Want to know where that shipment of jeans is en route to your store? Radio-frequency identification can help you pinpoint the location.
Retailers have talked about RFID for the past decade. Now, as the cost of the technology decreases, more retailers are using it and reaping the benefits.
RFID allows companies to track products from the manufacturer through shipping to the distribution center and on to individual stores. They can see where their shipment is at any time — even if it’s in the middle of the ocean.
Once the products are in the store, retailers are seeing how the chips help reduce shoplifting. A store manager can receive an alert on his or her smartphone when a half-dozen items are picked up from one place and can then be on the lookout for shoplifters.
The technology also is easy to use. The point-of-sale system can deactivate the RFID chip after a product is scanned for purchase at the checkout counter.
RFID helps companies cut costs and improve service. The technology is evolving quickly with new advances being introduced every week.
To learn more about this technology, consider attending a conference.
Source: RFID Journal
