The Wall Street Journal reported that RFID tagging also known as Radio-Frequency Identification has hit Walmart stores for the purpose of easier store management, from tracking sizes to being updated on inventory. These tags are placed on clothing to identify what size, color, and how many are being sold. They are starting with tagging jeans and underwear as a preliminary test stage and if the tags prove beneficial, they will expand to other Walmart products and stores. With any new technology comes controversy and these tags are no exception, and the main concern is privacy of the consumer.
Some issues are the idea that a criminal could drive by someone’s house and scan their garbage for recently purchased items, or while in the store a person that has a new license with an RFID tag could be scanned to correlate their identity to their credit card information and the salespeople know exactly when they come into the store next. If this tagging develops and demonstrates success, could it reach the outdoor industry? By making shopping more time efficient and stores being able to improve their customer service it doesn’t seem like a bad idea. Would consumers of outdoor retailers react well to this new technology being integrated into their outdoor experience? One reality is that if prices of the tags dropped from big companies like Walmart using them, the RFID tags could become the standard for retailng.
