This is the first large-scale testing of breakthrough RFID tag technology developed by researchers at the Auto-ID Center, headquartered at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Starting in 2003, in partnership with selected retail customers, Gillette will begin placing tiny RFID tags in products for the U.S. market. Up to half a billion tags could be placed on Gillette products over the next few years.
The tags make it possible to track products through their production life cycle, from manufacturing to retail point-of-sale. It is hoped that this technology will enable businesses not only to reduce losses resulting from out-of-stock, stolen or lost products, but also to improve efficiencies across their operations by monitoring the status and location of products.
The tags will be used with the “smart shelf” technology. The shelf utilizes Auto-ID technology to monitor the status of products on display. It will alert retail staff when stocks become low or are being stolen and will enable automatic re-ordering of products.
-- From ARCwire.
