Retail RFID: Attention, Shoppers

From philly.com (subscription), PA ... The customer has just encountered RFID, or radio-frequency identification, a developing technology that holds great promise for manufacturers, retailers and ...

... Peer into the future of retailing and here's something you're likely to see: While shopping for blue jeans in a discount store, a customer picks up and puts back on the shelf three pairs before finding the right size and style. Each time one pair leaves the shelf, a computer chip embedded in the garment signals the store's central computer that the pants are on the move. ...

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. has emerged as the leading proponent of using RFID to track cases and pallets of goods as they come into its warehouses and stores. In June, the world's largest retailer started using the technology in six distribution centers and 250 stores, and it has required that its 100 largest vendors put RFID tags on all shipments starting Jan. 1.