some of the ways RAIN RFID and NFC are transforming retail experiences

8 Self-Checkout Kiosks

据说亚马逊创造了“每一曲eue is a defect,” and most people agree that waiting in line just leads to frustration. Not surprisingly, one of the strongest trends in retail is the automation of checkout and payment processes. Self-checkout kiosks often provide cost savings to the retailer, but they don’t always add convenience to the shopping experience. Consumers can be confused by the machinery and may need practice before mastering how to scan barcodes and interact with automated attendants. RAIN RFID can help here since multiple items can be read at once. In Japan, for example, clothing retailers and grocery convenience stores have used RAIN RFID to simplify self-checkout – all items to be sold are read in one pass, so all that’s left is payment with a credit or bank card.

Instant Payment

In Europe, the electronic giant Saturn Mediamarkt has piloted cash-free stores that don’t have checkout counters. In Innsbruck, Austria, for example, customers use a smartphone app to scan a 2D barcode that identifies the product. The app keeps track of the total and charges the customer’s account. When they’re done shopping, customers simply leave the store with their purchases. To prevent theft, the store is monitored with optical surveillance, and products have RAIN RFID labels that are read by RFID-enabled gates at the exit. For an upgraded customer experience and added transaction security, the 2D barcodes could be replaced by NFC tags, which offer faster reads and advanced cryptography – all with a simple tap of the customer’s phone.

Personal & Dynamic Pricing

Now that nearly all smartphones are equipped to read NFC tags, the average consumer carries with them a powerful tool for personal and dynamic pricing. For instance, an app can perform the function of a loyalty card, so when you tap a product you get the pricing that matches your reward level. Similarly, the app can apply any discounts or coupons you’ve collected, showing the price you’ll actually pay after all your eligible discounts are subtracted. Temporary discounts can be linked to special promotions, tied to a particular time of day (happy hour), or to a day of the week. Discounts can be tallied on a cumulative basis, to support periodic rebates, such as year-end rewards based on the amount spent. Running totals can also be displayed to highlight upcoming awards. For example, consumers can receive a message that says, “Your cart is at $87. If you spend $13 more, you’ll reach the $100 discount level, for 10% off your total purchase.”

Accurate, Real-Time Inventory

An empty shelf or a missing item is a no-go in today’s retail environment. Using RAIN RFID labels, retailers can always know what’s where with accurate inventory for shelves as well as real-time updates on what’s been sold. RAIN RFID makes it possible to locate items at any time, whether they’re in the back room, on the shelf, in a fitting room, or about the leave the store, so customers can find what they want and leave happy.