Leading high-end Italian delicatessen brand, Prezzemolo & Vitale (P&V), has selected Pricer, the leading solution for digitally connected stores and the world’s most trusted electronic shelf label (ESL) vendor, as its provider of in-store automation and communication solution based on ESLs, rolling out digital shelf labels in all its London stores.
Founded in Palermo, Sicily, P&V is now a third-generation family-owned premium deli, which specialises in high-quality, artisan Italian produce sold through its modern estate of grocery stores. With 10 stores in Palermo, P&V sought to expand into the UK market, showcasing and celebrating the culture of Italy and Sicily through its food and wine produce.
It launched its first UK store on London’s Kings Road, Chelsea, in 2017, and has since opened three further delicatessens in chic London boroughs, including Notting Hill and Wimbledon, as well as London’s food mecca, Borough Market. Each week, it imports the finest produce from Italy, from seasonal fruit and vegetables, to charcuterie, cheeses, pasta and wine, as well as offering dining-in experiences, which feature Italian ingredients sold in the deli, in its in-store cafés. It plans to open a further two stores in Kensington and Clapham Junction later this year.
P&V was already using ESLs within its Palermo store network and wanted to bring digital shelf-edge experiences to its upmarket London delis. This would not only keep the look and feel of its stores sleek and modern, but also help P&V deliver real-time automated pricing updates across its 2,500 SKUs in-store and improved replenishment and restocking efficiencies, freeing up its staff to focus on customer service delivery.
Having conducted a full assessment of the ESL market, P&V chose to partner with Pricer due to its reputation as a market leader as well as the high quality nature of its solution, which matched both the premium aesthetics of the P&V stores, while also delivering the digital capabilities P&V wanted to build into its store operations.
Working closely with P&V’s Italian IT team, Pricer rolled out the latest 4 colour ESLs into its Wimbledon store in September 2023, quickly followed in October by its Borough Market and Chelsea delis and in early December for its Notting Hill establishment.
With Pricer’s ESLs and Plaza Store Manager cloud-based solution implemented in all of P&V’s London stores, the upmarket deli brand is now able to update pricing and promotions in real-time, helping it ensure accurate pricing at the shelf edge. It also has delivered labour hours savings, ensuring store associates can focus time on serving customers or tasks that improve customer experiences in-store. Additionally, Pricer’s solution has also helped improve store operational efficiencies for replenishment, leveraging Pricer’s Flash capabilities, which uses a flashing light on the labels to alert store associates to items that require restocking, helping to reduce shelf gaps.
Salvatore Prezzemollo, chief operating officer at P&V, commented: “As the saying goes, ‘retail is detail’ and Pricer is helping us to ensure our pricing and store operations can run effectively with the attention to detail and customer service we want to be able to offer to our customers. The Pricer team worked seamlessly with our IT staff in Italy, quickly and efficiently rolling out the ESLs in-store, whilst also affording us the flexibility to add some custom integrations so the solution fits our business needs perfectly.”
Peter Ward, UK & Ireland country manager at Pricer, commented: “The P&V brand celebrates the very best of Italian and Sicilian culture through the highest quality produce, delivered in its sleek and modern delis. The digital shelf-edge capabilities have helped drive improved store operational efficiencies meaning it can go even further in delivering high-touch, premium shopping experiences to its discerning customer base.”
