Managing a business with razor-thin margins is one of the biggest challenges local meat markets and grocery stores face. On average, for every dollar of sales, a store only keeps between 1 and 3 cents in profit!
For retailers operating on tight margins, squeezing out additional profits requires a relentless focus on operational efficiency. One practical and often overlooked opportunity is switching to linerless labels — a simple change that delivers measurable improvements in speed, safety, waste reduction, and cost.
What Is a Linerless Label?
Linerless labels provide an innovative solution to common labeling problems. Unlike traditional labels, they have no backing liner. A special release coating allows the labels to be wound directly on top of each other without sticking together.
Traditional labels with liners create several problems in busy retail environments:
- Additional handling — staff must peel labels from weigh scales / printers and dispose of the liner waste
- Safety hazard — discarded liners frequently end up on the floor, creating slip risks and clutter
- Higher costs — liners increase shipping weight and add landfill / disposal expenses
How Linerless Labels Improve Operations in Meat Markets & Grocery Stores
Nobody likes waiting in line — whether you're the customer or the employee trying to keep the line moving. Speed and efficiency at the point of sale directly influence repeat business.
Linerless labels help meat departments, delis, and pre-packaged food areas by simplifying pricing, product identification, and promotional labeling. They adhere well to plastic wrap, trays, containers, and other packaging types, and allow fast price / promotion changes.
Benefits include:
- Faster labeling process
- Better in-store organization
- Reduced material costs
How Days of the Week Labels Improve Inventory Management
Grocery stores throw away around 30% of their food. In fact, food waste has a significant impact on grocery store profit, costing the industry over $50 billion annually.
Although large chains are implementing intelligent forecasting systems that inform waste reduction opportunities, technology isn’t the only way to reduce waste.
Using days of the week labels is another effective option. Labels that display the day of the week allow staff to easily track expiration dates, rotate stock, and ensure that older products are sold first.
Linerless labels with pre-printed days of the week or customized expiration dates allow store employees to maintain better control over stock freshness. This helps reduce food waste and ensures customers are receiving high-quality products.
While large chains invest in sophisticated forecasting software, smaller stores can achieve meaningful waste reduction with a low-tech, high-impact tool: days of the week labels.
Linerless labels with pre-printed days of the week or customized expiration dates allow store employees to maintain better control over stock freshness. This helps reduce food waste and ensures customers are receiving high-quality products.
How Linerless Labels Improve Efficiency in Food Service Areas
Weigh scales are an essential tool utilized throughout the day in delis and meat counters. Although scale manufacturers including Bizerba, Hobart, Mettler Toledo and more accommodate labels with a liner, the linerless option is far more effective.
Linerless labels can be used with electronic scales to generate weight, price, barcode for scanning at checkout, nutritional information, expiration dates and more. This helps staff save time while ensuring customers receive accurate information on their purchases.
In addition, linerless labels allow you to adjust the size of the printout. The label length is sized dynamically each time a label is printed, which eliminates the blank spaces and optimizes label use. This eliminates the need to stock different-sized labels. Further, when you change a roll, you don’t throw away a core of useless liners.
Linerless labels can help you save time, reduce waste and lower overall costs.
Linerless Labels Ensuring Freshness and Compliance
Ensuring that products remain fresh and comply with food safety regulations is a priority for grocery stores and meat markets. Linerless labels can play a crucial role in managing expiration dates, helping businesses stay compliant and providing a better experience for consumers.
The FDA requires grocery stores and meat markets to apply product dating on meat and poultry. These dates may be voluntarily applied provided they are labeled in a manner that is truthful and not misleading and in compliance with FSIS regulations.
Accurate shelf labels help shoppers quickly locate products and make informed decisions based on pricing and expiration dates. In local meat markets, clear and precise labeling ensures that customers trust the freshness of the products they are purchasing. Commonly used phrases for date labeling include:
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Best if Used By / Before | When product is at peak flavor / quality |
| Sell-By | Guidance for store inventory management |
| Use-By | Last recommended date for peak quality |
| Freeze-By | When to freeze to maintain quality |
Studies show “Best if Used By” phrasing reduces consumer food waste which improves satisfaction even if it doesn’t directly reduce store-level shrink.
Implementing Linerless Labels in Small Retail & Meat Markets
For independent stores not yet using linerless labels, the switch is often easier than expected:
- Up to 60% more labels per roll - fewer roll changes
- Up to 40% lower shipping costs
- No liner disposal costs - only a recyclable core remains
- Many existing scales/printers can be converted or upgraded when equipment is replaced
The time saved frees staff to focus on customer service, merchandising, and other value-adding tasks.
United Ad Label Linerless Labeling Solutions
Switching to linerless labels delivers benefits across multiple areas: faster operations, reduced waste, improved safety, lower costs, and better compliance.
Whether you're labeling fresh meat, deli items, special offers, or rotation dates, linerless labeling is a proven, cost-effective upgrade for grocery stores and meat markets.
Contact United Ad Label today to explore linerless labeling systems and see how they can transform your daily operations.