Gillette Co. achieved a technology milestone as Wal-Mart Stores Inc. began
testing electronic product codes in Dallas that will lead to the use of
radio frequency identification (RFID) tags -- an electronic tracking system
that has prompted privacy concerns in Massachusetts.
Gillette and seven other companies are the first of Wal-Mart's suppliers to
test the use of the system in a real store. Wal-Mart is requiring its top
100 suppliers to be RFID-ready by January. So far, nearly half of those
suppliers have said they will be able to meet the deadline.
RFID technology enables suppliers and purchasers to track the location and
status of a specific product.
"It is imperative that we have the merchandise the customer wants to buy
when they want to buy it," said Linda Dillman, chief information officer of
Wal-Mart, in a statement. "We believe RFID technology is going to help us
do that more often and more efficiently."
In Massachusetts, state Sen. Jarrett Barrios, D-Cambridge, has filed
legislation that would strictly limit the use of RFID tags. Barrios' bill
calls for having the devices disabled at the point of sale and requiring
businesses to provide consumers with a written consent form when the RFID
is not removed.
The other suppliers participating in the Dallas pilot include
Hewlett-Packard Co., Johnson & Johnson Inc., Kimberly-Clark Inc., Kraft
Foods Inc., Nestle Purina PetCare Co., Procter & Gamble Co. and Unilever Corp.
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