News

German retailer testing RFID for apparel sales

January 20, 2008

New York Times: In the men's department of a Galeria Kaufhof department store in Essen, Germany, every clothing item except the shoes — about 30,000 in all — gets a price tag with an RFID chip embedded at a Kaufhof warehouse if a tag has not already been attached by the manufacturer. Readers register when each item reaches the storeroom, when it is brought to the floor, and when it enters a dressing room. Some "smart" shelves are also equipped with readers that record when the garment is removed or replaced. The cash registers also have readers and the tags are destroyed when an item is purchased.