NineWest RFID Pilot

Jones Apparel Group launches program to pilot Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology in specific Nine West retail locations to determine its impact on item tracking and service, operational efficiency, and inventory. ...

... "The goal of this pilot program will be to study the benefits that item-level RFID provides in the areas of enhanced productivity, customer service and inventory accuracy. The team of companies with whom Jones is partnering on this initiative consists of: Vue Technology, which will provide the RFID software and system management solutions; Motorola's Enterprise Mobility Business, which will provide fixed and handheld RFID readers and antennas; Avery Dennison, which will provide RFID tags and printers; inCode Wireless, which will provide installation and integration services and, along with RFID Sherpas LLC, will perform operational and business case analysis. " ...

Via Jones Apparel Group: Item-Level RFID Pilot in Select Nine West Retail Locations

RFID Inlay Tracking Packed Meat

Avery Dennison RFID will supply AD-222 inlays to the METRO Group for meat tracking pilot program at the Future Store in Toenisvorst, Germany. ...

... "The AD-222 inlay will be used to tag the foam meat packing trays used in METRO's real, Future Store. The meat tagging application will help METRO better manage the flow of its perishable products, cut down on cost and save time on restocking.

The European Avery Dennison RFID team worked to develop a solution, including a feasibility study and the tag design. The RFID tags will be applied to the foam meat packing tray and one of the particular challenges was to meet safety requirements for labeling food. Avery Dennison RFID worked together with Fasson Roll Materials Europe, a division of Avery Dennison, to provide S-2000N food contact compliant adhesive. The RFID tags are readable when stacked in the freezer and meet METRO Group's food labeling safety requirements. " ...

Via Avery Dennison RFID: RFID Inlay Utilized in Meat Tagging Application for Metro Group

RFID Retail Checkout

Freedom Shopping has launched a solution that plugs into existing cash registers and point-of-sale terminals to enable RFID checkout, inventory tracking and security. ...

... "The core of the solution is a software wedge (Freedom-ID) that operates on the point-of-sale (POS) terminal. It communicates with a counter-top RFID reader pad (EasyRead Pad) and/or other readers in the checkout lane. Inventory is monitored with mobile RFID readers and security gates also are RFID-enabled. Data is passed to existing cash registers and POS infrastructure at all points in a SKU format so it can be instantly integrated. Consumer privacy is protected using a variety of technical safeguards. " ...

Via Freedom Shopping: Offering for Retail RFID Checkout & Security

RFID Shrink Management Platform

Checkpoint introduces next-generation of shrink management based on RFID technology. The radio frequency solution is derived from military applications and rotates the RF signal 360 degrees, which increases the detection capability. Alarm management is accomplished through different exit and entrance signal strategies. ...

... "Evolve provides retailers with a feature-rich, highly-scaleable EAS system to help reduce shrink, improve profitability, and enhance the consumer shopping experience while reducing unintended customer hassle created by false alarms. When combined with the benefits of RFID, Evolve will also increase inventory visibility, ensuring that retailers keep products on the shelves and available for purchase by their customers. The new solution features 25% increased detection, differentiated alarm response through two EAS frequencies, integrated customer counting, Smart Alarm Management, Industry standard Ethernet connectivity and easy remote system upgrades. " ...

Via Checkpoint Systems: Shrink Management System

Bookstore RFID Implements Item Level Tracking in SuperStore Format

Byblos implements item-level RFID tracking in its large-format bookstore in Portugal, using solutions from Vue Technology. ...

... "Byblos is using the TrueVUE RFID Platform to help track more than 150,000 items across its 35,000 square foot retail outlet. Every individual item within the new Byblos Amoreiras store is equipped with a UHF RFID tag. The company is using the item-level RFID solution to help maximize store operational efficiencies and on-shelf product availability, as well as provide a better customer experience. The Lisbon store is the first in a series of superstores planned to launch across Europe. " ...

Via Vue Technology: Largest Item-Level Retail RFID Deployment

Retail RFID Item-Level In-Store Tagging

ADT introduces RFID reader that lowers the overall costs of in-store, item-level radio frequency identification (RFID) deployment by reducing reader requirements by up to 90 percent and capital costs by up to 60 percent.

... "ADT and its industry-leading Sensormatic brand of electronic article surveillance (EAS) anti-theft systems have a long history of large-scale, item-level tagging for inventory security. Karstadt Warenhaus GmbH, one of Germany's leading retailers and a user of Sensormatic EAS to secure its merchandise and reduce losses, has now deployed the iREAD platform as part of a major apparel implementation at one of its flagship stores. " ...

Via ADT: Retail RFID Deployment Costs with Sensormatic iREAD Technology

BlackFriday RFID Retail Pilot Locates Stock

Electronic Product Code (EPC) RFID technology will be used on new DVD releases in a pilot test scheduled at select stores around the country. The RFID tags are expected to help retailers locate stock that is in their stores to improve the customer experience. ...

... "The EPC uses radio frequency identification (RFID) to uniquely identify an object. Retailers can use the EPC to ensure that products are kept in stock to meet shopper demand as well as helping shoppers find the right product in the right place inside the store. Over the last few years, the EPC has become a popular way to identify pallets and cases of goods on their way to retail stores. Electronic readers inside the store read the unique serial numbers from EPC labels and relay this information back to store staff. EPC labels do not contain, collect or store any personal information. The EPC label has no power source and can only transmit its unique number when it is less than about 10 feet from a reader that activates the label. The power – or strength – of readers is strictly regulated by the Federal Communications Commission. The actual distance from which an EPC label can be read may be shorter because barriers such as shopping bags and other factors such as the presence of metal materials or nearness of walls or other obstructions weaken a reader’s signal. The labels can be removed after purchase. " ...

Via epcGlobal: SHOPPER BENEFITS (PDF)

WalMart RFID Acceleration to Realize Benefits

Walmart will accelerate its use of RFID technology throughout its stores at the item-level to drive beneifts. ...

... "The world's largest retailer, with US$345 billion in sales last year, is gearing up to roll out the RFID gear to make that prediction a reality in its 4,068 North American stores. " ...

Via Yahoo! News: WalMart RFID

RFID Clipped Tags Discussion

Video shows IBM clipped tag ...

Dillards RFID Pilot Program Will Tag Merchandise Items with Electronic Product Code

Dillards. a national retailer that operates in 29 states, is beginning an item-level Radio Frequency Identification, RFID, tagging pilot in its stores this month, in order to assess the technology's impact on customer service through improved product availability. ...

... "The pilot will consist of certain styles of merchandise being marked with RFID-enabled tags. The RFID/EPC (Electronic Product Code) tags function like an intelligent barcode and contain only the Electronic Product Code unique to each garment. The tags are designed to be removed at the time of purchase. They are not required in the event that the customer wishes to return the garment. No link will be made between the garment information held by the tag and the customer's personal information. These new tags will enable store associates to perform more frequent inventory counts on merchandise, with the ultimate goal of more timely replenishment of out-of-stocks. We believe that the use of RFID technology can enable us to provide an even higher level service to our customers by enhancing our ability to have the right product available at the right time while providing us even more accurate information from our inventory control system. " ...

Via Dillards: RFID Pilot Program

Metro RFID Shopping Experience

Metro pilots RFID in its Future Store initiative. ...

... "In a pilot project in the men's fashion department, some 30,000 products have been fitted with additional RFID labels - known as Smart Chips. " ...

Via Fibre2Fashion: RFID Shopping Experience

Metro RFID Future Store Initiative

Nice video of Metro Group's Future Store Initiative that relies on RFID for supply chain visibility. ...

RFID Hang Tag Tracks Pipe

RFID hang-tags, used in retail, are deployed for tracking lengths of stainless steel pipe. ...

... "The printable RFID hang tag produced for retail clothing provides an adhesive backing that is easily attached to the end of the pipe. Not only does the adhesive backing provide a secure attachment, but it also keeps the tags' antenna away from the metal surface. This has resulted in an effective way to firmly attach the tag, while providing a very high level of read accuracy. " ...

Via Barcoding: Tracking Metal Objects with RFID Tags

RFID Infrastructure New Release

Reva Systems has released for general availability Version 2.0 of its Tag Acquisition Processor (TAP) and associated Management Console products, that will support plug-and-play support for RFID readers and printers, provide improved graphical user interface, and better integrate with IBM, Microsoft and SAP systems. ...

... "Release 2.0 has been tested and validated in some of Reva's previously announced customer RFID deployments, including METRO Group's retail and distribution environments and Hewlett-Packard's manufacturing and distribution operations. Additional Reva TAP 2.0 customers will be announced at the RFID Journal Apparel & Footwear Summit to be held this month. The Reva TAP is an RFID network infrastructure appliance that delivers accurate, actionable data for enterprise integration frameworks and consuming applications. It provides the RFID solution element that enables Reva's global customers to move from pilot projects to production RFID programs. " ...

Via Reva Systems: Reva Systems TAP Release 2.0

RFID Fast Moving Consumer Goods

TOSHIBA TEC is working to demonstrate fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) in an integrated Supply Chain Management system, called the RFID EXPRESS POS Project. ...

... "The TOSHIBA TEC set up consisted of a barcode printer at the manufacturing side to print RFID tags and the innovative RFID-driven Express POS terminal in the retail shop. The combination of barcode and RFID technologies allows a gradual integration of RFID into the retail organisation while at the same time protecting their ICT investment. " ...

Via TOSHIBA TEC: TOSHIBA TEC tests Supply Chain Management program for item-level RFID consumer goods

Logistics RFID Cold Chain Requirements

Accellos completes RFID consortium initiative to address emerging RFID requirements of the third-party logistics (3PL) market in the freezer, cooler and dry warehousing environments. ...

... "The purpose of the project was to develop RFID Slap and Ship capability that meets the compliance requirements of specific retailers. The RFID consortium, a best of breed group comprised of manufacturers, operators and system integrators was a unique approach to enhancing the Accellos Enterprise 3PL product, with each member of the RFID consortium having an equal vote in all project related decisions. " ...

Via Accellos: Successful Development of RFID Capabilities within Accellos Enterprise 3PL

Metro RFID Starter Packs

METRO Group will ramp up its use of radio frequency identification (RFID) this year and has approved Intermec RFID starter packs. ...

... "Metro has approved two Intermec RFID starter packs, specially tailored to the needs of the consumer goods industry, which will be offered to its suppliers. The preconfigured application contained in the packs makes it possible to easily fit pallets and boxes with RFID tags. Both RFID starter packs contain an Intermec PM4i RFID-enabled printer and SF51 Bluetooth bar code scanner. In addition, the second expanded option also contains an Intermec RFID portal for full recording of incoming and outgoing goods. The partnership between the two companies has its roots in the use of the Intermec RFID system in the METRO Group Future Store Initiative, the METRO Group RFID Innovation Center and the RFID introduction in November 2004. " ...

Via Intermec: Metro Starter Packs

Staples Active RFID Pilot

Reusable tags are being piloted by Staples to validate effectiveness for item-level tracking. A sampling of its products will be tagged in the pilot with active RFID tags. Early data shows 100% accuracy for the active technology, cutting down on the cycle-counting process for retail inventory. The active tags are reclaimed at the point-of-sale and reused. ...

... "Staples in late May started its trial at one of its Montreal stores, selectively tagging about 2,000 items, representing some 300 SKUs out of the 7,500 SKUs in a typical location ... " ...

Via eWeek: Staples RFID

BestBuy RFID Enables Customer Experience

Best Buy sees RFID technology as an enabler of business benefits in customer-facing business processes. ...

... "For instance, the company has already initiated pilot projects that use RFID technology to help customers more easily find items they are looking for in the stores. " ...

Via PC World: Best Buy RFID

RFID Research in Retail Supply Chain

Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals funds RFID research. ...

... "Hardgrave's research team has already been collaborating with WalMart Stores Inc. in the use of RFID at the pallet and case level, and found that using the tags can reduce out-of-stock inventory by 30 percent. " ...

Via The Morning News: RFID Lab

RFA RFID Technology Provides DVD Theft Protection in Supply Chain

NXP Semiconductors and Kestrel Wireless collaborate to develop an RFA (Radio Frequency Activation) RFID solution to provide DVD theft protection throughout the supply chain. The solution enables the ability to disable DVDs at manufacture and enable at the point of sale, rendering the in-transit goods useless while in the supply chain, which eliminates the motive for theft. ...

... "The first application of NXP and Kestrel's RFA / RFID solution will be integrated into optical media. The solution, however, is applicable to all consumer electronics products, such as MP3 players, electric shavers, toothbrushes, flat screen TVs, ink jet cartridges and flash memory. NXP and Kestrel's network-based RFID solution opens up new opportunities for the distribution of optical media and consumer electronics. It eliminates expensive security devices, restrictive packaging and display cages, enabling a more comfortable shopping experience for consumers. Minimized product packaging creates more environmentally friendly solutions, such as paper instead of plastics. Additionally, the costs and problems of returns for DVDs and other disc-based media are reduced. " ...

Via NXP: NXP and Kestrel Wireless partner to eliminate theft of DVDs in retail

WalMart RFID Technology Expansion Continues Per CIO

Executive Vice President and CIO Rollin Ford describes WalMart's plan to continue implementation of RFID technology in a keynote speech at the RFID Journal Live conference in Orlando, Florida. ...

... "WalMart Stores continues to expand its RFID capability to additional facilities, enabling an additional 400 WalMart stores by the end of this fiscal year, WalMart Executive Vice President and CIO Rollin Ford said in a speech Monday. Ford also discussed the technology's current and future benefits to both business and consumers including broad benefits for improving sustainability. He said current benefits include a 30 percent reduction of out-of-stocks, reduction of excess inventory in the supply chain, and sustainability impacts. Ford also outlined advancements including pallet locators now being used at Sam's Club locations. On a daily basis, more than 24 million people shop our stores. If 100,000 extra trips are avoided by having items in stock, we will save customers $22.8 million a year in gas savings and reduce greenhouse gases by 80,209 metric tons. " ...

Via WalMart: WalMart Continues RFID Technology Expansion

RFID Store Promotion Solution Enables Kimberly-Clark

Kimberly-Clark deploys OATSystems' OAT Mobile Tag to enhance in-store promotions through this mobile RFID tagging solution. The OAT solution supports Kimberly-Clark's implementation of RFID-enabled stores in new geographies. ...

... "Like other consumer product companies, Kimberly-Clark invests significantly in in-store product promotions, using as a primary vehicle a manufactured display that features the promoted product. These displays are typically shipped from Kimberly-Clark's contracted manufacturers directly to retailers' stores. All too frequently, operational challenges prevent these displays from reaching the sales floor at the beginning of the promotional period. In fact, industry statistics show that between 15% to 40% of stores fail to move displays to the sales floor on time, missing critical promotional windows and the opportunity to increase sales. Working with OATSystems, Kimberly-Clark has solved this complex operational problem using the latest RFID technology and a mobile tagging solution.

The solution, which incorporates the Mobile Tagging Station from ADASA, enables Kimberly-Clark's third-party contract manufacturers to apply RFID tags to promotional displays. In-store RFID readers read the displays' tags to record when they reach the backroom of the store and again when the displays reach the sales floor. When a display's tag is read, data is sent to Kimberly-Clark and the retailer showing whether the display has reached the sales floor on time. With this innovation, Kimberly-Clark and its retail customers can intervene promptly when displays fail to reach the sales floor on time. This benefits Kimberly-Clark, the retailer and the consumer by ensuring promoted products are where customers expect them to be. " ...

Via OATSystems: Kimberly-Clark Deploys First Mobile RFID Tagging Solution; Uses OATSystems' Mobile Tag

RFID Retail Shopping Experience

Media cart application uses RFID technology to enhance the customer shopping experience. ...

... "The store installs tiny tags on each shelf that emit a radio signal, telling the cart where it is. The cart holds a computer with all the digital ads and product data, which is called up automatically ... " ...

Via WFAA: Shopping Aids