Jun 23, 2019This week, I will be in Chicago hosting RFID Journal LIVE! Retail 2019, which will be co-located with two other major retail events at RetailX: GlobalShop (the retail industry's largest design and merchandising trade show) and the Internet Retailer Conference and Exhibition (the leading show for e-commerce). I'm excited about the event because it will be the first time some brick-and-mortar and online-only retailers will get a chance to see RFID in action. That's often a real eye-opener. But the conference will also offer a lot to companies that are already aware of what radio frequency identification technology can do.
The program is chock full of case studies by retailers and brand owners already using RFID successfully. One presentation I am particularly looking forward to is the Under Armour session, which is sponsored by Avery Dennison (see Under Armour to Present at RFID Journal LIVE! Retail 2019). The global footwear and sportswear company has set out to implement an RFID solution, using a "make it, move it, sell it" deployment strategy. Speakers from Under Armour will explain how RFID has elevated its supply chain and retail experience through greater visibility of inventory movement.
Another exciting presentation will be made by the Foschini Group, of South Africa. The company might not be well known, but it operates more than 4,000 stores on five continents. Its 28 brands cover apparel, sportswear, jewelry, technology, cosmetics, housewares and furniture. The firm has launched an aggressive implementation of RFID across all brands to achieve inventory accuracy and cost savings. The presenters will share how the deployment has improved customer satisfaction and supported the retailer's omnichannel strategy.
Gary Tattersall and Sham Ahmad of Jack Wills, a leading U.K-based retailer, will discuss how RFID has helped it to improve stock accuracy at its stores. And Johan Stenstrom of Stadium AB, a Swedish retailer, will explain how it is using RFID to improve the replenishment of fast-moving sporting goods.
Two manufacturers will also present compelling sessions. Richard Haig of Herman Kay, a leading manufacturing of apparel, will explain how RFID boosted its ability to track production and ship the right items to customers every time, thereby dramatically reducing chargebacks. In addition, Dakota Miller, Quincy Bioscience's director of loss control investigations, will explain how his firm is employing RFID to protect the integrity of its popular Prevagen supplement. Given how much counterfeiting brands are experiencing, this should be a popular session.
We also have experts from GS1 and the Auburn University RFID Lab speaking at the conference. And Greg Buzek of IHL Group will set the stage with some interesting data regarding the current retail landscape and investments in information technology.
You can view the complete agenda here, and if you are not already registered, you can register on site. I hope to see you in Chicago for this exciting event.
Mark Roberti is the founder and editor of RFID Journal.
