The solution tracks goods as they are received and stored in the back room or store front, then prevents unpurchased merchandise from being taken out the front door by sounding an alert, as well as storing data regarding which item is being removed. The technology is provided by RFID solutions company Catalyst. Both Gieves & Hawkes and Catalyst are owned by Li & Fung.
Gieves & Hawkes is a high-end men's custom and ready-to-wear clothing retailer based in London, with more than 200 stores in China alone, as well as eight stores in the United Kingdom. The company was founded in 1771, making it one of the world's oldest tailors.
The Birmingham store features an entranceway that measures about 4 meters (13.1 feet) in width and opens directly into the mall's interior. That makes the high-value items within the store at risk of theft, so providing security for those products is important. At the same time, the store didn't want to install visible antennas or electronic article surveillance (EAS) devices that could interfere with the store's aesthetic.
The retailer faces another challenge that made RFID a desirable technology: ensuring that its merchandise is always in stock. Gieves & Hawkes sells ready-made products that it strives to have on hand at all times. The store, however, is not large enough to maintain high volumes of each size of every item. As such, ensuring that goods are replenished as they are sold is imperative.
