Spanish pharmacies install ZBD's epaper solution to ensure compliance with labelling legislation
ZBD, the epaper for retail specialist, has confirmed that its epaper displays have been implemented by twelve pharmacy retailers within the Catalonia region of Spain, as part of an ongoing programme that will target more than 20,000 pharmacy stores throughout Spain. All of the projects have been brokered by ZBD's VISION partner in Spain, Repromatic Trade, which joined ZBD's VISION Partner Programme in 2009.
In 2002, a law was passed in Catalonia, stipulating that pharmacies within the region should label all customer-facing non-drug related products on the shelf (excluding drugs, which are kept behind the counter). To be fully compliant with the legislation, the labels are expected to display product information including price, price per unit, and volume/weight, with fines imposed for non-compliance.
According to Eduardo Molina, Managing Director for Repromatic Trade, it is believed that by the end of 2008, more than 90% of pharmacies had not yet complied with the labelling legislation, as Eduardo comments, "Although the law came into force in 2002, the majority of pharmacies have not yet taken adequate steps to ensure compliance. We are currently working on an ongoing programme with a number of pharmacy outlets to introduce ZBD’s electronic shelf labels to help them comply with this legislation. ZBD's solution is proving popular because of its minimal infrastructure requirements and attractive, compact displays".
Store owners that have already installed the solution are satisfied that their stores are now fully compliant with this legislation and no longer have to worry about being fined, but they have also benefited from having the flexibility to be more dynamic with their pricing and promotional strategies.
A drive to enforce the legislation was undertaken recently as a team of inspectors was ordered to visit the pharmacies within the region to check that they comply with the legislation, and to impose fines for non-compliance.
Commenting on the recent wins, Eduardo Molina said, "We believe that as ZBD's solution is being implemented in more pharmacies, it is becoming widely recognised as the ideal solution within this market. We have noticed that the interest in ZBD’s electronic shelf labelling solution and its minimal infrastructure requirements is growing. More and more stores are showing their interest in better knowing and understanding how they too can adopt the solution in their own businesses."