According to Supply Chain Dive, sportswear retailer JD Sports is using a real-time inventory visibility platform across omnichannel operations, with the company citing 98% on-shelf availability and 20% faster replenishment in a Nov. 4 announcement.
The chain sells brands including Nike, Adidas, and New Balance and operates about 5,000 stores in 46 countries. As the network grew, in-store inventory accuracy became harder to maintain, problematic for promises such as one-hour click-and-collect and 30-minute delivery, which require reliable stock counts.
Pilot to 414 stores in three months
JD Sports piloted Zebra mobile computers with RFID in five stores to read tags faster and at greater range. The first location went live in 76 days, with rollout averaging about 26 stores per week. Deployment reached 414 locations across the UK and Ireland in roughly three months.
Associates clip an RFID sled onto existing handhelds, walk the floor and stockroom, and sweep rails and shelves while the reader logs tagged items and builds a live count on screen. In some stores, a full pass can cover the entire location.
Floor sync, loss visibility, and partners
The retailer says associates now move more than 95% of inventory from the storeroom to the sales floor, shortening count time. Counts can run twice weekly or daily, keeping shelves aligned with inventory management systems.
The same visibility supports shrink and loss investigations sooner, teams can see where issues occur instead of waiting for 90- or 180-day audits, per the release.
Renovotec, a Zebra partner, led device deployment. Checkpoint Systems, a Zebra-registered software vendor, helped provide a single view of inventory data.
Retail peers on RFID
Other large retailers are adopting RFID for operations goals. Walmart targets reduced food waste and product freshness; Kroger aims to improve on-shelf availability and sales, Supply Chain Dive noted.