JD Sports has signed a multi-year global Software-as-a-Service agreement with RFID specialist Checkpoint. The British sportswear retailer will initially use cloud-based RFID inventory management software ItemOptix at all its European stores, and later worldwide. With the move, JD Sports aims to increase product availability and make more accurate, data-driven decisions.
Collaboration with Checkpoint started in the second half of 2024 with five pilot stores in the United Kingdom, France and Spain. The company then began rolling out the solution. By December last year, more than 400 stores in the UK and Ireland were already using the software. By the end of 2026, around 1,000 stores across Europe are expected to go live.
JD Sports distribution centre in Rochdale, near Manchester in the UK, already deploys Checkpoint RFID tunnel readers. The technology is set to be deployed shortly also in Heerlen, the Netherlands, which supplies stores on the European continent. The systems promise to be able to read up to 540,000 items per hour.
Product availability increased by 12 per cent
JD Sports expects ItemOptix inventory management to provide greater control and visibility on stock. Thanks to more accurate inventory data at item level, the company will be able to better manage replenishments. This should reduce out-of-stocks and increase customer satisfaction.
During the pilot phase, the company was able to improve product availability by 12 per cent. Speed of restocking increased by 20 per cent. Because the platform provides accurate inventory data at item-level in real time, the retailer can act with much more agility.
Secure data processing in the cloud promised
With the help of the ItemOptix SDK (Software Development Kit), JD Sports’ IT team was able to integrate the RFID processes into its existing store software. Via mobile app, the platform provides access to a portal that facilitates RFID use cases.
When processing data in the cloud, Checkpoint promises high security, availability and integrity, as well as confidentiality and data protection. The technology provider claims to ensure this through SOC compliance. The term stands for System and Organisation Controls and refers to an internationally recognised auditing and reporting framework of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA).
