Aibė, the retail alliance spanning more than 1,400 stores across Lithuania and Latvia, is moving to digitize its shelves. The group has begun rolling out electronic shelf labels (ESLs) across its network, replacing paper price tags with centrally managed digital displays designed to automate pricing, reduce errors and sharpen the in-store experience.
The shift marks a notable step for a retail alliance whose footprint extends well beyond major urban centers. By introducing centralized price management, Aibė is aligning independent and regional operators with the kind of technology more commonly associated with large international chains.
“At Aibė, we focus on delivering a consistently high-quality shopping experience,” said Kęstutis Žilinskas, Head of Innovation at the Aibė retail alliance. “Electronic shelf labels ensure price accuracy and allow us to communicate promotions instantly. They also reduce paper use and free up staff time, so employees can focus more on customers rather than manual price changes.”
The first installations are already live at an Aibė store on Pylimo Street in Vilnius. A store in the Paupys district is next, where paper tags will soon give way to digital displays.
Other alliance members are following suit. Gulbelė, which operates 70 stores, has completed a full ESL rollout at its store in Šakiai. By the end of February, the company plans to introduce the technology in fresh food departments across 17 additional locations.
“Our goal is to meet rising customer expectations by investing in smart technologies while staying agile,” said Arūnas Tarnauskas, Head of Gulbelė. “Today, advanced retail solutions are no longer limited to big cities. They help us improve convenience for shoppers and strengthen our operational efficiency at the same time.”
Svaita, which runs 23 grocery and six household goods stores, is also preparing to deploy ESLs. The company will begin in high-traffic locations, installing several thousand digital labels per store.
“Improving internal efficiency is a top priority for us,” said Rasa Pacenka, CEO of Svaita. “Electronic shelf labels eliminate repetitive manual tasks and allow our teams to dedicate more time to higher-value activities and customer service.”
Across the alliance, the technology of choice is supplied by Solum. A spinoff of Samsung, Solum has become one of the global leaders in the ESL market, with its systems in use at major retail chains in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Germany and beyond. Its labels are built around advanced e-ink displays known for high contrast, low energy consumption and fast wireless updates.
Deployment across the Aibė network is carried out by Neto Baltic, Solum’s official partner in the Baltic states.
“Solum is often described as the Mercedes of electronic shelf labels,” said Rokas Budvilaitis, Head of Neto Baltic. “It’s a premium, future-proof solution. Beyond improving the customer experience, it helps retailers lower operating costs, manage stores more effectively and strengthen their competitive position.”
