Metro Future Store Supermarkets Seek Benefits From RFID

RFID lay at the heart of a precursor agreement made between Metro, SAP and Intel in April 2002 to create the Future Store trial in Rheinberg, Germany which opened in April 28 2003. The 'tag everything' scenario is still some way away however. This first initiative helps Metro track and manage grocery store inventory from the distribution centre to and within the retail store.

If such tags are stuck on all products in a store (ie ‘item level') strategically positioned sensors can tell managers and cashiers where these are at all times. Sensors in a trolley can tell customers the value of their entire basket without the need for barcode scanning. Checkingout becomes a mere matter of walking through an airport-style security gate, a system that saves time and will perhaps relegate shoplifting to social history museums. Or such is the dream.

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