What’s better than an RFID garment label? An RFID garment label with another piece of super-beneficial technology baked into it! Find out how you can move into omnichannel retail, product authentication, beefed-up loss prevention and more by switching to our dual technology labels. We developed them to turbocharge your garment label capabilities, and boy, do they! Keep reading to find out how…
How do dual technology labels work?
As the name suggests, ‘dual technology labels’ are garment labels that combine two awesomely beneficial technologies into one label. For example, here at Checkpoint, we’ve got two different dual technology labels: DUÉ Mini and UNO. They both rely on one common denominator — UHF RFID (radio frequency identification). And that’s where it all starts.
RFID uses radio frequency waves to communicate, track, and store information. With one quick scan, you can identify and track your stock at a unique item level. When you pair RFID with other frequency-emitting chips, like RF or NFC, you can turbocharge the technology. You’re essentially adding extra return to your RFID label investment. Like so…
UNO labels – RF and RFID
Loss prevention and inventory accuracy in one label? Yes, please. UNO labels are a fab place to start if you want to switch to RFID as EAS because they work with the RF loss prevention hardware you already have. You won’t need to pay through the nose to upgrade everything before you can get started.
RF (radio frequency) technology works over long distances to protect stock by communicating with antennas positioned around the shop floor and pedestals at the door. Combining it with RFID and popping it into a tag turns your garment label into super effective EAS (electronic article surveillance).
A dual technology label like UNO means your garments are loss-prevention ready right off the delivery truck, so you can avoid the time and cost needed to hand-apply labels in-store. Displays look more polished (because they aren’t peppered with bulky hard tags!), and customers enjoy a smoother checkout experience via POS deactivation. Amazing, right?
DUÉ Mini labels – NFC and UHF RFID
DUÉ Mini labels boost consumer engagement with your products and brand while giving you inventory intelligence. You’ll know things about your own inventory that you never dreamed of. That’s just how good it is.
DUÉ Mini labels use NFC (near field communication) and UHF RFID to allow you to access the estimated 3 billion NFC-enabled smartphones currently in use globally. With a single tap of a smartphone, customers will be directed to whichever location you’ve encoded your NFC inlays to take them to — websites, product recommendations, sustainability information, the list goes on!
You could use a label like DUÉ Mini in pocket tags, hang tags, and stickers, so you’ve got a few options, depending on how accessible the tech needs to be.
Learn more about DUÉ Mini labels
Here are some benefits you can capitalize on when adding an extra tech to your RFID intelligent labels…
Beef up your loss prevention (without lifting a finger)
Every year, shoplifting costs the UK Economy £1.4 billion, and the cost of living crisis isn’t making the situation any easier. Since the pandemic, theft has risen by 22%, prompting brick-and-mortar retailers to beef up their security efforts.
Theft sucks, but the traditional solution — hard tagging every piece of stock — isn’t always ideal either. A bulky RFID tag for clothes may not look cute in your displays. More than that, the time and cost of having staff hard tag an entire delivery aren't great. A dual technology label is your catch-all solution.
Garments tagged with an RF and RFID dual technology label (like our UNO labels) are ready to go as soon as they reach your store. No need to spend ages hard tagging them — the label has done all the work for you! You can pop your items out in beautiful displays without fretting over their safety. An NRF study recently proved that RF technology could reduce theft by up to 70%, which is no small potatoes considering the revenue you'd lose without that stock.
Read: EAS as a loss reduction solution
Ready, set, engage!
Today’s consumers are all about experiences. Good news is you don’t have to break your back to deliver them. Add an NFC tag sticker to your garments (using something like our DUÉ Mini tags, for example) and give customers access to dynamic, personalized experiences with the tap of a phone.
When you think about it, there’s really no end to the engagement potential you’ve unlocked with an NFC/RFID tag. Boost sales by using your tags to suggest similar or complementary items to complete the ‘fit. Link customers to engaging content, like videos of your recent catwalk events or social media content showing style suggestions.
Dual technology tags with the combo of NFC and UHF RFID are also a fab option for sustainability-conscious retailers who want an easy way to share garment information with consumers before and after purchase. One tap and your customers have full value chain information, complete with care instructions and details on recycling the garment. The possibilities are myriad!
Read: 6 surprising ways labels can enhance your brand
Achieve omnichannel excellence
The omnichannel model is retail’s must-have solution to modern shopping habits. This ‘new’ way of shopping allows customers to skip across various platforms (like desktop, smartphone, app, and brick-and-mortar shops) without restarting their buying journey.
According to Salesforce, 75% of consumers expect consistent service wherever they engage with a brand. And the real kicker is, without incredibly accurate inventory volumes or stock transparency, omnichannel is almost impossible to pull off successfully.
Using a dual technology label like UNO gives you on-shelf availability and super-accurate inventory counts. Our experience shows that RFID alone gives up to 99% stock accuracy — which is pretty darn accurate, if we may say so ourselves!
Read: Unlocking the power of beautiful displays
Product authentication
Second-hand and resale markets are seeing an epic boom. According to a survey by US-based online thrift store thredUP, the global second-hand market is expected to nearly double by 2027, reaching a staggering $350bn. With interest in second-hand selling picking up daily, brands are exploring new ways to authenticate their products.
Products like handbags, shoes and wine benefit most from NFC labels like our DUÉ Minis, which can be scanned and authenticated using their unique item number.
You could launch your own buy-back scheme (like Levi’s, Patagonia, or The North Face) or work with a third-party reseller to improve your sustainability efforts, protect your brand, and allow your customers to keep the value of their investment.
Are you tempted? We don’t blame you — you’d be crazy not to be! If you’d like to look into dual technology labels, give our team a shout. We’re a vertically integrated labeling partner, which means we can help you design and create your labels, then encode and create them close to needlepoint, train your staff, and get the ball rolling without any faff. We’ve had tons of practice, so you’re in very good hands!
Learn more about dual technology labels or contact our team with any questions you’ve got — there’s not much we can’t answer!
