Smart Retail

Barcode scanners need a direct line of sight to read the product or item’s barcode which makes them less efficient when dealing with large quantities of products. In contrast, RFID uses radio waves that can scan multiple items at the same time from any angle.

This makes RFID readers significantly faster than barcode scanners, often reaching speeds that are 500 times faster.

QR and RFID are both Auto-ID technologies, but they have distinct technical capabilities.

QR codes are a printed 2-dimensional pattern that represents a string of alphanumeric characters, while RFID tags consist of an IC with built-in memory that can store programmable data.

QR codes require line-of-sight scanning, while RFID scanning is penetrative and can scan multiple items at once from any angle.

There are generally three main categories of RFID technologies, being differentiated by their operating frequency, namely the LF or Low Frequency, HF or High Frequency, and UHF or Ultra-High Frequency.

There are three main categories of RFID technology, which are differentiated by their operating frequency: LF or Low Frequency, HF or High Frequency, and UHF or Ultra-High Frequency.

NFC, which stands for Near-Field Communication, falls under the category of HF RFID. NFC uses one-by-one scanning in a proximity range of a few centimetres between the reader and the tag.

At Inchz IoT, we primarily focus on UHF RFID, a.k.a. RAIN RFID, which has a long range and the ability to scan multiple tags simultaneously. UHF RFID can reach a maximum range of 30 meters between the reader and the tag and can read a large number of tags at once.

RFID technology helps retailers and vendors by automating operations and reducing dependencies on manpower. This can help minimise operational losses due to human errors.

Additionally, RFID technology can optimise inventory management and planning to maximise cash flow and revenue. It also facilitates the visibility of inventory, operational and sales analytical data, which is important for business planning, decision-making, and strategy.

This can give retailers a better understanding of their supply chain and customer behaviour, allowing them to make more informed decisions and increase overall efficiency.

RFID technology improves in-store customer service by ensuring optimum stock levels at all times, avoiding disappointment for walk-in customers. The RFID system is able to quickly respond to all inventory queries, without having to keep customers waiting.

It also serves as a powerful marketing tool by capturing customer-centric data to personalise marketing, service, product, and discounts. This enables retailers to offer a more personalised shopping experience, improving customer satisfaction and building customer loyalty.

Uniqlo, Decathlon, Zara, and HLA are considered forerunners in the adoption of RFID technology among retailers in Malaysia. These brands have been actively leveraging RFID in their retail operations to optimise their business operations and maximise growth.

Inchz IoT is collaborating with many of the homegrown fashion brands and retail chains in Malaysia to help them adopt RFID technology, with the goal of streamlining and optimizing their entire supply chain and retail operations.