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A decade
of leadership
to benefit
customers
and
employees
For over ten years now, Decathlon has been a pioneer of a particular technology for the benefit of its employees and customers: RFID (Radio Frequency Identification). This technology has enabled us to increase product availability instore, to accelerate and facilitate checkout, and to improve product security.
RFID:
a universally
beneficial
technology
Innovation that benefits people often starts with the simplest of objects; in this case, a “revolutionary” sticker. Small and rectangular, it has an integrated electronic chip. This label is called an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tag. At international level, Decathlon is the most progressive retailer in terms of its use.
The principle behind this chip is straightforward: it is fed by a special reader so it can communicate and provide its own unique identifier. The tags can be read from up to a metre away, in hundredths of a second and even through boxes.
Our customer experience must be a unique one. In store, our products are continuously available. The checkout process is faster and easier. Freed from time-consuming tasks, our teammates can concentrate on serving, advising and helping our customers and sports users.
Hervé D'Halluin,
RFID project manager
What are
the customer
benefits?
Products
always available
and sold at the best
possible price
Even greater
product security:
the RFID chip also acts as an anti-theft device, and fewer markdowns make the end product less expensive
A more efficient
after-sales service
Quick and easy
checkout process
for all products
in Decathlon stores,
all 100% RFID
What are
the benefits
for employees?
For manufacturing partners,
RFID makes production monitoring and traceability easier. With a unique number for every product, RFID enables company partners to better manage production time, waste materials and shipping.
In logistics warehouses,
RFID makes inspections and checks easier. Quicker, simpler and more efficient!
In stores,
RFID makes customer service easier. RFID technology enables employees to concentrate on customer service, advice and support, while ensuring product availability.
RFID at decathlon:
10 years of progress
- 2008
- 2011
- 2013
- 2016
- 2019
- 2021
- Launch of the first RFID trials in France
- Tests at 9 stores and 9 warehouses
across Europe - Decathlon becomes the first company
to incorporate tags at the product manufacturing stage - Decathlon's RFID project is recognised
as one of the most extensive in retail - All products are assembled with an RFID tag
at the production process - Checkout possible everywhere (both inside and outside the store),
and without the need to handle products.
The employee is equipped with a smartphone,
a payment card reader and an RFID reader.
They scan the custommer's items and take a contactless card payment.
1
Industry
- Tagging of product
- Shipping control
2
WAREHOUSE
- Receipt control
- Inventory
- Shipping control
- Picking control
- Picking RFID
- Security setup
3
STORE
- Inventory
- POS
- Anti-theft
- Interactivity with sport use
The first trials conducted by this company began in France in 2008. Around thirty engineers went on to make this technology viable on a practical basis within the company. In 2014, RFID was rolled out on en masse as part of all Decathlon processes. This meant that 100% of Decathlon products were bearing an RFID tag by January 2019.
The biggest challenge was to incorporate the RFID tag on certain types of products, as labels don't tend to work particularly well on contact with water or metal. Considerable imagination was called for in order to find solutions, so tags could be attached to suitable surfaces. In some cases, teams had to adapt the packaging and sometimes even review the design of the product itself.
This was a project that required input from many partners, as well as all Decathlon departments, so as to be in a position to deliver all products with RFID tags.
Currently, all company structures worldwide (factories, warehouses, stores, etc.) are equipped with tools designed to read RFID chips. There are almost 50,000 readers, most of which are designed and produced by the company, and which cover the entire chain, from manufacturing through to store checkout.
RFID
Tomorrow:
Decathlon
continues
to push ahead
in all areas
- The company hopes to push the boundaries still further in terms of harnessing the data linked to its products. RFID means better traceability while making it easier to access digital content. But it’s also an important tool for achieving sustainable development goals set by the company. This technology can make the circular economy more efficient, promote a more reliable understanding of products' ecological footprint, and facilitate recycling through easy access to composition data.
- After ten years of innovation and effort, RFID is now fully integrated into the company's operations. It's a project that’s recognised worldwide. This technology allows Decathlon to perfect its achievements on a daily basis: it throws open the possibility of exploring new experiences anywhere in the world for both employees and customers. Local developments can feed into a global project, under the banner of Decathlon United:
- The group is committed to reducing its carbon footprint, so it’s studying innovative and unique strategies designed to making RFID a key component in improving recyclability and giving our products a more effective second life.
STOCK CHECKS
Following trials in 10 countries, like Singapore, China and Russia, we are developing a robotic RFID solution, which helps our employees conduct more regular stock checks - and with no product contact required! These advances will be put into practice throughout 2021.
In Spain, we’re exploring innovative solutions designed to automate stock checks, using sensors on the ceiling. These sensors provide reliable inventory data 7 days a week, 24 hours a day.
check out
In France, we’ve trialled the first store without checkout queues: Decathlon GO! To pay for purchases, customers simply go through one of the “tunnels” fitted with an RFID reader, stop while they confirm their basket total and pay on their phone.
In Canada and the UK, we are also testing out new facilities to enable customers to check out easily and anywhere. No more queuing at the till!
RFID Tomorrow:
Decathlon continues
to push ahead
in all areas
The company hopes to push the boundaries still further in terms of harnessing the data linked to its products. RFID means better traceability while making it easier to access digital content. But it’s also an important tool for achieving sustainable development goals set by the company. This technology can make the circular economy more efficient, promote a more reliable understanding of products' ecological footprint, and facilitate recycling through easy access to composition data.
After ten years of innovation and effort, RFID is now fully integrated into the company's operations. It's a project that’s recognised worldwide. This technology allows Decathlon to perfect its achievements on a daily basis: it throws open the possibility of exploring new experiences anywhere in the world for both employees and customers. Local developments can feed into a global project, under the banner of Decathlon United:
STOCK CHECKS
Following trials in 10 countries, like Singapore, China and Russia, we are developing a robotic RFID solution, which helps our employees conduct more regular stock checks - and with no product contact required! These advances will be put into practice throughout 2021.
In Spain, we’re exploring innovative solutions designed to automate stock checks, using sensors on the ceiling. These sensors provide reliable inventory data 7 days a week, 24 hours a day.
check out
In France, we’ve trialled the first store without checkout queues: Decathlon GO! To pay for purchases, customers simply go through one of the “tunnels” fitted with an RFID reader, stop while they confirm their basket total and pay on their phone.
In Canada and the UK, we are also testing out new facilities to enable customers to check out easily and anywhere. No more queuing at the till!
The group is committed to reducing its carbon footprint, so it’s studying innovative and unique strategies designed to making RFID a key component in improving recyclability and giving our products a more effective second life.
