Korea’s largest retailers adopt RFID
South Korea’s two largest retailers, Emart and Hanaro Mart, plan to introduce RFID tracking into their inventory systems. The companies each have reached agreements with several of their major suppliers to begin labeling boxes and pallets with RFID tags before shipping to their warehouses.
Emart’s initial focus will be on small digital devices such as MP3 players. Manufacturers, including Samsung and Fuji, will tag the devices prior to shipment to EMart’s warehouse and logistics center in Yeoju. The tagged inventory will be tracked throughout the supply chain until it reaches store shelves.
Hanaro Mart is using price guidelines to determine what products are tagged, focusing on boxed items costing more than 10,000 KRW (approximately $10 U.S.) produced by manufacturers such as Yuhan Kimberly and Taeyang Industrial. Hanaro’s RFID tracking system will be introduced when they open a new warehouse in Pyongtaek in January 2009. ![[end]](/resources/bullet/rfidnews-4.gif)
