ZKONG and Leading German Home Improvement Retailer hagebau Advance Store Digitalisation Across 50,000+ SKUs

SELB, Germany, Oct. 30, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- As digital transformation accelerates across European retail, Electronic Shelf Labels (ESLs) are becoming an increasingly important part of retailers' digitalisation strategies, helping improve store operational efficiency.

Following approximately four months of refurbishment, the new hagebaumarkt store in Selb, Germany, officially opened.

Founded in 1964, hagebau is one of Germany's leading home improvement and building materials retail groups, with an established presence across Europe. Its hagebaumarkt network covers key retail segments including DIY, home improvement, building materials and gardening.

Enhancing Staff Efficiency and Store Operations

Spanning around 7,000 m², the Selb store carries an extensive range of products across multiple categories. The complexity of operating the store stems not only from its size, but also from the breadth and diversity of its product range, making manual price verification and label maintenance particularly demanding.

ESL technology was therefore incorporated into the refurbishment plan from the outset, enabling faster price updates and more accurate information across the store.

Built for the Complexity of Home Improvement Retail

Unlike conventional supermarkets, home improvement stores present greater merchandising complexity:

Complex product information: Building materials, hardware and tools often involve multiple product attributes, including model, size, material, colour, compatibility and application. These details are critical to purchasing decisions.

Diverse merchandising environments: Products may be displayed on shelves, hooks, freestanding fixtures, outdoor areas or warehouse-style display zones, requiring ESLs in a range of sizes and with different mounting options.

More demanding manual management: Although price changes may be less frequent than in grocery retail, locating products and replacing the correct labels across a varied assortment remains time-consuming.

To accommodate the store's wide range of products and display formats, ZKONG deployed a mix of ESLs ranging from 1.3 to 4.2 inches. Through the flexible combination of different sizes, the ESLs adapt seamlessly to the store's varied displays, helping maintain the clean, orderly presentation associated with modern German retail environments.

Beyond the labels themselves, the deployment is supported by ZKONG's base stations, which provide stable wireless transmission and allow product, pricing and promotional information to be updated on shelf-edge displays in real time. This helps keep in-store information aligned with backend data.

Driving Smarter Retail Operations

ESLs are redefining the way retail stores operate. By deploying these digital shelf-edge devices, retailers can improve store operational efficiency while freeing staff from time-consuming shelf checks and label changes, allowing them to devote more time and energy to serving customers.

Building on its strong presence across Europe, ZKONG continues to strengthen its capabilities across ESL hardware, wireless infrastructure and centralised management systems, enabling tailored solutions for complex retail environments. The hagebaumarkt Selb project marks another step in ZKONG's expansion into the European home improvement retail sector. Through projects like this, ZKONG continues to explore new opportunities to address the evolving digital needs of European retail.