SML RFID Group charts significant RFID expansion; opens three new Technology Centres

As the global retail market continues its march to adopt RFID, SML RFID is opening three new RFID Solution Innovation Centres, and has launched two RFID Retail pop up stores demonstrations over the past few weeks to satisfy the industry's growing appetite for information, guidance and production.

The RFID Solution Innovation Centres are complete RFID resources, housing RFID tag testing, RFID hardware and software demonstration and application, including the ability for retailers to test RFID in the configurations they require for their own use.

"Whatever question a retailer has about RFID, they'll find the answer at our Innovation Centres," says Dean Frew, CTO and SVP, RFID Solutions. "In 2015 only six percent of retailers used RFID systems, but the massive RFID retail rollouts coming in 2016 and 2017 mean more companies will move forward following their peers. They'll be looking for answers."

The new centre in Shanghai, China opened in October and Mettmann, Germany will open November 8th. The new centre in Plano, TX, opened in August 2016 and is housed in the company's new SML RFID headquarters. These join the existing RFID Innovation Centres in Clayton, North Carolina and Corby, England, bringing the number to five. SML chose these locations because of their proximity to major apparel brands' headquarters and distribution centres. In addition, SML now operates the largest network of RFID Service Bureaus for reliably delivered imprinted and encoded RFID tags and labels to specification wherever they are needed for manufacturing.

"With successful deployments of SML's Clarity software in many of the largest retailers in the world, the next wave of retailers will need information," adds Frew. "In addition to the new RFID Innovation Centers, we will continue to have SML road shows like the pop-up retail stores in New York and London in October where the latest RFID tags, RFID equipment and Clarity software were demonstrated and enabled retailers and brand owners to experience the technology in a real store environment."

Some of the largest retailers and brand owners visited SML's Pop Up Retail Centre in New York and London and provided rave reviews of the facility and the technology.