Gieves & Hawkes installs RFID system to prevent loss and track inventory
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In order to improve inventory visibility and prevent loss, men’s clothing retailer Gieves & Hawkes deployed an RFID system in its Birmingham store. This solution can track the receipt of clothing in stores and back rooms, prevent unpurchased items from being taken out of the store and update inventory data. The store will also expand RFID deployment in its new store. The technology is provided by RFID solutions company Catalyst.
Gieves & Hawkes is a high-end, high-end menswear and ready-to-wear retailer headquartered in London. The retailer has 200 stores in China and 8 stores in the UK. The company was founded in 1771 and is one of the earliest tailor shops in the world. In the past few centuries, the British Royal Family and the Royal Army have worn the brand’s customized suits and clothing.
(In the Gieves & Hawkes store in Birmingham, 3 Keonn EAS AdvanSafe readers are installed on the ceiling near the entrance)
Five months ago, the Birmingham store opened, with a 4-meter wide entrance in the direction of the mall. This also increases the risk of high-value items being stolen, so it is necessary to provide security for these products. At the same time, the store does not want to install visible antennas and EAS devices, which affects the appearance of the store.
When deploying RFID technology, the store ran into a problem: how to ensure that the goods are kept in stock. Gieves & Hawkes is also sold as clothing accessories, the store hopes to have stock at any time. However, the storehouse cannot store every size of inventory. Therefore, timely replenishment has also become very important.
In 2015, the company began to cooperate with Catalyst, and then installed the technology in a new store. According to Caralyst’s marketing manager Lee Adams, the company’s goal is to ensure item safety and optimize inventory management. The RFID-based EAS technology can not only trigger an alarm when an unsettled item leaves the store, but also know the item’s information. In addition, RFID can also provide replenishment information and inventory analysis. Since the store has records of removed items, the store can claim to take action to prevent it.
When receiving items, the company will attach a UHF Gen2 passive RFID tag to each item (including cufflinks, socks, jackets, shirts). Gieves & Hawkes uses a Zebra Technologies ZT410 printer to print and encode Smartrac Web Ucode 7 RFID tags. The unique ID number of the tag is bound with the item description and item SKU information.
This data is stored in Catalyst’s cloud-based platform. Store staff use Keonn AdvanScan handheld RFID readers for weekly inventory counts. After the reader reads the tag ID, the tag ID is transmitted to the cloud server through the WiFi connection. The Catalyst software compares the reading results with the inventory list and sends a replenishment report to the store manager, indicating which items need to be restocked.
(Employees use Keonn AdvanScan handheld RFID readers for weekly inventory counting)
In addition, a desktop Keonn AdvanPay-110 is also installed at the cash register RFIDReader. After the consumer settles, if the employee reads the RFID tag, the tag will be deactivated so that the reader will no longer read the tag.
Three Keonn EAS AdvanSafe readers are installed at the door: a main reader and two auxiliary readers for data transmission. All three readers are installed on a wooden ceiling and are 3.2 meters high. Therefore, they also act as an EAS device. The store has configured the reader antenna to only read when the item passes through the gate. When the reader reads the tag ID, it will sound a warning and send out a reminder to the store manager.
After using the RFID system, the inventory accuracy of the Birmingham store has increased to 98.5%. Due to the effect of the store installation, Gieves & Hawkes plans to install the technology in Hackney stores.
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