How to Optimize RFID in BOPIS with Find It Function

In the evolving and complex world of apparel and footwear retail, order fulfillment is no longer just a backend task—it’s a customer experience issue. As omnichannel retail strategies become the norm, retailers are under pressure to pick and pack orders faster, with fewer errors, and using smaller labor teams.

But there’s a problem.

Retail staff often spend up to 60% of their time walking through the store or stockroom just trying to find the right items. This inefficient “picking path” kills productivity, slows fulfillment, and results in higher labor costs—especially for brands that run lean teams.

In-store associates tasked with locating a specific SKU (say, a size M red jacket) often:

• Have to manually scan each tag or visually search racks
• Walk back and forth multiple times across floors
• Rely on outdated or inaccurate inventory systems
• Waste time asking others or guessing locations

The result? Frustrated staff, missed SLAs, and lost revenue. And with same-day pickup and ship-from-store now standard expectations, these inefficiencies can become costly fast. This challenge is even greater when managing picking and packing across locations, or supporting online shopping models that rely on real-time availability and flawless execution during the last mile.

This article explores how adopting RFID–powered “Find It” solutions optimizes picking paths, streamlines order fulfillment, and transforms in-store productivity for retailers in an omnichannel world.

What Impacts Picking Path Efficiency?

Several factors influence how long it takes for a store associate to find the right item, including:

• Inventorylocation accuracy: If your inventory management software says the jacket is in back stock, but it’s actually on the floor, you’re wasting time.
• Real-time itemvisibility: Without knowing exactly where each item is right now, your team is flying blind.
• Itemcharacteristics: Small, soft, or hanging garments are harder to find manually.
• Store layout complexity: Larger or multi-level stores amplify the issue.
• Manual labor dependency: Visual searches and barcode scanning are slow and prone to human error.
• Training gaps: Newer associates struggle more to locate unfamiliar stock.

Add in complex store systems and poor infrastructure, and what should be a smooth process becomes a bottleneck. Without a modern warehouse management system or a connected order management system, delays multiply.

Optimizing picking paths requires real-time data, traceability, and efficient guidance. And that’s exactly where RFID comes in—with powerful tools like the Find It function.

RFID in BOPIS: A Game Changer for Store Productivity

RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) technology transforms how retailers track, locate, and manage items—down to the individual unit level. But the real magic happens when you combine RFID with real-time directional guidance using the Find It function to improve your RFID in BOPIS execution.

By leveraging the RFID “Find It” function, retailers can overcome limitations of conventional barcode-based systems. RFID tags broadcast real-time data that enables the system to locate items instantly and accurately.

Here’s how it works:

• Each itemis tagged with a unique RFID label—usually integrated into the hangtag or care label using high-quality RFID passive tags.
• A store associate uses a handheld RFID reader with Find It functionality—one of several types of specializedRFID readers used in rfid inventory systems.
• They input the specific itemor order to locate.
• The reader provides real-time feedback (visual, audio, or vibration) to guide the associate toward the correct direction—like a metal detector.
• As the associate moves, the reader indicates signalstrength, leading them straight to the item—whether it’s on a display rack, a fitting room return bin, or in the stockroom.

No scanning barcodes. No guessing. No wasted steps.

This approach enhances rfid inventory management, delivering automation, accuracy, and massive time savings. It can even be augmented using rfid portals or overhead antenna systems in backrooms or larger stock areas for real-time and zone detection, reducing dependence on manual labor even further.

Benefits for Apparel and Footwear Retailers

Implementing RFID in BOPIS with Find It functionality can deliver measurable improvements across several critical areas:

1. Faster Order Picking and Fulfillment

Find It cuts the time it takes to locate an item by 70–90% compared to manual searching. By reducing the time taken to search for products, order picking becomes much faster, which in turn accelerates the entire fulfillment process. This dramatically increases throughput for:

• Click-and-collect orders
• Same-day delivery
• Ship-from-store fulfillment
• In-store customer requests

This kind of automation boosts performance from shelf to last mile.

2. Labor Optimization

By reducing time spent walking and searching, your store teams can:

• Fulfill more orders per hour
• Serve more customers on the floor
• Minimize overtime and reduce burnout
• Handle peak season demand with smaller teams

Labor costs go down, morale goes up.

3. Better Retail Customer Experience

With faster order fulfillment and reduced errors, customers enjoy faster deliveries and higher order accuracy. Enhanced customer experience contributes to improved customer acquisition and brand loyalty. When staff can quickly find the right product, they can:

• Assist shoppers faster
• Avoid saying “we might have it in the back”
• Prevent lost sales due to out-of-stock or delayed orders

Whether it’s a pair of sneakers for a walk-in or a rush pickup order, speed makes the difference.

4. Higher Order Accuracy

RFID ensures the associate is picking the right item—correct style, size, and color. This means:

• Fewer fulfillment errors
• Reduced return rates
• Stronger trust in your brand

Higher accuracy leads to higher customer satisfaction and brand loyalty.

5. Real-Time Inventory Confidence

With every “Find It” interaction, your system gets smarter. If an item is found in a different location, that data can update your inventory control map automatically—building a feedback loop for better accuracy across the inventory management systemand also deterring internal theft.

Summary of Key Benefits

Use Case: Store-Level Fulfillment at Scale

A mid-sized apparel brand with 25 stores across California implemented RFID with Find It to support its growing e-commerce and BOPIS (Buy Online, Pickup In Store) model.

What Changed:

• Picking time per item dropped from 6 minutes to under 1 minute
• Order fulfillmentrate improved by 37%
• Out-of-stock errors were reduced by 58%
• In-store labor hours were reallocated to sales and merchandising

This improvement was especially valuable as the brand recovered from the impact of the pandemic, which changed consumer expectations around convenience, safety, and service.

Why RFID Is Better Than Barcode-Based Picking

Some retailers attempt to solve picking path challenges using barcode scanners and handhelds tied to their point of sale (POS). But this approach is inherently limited:

With RFID, finding one item doesn’t take a team—it takes seconds. It also improves asset tracking, giving management and store leads better visibility into stock, returns, misplaced items, and replenishment status.

Results That Scale with Your Business

Whether you operate a single flagship store or dozens of retail locations, the benefits of Find It scale with your business:

• For small teams, it maximizes limited resources
• For multi-store brands, it standardizes fulfillment practices
• For growing ecommerce volume, it supports hybrid models without overburdening staff

And since RFID also powers cycle counts, warehouse automation, asset visibility, and even artificial intelligence tools for predictive analytics, you’re not just adopting a tool—you’re building smart infrastructure for the future.

About Invento RFID

At Invento RFID, we specialize in next-generation RFID solutions tailored for apparel, footwear, and specialty retail brands. Our platform is designed to:

• Tag and track every product in real time
• Integrate with handheld readers and RFID inventory management software
• Provide store associates with tools like Find It to streamline tasks
• Connect your store to your enterprise resource planning, point of sale, and warehouse management system
• Support distribution across every touchpoint of the supply chain, from distribution center to pallet shipment

We’ve worked with brands across the US and Latin America to implement rfid inventory systems that are easy to adopt, scale, and operate. Our mission is to drive efficiency, customer acquisition, and marketing performance—powered by automation and data.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How does RFID improve order picking efficiency?

A: RFID improves efficiency by automatically tracking item locations, reducing search times and manual errors during order picking.

Q: What is BOPIS?

BOPIS, or Buy Online, Pick Up In Store, is a retail strategy in response to evolving consumer preferences and the rise of e-commerce. This model allows customers to purchase products through a retailer’s website, with the option to collect their items in person at a physical store location.

Q: What advantages does RFID have over barcodesystems?

A: RFID can read multiple tags at once without line-of-sight, ensuring faster data capture and higher accuracy than barcodes.

Q: Can RFID systemsscale with a growing inventory?

A: Yes, RFID systems deliver real-time inventory updates and analytics, enabling seamless scaling as inventory and order volumes increase.

Q: How does real-time inventoryvisibilityimpact customer service?

A: It ensures accurate stock levels, reduces order errors, and enhances the overall customer experience through reliable fulfillment.

Q: How does Invento RFID support omnichannelretailstrategies?

A: Invento RFID integrates real-time tracking with sophisticated analytics to optimize inventory control and streamline in-store and online order management.

Leveraging RFID to Enhance Order Fulfillment in BOPIS

RFID with Find It functionality helps transform store operations from guesswork to guided execution. This isn’t just about faster item retrieval—it’s about:

• Lowering fulfillment costs
• Improving accuracy
• Enhancing customer engagement
• Reducing returns
• Supporting omnichannel retail strategy from click to delivery

In today’s world, real-time visibility and location intelligence aren’t optional—they’re competitive necessities.

RFID inventory management is now a strategic investment, unlocking the full potential of your store, warehouse, and last mile strategy.