The Impact of RFID Technology on the Apparel Industry

RFID technology is quietly changing everything in the clothing industry

Have you ever wondered how clothes in a big shopping mall know where they are? Or why you check out so quickly when you buy clothes at Uniqlo? Behind all this, it is actually inseparable from a small tag called RFID Tags.

How does RFID make clothing companies smarter?

Brands like Decathlon, Uniqlo, and Adidas have already used RFID early. They are not for coolness, but because RFID can really help them save trouble, money, and time.

1. Decathlon: Warehouse efficiency increased 5 times
Decathlon puts RFID tags on clothes during the production process, and tracks the transportation, storage, shelf and sales of clothes all the way.
What are the results? Inventory counts are 5 times faster, packaging errors are reduced by 87%, and order errors and operating costs are reduced by 90%. In other words, it saves manpower and makes customers more satisfied.

2. Uniqlo: Shopping is as easy as playing games
Uniqlo uses RFID to do a lot of things in the “future store”:

Clothes “check in” by themselves, and customers can see the matching effect in the smart mirror when trying on;

The cart automatically recognizes how many clothes are in it, and there is no need to scan them one by one when checking out;

When the clothes are sold, the system immediately updates the inventory and the background automatically replenishes them.

All this is because RFID tags can transmit information quickly and in batches, unlike traditional barcodes that are scanned one by one.

RFID makes the future simpler

In the future, RFID will not only be as simple as tracking clothes. It can also be used with cloud computing, big data and other technologies to help brands analyze what customers like, how to match, when they are hot-selling… It can even work with automatic warehouses to make goods “move themselves”.

You may not see RFID, but it is quietly affecting every step you take when buying clothes and shopping.

In the near future, this small tag will appear on more clothes, shoes and even hats, making shopping, selling goods and managing inventory easier and smarter.