When one of North America's largest retailers needed innovative electronic shelf label (ESL / digital shelf label - DSL) attachment solutions for their nationwide digital price tag initiative, they put multiple vendors to the test. Through a rigorous engineering challenge involving four distinct applications, Kinter emerged as the winner by delivering superior design innovation, competitive pricing, and rapid deployment capabilities.
The Challenge
The retailer was already working with two established providers for their ESL accessories needs but faced several critical challenges in deploying digital price tags:
- Required custom engineering solutions for four unique in-store applications
- Needed universal attachments that could integrate seamlessly with existing store fixtures
- Demanded durability to withstand high-traffic retail environments
- Required cost-effective solutions that could scale across thousands of stores
- Sought a partner capable of rapid design and deployment
The Selection Process
The retailer initiated a comprehensive vendor evaluation process, inviting multiple companies to participate in an engineering challenge. Each vendor was tasked with developing solutions for four distinct ESL attachment applications. The evaluation criteria included:
- Engineering innovation and design excellence
- Attachment mechanism reliability
- Manufacturing scalability
- Speed to market capabilities
- Cost competitiveness
- Quality and durability standards
Kinter's Innovative Solution
Kinter approached the challenge by leveraging their extensive experience in retail fixture hardware and deep understanding of ESL attachment requirements. Their engineering team developed solutions that demonstrated several key advantages:
Superior Engineering Design
- Custom-engineered yet universal attachment mechanisms that ensured secure mounting in a wide variety of legacy stores with unique fixtures
- Innovative solutions that protected the significant investment in digital price tags
- Designs that maintained fixture integrity while maximizing shopper engagement
Manufacturing Excellence
- Direct manufacturing capabilities ensure quality control
- Scalable production capacity to meet nationwide rollout demands
- Comprehensive stocking programs to support deployment timeline
Cost-Effective Implementation
- Competitive pricing achieved through efficient design
- Reduced installation time and complexity
- Durable solutions minimizing replacement needs
Results and Impact
Kinter's performance in the engineering challenge yielded impressive results:
- Won all four product opportunities against incumbent providers
- Delivered solutions that exceeded durability and reliability requirements
- Achieved significant cost savings compared to existing solutions
- Completed design and testing phases ahead of schedule
The successful outcomes led to:
- Selection as a preferred vendor for future ESL accessory initiatives
- Expanded partnership for additional store fixture applications
- Recognition as a trusted engineering solutions provider
Ongoing Partnership
Following the initial success, the relationship has continued to grow:
- Kinter is now a top provider for new ESL accessory needs
- Rapid response capabilities have accelerated new application deployments
- Engineering expertise continues to drive innovation in digital price tag solutions
- Collaborative approach ensures optimal solutions for new challenges
Key Takeaways
This engineering challenge demonstrated Kinter's core strengths:
- Superior engineering capabilities that deliver fast and reliable innovative solutions
- Rapid design-to-deployment capabilities
- Cost-effective manufacturing at scale
- Commitment to quality and durability
- Collaborative approach to customer challenges
The success of this project exemplifies Kinter's ability to solve complex retail hardware challenges while delivering superior value through innovation, quality, and service.
For decades, Kinter has been a trusted partner in retail display hardware solutions. With comprehensive engineering capabilities and direct manufacturing expertise, Kinter specializes in creating innovative solutions for electronic shelf labels and retail fixture challenges.
Our commitment to quality, durability, and customer service makes us the partner of choice for retailers nationwide. Learn more about our custom ESL accessory capabilities or challenge us with your next project.