware setup

We set out to remove the manual work involved in updating in-store pricing, while keeping prices consistent between Shopify and the shop floor.

We started with a proof of concept, building early-stage labels using Raspberry Pi Zeros and eInk displays. It wasn’t designed to scale, but it proved the model and helped define what we needed from production hardware.

From there, we moved to a setup built for real environments. The system is made up of two parts:

• Gateways - Ceiling-mounted units (48V PoE) with a 30m indoor range, communicating over BLE. Each gateway polls an MQTT queue using its MAC address to receive update instructions, with no complex setup beyond a network connection.

• ESL units - E-paper displays linked to products via serial numbers and barcodes. Self-contained, battery-powered, and designed to run for years once installed.

Connecting labels to Shopify POS

With the hardware in place, we built a Shopify app to manage the full lifecycle of the labels. To test it properly, we set up a working installation in our Shopify POS demo room.

When a product is updated in Shopify - price, description, or image - the app triggers an update to the linked label. If a device is offline, the update stays queued and is pushed as soon as it reconnects.

We’re also building this into Shopify POS, so store staff can manage labels directly at the till without switching systems or involving IT. That includes:

• Binding - Link an ESL to a product using its serial number and barcode.

• Refreshing - Trigger an immediate update to the label display.

• Finding - Activate the label’s LED by scanning a product, making it easier to locate items on the shelf.

How it’s performing in-store

We’ve been running demos with retailers and the Shopify team, using the setup in our POS room. The setup has received great feedback, with the speed of the updates being the main point of interest - change a price in Shopify, and the label updates in seconds.

We’re now finishing the dashboard that sits alongside the system, giving retailers visibility and control over the hardware and rollout. That includes:

• Managing hardware - Monitor gateways (status, IP, firmware) and ESLs (battery, signal strength, last seen).

• Custom LED logic - Trigger visual alerts for stock states, such as out of stock, low battery, or active promotions.

• Analytics - Track system health and estimate time and paper savings over the life of the installation.

Value for retailers

Most ESL setups come with heavy installation and integration work. We’ve been building this to run more like a standard Shopify app, without the usual overhead. The value is straightforward. Pricing stays in sync with Shopify, promotions can be rolled out instantly, and store teams spend less time updating shelves.

Additionally, it opens up more advanced use cases. With the labels tied directly to Shopify, in-store price testing becomes possible, especially when paired with tools such as Shopify Smart Pricing.

From a wider perspective, it also transforms the role of the shelf. Instead of static pricing, it becomes another output of the same system that runs the storefront - using the same data, updated at the same speed.