Marks & Spencer is planning to deploy item-level
radio frequency identification (RFID) tags at almost all its
clothing stores after successfully trialling the technology in
selected stores last year.
The decision to roll out RFID, which will increase the number of
stores using the tags from 42 to 120 by spring next year, was
confirmed by the retailer last week as it reported sales for the
six months to the end of September of £3.9bn, up 11% on the same
period a year ago.
James Stafford, head of RFID at the company, said it was the
work put in by the retailer over the past 10 months that had
enabled the expansion.
Marks & Spencer started its item-level RFID trial at the
beginning of the year when its spring/summer clothing ranges came
into stores.
Two months ago the retailer announced that it had extended the
item-level trial to include its autumn/winter clothing range. By
extending the project for a second fashion season, Marks &
Spencer almost doubled the number of tagged items, from 25 million
to 49 million.
Marks & Spencer chief executive Stuart Rose said, “RFID had
to sit slightly on the sidelines while other things took priority.
I am personally very keen on RFID, particularly in high-value items
such as suits.”
The item-level tags enable staff to carry out in-store
stocktakes more quickly and more frequently than in the past.
Employees sweep handheld devices along rows of clothes to find out
what sizes, styles and colours need replacing.
Individual stores have reported improvements in sales from using
RFID during the spring/summer trial, although Marks & Spencer
has always refused to say how far the better availability of stock
has resulted in greater sales.
Some 15 suppliers working in 20 countries tag every item in six
clothing departments: men’s suits, men’s trousers, men’s jackets,
women’s casual trousers, women’s skirts and women’s suits.
Rose said, “We are rolling out RFID to a number of other
departments too. I think RFID is here to stay.”
Marks & Spencer is also looking at tagging the pallets and
roll cages used by its clothing business so that it can keep track
of goods as they move through the supply chain.
It wants to save money by reducing the number of pallets or roll
cages that get lost or delayed.
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