Retail Logistics

The cost associated with logistics is a significant part of the retail distribution and sales process. The optimization of supply chain and logistics management systems is an important issue for the retail industry, and significant investments are made to track and monitor goods both during distribution and in the warehouse. By far, the most common technologies used to manage and simplify logistics are barcodes and RFID tags. HF (13.56 MHz) RFID tags are used mostly at the counter (PoS), while UHF (800 MHz) tags are used mostly in warehouse and external spaces.

Very often, barcode scanners and RFID readers are integrated into portable data terminals to facilitate the reading of tags and codes, making it easier and more efficient for the personnel involved.

The ST has several key products targeting logistics applications such as NFC tags, dual-interface dynamic NFC tags, NFC readers, and RAIN (RAdio frequency IdentificatioN) readers for UHF tags.