'Department store of the Future' RFID field trial for cosmetics
01 Feb '07
3 min read
Multi-sample Display
Mitsukoshi Ltd, Shiseido Company Ltd, and Fujitsu Limited announced that as part of a project sponsored by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) of Japan, the companies will jointly implement a "futuristic department store" field trial in Japan from January 26 to February 12 to test the expanded use of RFID tags in department stores.
For the first time in Japan, RFID tags will be used in a field trial for cosmetics. The field trial is part of a METI-sponsored project commissioned to the Japan Department Stores Association, known as the 2007 Field Trial for Improving Distribution and Logistics Efficiency through the Use of Electronic Tags.
RFID tags have been used in the past at department stores in Japan for inventory control of women's shoes and apparel, but this test is the first time such tags will be affixed to cosmetics.
The field trial will be held at Shiseido counters on the first floor of the Ginza (Tokyo) flagship store, and Sakae (Nagoya) branch of Mitsukoshi department store, a major department store in Japan. RFID tags will be affixed to Shiseido's Clé de Peau Beauté products (a prestige brand), product testers and some samples.
A multi-sample display trial will enable customers to view detailed product information on a touch-screen terminal by waving a tagged product over a RFID tag reader. Other trials will be conducted for such aspects as customer consultation, product assortment, and distribution, with the purpose to evaluate the efficiency in using RFID tags in supply chain management of cosmetics, the impact on increasing purchase intent when the customers themselves handle products with RFID tags, and effect on purchasing related products.