The Past, Present & Future Of E Ink And ESLs With Bryan Chan

Retail Technology Spotlight Series

🎙️ In this special Omni Talk Retail Technology Spotlight episode, Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga sit down with Bryan Chan, Senior Director at E Ink, to explore the journey of electronic shelf labels (ESLs) and why they're finally catching fire in the U.S.

Key Moments:

• [01:03] What is E Ink? — Origins as an MIT spinout and Kindle beginnings
• [2:52] Why ESLs weren’t the original goal — from newspapers to shelf labels
• [4:45] Learning from “belly loaders” and how real-world store operations shaped the tech
• [6:48] Battery life breakthroughs, operational benefits, and color evolution
• [8:34] Why Europe led ESL adoption — labor costs, regulations, and sustainability
• [12:05] Walmart’s impact: Why the U.S. is finally scaling up ESLs
• [13:37] ROI is king: 36-month to 9-month payoff windows
• [17:28] Pricing accuracy, pick-to-light, and fast-changing categories like appliances
• [23:03] Spectra 6 and the future of full-color ESLs and untethered displays
• [24:58] Retail media potential vs. power-hungry in-store TVs
• [30:59] Final advice: Start with ESLs before leaping to full digital screens

📲 Want to get in touch with Bryan? Connect with him on LinkedIn — just search Bryan Chan (with a Y).

#retailtech #electronicshelflabels #eink #retailinnovation #omnitalk #retailpodcast #walmart #retailmedia #grocerytech

Music by hooksounds.com

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