Walmart to put radio tags in clothes to stop theft

Walmart will start placing removable, radio-frequency ID tags (RFID) on individual items. The electronic product code (EPC) will utilize the sophisticated RFID technology to provide real-time information about merchandise selection within each store. However, there is a concern that these "smart-tags" will follow customers and relay personal information such as location to higher-ups at Walmart or marketers.

Lorenzo Lopez, a Walmart spokesperson told WalletPop that the EPC tags are the next generation bar code which puts the customer in control.

Here's how it works: a customer can inquire about the selection of a specific brand of jeans and a Walmart store employee will be able to scan an entire shelf of jeans and get information about the available sizes, and what's in stock. Furthermore, supply chain managers can use this real-time information to optimize shelf stocking by figuring out what each store is running low on and replenish the inventory. This provides a better control of inventory for Walmart stores.