JD Sports obtains real-time store inventory visibility with mobile RFID
JD Sports is leveraging mobile RFID technology to get an up-to-date view of inventory across channels.
The U.K.-based global sports footwear and fashion company operates nearly 5,000 stores across 46 countries, including more than 2,500 in North America. However, as it has scaled, JD Sports has found maintaining inventory visibility in stores a challenge.
To reliably offer omnichannel services such as one-hour pickup and 30-minute delivery from stores, JD Sports needs an accurate stock count. The company decided to pilot Zebra TC2 series mobile computers equipped with RFD40 UHF RFID sleds at five stores in an effort to read tags faster and at greater range.
Following the success of the initial pilot, the first JD Sports store went live with the mobile RFID inventory tracking in only 76 days, with rollout at 26 additional stores a week on average, reaching 414 locations across the U.K. and Ireland in roughly three months. The retailer reports it has achieved 98% on-shelf availability and 20% faster replenishment at stores where the technology has been implemented.
How it works
A JD Sports associate clips the RFID sled onto the Zebra mobile computer they already use for daily tasks and walks the floor and stockroom, sweeping rails and shelves as the reader logs every tagged item in range and builds a live count on screen. Stores can run this process on a schedule ranging from daily to twice a week.
In some cases, JD Sports says a whole store can be covered in a single pass. According to the retailer, store associates now move 95% more inventory from the storeroom to store floor and spend less time on stock counting.
JD Sports is also leveraging real-time stock visibility to identify and investigate loss issues sooner, rather than wait for a 90- or 180-day audit. The retailer worked with Zebra solution partner Renovotec to lead device deployment and integrated Checkpoint Systems ItemOptix software to obtain a single view of inventory data across its enterprise.
In other store-level mobile and inventory-tracking activity, JD Sports banners DTLR and Shoe Palace began deploying the Jumpmind Commerce and Inventory solutions on Adyen Castle S1E2L Android “all-in-one” devices across a combined 450 store locations nationwide in January 2025.
[READ MORE: JD Sports expands mobile POS, 'endless aisle' inventory at two banners]
The brands recently migrated both fixed and mobile registers at an additional 200 DTLR and Shoe Palace stores to the Jumpmind Commerce platform in one day and with no personnel needed on site. The stores were rebranded from City Gear stores acquired by JD Sports.
In addition to obtaining multi-language and multi-currency support at the POS, associates can also perform “endless aisle” customer fulfillment through seamless integration with existing order management systems.
Beyond accepting payments, the mobile devices facilitate a seamless checkout experience for customers, enabling associates to check out customers from anywhere on the sales floor.
Founded in 1981, JD Sports parent JD Group nearly 5,000 stores across 46 countries under banners including JD, Size?, Courir, DTLR, Shoe Palace, Hibbett, Sprinter, Sport Zone, Cosmos and Go Outdoors.