Has this ever happened to you? You go online to research the latest trend in laminated flooring for a do-it-yourself upgrade project you’re planning for your family room. You find exactly what you want at the website of a major home improvement chain and decide that since there’s a store in your area, you’ll go check the product out in person and buy it there, in-store, instead of ordering online.

You make the trip to the store only to find out that the color you wanted is not available. It’s backordered. And it will take six weeks before it comes in. Would you say that was a positive omnichannel shopping experience? Of course not.  And, if you run a retail business, you absolutely must know that this is not a scenario you want for your customers. 

According to an article in RFID Journal, “The worst mistake a retailer can make is to tell a customer he or she can pick up an item online and then not have it at the store. That is happening, and it is costing retailers customers. In fact… the popularity of online retailing is a direct result of the poor quality of in-store inventory. Customers are tired of going to a store and not finding what they came in for.” 

If you want to grow your customer base, it is absolutely essential to find ways to improve inventory accuracy in order to provide a positive omnichannel buying experience for your customers.

Radio frequency identification (RFID) technology can help. Supply Chain Dive reports that RFID can “… streamline supply chains and better control inventory movement and levels.” 

However, you need to start off with an accurate count of inventory from a service like Blue Chip.