Lead Story

Retailers count on UWB RFID
to track employees, customers full article

Retailers have struggled for years to capture an accurate count of the number of customers in their stores. They've had some success using video-based technology, but those systems couldn't distinguish between customers and employees.

Now, retailers are utilizing ultra-wideband (UWB) RFID technology to do just that. An auto parts retailer and a purveyor of specialty apparel items are now able to effectively isolate employee counts from customer counts, providing precise analysis of the impact of employee activity in the store. The system was unveiled by ShopperTrak at last week's annual National Retail Federation show in New York City. ShopperTrak, which calls the system FloorTrak, is relying on RFID technology from Time Domain Corp.

The system is being piloted at nine retail locations in Chicago, Atlanta and Detroit. About 45 associates at the apparel pilot are outfitted with thin, active PLUS real-time location system (RTLS) tags that are placed on lanyards or behind nametags. The auto parts store, which began its pilot in August and is expanding the project to about 20 percent of its stores, is tracking the movement and behavior of more than 125 employees.

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