The last thing you want is for your inventory to be rejected by a retailer because you don’t have the proper RFID tags on each item – or any RFID tags at all. Especially if that retailer is Walmart, Nordstrom, or one of the many other big brands that have announced new RFID source tagging requirements for suppliers. That’s why the first thing you need to do after you’re done reading this post is contact our team at AbeTech.
Why the rush?
If your goods are sold in Walmart stores across the U.S. or Puerto Rico, or on Walmart.com in the region,
then you should have already submitted your RFID tags and inlays to be tested and certified by the Auburn University RFID Lab. The deadline for that was June 3, 2022.
and you now have less than two months to get all your Walmart-allocated inventory tagged.
Beginning on September 2, 2022, several hardline and softline products entering stores must have RFID tags and be 100% readable or you will be deemed noncompliant. These include, but may not be limited to, items in the home goods, electronics, toys, sporting goods, and automotive categories.
But don’t panic. There are a few different ways you can become compliant on time, no matter the state of your inventory. Plus, if you clicked on this post because another retailer is asking you to add RFID tags to your merchandise, that means that you may have a little more time to figure everything out. Either way, AbeTech can help you get the technology and processes in place you need to be compliant by the deadline you’re working against.
(However, please contact us today so we can help you get compliant before the September 2 deadline. We don’t want you to have to deal with the consequences.)
Unless all the inventory you produce or distribute is already tagged at the source today (i.e., the point of manufacture), you’re going to need to make a few key purchases and make some process changes to get RFID tags on goods. Technically, there are a few different ways to approach RFID tagging.
If you’re a manufacturer, you can…
If you’re a 3PL or distributor, you may already be fielding requests to tag goods, in which case you can either tag as part of the inbound or outbound processes.
No matter when or where items are tagged, there are a couple of different ways of managing the process:
Whatever you decide, know that you can lean on retail RFID experts such as AbeTech, a Zebra Premier Solution and Industrial Automation Partner, to help you figure out a solution that’s viable from timing, cost and overall resource perspective. We can help you determine which labels, inlays and printers you need based on the pre-qualified tag specifications provided by each respective retailer. For example, Walmart is requiring tags to meet both GS1 and Auburn RFID Lab ARC standards and calls out the inlay ARC spec requirements in its Playbook, which is a valuable tool for any Walmart supplier. Other retailers may have different requirements. And the type of tag (and printer) you need will depend on the type of merchandise you’re tagging. You will not be able to put the same type of tag on sporting goods as you do on electronics as the labeling and inlay performance requirements will be different. Zebra, and our specialized partners, can help you navigate through these differences.
Of course, reaching out ASAP to an AbeTech RFID solution expert is key to ensuring you have everything you need to get the tags on merchandise in time. Even if you’re speaking with someone from GS1 or Auburn, you’ll still need to contact us to get the wheels in motion.
One thing to remember: it may be smart to have both a short-term and long-term compliance strategy. If you decide to just buy the preprinted tags now to meet the deadline, but longer term it makes more sense to print the tags yourself, let’s talk about what you need to do and when to ensure compliance efforts don’t become disruptive or a cost burden. (This will include the solution components I mentioned above, including RFID printers and readers along with the right labels and inlays.)