They are the first supermarket store to implement this change across all their 2,400 stores
The Co-op has announced that it will remove all its paper product tags, replacing them with electronic ones.
The supermarket chain has partnered with VusionGroup to make the change, estimating that all stores will be utilising the electronic tags by the end of 2026.
They’re wasting no time in implementing the change, as the brand said it will see 1,500 stores have the labels by the end of the year.
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Steven Logue, head of operations at the Co-op, said: “With convenience at the heart of everything we do, Co-op is committed to continually exploring innovative technology that can improve how we operate.
“The electronic labels have the potential to enhance product information and transparency, avoid paper waste, and make everyday tasks like picking online orders easier.”
These electronic tags, known as electronic shelf labels (ESLs), contain allergen and nutritional information, as well as the products’ country of origin.
It comes after reports that the Co-op could stop selling Israeli products after its members voted for a boycott.
Three-quarters of voters backed a motion urging the board to show “moral courage and leadership” by removing Israeli products from its shelves.
UK Lawyers for Israel, a voluntary organisation of legal professionals, responded to the proposed boycott.
It said: “A non-binding motion to take all Israeli products off the shelves of Co-op stores contains false and defamatory statements, promotes racial hatred of Israelis and Jews, and should be rejected under the Co-op’s rules.”
Lewis Backon, of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, said the motion must be implemented.
He said: “The Co-op AGM vote shows ordinary people in this country are committed to the cause of justice and freedom for Palestine in their everyday lives and refuse to support Israel’s apartheid economy.
“The Co-op must now listen to its members and implement the motion by taking all Israeli goods off the shelves.”
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