Carters applies RFID to store-level inventory

The largest branded kids’ apparel/accessories manufacturer in the U.S. is keeping close tabs on the flow of inventory through its stores.

Carters deployed the Nedap iD Cloud platform in all of its U.S. stores in August 2021. The objective of this enterprise RFID rollout is to improve overall inventory accuracy, leading to omnichannel sales growth, increased sell-throughs, and operational efficiencies.

Leveraging Nedap iD Cloud, Carters gathers all item-level electronic product code (EPC) inventory data and unique item lifespan history into one place, in an effort to create perfect inventory visibility throughout its supply chain with the use of RFID technology.

As a result, Carters intends to improve product availability, leading to fewer markdowns, less waste, and higher profitability. The company can also use RFID-based product tracking to support its BOPIS program, first launched in 2019.

Having customized support from Nedap, Carter’s completed deployment of the RFID solution to more than 750 stores in three months.

Athletic apparel company Under Armour is also deploying the Nedap iD Cloud RFID-based inventory visibility platform throughout 400 of its owned and operated stores across the globe. The objective of the first phase of the company’s RFID rollout is to lay a scalable foundation, both operationally and technologically, for the program and to achieve accurate stock visibility in Under Armour retail stores.

As a result, Under Armour intends to obtain optimized item availability and efficiency gains in key day-to-day processes. The objectives for future phases of RFID are to enhance Under Armour’s real-time view of inventory in stores are to further drive operational efficiencies, leverage RFID to drive innovation in consumer experiences, and identify opportunities to leverage RFID across the company’s entire supply chain. More specifically, Under Armour seeks to create a more seamless and connected shopping experience across all of its consumer touchpoints. 

“With RFID, we can offer a broader assortment of inventory available to our customers opting for in-store or curbside pickup,” said Andrew Tashiro, senior director of omnichannel at Carter's. “In addition to improving the customer experience, better inventory management through RFID is an important tool to deliver increased profitability in our retail business. The ability to host our data here in the U.S. and to be supported locally was essential for our deployment. Ultimately, the scalability of the platform which allowed us to easily connect existing systems and quickly access accurate inventory data drove the decision to choose Nedap iD Cloud.”

“We’re really excited to work with such an iconic brand,” said Ailen Li, director of iD Cloud Platform, North America, Nedap. “Founded in 1865, Carter’s has an even stronger legacy than our company as Nedap has been around since 1929. To stay relevant over the course of so many decades requires a long-term strategy, but you must also be able to innovate as needed to meet the needs of modern consumers in our everyday reality. With such deep roots, there is a lot of synergy between both companies and that has made a solid starting point for building a successful partnership.”