Pier 14: Inventory with RFID technology and merchandise management from ROQQIO
Record incoming goods without opening the box and carry out inventories in passing: In its 16 stores, Pier 14, a specialist for premium brands on the Baltic Sea coast, relies on an RFID solution (radio-frequency identification - identification using electromagnetic waves) for a even faster and more accurate stocktaking. With its unique fashion, indulgence and lifestyle concept, in which international designer collections meet cosmetics, trendy products and a gourmet bistro, Pier 14 has focused on customer satisfaction since 1998. The chain store knows that inventory accuracy is the foundation of e-commerce. In combination with the ROQQIO merchandise management system, stock shortages are now almost impossible.
A reader and a tiny chip attached to the goods label are required for the use of the RFID technology. Pier 14 receives its premium fashion already "tagged" by Marc O'Polo and Superdry: The product labels are provided with an RFID microchip by the supplier. Pier 14 employees are currently redrawing the labels for goods from other suppliers. A new label is attached to the existing goods label, which contains the readable Electronic Product Code (EPC) or the Serialized Global Trade Item Number (SGTIN). This means that items can be identified without contact, unlike when scanning barcodes. All you have to do is move the hand-held scanner past the clothes racks and fan it loosely through the textiles with your other hand. "With this little time investment, we have reliable data for a profitable online business and at the same time more time for our customers," says Stefan Richter, Managing Director of Pier 14. The readable number consists of the article number and serial number. The item number is supplied by the ROQQIO merchandise management system and processed into the serial number by the sys-pro company via the RFID system. All items that are provided with the RFID chips can be recorded with mobile readers - and in the next project step also at permanently installed reading points (e.g. in the checkout or exit area) without direct contact and automatically recognized in the ROQQIO Retail merchandise management system. "I particularly enjoy the professional and highly qualified exchange with our project team, Rüdiger Hulla from ROQQIO and Antje Schimana from sys-pro. After all, it is always people who put ideas into practice,” says Richter.
ROQQIO not only manages all stocks at Pier 14, but also connected the fashion specialists to the Outfits24 sales platform, Zalando Connected Retail and Amazon - a welcome sales channel during the Corona-related store closures. If an article offered online is sold in the stationary branch, the RFID system reports this directly to the merchandise management system. The product is then saved as sold and no longer presented online. The data is continuously updated within the ROQQIO merchandise management system and is available to all sales channels. Coupled with the frequent inventory taking and checking at Pier 14 in the stores, the likelihood of double or multiple selling of items is reduced to an absolute minimum. The RFID cash register integration of the ROQQIO cash registers is currently being worked on and will be completed at the beginning of March. This minimizes queues at the checkouts and customers are served even faster: the desired product is recorded with the reader, automatically unlocked after payment and booked as sold.
A simple installation of reading points in the exit area of the Pier 14 concept stores will also trigger a warning signal as soon as unpaid items leave the store. “Then there is no need to additionally secure the goods with conventional security labels, which saves additional time for the staff. Solving article surveillance via RFID is the final expansion stage of our project,” explains Richter.
Über ROQQIO
ROQQIO bietet Softwarelösungen und -konzepte für die Umsetzung der Customer Journey im Omnichannel-Handel. Zum Portfolio gehören Systeme rund um Warensteuerung, POS und die Enterprise SaaS Anwendung ROQQIO Commerce Cloud. Diese managt unterschiedliche Vertriebskanäle und steuert komplexe Backendprozesse, darunter das Order-Management, Payment oder die Logistik. Die Kombination dieser Stationär- und Online-Technologien ermöglicht eine nahtlose Omnichannel-Experience. So funktionieren Prozesse wie Click & Collect oder der Umtausch online gekaufter Ware in der Filiale reibungslos. Mehr als 1.500 Unternehmen vertrauen bereits auf die Leistungen und Lösungen der Commerce Experten von ROQQIO.
