RFID pioneer Metro, the world’s third-largest retailer,
has announced the successful implementation of RFID readers and
tags at its biggest German distribution centre.
Located in Unna, the distribution centre is equipped with
Intermec IF5 Intelligent RFID readers and RFID Intermec tags.
Metro has so far "read" 50,000 pallets of goods and is
experiencing 99% successful tag read-rates, while complying with
the industry’s ETSI-based European radio standard.
Gerd Wolfram, executive project manager of Metro’s Group Future
Store Initiative, said, "With the strong read rates and system
performance we’ve seen from our Intermec system, Metro is proving
the efficiency and accuracy that RFID promises for retailers."
Metro began its commercial RFID roll-out last November.
While the Metro goods moved using RFID still represent a small
percentage of Metro’s business, they are one of the European retail
industry’s first major attempts to replace the currently ubiquitous
bar code system when it comes to tracking products.
