RFID in Retail: How is it Used & Retail RFID Examples

Suzanne Gotfryd | Jul 16, 2024 | min read

In this article, we will walk through how RFID technology is used in the retail industry and provide examples of RFID tags from major retailers. We will also discuss our most popular selling RFID tags for retail. For more information about how RFID is used in retail, don't hesitate to contact us.

Table of Contents

How is RFID Used in Retail?

In 2024, if you purchase a retail item, there is about a 50/50 chance that it will be tagged with an RFID tag for inventory management purposes. Retailers are placing RFID tags on a larger number of products and their price tags or packaging in order to monitor inventory more efficiently. Not only does RFID drastically reduce the time it takes to accurately inventory a store floor, but because of that reduced time, retailers can take inventory more frequently with less work and higher levels of accuracy. Typically a full-store inventory without RFID technology takes place 1-2 times a year and takes anywhere from 1 day to 2 weeks, depending on the store size and number of employees taking inventory. This can be a very labor-intensive process, and can be very prone to error due to human performance issues.

RFID technology can read up to 750 tags per second at up to 20 – 30 feet away – reducing inventory time to a few minutes or an hour. The ability to take inventory in minutes allows and encourages stores to take inventory more often, once a day or once a week – giving retailers a better idea of the most popular items sold, items out of stock, and potential missing/stolen products.

Retailers have chosen to implement RFID technology by either slowly mandating RFID tags on certain item categories like  Walmart has done over the years, or have opted to do a complete RFID tag overall, like lululemon did in 2014. Most retailers require each product to be individually tagged upon arrival to the store, which means that manufacturers or distributors are typically the ones responsible for purchasing and placing the RFID tags on the products. This can vary though, depending on where the RFID tag is placed on the item. For example, lululemon’s tags are placed on the item’s price tag, behind the informational sticker – so these items must be tagged when they are priced at each location. Other RFID tags, like the Walmart Shoe Polish example below, are placed on the item itself or the item packaging without pricing information, which means the tags are likely attached at the manufacturing or distribution level and then shipped to each location for stocking.

RFID tagged retail products are becoming the norm as more and more businesses see the huge benefit of adopting RFID technology. Take a look at some of the retailers below announcing RFID adoption in the near future.

Retailers using RAIN RFID

9 RFID Tags for Retail We've Seen in the Real World

RFID is all around us, and as the RFID experts we like to keep an eye out for how the technology is being implemented and experienced in the real world. Each of the following RFID tags have been found in retail stores like Walmart, lululemon, Target, and other major retailers on real products, and are being used for everything from inventory to enhancing the customer experience. The products are listed below in alphabetical order with additional information on the tag being used on the product and why.

1. adidas CloudFoam Running Shoes

2. Auden Women's Underwear

3. Hyper Tough Push Mower

  • Retailer: Walmart
  • Use Case: Lawn Equipment
  • Form Factor: Inlay/Label
  • Attachment Method: An RFID tag/label is printed and encoded and then adhered on the packaging.
  • RFID Tag: Tageos EOS-261
  • IC: Impinj M730
  • Read Range: Tageos EOS-261's read range

4. KW Express Shine Shoe Polish

  • Retailer: Walmart
  • Use Case: Shoe Polish, Shoe Care
  • Form Factor: Inlay/Label
  • Attachment Method: An RFID tag/label is printed and encoded and then adhered to the side of the packaging..
  • RFID Tag: BoingTech 1020660
  • IC: NXP UCODE 8
  • Similar Product: Tageos EOS-430 Impinj M730
  • Read Range: Tageos EOS-430's read range

5. lululemon Shorts

6. Nordstrom Jeans

7. Purple Brand Jeans

8. Threshold Accent Rug

9. Victoria's Secret Bra

It’s interesting to see that some retailers have chosen to simply stick the RFID tag on the back of the price tag – like the Target Auden example. Some retailers, like Victoria’s Secret, have the tag embedded into the label, making it a custom tag solution.

As you can see, there is not one ‘right’ way to use RFID to tag retail items, and it’s usually up to the supplier or manufacturer’s discretion, as well as the specific qualities of the item being sold.

Looking For Help with an RFID Supplier Mandate?

atlasRFIDstore can help you choose the RFID tags for any supplier mandate. Learn more about how we can help and our process here!

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Our 5 Top Selling RFID Tags for Retail

1. Tageos EOS-261

Tageos EOS-261 UHF RFID Tag The Tageos EOS-261 is ARC approved for categories F, G, N, O, Q, R, W1, W2, W3, W4, W5, W6, Y. It’s a smaller tag, only measuring about 1.85” x 0.91” in size and is available with the Impinj M730 IC.

2. Tageos EOS-300

Tageos EOS-300 UHF RFID Tag

The  Tageos EOS-300 is ARC approved for categories F, G, I, J, K, L, N, O, Q, R, W1, W2, W3, W4, W5, W6, and Y. It’s slightly larger than the EOS-261, measuring about 2.13” x 134” in size and is available with the Impinj M730 or M750 IC.

3. Smartrac Avery Dennison Belt

Avery Dennison Smartrac Belt UHF RFID Tag

The  Avery Dennison Smartrac Belt is ARC approved for categories A, B, C, D, F, G I, K, M, N, Q, W2, W3, W4, W5, and Y. It’s a thin, medium-length tag, measuring about 2.9” x 0.5” in size and is available with the Impinj M730, M750, R6, R6-P, UCODE 8, and UCODE 9.

4. Tageos EOS-430

Tageos EOS-430 UHF RFID Tag

The  Tageos EOS-430 is ARC approved for categories F, G, I, J, K, L, N, O, Q, R, W1, W2, W3, W4, W5, W6, and Y. It’s a thin, medium-length tag, measuring about 2.91” x 0.67” in size and is available with the Impinj M730 IC.

5. Vulcan Flame

Vulcan RFID Flame UHF RFID Tag

The  Vulcan Flame is not ARC approved but used regularly by Dillard’s suppliers. It’s a thin, medium-length tag, measuring about 1.870” x 0.526” in size and is available with the Impinj M730 IC.

Conclusion

For more information on how RFID is being used in retail – take a look at some of our other articles found below, or contact us!

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UHF RFID in Retail: The Cosmetics & Beauty Industry 4 years ago • 2 comments RFID technology has been widely used in retail following Walmart’s 2003 announcement of initial testing and adoption.
Nordstrom & Macys: RFID Tag Mandates for Suppliers 2 years ago • 0 comments RFID is making another push into the retail market as Nordstrom implements RFID and Macys expands their RFID requirements.

We Help Retailers with RFID Tag Mandates!

RFID is complicated, and so are retail tag mandates. Our goal is to streamline RFID compliance and layout a simple process to help suppliers get the RFID tags they need, so they can get back to doing what they do best – providing exceptional quality items to everyday consumers through retailers.

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