Fashion shopping at its best

When Michiko Kauska shops, she wants reasonable prices and excellent quality – and sometimes she simply wants to enjoy herself. In supermarkets and department stores alike, RFID is transforming the shopping experience. It is helping shoppers like Michiko to learn more about products and to find exactly what they want – whether a leather handbag, a suit of clothes or a favourite brand of imported chocolates.

Michiko takes a sleek red blouse from a rack, holds it to her chest and stands in front of a special RFID mirror. The reader behind the mirror reads the unique ID on the blouse’s RFID tag, and information flashes up on the mirror as if it were a computer screen. Michiko can view this product information, including the manufacturer, the fabric of the garment and the instructions for washing.

Intuitive dressing rooms

Michiko now goes to the dressing room to try on a coordinating skirt. She realizes she needs one size larger than the one she has in her hand. The monitor in Michiko’s so-called “smart” dressing room tells her what additional sizes and colours are on the rack and where the rack is located. Michiko is relieved to find a full range of sizes in stock.

This is all because Michiko’s favourite department store is using removable RFID tags on garments to help keep shelves stocked. The technology allows stores to identify individual items in bulk rather than scanning them separately. For instance, a sales assistant only has to roll a complete rack of blouses past a reader, and the computer system is updated with information about the items that are going on the racks. This speeds up the stocking, inventory and reordering processes dramatically. For shoppers like Michiko it means their favourite items are available at all times and shopping is much more convenient. What an experience!