Foot Locker extends RFID-based inventory management to Eastern Europe

Foot Locker Inc. is attempting to maximize inventory accuracy and operational efficiency in its Eastern European stores.

The New York-based athletic footwear and apparel retailer is deploying the Nedap iD Cloud RFID solution across more than 650 stores in Eastern Europe. Since 2018, Foot Locker has leveraged the iD Cloud platform to streamline inventory management in stores by tracking RFID-tagged merchandise from brands such as Nike, Adidas, and Puma.

As a result, Foot Locker has improved long-term accuracy in its store inventory, leading to improved stock availability and reduced stock-outs. The retailer also utilizes RFID data to help comply with brand regulations and enhance its omnichannel shopping experience; and is considering applying RFID in areas such as supply chain and loss prevention.

“Brands we work with are very strict when it comes to displaying merchandise,” said Niek Philipsen, director of innovation at Foot Locker. “In the case of exclusive, limited-edition footwear, timing is crucial. The iD Cloud apptells our store teams exactly which items should be displayed and when. This way, we ensure true brand experience and a great moment of shopping at Foot Locker for our customers.”

“Foot Locker has been a valuable customer for five years and the first major multi-brand sports retailer who leverages RFID on such a large scale,” said Jean-Paul Papen, director of global retail accounts at Nedap, “It is great to see them expanding to new regions, and we are proud to be their partner along their journey. It is exciting to see how much RFID can impact their store performance and customer service levels by giving real-time insights into stock levels and product locations and providing actionable insights that allow them to respond best to consumer demand.”

Foot Locker is attempting to increase its ability to collect and analyze data with a variety of leading-edge technologies. In July 2023, Foot Locker told Chain Store Age that it is unifying its various streams of customer feedback data for enhanced analysis with artificial intelligence (AI)-based natural language processing (NLP) and text analytics technology from InMoment. The retailer said it is applying the AI technology to better understand and react to the customer feedback data it collects via channels that include email, call center, surveys and social media.

 As of April 29, 2023, New York City-based Foot Locker operated 2,692 stores in 29 countries in North America, Europe, Asia, Australia, and New Zealand. In addition, 163 franchised stores were operating in the Middle East and Asia.