Researchers to Reveal Industry Benchmarks for RFID Use in Apparel Retail at RFID In Fashion 2009

The University of Arkansas' RFID Research Center will reveal industry benchmarks regarding the benefits that can be achieved using RFID in apparel stores, at RFID Journal's fourth annual event, to be held in New York City on Aug. 12-13.

New York, NY (PRWEB) June 3, 2009 -- RFID Journal, the world's leading media and events company covering radio frequency identification (RFID) technology, and the American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA) today announced that Bill Hardgrave, director of the University of Arkansas' RFID Research Center will present new industry benchmarks related to the benefits that apparel retailers can achieve from using RFID, at the fourth annual RFID in Fashion conference and exhibition, being held on Aug. 12-13 at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City.

"We have now studied the impact of RFID at enough stores, and been given sufficient supplemental data by retailers who ran their own pilots, to be able to provide some industry benchmarks," Hardgrave said. "This is important, because it enables apparel retailers considering whether to deploy RFID to assess the potential return on investment without spending months or years testing the technology. That work has been done by many, and we have the relevant data."

In April of this year, the RFID Research Center released a research paper indicating that not only does RFID improve inventory accuracy, it can also eliminate the need for annual, manual inventory counts. The paper described the results of the third phase of a pilot studying item-level RFID technology in the retail environment, and was conducted at three Dillard's stores.

AMR Research recently surveyed apparel retailers, asking them to rank the importance of key operational issues they face, and to also rate their ability to respond to those problems. Inventory management and replenishment ranked the highest in terms of importance, though retailers rated their ability to solve the problem as low.

"Clearly, apparel retailers have been struggling with in-store inventory accuracy for a long time," stated Mark Roberti, founder and editor of RFID Journal. "The data gathered by Dr. Hardgrave, from numerous RFID deployments in apparel retail stores, reveals that RFID can have a major impact on this once-intractable problem."

RFID in Fashion will reveal how retailers can deploy radio frequency identification to improve inventory accuracy, reduce shrinkage and increase sales. The event will feature objective case studies presented by apparel, footwear and accessory retailers and suppliers that have deployed RFID in their operations. Attendees will learn how these companies are using the technology to:

About RFID Journal
RFID Journal is the leading source of news and in-depth information regarding RFID and its many business applications. Business executives and implementers depend on RFID Journal for up-to-the-minute RFID news, in-depth case studies, best practices, strategic insights and information regarding vendor solutions. This has made RFID Journal the most relied-upon and respected RFID information resource, serving the largest audience of RFID decision makers worldwide--in print, online, and at face-to-face events. For more information, visit www.rfidjournal.com.

About the American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA)
The American Apparel & Footwear Association is the national trade association representing apparel, footwear and other sewn-products companies, as well as their suppliers that compete in the global market. AAFA's mission is to promote and enhance its members' competitiveness, productivity and profitability in the global market by minimizing regulatory, legal, commercial, political and trade restraints. To learn more, visit www.apparelandfootwear.org.

About the Vendor Compliance Federation (VCF)
The Vendor Compliance Federation advocates retailer-supplier trading synchronization, champions collaborative initiatives and offers solutions to drive productivity, profitability and growth. VCF is the leading organization focused on solutions, services and best practices for retailer-supplier collaboration. Its membership includes top manufacturing brands and national retailers, ranging from fashion and cosmetics to electronics and home furnishings. It is where the retail industry comes together to reduce chargebacks and deductions, increase supply chain efficiencies, minimize order fulfillment risk, integrate processes and eliminate disconnects across the entire forecasting-to-settlement continuum. VCF draws participation from such industry leaders as Adidas, BIC Consumer Products, Estée Lauder, Jarden Consumer Solutions, JCPenney, Liz Claiborne, Lowe's, LVMH, Nordstrom, Office Depot, Sears and Tom Tom, among others. Visit VCF online at www.vcfww.com.

About the Trade Promotion Management Associates (TPMA)
TPMA is a think-tank and educational resource for consumer goods trading partners, and the leading membership organization dedicated specifically to the practice of trade promotion marketing in all of its forms: co-op/MDF, in-store marketing, online promotion, rebates, pricing, slotting and more. The organization fosters, promotes and provides platforms for collaboration in the trading partner relationship to drive best-in-class processes for trade promotion management and optimization. Dedicated to the effective and efficient use of trade promotion dollars, TPMA serves as a collaborative resource for research and metrics for such companies as Audiovox, Dial, Hewlett-Packard (HP), Hormel, Johnson & Johnson, Land O'Lakes, Sony BMG and others. Learn more at www.tpmaww.com.

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