Guide · Stocktaking
RFID stocktaking in fashion stores: count fast, then fix the gaps
A handheld reader counts many tagged items at once. The count is the easy part. What matters is what happens to the items that don't match.
Why barcode counts fall behind
A barcode count reads one item at a time. It's slow, so stores count rarely, and errors build up between counts.
| Barcode count | RFID count | |
|---|---|---|
| How items are read | One at a time, in line of sight | Many at once, through boxes and piles |
| How often stores count | Rarely, often with extra staff or the store closed | Often enough to catch errors early |
| What you learn | A quantity per product | Each item and where it is |
| After the count | A list of differences | Corrections and a search for what was missed |
It starts at the delivery
Missing items from the warehouse or carrier become stock errors the moment the parcel is booked in. Retail Reload checks parcels on arrival and shows missing items and discrepancies by source.
There are three receiving settings, so each store can pick what fits its staff and hardware:
- Automatic
- Parcels are read as they pass through the EAS gates. No one has to scan.
- Parcel ID scan
- Staff scan the parcel ID on arrival.
- No scan
- Parcels are booked in without a scan.
All parcel types are covered: replenishment, web orders and non-RFID parcels.
The count itself
Retail Reload counts 27,000 items an hour. Several staff can count at the same time into one shared, real-time inventory, so even a large store is covered quickly. Products are relocated automatically as they're read.
How do you know every item was read?
You don't have to trust the reader. Each read is matched against what should be there: the parcel's contents at receiving, or the stock record during a count. Items that should have been read and weren't show up by name, and go to a guided search or, if they're really lost, an automatic correction.
One extra worth knowing: with check tag, a single scan shows an item's whole history. It's useful when staff find something that shouldn't be where it is.
After the count
This is where most systems stop and Retail Reload's discrepancy management starts. Each item that doesn't match the record goes one of three ways:
Result: clean stock for every system
Automatic corrections use an algorithm to detect items that are really lost, so they stop showing as available. Guided search helps staff find items that weren't scanned. The two settings can be combined.
Item regularisation handles damaged products and items whose RFID label was removed, so they don't distort the stock.
How often to count
There's no single right number. Set the rhythm from your own data:
- Count a pilot store regularly for the first weeks.
- Watch how fast accuracy drifts between counts, and where.
- Set the frequency per store from that drift, not from the calendar.
- Plan the annual inventory. Retail Reload describes ending manual counts for the recurring annual tax inventory. Check local rules with your finance team.
What Lacoste and Etam set up
Both featured retailers started with counting and discrepancy management.
Lacoste configured it "for optimal accuracy", then added the sales app for its Champs-Élysées flagship. See the Lacoste results →
Etam combined counting and discrepancy management with sales-floor replenishment alerts.
Common questions
How fast is RFID stocktaking?
A reader captures many tags at once. Retail Reload counts 27,000 items an hour, and the Auburn University RFID Lab and GS1 US measured 96% less time spent on counts.
Does RFID need line of sight?
No. Readers pick up tags through boxes, bags and piles, which is why one pass counts many items at once.
What is an inventory discrepancy?
A difference between what the stock record says and what is really in the store. Common causes are theft, delivery errors, misplaced items and sales or returns recorded wrongly.
How do you fix inventory discrepancies?
Count, then resolve each difference. Retail Reload corrects stock automatically when an item is really lost and gives staff a guided search when it was only missed in the count.
How do you know an RFID count read every item?
Reads are matched against the parcel contents or the stock record. Items that weren't read show up by name, so nothing depends on trusting the reader.
How often should a fashion store count with RFID?
Count a pilot store regularly, watch how fast accuracy drifts between counts, and set the frequency from that.
Do we still need a manual annual inventory?
Retail Reload describes ending manual counts for the recurring annual tax inventory. Check the rules in your country with your finance team.
Spending too many hours on counts?
Discuss your project ↗About Retail Reload. Retail Reload is an RFID platform for fashion retailers. It tracks each item's status and location in the store, supports fast stocktaking and replenishment, and powers click-and-collect and ship-from-store. It works with existing RFID hardware and connects to OMS, ERP, WMS and BI systems.