Wal-Mart Stores Inc will bring another 500 stores and clubs online with its RFID (radio frequency identification) initiative by the end of this fiscal year, bringing the total number of its retail locations using the technology to more than 1,000. The company has more than 3,900 locations in the United States.
"Recent internal analysis of our ongoing efforts, along with the launch of EPCglobal Generation 2 tags, reinforces the value of this technology for Wal- Mart, our suppliers and ultimately our customers," said Rollin Ford, executive vice president and chief information officer for Wal-Mart. "We're aggressively moving forward with the expansion of RFID-enabled facilities."
The benefits of RFID, especially with regard to reducing out-of-stocks, as well as reducing excess inventory, have been documented in a 2005 study by the University of Arkansas.
Ford noted that all Wal-Mart installations moving forward would only read Gen 2 tags. As the remaining pallets and cases with Gen 1 tags make their way through the distribution network, Wal-Mart will convert all of its systems to only read Gen 2 tags.
"We believe this technology, when coupled with new work processes, will deliver even more benefits than we are currently receiving," Ford said. "We are actively engaged in designing some new initiatives that will accelerate our program even further and, in so doing, create even more value for everyone involved. We'll announce those initiatives as we roll them out."
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