Item-level tagging is the key to the retail store of the future. So says IBM.

You are probably aware of the big push IBM has made into RFID. In fact, you can see it right on the IBM home page, where RFID is prominently listed (as of this writing).

On the site I found this interesting 16-page white paper about item-level RFID tagging. It outlines a vision of the retail store of the future:

"RFID-enabled stores: the big-picture payoff

Visionaries see the vast potential of RFID in retail. It's more than simply a streamlined supply chain. It's faster, more convenient and more personal customer service. Optimized inventory and resource management. Reduced shrinkage and improved security. Fewer out-of-stocks and more targeted marketing. The ability to serve more customers with the same size staff. Better informed up-selling and cross-selling. A complex network of actions and reactions, dynamically adapting to changing conditions while expanding revenue. Selling customers what they want, when they want it, how and where they want to buy it. Interaction is driven by applied business intelligence, which enables you to know your customers better and deliver beyond their expectations."

The image has been extracted from the white paper. Click on the image for a larger view, or view it in the white paper.