Which labeling solution should I choose for my business?

To comply with the latest legislation on food labelling and meet consumer expectations, retailers must now be more transparent about price, ingredients and food safety (product origin and allergens).

Although the law may seem restrictive, it's best to see it as an opportunity to renew your label materials. And as with any other business, customers are more attracted by a professional, aesthetically pleasing display.

A harmonious, easy-to-read, clean and attractive signage reflects the professional image of a business.. Finding a price-label holder that's affordable, attractive, quick to set up and easy to clean, while containing the necessary information in a minimum of space, is no easy task.

Still widely used, simple cardboard or paper is certainly the least expensive solution (around €0.10 per label), with the following disadvantages:

• its rapid degradation due to humidity,
• the time spent on its manufacture and renewal,
• the difficulty of making a straight cut,
• stains set in easily, making labels difficult to clean
• a less flattering appearance

Please note: the cost is often underestimated, as it does not take into account the time spent on manufacturing, cutting and lamination.

Many small businesses find that writing labels by hand is quicker and makes updating more flexible.

But handwriting is often present:

• spelling mistakes
• poor legibility
• relative aestheticism depending on who's writing
• risks of chalk or felt-tip pen erasure
• label space management problems
• relative hygiene

Another alternative to paper labels has been very popular in recent years:

PVC labels that you print yourself using a small office printer. Highly resistant, professional-looking and capable of containing all the information consumers need, plastic labels are revolutionizing fresh produce labelling to the same extent as electronic solutions, which are, however, more expensive.

The main advantages of this system are the autonomy it offers retailers and its aesthetic appeal:

• Durable and easy to clean
• Time savings (around 30 minutes per day compared with other methods)
• Brand image professionalization
• Food contact compatibility
• Full label customization possible
• Fast response times for price updates, promotions, etc.

Disadvantages include the need to use a computer and reprint the cards each time the price changes, as the cards are not reusable.

That said, there are smaller printers on the market that sit on the corner of a desk and are connected to a PC. Thanks to the software sold with the printer, the label is created seamlessly and automatically, as these solutions integrate card templates that can be updated very easily. No specific IT knowledge is required. The card templates supplied with these solutions are numerous.

Plastic labels printed directly at the point of sale are therefore an efficient alternative to the time-consuming production of paper labels. The cost of double-sided printing with label is less than 25 cents.