Zara to use RFID tags to let you know if your size is in stock

The fast-fashion chain Zara is getting ready to shift into even higher gear with its in-store technology. Since 2013, the brand’s parent company Inditex has been testing the use of RFID tags as part of an inventory tracking system in its Zara stores. A unique chip is implanted in the security tag attached to each item, allowing the company to anticipate the needs of both store employees and consumers more accurately. 

In the store
Each RFID chip emits its own unique radio frequency, meaning that every item can be tracked individually from distribution to sale. In addition to allowing employees to quickly and easily find out exactly which items (and how many) were delivered to the store, the system will make it easier than ever to take inventory. Moreover, the staff is alerted immediately when a particular style needs to be restocked. 

Customers
But the tiny chips are also bound to make things easier for customers too. Since each item is tracked, it will now be possible to find out whether an item is available in your size at the store where you are shopping (even if it is in the storeroom and not on shelves). If the item is not available on site, you can be informed immediately of its availability via the brand’s website or in a nearby store. 

And, to reassure anyone concerned that Zara may try to track them once they leave the store with their new outfit, Inditex notes that the chip inoperative as soon as the purchase is made and the security tag is deactivated. Eco-friendly, the RFID chips are also reusable and recyclable.

Inditex has announced that this technology is already in place in 700 of its stores worldwide, including those in Spain and the UK. The company expects to expand the concept to all Zara stores by 2016.