Upgrowing Retail RFID Trend

Retail has grown rapidly over the past few years and shows no signs of slowing down. To survive and thrive, retailers need to keep up with the latest retail technology. Certain RFID vendors have helped retailers address a variety of challenges, including full channel coverage, loss prevention and automated self-checkout. Well-known foreign brands such as Nike and Zara have already achieved considerable returns on their RFID investments. The following three areas break down the obvious benefits of investing in RFID solutions in the retail industry.

1. Full Channel Coverage

During the coronavirus pandemic, consumers turned to online shopping when stores were temporarily closed when the social distance was encouraged. Even as stores reopen, shoppers want the best of both worlds and flexible options, including buy online, in-store pickup and buy online, curbside pickup.

To meet demand, retailers need inventory systems that provide greater accuracy, greater visibility, and access to real-time data about the current location and status of each item. These are the foundation for other full channel needs such as inventory replenishment, promisable goods, and pick-pack-ship fulfillment.

2. Automatic Self-checkout

The RFID self-checkout solution automatically reads hundreds of items instantly without scanning codes, meaning customers don’t need to use bar code or SKU numbers. This reduces wait times, improves customer convenience, and minimizes close contact with others, which has bought comfort to many shoppers in the post-pandemic era.

self-checkout using RFID does not simply shift the work of cashiers to shipper, but allows stores to create a customer-centric convenient, intuitive and fast experience. According to retail experts, RFID-enabled self-checkout will continue to be popular.

3. Loss Prevention

As the Covid-19 eases and controls are gradually loosened, customers are returning to offline stores. But labor shortages have made it difficult for retailers to provide adequate customer service and prevent shoplifting. And RFID solutions can help retailers understand what, how and when specific item is missing and prevent future market contractions.

Using traditional damage prevention technology, an alarm at the store’s exit alerts the retailer if an item with the anti-theft device passes through the door. The retailer only knows that the item is missing, and not exactly what items are missing, or how much.

RFID solutions for retail can reduce shrinkage and prevent losses. By better understanding the details of loss events, retailers can identify and quickly respond to new tactics that burglars and organized retail crime may use.

The Indispensable Technology →RFID

While the pandemic has brought rapid, dramatic changes to the retail industry, it has only accelerated some of the shifts that have already occurred. Either way, there is no way to go back to the past. According to a poll, two-thirds of consumers surveyed globally say they are likely to use a home delivery service, with half opting for curbside pickup. In a similar poll of retailers, the 87% respondents said focusing on RFID enabled them to provide a better full channel experience during the pandemic.

Retailers trust RFID to provide the accuracy, visibility and insight needed for use cases such as full channel fulfillment, loss prevention, and self-checkout, and scenarios continue to expand as more products support RFID. What’s more, the ROI of RFID is complicated the more ways merchant use it.