Thieves can evade Zara stores’ new anti-theft technology

Inditex is quickly fixing the failures New anti-theft technology in its Zara stores, In early tests the security labels were easy to identify and remove, delaying its launch a bit.

Óscar García Maceiras, CEO, Zara, presented the new technology in March and promised to test it in all Zara stores worldwide in the summer. The system is based on some Small chips called RFIDRemoves hard plastic tags from clothing that cashiers must remove.

As removal techniques are discovered and advertised online, hard plastic tags that require very powerful magnets to remove will eventually become obsolete, as any solution that relies on physical tags or sewn-in chips is prone to vandalism.

Inditex began testing the new RFID technology in some of its stores in Spain this year. Thieves quickly figured out how to get rid of the tiny chips, It was initially implemented on labels. Another problem was that alarms went off when customers entered the store to return items purchased online.

As Inditex integrates its online business and physical stores, Zara stores are adding pickup points for online customers. Some e-commerce orders are also delivered to big box stores instead of warehouses.

The new system will make those processes even more efficient because a clerk won’t have to remove a security tag. Additionally, payment times at physical stores will be reduced and self-checkout will be easier for Inditex.

The company said in June Their goal was to remove all the hard labels and implement the technology across all their brands.

After months of experimenting with placing the tags in different places on the garment, a possible alternative is a special type of thread made from a small RFID tag, which is wrapped in textile thread and sewn into the seams of the garment.

Although the new technology will increase Inditex’s costs, it will help increase profits in the long run.