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Retailer to put RFID chips in all clothing - but who is it?
Consumer group investigates the names in the frame

By Jo Best

Published: Friday 24 September 2004

One clothing maker is planning to put RFID tracking tags on all its products from 2005 - but just who is the mystery shop?

At the Frontline Expo in Chicago, a tag firm told Consumer organisation Caspian (Consumers Against Supermarket Privacy Invasion and Numbering) that a US retailer was planning the huge tagging drive but wouldn't put a name to it.

Like Marks and Spencer before it, the organisation will put the RFID chips in tags attached to the clothes. Caspian has managed to get some shots of the tags in question and members have been scratching their collective heads over who the garment maker could be.

In the frame, according to Caspian, are famous undies maker Calvin Klein, sports clothing company Champion and trendy youth brand Abercrombie & Fitch.

The retailer in question doesn't want their RFID plans publicised, however. At Checkpoint's stand at the Expo, both Calvin Klein and Champion had sample clothing labels with RFID tags incorporated.

Another chipped clothing tag was on display but with the company's name blacked out - evidence, perhaps, of an unwillingness to be associated with RFID tracking technology.

Although the company's name had been blacked out, a logo was still visible - that of Abercrombie & Fitch.

However, a spokesman for Checkpoint has subsquently claimed any items seen on the stand were purely for "display purposes".

A spokeswoman for Abercrombie & Fitch told silicon.com the company "cannot confirm or deny" it plans to roll out RFID in its clothes by 2005.

Katherine Albrecht, director of Caspian, said the precedents set by fellow clothes seller Benetton should serve as a warning.

"It can be hard to win back customer trust once you've crossed the RFID line," she said in a statement.