Amazon Showrooming Forces Stores to Go Digital on Price Displays
Traditionally, stores set prices at particular points for different product categories, often ending in 99 cents to convey a bargain or to squeeze every last cent out of a transaction from time-strapped shoppers who don’t pay attention to the final digits in a price.
Photographer: Michael Nagle/BloombergBerkshire Hathaway Inc.-backed Nebraska Furniture Mart used to dispatch an army of employees each morning to update printed price labels throughout its stores, a time-consuming effort to maintain its pledge to offer the lowest prices on televisions, dishwashers, sofas and flooring.
Following a big investment in digital displays, one person can now quickly update the chain’s prices on thousands of products in multiple locations to beat the latest offers from Home Depot, Sears and other competitors. Similar devices are in use at almost 1,200 Kohl’s stores nationwide, as well as U.S. Department of Defense commissaries.