RFID Allows The Retail Industry To Resume Work Safely And Maintain Social Distancing
Resource-intensive process
In order to control the passenger flow of retail stores, businesses have their own coups and ingenuity. Some companies assign employees to serve as janitors and open the door to welcome new customers after customers leave. Some companies set up manual counters at the door, assign employees to duty, and count the number of people entering and leaving. When the number of people in the store approaches the upper limit, new customers are suspended. Large retail stores may need to arrange more employees. They will designate an entrance and an exit, and assign an employee at the entrance and exit to monitor the number of people. When the number of people leaving the store reaches a certain number, the employees at the exit will send a signal to the employees at the entrance, telling them that more customers can enter the store.
These methods can effectively control passenger flow and limit the number of people in the store, but from an operational point of view, the efficiency is slightly lower. All of these methods require the appointment of dedicated staff to be on duty throughout the business period of the store.
Red light stop, green light go
It is reported that the system will provide different forms of devices, the simplest form is a plug-and-play system, which can be used right out of the box. No technicians are required for installation. Store staff only need to open the package, place the system at the entrance, and plug it into a normal power outlet.
The system consists of two units, namely, the automatic picker and the gate. The automatic picker is placed a few feet before the entrance, and simple instructions are displayed on the display. The customer takes out the RFID label sticker from the automatic picker and sticks it on the clothes or bag. The gate is placed at the entrance, and UHF RFID readers are used to read tags, and the number of people entering and exiting is counted electronically. The top of the gate is equipped with traffic lights, which can be used to inform customers when it is safe to enter the store. A green light means you can enter, and a red light means the store is full and customers need to wait for the admission signal.
Unlimited threshold
If the store has only one entrance and exit, only one system needs to be installed to count the number of customers, control the flow of customers, and maintain social distance. For stores with a more complex layout, the system can use the built-in WiFi function to connect to the online platform and monitor multiple entrances and exits at the same time.
The suspension of operations caused by the epidemic has caused many retail stores to fall into financial distress and it is difficult to quickly recover to their previous income levels. Part of the reason is the decline in consumer confidence, which reduces consumption. Another reason is that stores need to increase additional expenses to maintain social distancing. New regulations. The new regulations require the number of customers to be counted, which usually means that you need to pay extra to hire existing employees or hire new employees to manage the number of in and outs. With the help of RFID, the store can maintain an appropriate number of people during business hours, allowing employees to focus on their daily work.
RFID behind intelligence
This system relies on the high reliability and long read range of UHF RFID, which means that it is unlikely that shoppers will be missed by passing the gate. RFID tags are specially coded for entrance and exit devices, so they will not interfere with any tag system already in use in the store.
The RFID system also has an anonymous tracking function, allowing detailed analysis. Measuring the time spent by customers in the store and determining peak hours can more effectively allocate the working time of the employees in the store. Store managers can use RFID handheld terminals or industrial tablet computers to download data on staying time in the store and understand the dynamics of the store in real time. Through the WiFi interface, the system configuration can also be modified according to the customizable device. For example, the number of people allowed to enter the store can be increased or decreased as needed to comply with changing social distancing guidelines.