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日本語/Japanese  Sun 07/29 22:33 JST
Japanese supermarkets are becoming rather efficient of late...

All the price labels in this supermarket appear on these LCD devices. After interrogating a shop assistant, I learn that all price displays in the supermarket can be changed remotely from a central location. The price displays are even solar powered so they don't need to be touched once set. Not only does this save time in getting a human to write out a new price label and replace it manually, if the store needs to add 5% on top of all items, it can be done in an instant.
Japanese Supermarkets (click to enlarge)
I first thought that these price displays where used for the more expensive items but they are used for everything including the cheapest of items.
Japanese Supermarkets (click to enlarge)
The supermarkets in Japan are pretty decent. Good selection and clean. The checkout assistants are incredibly polite who welcome you with a bow and bid you goodbye with another bow.
The only complaint I may have is that the portions are tiny.
Japanese Supermarkets (click to enlarge)
Polls
001 in LB Cali
ditsy student
Registered on 2007/02/27 09:48
don't shop, don't know :)
(ID #52909) Posted on 2007/07/29 22:26
Neocoyo_the_one in Ashford, Kent, UK (I NEED TO GET OUTTA HERE!!)
Student
Registered on 2008/01/05 23:08
seconded
(ID #243241) Posted on 2008/07/21 05:49
D_Blade in Montreal
Non-profit org. volunteering work addict
Registered on 2006/12/31 22:48
That is always great to go to a supermarket and have a great welcome from the staff.

LCD devices? I saw some of them for the fridge alley (giving the temperature) but never as price indicators.

Yeah, generally food portions are small concerning pre-prepared meals. One so-called 4-people lasagna bolognese frozen meal was just enough for me. At wost, I'd leave less than a eighth that I would gulp some hours later.

But now I don't eat them anymore. Less lazy I am, I think! 
(ID #52912) Posted on 2007/07/29 22:49
D_Blade in Montreal
Non-profit org. volunteering work addict
Registered on 2006/12/31 22:48
And Danny, think of all the trees they save this way and the electricity they don't use in the process as it is solar-powered. A great long-term investment indeed!!

Forgive my poor grammar and spelling tonight. This is due to intensive homework, and I am not out of the woods yet. XD
(ID #52913) Posted on 2007/07/29 22:52
CrazyAnimeTuga in Portugal
Student
Registered on 2007/01/03 02:12
Well it saves time from workers hand work but also means that in the near future there won't a need for workers at supermarkets, putting a lot of people unemployed which is bad, but we can't stop technology from evolving can we :P
(ID #52915) Posted on 2007/07/29 22:58
Boris in USA
Interactive Media Design and Graphic Design
Registered on 2006/12/26 00:12
this is so cool, great great great thing to have. We have good supermarkets here in Maryland, USA. very polite staff and always helpful. Some even have computers that will help you find what you are looking for with a touch screen.
(ID #52916) Posted on 2007/07/29 23:00
syrix in U.S.
student
Registered on 2007/03/21 09:30
This would have been helpful to my previous boss who had to print out new labels every week, all those poor trees.  It would help me as well as I was the one that put the new labels on everything lol.  I agree that all the portions are small, but not on drinks while I was there ^-^, always got the big bottles to take back to the hotel to drink.
(ID #52917) Posted on 2007/07/29 23:00
Ken in NYC
Student
Registered on 2007/03/15 22:38
Japan needs a Costco wholesale. Most food products are sold in large quantities. Not that it has too much variety, but it has most of the general items. I've taken up pastry making as a hobby and found myself looking through supermarkets lately. I can't always find what I need, but I noticed some things that I never thought existed. Our price tags are still scratch-built. Either our economy sucks or we're behind in technology.
(ID #52918) Posted on 2007/07/29 23:13
Edward in Michigan U.S.A.
Troubleshooter, Universal Exports
Registered on 2006/12/24 12:02
Supermarkets are a joke here in Michigan.  Joke is on us consumers and I'm not laughing.  Variety of goods and stock is terrible and the prices are ridiculous expensive.  Some of the time you find of helpful staff, but most of the time one gets a blank stare.  It a case of the lights are on but nobody is home. ^^;  I and my mom are both natives to this area of Michigan.  It's amazing how much a place can change.  I know it's not just us, my fiancee finds the prices and selection poor compared to Osaka.  I'm just glad that all of the U.S. is not like it is here in Michigan.

@Ken, most likely technology.  They do have Costco in Japan.  They look just like Costco here in the states.  I'm not sure the Japanese care much for it. ^^;

Danny, do you and your wife shop in Costco? 
(ID #52921) Posted on 2007/07/29 23:41
windbell in Singapore/シンガポール, Tokyo/東京
Web Developer/ウェブデベロッパー, Photographer/写真や
Registered on 2006/12/25 12:20
I've seen a whole bunch of these over at Carrefour and had always though that they had to individually change the pricing of each price labels if there was a change required, leading to a wait of time.

Only now do I know that that isn't the case ^^; Thanks for the heads-up!
(ID #52922) Posted on 2007/07/29 23:48
Setsuna-san in Selangor, Malaysia
VF-25 Pilot. Universariate Scholar.
Registered on 2007/07/06 10:07
Supermarkets in my area are mostly acceptable with quite a large variety of goods. 
But the down side is that it can get rather difficult to find any Japanese products. In addition to that the cashiers are usually hopelessly slow.
(ID #52923) Posted on 2007/07/30 00:04
oliphant in Sydney
Design Student
Registered on 2007/01/10 19:04
Supermarkets are constantly changing around the shelving, so you have to embark on a complete tour of the store (thus being tempted to buy useless things) before you can leave!

Recently there's been this trend where supermarkets, and clothing stores too, use recyclable canvas bags. Do Japanese stores have this trend?
(ID #52925) Posted on 2007/07/30 00:15
the1iam in 新嘉坡市四美町3区
大学生
Registered on 2007/04/12 04:09
The supermarkets here (Singapore) vary very greatly. 
Some are very wide aisle, sell wide variety of things including a 30" widescreen TV and LCD price display (like the above) or barcode scanners located around the store to check prices. 
On the other hand, some sell only the daily stuff and have narrow aisle and are usually crowded, although the prices are cheaper there.
(ID #52926) Posted on 2007/07/30 01:07
AK-kun in Singapore
Writer.
Registered on 2007/06/19 22:48
the1iam is probably referring to Carrefour or NTUC Fairprice in the former, and Prime Supermarket in the latter. :P

Supermarkets here are decent enough for me, as most of the time I'm there only to get snacks. Portions are a bit bigger, definitely, and possibly cheaper.
(ID #52929) Posted on 2007/07/30 02:21
Aaronime in Mars, Canada
Human
Registered on 2007/07/27 10:28
Wwaaitt... Solar powered? So what your saying is that it's "wirelessly" connected to the store lights? I don't even see the panels o.o; besides can't they also be connected to the central location to draw power just as they receive information?

It's pretty nice to have these but- half of its features are useless.
(ID #52930) Posted on 2007/07/30 02:23
potatokan in USA
Registered on 2007/03/20 05:43
They can put the solar panels on the roof and just have wires connecting to the displays...
(ID #52932) Posted on 2007/07/30 02:31
jjjlmx in México
Registered on 2007/07/10 01:43
The problem is that the vegetables are too much exepensive for a person that are very use to eat thoe like latin american people (because we actually raise them) 
(ID #52933) Posted on 2007/07/30 02:40
Sgt Beavis in Dallas, TX, USA
Overpaid Computer Nerd
Registered on 2007/07/23 22:59
Yes, the do have Costco in Japan.

http://www.costco.co.jp/

My Sister in Law is a member.  She absolutely loves it.  She gets together with her neighbors and they stock up on food and other items.  I checked it out back in March and was happy to see that it was very similar to US Costcos.  They even let me in with my US membership card but I'm not sure if I would have been able to buy something with it.  
(ID #52934) Posted on 2007/07/30 02:52
Zeroblade in Manila, Philippines
Student
Registered on 2007/04/10 21:47
I'm surprised you didn't throw in a joke about them getting stolen if the place were in London. Supermarkets here are pretty okay, but obviously not as efficient as they are over in Japan.
(ID #52935) Posted on 2007/07/30 04:31
McKlain in Spain
Web Designer
Registered on 2007/05/11 17:10
I've also seen those things here in spain, in carrefour.
(ID #52937) Posted on 2007/07/30 07:30
Collector in Central Putrajaya
Desktop Support Analyst
Registered on 2007/07/08 16:48
Slurpsss...seeing this post on food makes my mouth watery.Good comment from others thou.
(ID #52939) Posted on 2007/07/30 09:52
Uradox in Nagoya / Perth
Procurement officer / Teacher
Registered on 2007/05/12 15:27
Supermarkets in nagoya have had these for quite a while but theres still some with the old fashion paper prices :) Even some supermarkets in australia have those displays too but its normally the smaller independant stores.

I have never ever experienced a polite bow from a worker at the checkout in japan!!!! I am totally missing out it seems
(ID #52940) Posted on 2007/07/30 10:08
Dak Roland in Western, NY (The State, not the City)
ISP Tech Support
Registered on 2007/02/10 15:13
Considering how large portions are here in the states, I'd say smaller portions would be a good thing. *pats belly* Larger portions encourages you to eat more than you really should. ;-)

My daughter and I will be coming to Japan in October. We'll probably have 4 or 5 days to spend in Tokyo. Any ideas on good, inexpensive places to stay? Any suggestions would be appreciated. :)
(ID #52942) Posted on 2007/07/30 10:37
We have these LCD devices in France too ;)
(ID #52943) Posted on 2007/07/30 10:41
moharil
Is this what they called RFID?....
(ID #52944) Posted on 2007/07/30 11:45
Otaku Blue in London
Student
Registered on 2007/05/12 22:32
Super Markets in the UK are beggning to become Jumble sales, what with the rise of price slashing giant , Netto. On my highstreet there are far too many. We have 2 Sainsburys, an Iceland, and god knows what else.
Japanese Supermarkets ftw!
(ID #52948) Posted on 2007/07/30 13:31
Subaruhess in Portsmouth, UK
Registered on 2006/12/24 22:37
Tesco's have plasma/TFT screens in their supermarkets, which play their tv ads non-stop. Never seen electronic price tags, but the new fad in supermarkets is self-service checkouts. 
(ID #52949) Posted on 2007/07/30 13:36
-XYZPDQ in Pennsylvania, United States
Student Engineer
Registered on 2007/01/01 14:12
Yup the new fad over here are the new self-checkout lanes. If it's over in Japan now the supermarkets in the USA will soon adopt ^^ I think that is really neat that they can do that, but kind of scary at the same time, they can add 5% at any time!

Every supermarket I have been to, ever in the USA has always been clean and orderly. Most atendees are very friendly and helpful. The selection is great (especially at Giant, Superfresh and Food Lions) and prices are not that bad compared to rest stop stores.

A lot of supermarkets now have their own salad bars, fresh produce (Giant is FRESH) Bakeries (cakes cookies desserts the entire lot) and Meat sales (meat is fresh and tastes great).
(ID #52950) Posted on 2007/07/30 14:05
Hatix in Antwerp, Belgium
IT, Programmer, ...
Registered on 2007/04/25 05:14
Here in Belgium, there are also super markets that have these kind of displays.  Some even have a self-service cash register, where you can scan your products yourself and pay.

In Japan, I haven't seen these displays in small 7-11 type of supermarkets like Lawson. Probably the shop is too small for any profit, and I've noticed that almost every day other products are lying on the same spot (everything is still in sections though).

But it's a good system :)
(ID #52952) Posted on 2007/07/30 15:49
super rats in Philadelphia, PA (USA)
Everything
Registered on 2007/01/15 11:33
Here in the Philadelphia suburbs supermarkets vary from one company to another.  Those that cut prices to the bare minimum also offer minimum service and have the lousiest prepared foods.  Then there are those supermarkets that cater to people who want an enjoyable shopping experience with a lot of variety to choose from.  Naturally, you pay more for this experience.  For those that can afford it, it's well worth the cost.  I shop at the bargain places for most things, because a box of Cocoa Pebbles cereal is a box of Cocoa Pebbles wherever you go.  The fancy stores tend to have very good prepared foods, meats, and baked goods so I go there when I'm feeling lazy.
(ID #52953) Posted on 2007/07/30 17:19
BeLe in Davao, Philippines
.NET/Web Developer
Registered on 2007/01/03 16:36
At my previous company, we were making those electronic tags and other retail devices, including a fastlane.  When I started there, I was also soo amazed at how efficient the entire process is.  Wish my country's supermarkets would adapt to this kind of technology.  But I doubt that happening anytime soon.  Those devices are just way too expensive right now. :D
(ID #53014) Posted on 2007/07/31 07:35
Henry in Makati, Philippines
anime/cosplay events organizer
Registered on 2006/12/25 19:17
The warehouse-like supermarkets are popular here in the philippines ^^

Some large supermarkets here like SM and Rustans has self-service price checkers and little LCD screens in the shelves where ads of the product is being shown.

SM Supermarket is now pushing with an eco-friendly shopping with the introduction of what they call a Green Bag which can be use and reuse therefore lessening the use of plastic shopping bags and paper bags ^^
(ID #53023) Posted on 2007/07/31 08:07
Amon in Pilipinas
unemployed
Registered on 2007/07/30 19:40
I have yet to see digital price tags in supermarkets here.
(ID #53042) Posted on 2007/07/31 10:26
Kousaka in USA
Supermarkets here have self-service checkouts if you want to checkout your own grocieries or if you are in a hurry.
(ID #53245) Posted on 2007/08/02 21:24
Saga in Currently the US
I had to post to point out that some of the fancier supermarkets in Brazil of all places have had those lcd displays for the prices for years now. It's quite surprising.
(ID #56992) Posted on 2007/09/16 08:42
ilovethailand in Bangkok, Thailand
Self-employed
Registered on 2007/10/12 22:37
Can anyone help me contacting this price-tag manufacturer? Thanks.
(ID #70979) Posted on 2008/01/29 20:11
DEFC0N in Newcastle, UK
Full time biotech student, part time otaku, possible bishounen candidate
Registered on 2008/03/19 01:47
They don't have it here in UK but they do have it over in Singapore however. UK needs a high tech revolution to propel it further into the technology industry or else Singapore and most Asian nations will run away with all the tech stuff that I love so much.
(ID #185033) Posted on 2008/05/10 21:27
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