Inditex SA is racing to iron bugs out of a new anti-shoplifting system for its Zara stores, slightly delaying its rollout partly because the security tags were easy to identify and remove in initial tests, according to people familiar with the matter.
The new technology was revealed in March by Chief Executive Officer Oscar García Maceiras, who also promised to try it out in all Zara locations throughout the world this summer. The method does away with the hard plastic clothing tags that checkout clerks must remove by relying on small chips known as RFID.
There are still some growing pains with the new technology. According to the persons who wished to remain anonymous, employees in a number of nations have expressed worries to management about how the technology can actually make theft easier.
By July, Inditex had promised to test the technology in every store, but that hasn’t happened yet. The chain was supposed to test the system during the autumn and winter months. According to people in the know, supply shortages are partially to blame for delays.
“The in-store implementation process of the new soft-alarm system, which uses several technologies, is going according to plan, without any significant incidents,” Inditex said. The retailer added that the new system hasn’t resulted in any detectable change in garment theft.
This year, Inditex began testing the technology in a few of its locations in Spain. The tiny chips, which were initially inserted inside labels, were swiftly removed by shoplifters. Alarms sounding as shoppers enter the store to return things they had purchased online is another issue.
The company said in June that it aimed to eliminate all hard tags and eventually deploy the technology across its brands.
