Fujitsu RFID Technology Deployed at New BEAMS Retail Stores to Streamline Operations

Fujitsu today announced that it has worked together with BEAMS Co., Ltd. to develop a system for the company's new line of retail stores, B:MING LIFE STORE by BEAMS. BEAMS has deployed the new system at two stores that opened in September and plans to implement the system at three additional locations scheduled to open this year.

A sophisticated initiative in Japan's fashion and apparel industry, the new system allows retail stores to streamline their operations by attaching RFID tags to each article of clothing or other item and performing batch scanning and rapid checkout.

As part of the development of the new system, Fujitsu has employed its GLOVIA smart specialty store Pastel Plus merchandising automation solution for specialty fashion outlets, along with its TeamSTORE/S POS system for merchandisers and specialty stores, to deliver a comprehensive, unified retail solution—from infrastructure to networking and datacenter-based outsourcing services.

Background

In anticipation of the launch of its new line of B:MING LIFE STORE retail outlets aimed at family shoppers, BEAMS had explored the possibility of deploying RFID tags to increase operation efficiency in a multi-level approach to creating a more comfortable, convenient shopping environment.

System Features

Fujitsu is providing a comprehensive system solution for BEAMS' new retail outlets, from back-office operations at the company's headquarters to the front lines of its retail stores. The features of the new system are as follows.

1. Deploys a full-scale, leading-edge RFID system for the fashion industry, helping to improve operational efficiency

With the new system, RFID tags are attached to each article of clothing or other individual item, and the RFID tags are used to manage merchandise at every stage of its life cycle, from shipping to stocking and sales. Each shipping box, hanger, block of display racks, and shopping cart at checkout can be simultaneously read using a reader/writer, making it is possible to substantially improve the efficiency of work performed by employees.

Thanks to the integration of the POS system with a RFID reader/writer, product tags can be scanned simultaneously, reducing time required by BEAMS staff during checkout, while boosting convenience for customers. The TeamSTORE/S POS system for merchandisers and specialty stores as well as the RFID reader/writer were both developed by Fujitsu Frontech Limited.

2. Enables a streamlined merchandise life cycle and enhanced product quality through the deployment of a tailor-made package for specialty fashion outlets

As the mission-critical system for its headquarters and retail stores, BEAMS is deploying GLOVIA smart specialty store Pastel Plus, Fujitsu's custom tailored merchandising automation solution for specialty fashion outlets. The solution supports BEAMS in pursuing a PDCA cycle that is unique to merchandising at specialty fashion outlets through features that, for example, enable headquarters to centralize control of announcements to individual stores, including instructions for merchandise transfers between stores and product price changes. As a result, BEAMS is able to further improve the accuracy of its merchandising operations and enhance customer service by maintaining appropriate inventory levels and reducing backorder-related inconvenience.

3. Uniform support delivered through a comprehensive solution

In addition to the system's construction by Fujitsu's system engineers, who are experienced in systems for the fashion industry, Fujitsu is providing a uniform package of support encompassing operational support, infrastructure, networking, datacenter provision, and a help desk service tailored to retail operations. This, in turn, enables worry-free retail system operations.

To accelerate development, system construction is being performed by a team of system engineers from Fujitsu Systems East Limited.

Going forward, Fujitsu will continue to provide ICT support to BEAMS to assist in the expansion of its new business activities and a variety of other advanced initiatives.