RFID Solutions
RFID, or Radio Frequency Identification, is a technology that enables specific items to be tracked via the reading of data contained on an RFID chip. In retail, it can be used to provide item level information without the need for line of sight reading, and can therefore be used in inventory management and as a loss prevention technology.
RFID can help address some of the major limitations of conventional EAS, including...
- EAS can only alert to an instance of an unspecified product leaving the store without the EAS tag being correctly deactivated or removed.
- Most retailers have adopted either 58kHz AM, or 8.2MHz RF operating frequencies, and stores are therefore unable to distinguish between an outgoing alarm attributed to themselves, or an incoming tag from another store (EAS tag pollution)
By standardising the data that is contained on the RFID chip against the Global EPC standards, retailers are able to provide each item with a unique serial number that will relate to a specific product, sold by a specific retailer, in a specific store. This information is then overwritten at the POS to identify that the item has been sold, thus eliminating tag pollution and providing truly intelligent EAS. In addition, by protecting product through the supply chain, which may account for large losses, retailers can reduce shrinkage and increase on shelf availability which will in turn drive sales.
As retail space is optimised, and the competition for consumer spend is increased, RFID can enable retailers to carry more efficient inventories on shelf. By reducing the volume of each product line, and increasing the range, retailers can operate boutique style operations in a mass market environment. This is made possible by performing regular, accurate on shelf inventory counts and relaying this to the stock room.
For more information on how TAG’s RFID programmes can help your business, please contact TAG here: Contact Us
