RFID in the Retailing Supply Chain: A case study on a Fashion Retailing Industry

Abstract

The implementation of RFID throughout the supply chain of a fashion retailing company may have a connection with its significant overall efficiency improvement. Therefore, the main purpose of this study is to examine which are the effects of the technology's implementation in a specific company's case. The research approach used is based on the thorough review of the relevant supply chain and RFID literature and on the empirical study of the specific company. The literature review shows that RFID implementation, even though it is very beneficial under a process oriented point of view, it is, in many cases, not a feasible solution for the companies, mainly due to its high cost of initial investment and item tagging. The case study results, on the contrary, indicate that the integration of the technology can be very successful and cost efficient when used for medium to high valued products.