American Eagle Outfitters (AEO) plans to roll out Radar’s inventory-tracking technology in about 500 American Eagle stores across the US over the course of the following year, according to the company’s announcement. Radar is a technology platform that equips brand teams with the inventory knowledge they need to improve the in-store customer experience.
Retail store employees can more quickly and efficiently serve customers, replenish items on the sales floor and complete in-store and curbside pickup orders thanks to Radar, which uses a combination of RFID and computer vision to track and locate in-store inventory in real-time with 99 per cent accuracy.
Additionally, Radar disclosed that it has already raised more than $50 million from investors, including some of the largest international retailers, renowned funds like Y Combinator, Align Ventures, Sound Ventures, and Founders Fund, as the family offices of well-known brands like Michael Kors. Two more Fortune 500 merchants are participating in the company’s platform trial programme.
According to Spencer Hewett, founder and CEO of Radar, “With consumers turning back to in-store shopping, many retail brands are looking to elevate the in-store experience, and having complete visibility into store inventory is crucial to achieving that.” We’re excited to work with the American Eagle brand to help them continue providing excellent customer service.
Radar helps companies guarantee that no consumer ever leaves empty-handed because the item they were searching for couldn’t be found by giving retail personnel the technology they need to know precisely what is in stock in their store at the SKU level and where each product is located. Additionally, the Radar app enables prompt restocking and improved and smooth in-store fulfilment. Further, regardless of the day, season, current trends, staffing level, or other considerations, the platform’s analytics capabilities ensure brand decision-makers that the appropriate inventory is in store, the business said in a news statement.
Michael Rempell, EVP – Chief Operating Officer, AEO, stated, “AEO is extremely proud of the exceptional service that we provide to our customers, and we are always exploring new technologies and innovative ways to empower our brand teams to deliver a seamless shopping experience.” “Our initial test using Radar gave us remarkably accurate inventory location and availability information. Based on those findings, we are eager to use RFID technology to increase operational and inventory efficiency while equipping our staff to meet consumer demands better.
While many retail companies have used RFID tags to track and manage stock, the technology is no longer reliable in determining the location of things in a shop. Thus staff members must constantly search for items that are in stock but have been misplaced or ignored. Furthermore, portable RFID scanners demand that shop employees wand product tags at the appropriate angle, which might result in mistakes and erroneous inventory counts. By autonomously finding products in 3D with 99% inventory accuracy in almost real-time and delivering the data to an app and dashboard that allows store workers to know where every item is at all times, Radar’s method removes these difficulties.
