Wal-Mart Urges Suppliers to Adopt Labels

Jul 10, 6:16 AM (ET)

By CHUCK BARTELS

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) - Wal-Mart wants its top 100 suppliers to slap tiny radio transmitters on all products they provide to the retail giant in an effort to better track merchandise while driving costs down.

The technology is intended to provide automatic coordination of goods going into and out of Wal-Mart's 103 distribution centers, replacing what Wal-Mart uses now - bar codes that are scanned.

As products tagged with radio transmitters get within range of a reader, the distribution center's system automatically picks up the location of the product and details about what's on the pallet, Wal-Mart spokesman Tom Williams said.

"It's almost like a voice coming into range of a microphone," Williams said. "It's a unique, quick and efficient way to gather information on a pallet of goods as it comes into a distribution center."

If the technology moves to the shelves, shoppers could see some significant changes. The labels could allow customers to breeze through a checkout line with all their items being read via radio frequency at once.

Williams said Wednesday the company wants its top 100 manufacturers to have the system in place by 2005 on all Wal-Mart products. By 2006, the company wants all its other suppliers to use the technology.

Radio transmitters have promise for retail shelves, as well. With the transmitters on individual products, stores can get signals from areas that need restocking, protect against theft, and determine other product movement
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The tracking device will follow the product right into your home. It's a bit surprising that this news hasn't attracted more attention.

Why don't they just put a tracking collar on there customers then they would know what they need, when they need it. Wal-mart is a very screwy company, beware when they say something is good. It's just like there advertisements about how people should buy American, almost everything they have in the store is from third world country's. When they say they are giving to a charity they are really getting a big tax cut, they tell there employers how they will match them dollar for dollar when the employee gives to a charity. Then they turn around and claim taxes on what the employee gave plus what they matched. I could go into better detail of how they screw people all of the time, but I figure if someone is interested all they have to do is some research.

No doubt the folks in charge at WallyWorld Corp down there in Arkansas learned well from their hero bubba (the ex-gov) klinton & his minions. WallyWorld has slipped way down in quality of products offered in the last several years, and now has the status (IMO) of a run down K-mart. Old Sam must be spinning in his grave.