SPAR ICS

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IT on the shelf

Cisco Meraki and electronic price tags for smart stores

Behind every SPAR store stands a strong IT infrastructure. At SPAR ICS, the IT unit of SPAR Austria, they know that today’s IT must be more than just available. It must be scalable, secure, and reliable in its implementation.

One example of this, which SPAR relies on, is the centrally managed electronic shelf labels (ESL). One component in the successful rollout of ESLs at SPAR has been the native integration of the ESL solution into the Meraki ecosystem. The labels communicate via the IoT radio of the Meraki access points using a proprietary protocol, without any additional infrastructure. More than 500 stores are already equipped with this technology, and new ones are being added continuously.

This SPAR ICS project sets new standards for modern IT infrastructure in retail and is based on a highly available, secure, and scalable cloud solution from Cisco Meraki. SPAR relies on NTS as its central point of contact for the implementation of this cloud solution, from conception and procurement to operation.

“This project creates a highly effective environment from both a technology and management perspective, and it opens up strong future potential.”

Andreas Kranabitl Managing Director, SPAR ICS

Electronic price tags, maximum efficiency

Digital price labeling means that prices, product information, and offers are no longer displayed in the traditional way with paper labels but are controlled electronically via digital shelf labels. The advantages are obvious: Customers have absolute price certainty and transparency, special offers can be displayed more quickly, and store employees are relieved of time-consuming manual tasks. The fact that the changeover at SPAR works so well is due to excellent cooperation between the SPAR departments and SPAR ICS, as well as thought-out technological design, efficient rollout processes, and a reliable partnership.

“A key factor in the success was zero-touch deployment. All systems were rebuilt, pre-configured and rolled out automatically.”

Alexander Albler CEO and founder, NTS

A strong trio: SPAR ICS, NTS, and Cisco Meraki

What was not foreseeable to this extent at the beginning of the collaboration is now a reality: More than 500 SPAR stores in Austria have already been converted to electronic labels, which, thanks to Cisco Meraki, have been integrated into the network without any parallel or additional infrastructure. The rollout was efficiently completed on schedule. This was also made possible due to a combination of the scalable Meraki infrastructure, standardized processes, and close cooperation between SPAR ICS and NTS.

 ”We share the same values, we share the same passion for innovation, and we share this focus on execution at unprecedented speed.”

Agostino Santoni SVP Sales EMEA South, Cisco

The use of Cisco Meraki access points, which reliably cover both classic WiFi and ESLs, has proven particularly successful. The solution is ideally suited to the customer’s requirements as it is flexible, resource-efficient, and allows new locations to be easily connected in a matter of minutes, without any manual on-site configuration. Cisco Meraki’s support team also impressed throughout the project with their quick response times and expert assistance.

Cisco Meraki offers the flexibility needed for future IoT initiatives in the store environment, making it a key component of SPAR ICS’s digitalization strategy. A central cloud dashboard optimizes management and monitoring. The intuitive Meraki interface allows network components such as access points to be managed across locations and adjusted in real time. At SPAR, this central control is currently used for the WiFi infrastructure, including the seamless connection of ESLs.

At the same time, central security policies and automatic firmware updates ensure a consistently stable and protected operation. The dashboard not only creates transparency but also enables efficient control and scaling of the infrastructure with minimal effort.

Throughout the entire lifecycle

With the successful completion of the planning phase and the decision to go with Cisco Meraki, the project gained significant momentum. Proof of concept was first implemented in a pilot market before the Meraki infrastructure was set up

To ensure that operations continue to run smoothly and efficiently beyond the rollout, SPAR ICS relies on the long-term cooperation with NTS throughout all project phases. NTS functions as the central point of contact throughout the entire lifecycle: From ordering and configuration to commissioning and a convincing license management.

With the Meraki Enterprise Agreement, SPAR ICS has an internationally scalable solution with a clear license structure and flexible expandability. This gives SPAR ICS access to a uniform technology stack that enables growth while significantly reducing operational overhead.

FACT BOX:

Technical highlights

  • 596 activated locations (as of 2025)
  • Over 9 Million ESLs (6,7 Million in Austria) in use
  • 6000 Cisco Meraki access points
  • 19 terabytes of monthly data traffic

SPAR’s advantages

  • Reduced IT complexity in stores
  • Central cloud dashboard for management and monitoring
  • Zero-touch provisioning for new markets
  • Automated software updates
  • Savings on infrastructure and licenses
  • Optimal WiFi coexistence (WLAN and ESLs in parallel operation)
  • 24/7 support with NTS in planning
Cisco Case Studies “Where Retail Operations Meet Network Simplicity”
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