New RFID phase for Metro

Metro Group, the German retail conglomerate that uses RFID extensively throughout its operations, plans a further roll-out of RFID technology to 200 of its Real hypermarkets this year. The US firm Checkpoint Systems is to provide the new RFID portals at the hypermarkets.

The company previously began RFID-receiving operations at Real stores last October, and operates similar systems at its Metro Cash & Carry stores in Germany. The Metro Cash & Carry RFID program is now being extended to stores in France. Metro Group is also moving forward with plans to use forklift-mounted RFID readers in cold-storage operations and elsewhere in its distribution centres following successful pilot testing, according to a spokesperson.

About 40% of pallets received at RFID-enabled Real stores are labelled by suppliers. To encourage more suppliers to apply RFID labels, Metro Group has partnered with RFID vendors to develop and promote "starter kits" to provide companies what they need to tag shipments, and is making more data available to suppliers through its Metro Link portal, according to a company spokesperson. Metro will also apply its own RFID labels to pallets en route to Metro Cash & Carry stores.