Clothing retailer JBC has rolled out RFID across all 144 stores in Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany. The move to tag 17 million items — including 1.5 million hanging garments and 15.5 million flat-packed items — is aimed at minimizing out-of-stocks and enhancing shopper experiences both online and in stores.

Belgium’s largest clothing retailer is now able to track items from the moment of production at its 100 suppliers around the world, up to the time they are sold. The RFID solution from Checkpoint Systems also allows all 144 stores to function as distribution centers to process online purchases.

Clothing retailer JBC has rolled out RFID across all of its stores in Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany.

“We can now accurately track and have visibility into the quantity and location of over 17 million stock items, which enables us to confidently expand our omni-channel initiatives in the future,” says Fred Tielens, logistics manager at . “We partnered with Checkpoint to prove the concept and measure the impact RFID technology would have through our supply chain.”

JBC leveraged to enable its sales staff and logistics service providers to track stock movements, optimize store inventory and identify merchandise items that are being returned or recalled to its DC. The inventory visibility enables its online shoppers to see accurate inventory quantity of its merchandise, which is particularly important for fast-fashion retailers.

Six Checkpoint RFID Tunnels at JBC’s DC in Houthalen-Helchteren automatically verify the physical contents of inbound shipments from suppliers and outbound shipments to JBC stores. The tunnels, in conjunction with , automatically match the exact contents against shipping manifests as they enter and leave the DC for its stores.

Per Levin, president of Merchandise Availability Solutions at Checkpoint, says that the deployment is not only the first and the biggest deployment in Belgium, but may also be the first globally in a franchisee organization.

“In addition to the inventory visibility benefits, RFID might allow us in the future  to measure the impact of promotions and make customized suggestions to our shoppers,” says Tielens. “We will be able to guide our shoppers through the purchase process from start to finish, whether they are shopping online or in one of our stores.”