BESTSELLER: building a future-proof retail operation

Summary

BESTSELLER, retail and the RFID journey

BESTSELLER is a value-for-money fashion company with around 3,000 stores, mainly in Europe. Its brands serve a broad range of customers, from children and young adults to mature customers and maternity wear. Individual brands are often better known than the group behind them, but they share the need to serve customers consistently across stores and digital channels.

Fashion retail is dynamic. Product trends change quickly, and retail technology needs to support the people who serve customers every day. In-store shopping remains important because it combines product presentation, touch and feel, and the experience of discovering an outfit.

BESTSELLER had followed RFID developments for several years before starting its own project in 2017. The decision was not driven by one urgent pain point. The team recognised that RFID could bring a range of operational benefits and create a stronger foundation for fashion retail.

The early work focused on finding a retail brand willing to source-tag its apparel and on learning from a proof of concept. The technology itself was straightforward; the valuable work was understanding which processes needed to change and how RFID could improve them in practice.

Accurate inventory enables availability

Inventory accuracy is difficult to maintain with periodic barcode counts. Stores work in seasons, replenish never-out-of-stock products and move stock continuously. Without a reliable view of what is actually in a shop, planning and replenishment become less effective.

Accurate inventory also makes omnichannel services dependable. Customers should be able to see whether an item is genuinely available in a nearby store, rather than being shown uncertain availability or no availability at all because the stock level is too low to trust.

BESTSELLER selected on-shelf availability as the north-star KPI for its proof of concept. High inventory accuracy makes it possible to replenish from the back office to the sales floor effectively. When the right product is available for customers, availability rises and the commercial benefit becomes visible through increased turnover.

Other benefits matter too: faster counts, better processes for store colleagues and a stronger customer experience. However, on-shelf availability offered the clearest connection between RFID activity and commercial performance.

Partnership, adoption and change management

An RFID relationship needs to be a partnership, not simply a supplier contract. BESTSELLER assessed providers not only on the technology, but on access to the right specialists, practical dialogue and whether feedback resulted in meaningful improvement over time.

Usability is particularly important in fashion retail, where employee turnover can be high. New colleagues must understand the purpose of RFID and be able to learn the application quickly. Clear, simple workflows make adoption easier and help the process become part of daily store operations.

Store teams also used RFID performance constructively. Friendly comparison between stores helped create engagement, while RFID captains and local support helped teams share good practices. The key is to make the business purpose visible: reliable availability, a better experience for customers and stronger turnover.

Continuous training is essential. When experienced colleagues or store managers move on, structured handover and support protect inventory accuracy and preserve the value of the investment.

RFID as a foundation for what comes next

Inventory accuracy, on-shelf availability and omnichannel fulfilment are important outcomes, but they are not the end of the journey. BESTSELLER sees RFID as a foundation for further innovation across the retail experience.

Potential applications include RFID-supported electronic article surveillance and self-checkout. A simple checkout flow, where customers place items on a reading surface and can complete a purchase without unnecessary friction, can make the store experience faster and easier.

The RFID journey is therefore not a finished project. It creates a platform on which retailers can add new capabilities as technology, business cases and customer expectations evolve. The practical advice is to begin with a clear purpose, prepare the business early and build capability step by step.