DECATHLON, the multi-national sports and leisure goods retailer is rolling out radio frequency identification (RFID) products in more than 400 stores and extending its RFID source tagging for millions of products in its stores around the world.
Checkpoint Systems will deliver RFID labels to the retailer in five days through its service bureaus around Asia and Europe. The retail chain is having RFID source tagged goods in store shelf-ready, freeing employees from manually checking deliveries or applying labels to merchandise before they reach the shop floor. Source tagging involves electronic article surveillance (EAS) or RFID labels being applied to products during the manufacture.
DECATHLON has already installed Checkpoint’s dual-mode EVOLVE Exclusive E10 Radio Frequency (RF) and RFID-based antennas in 19 countries, while carrying out RFID source-tagging, as well as fitting Alpha High Theft Solutions to protect high-risk merchandise.
The retailer was seeking to improve its inventory visibility while having in-store loss prevention. The retailer tested Checkpoint’s Wirama Radar technology and found that it delivered. By identifying the location and direction of movement of a tagged item in-store, Wirama Radar can distinguish whether an item is simply merchandised near the exit or potentially being stolen. As a result, the retailer is able to identify exactly the merchandise that is potentially being stolen.
Per Levin, President and Chief Sales Officer for Shrink Management and Merchandise Visibility Solutions for Checkpoint Systems, said: “Reducing out-of-stocks is critical for retailers to compete and win in today’s challenging retail environment. With RFID-based EAS, DECATHLON reduces shrink and gains real-time insight into merchandise status to make real-time business decisions that drive new sales opportunities.”
