RFID has proven to be a game-changer for retailers, uniquely identifying, accurately capturing, and automatically sharing product information. By using RFID labels, brands have been able to capitalize on these benefits to improve their business processes and gain real-time visibility into their inventory at any point.

Technology and innovations run at such a pace that there’s no time to rest on your laurels and enjoy these benefits. There is always more that retailers can do to stay ahead.

Consumer engagement is the next frontier for brands. According to a study, 73% of Gen-Z are looking to engage with brands online, and a whopping 59% are more likely to follow a brand on social media compared to any other age group. With this vast potential to interact with your customer base, it’s no wonder that brands are investing more and more to reach them.

While RFID labels provide immense value to businesses, they hold little to no value for consumers. They cannot be read or interacted with, and, as such, are either ignored or cut off when the product gets home. All visibility and data that a retailer could gather are cut-off as well.

 

Closing the gap for retailers

Combining RAIN RFID and NFC technologies in one label gives retailers product supply chain visibility, consumer in-store and post-purchase services, and consumer analytics without the need for any extra investment in labeling, labor or hardware.

This is all possible thanks to the innovative RAINFC (dual-frequency) integrated circuit by EM MICROELECTRONIC, the ultra-low-power semiconductor company of the Swatch Group and an RFID industry pioneer for more than 30 years. The integrated circuit based on RAINC technology is branded em|echo-V.

 

“The shared em|echo-V identifier (GS1 SGTIN) within the DUÉ label provides consistent item-level product identification, which is accessible jointly by both retailers and consumers,” said Maria Mishunicheva, Business Development Manager at EM when discussing the new inlay.

“Products tagged with one label are read by retailers using their well-established RFID infrastructure, and by consumers, using a reader available in the pocket - the smartphone. Every time the consumer taps on the product, the product identifier is provided to the pre-defined (encoded on the label) retailers’ web server, delivering consumer use analytics and allowing data-driven retail decisions, in full respect of privacy legislation.”

 

Why NFC technology?

With roughly three billion NFC-enabled devices in use globally, brands have a huge opportunity to engage effortlessly with their customers. By implementing the right software or web experience, brands can transport customers to style guides, #OOTD recommendations, or even further detailed information about the garment and materials used, helping to provide further options for brands considering their Digital Product Passport requirements.

 

Ready to apply at no extra cost

DUÉ, dual-technology labels maximize the return on investment of already deployed RFID projects, using existing infrastructure and without the need for any additional staff training in-store or at point of production.

The inlay can be supplied as stickers or as embedded solutions such as hangtags, pocket tags and care labels, depending on your requirements.

Samples are available immediately on request, so there is no time like the present to get started! If you would like to learn more about our dual technology labels, and how you can benefit from NFC and UHF RFID in your business, please get in touch with the team to request your samples and to start a discussion.

 

About EM Microelectronic

EM Microelectronic, a company of the Swatch Group, designs and manufactures Ultra-low power ICs for small portable devices and green IoT. A leading Swiss innovator, EM has been serving the RFID market for 30 years with passive, active and semi-active ICs covering all frequency ranges: LF, HF, UHF, 2.4 GHz.

EM has pioneered the adoption of UHF RFID in retail, with the first mass deployments more than a decade ago, paving the way for the emergence of RAIN RFID. It continues to drive new applications with its award-winning em|echo-V family, combining RAIN RFID and NFC in a single RAINFC IC, enabling new consumer experience and product authentication functionalities on top of traditional use cases. Learn more at www.emmicroelectronic.com