ABSTRACT
Traceability is a core issue within the fashion industry due to the complexity of the apparel pipeline. This chapter introduces two different ways to trace goods: barcodes and radio frequency identification (RFID). The RFID technology enables quick and accurate inventory, can be used both in the supply chain and in stores for better customer service. RFID and barcodes have both advantages and disadvantages for a fashion retailer. RFID is expensive for a fashion retailer and turns out not to be relevant according to the brand strategy. In fact, RFID is useful for large retailers that deal with a wide product range in terms of sizes, styles and colours in order to improve its inventory accuracy. RFID is obviously a good way for a fashion retailer to differentiate itself from its competitors by increasing its inventory accuracy and being more responsive. The chapter focuses on identifying advantages and disadvantages of the two technologies and analysing critically their applications in real businesses.
