Checkpoint Expands its Apparel Labeling Solutions Capabilities

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Checkpoint Systems, a global leader in shrink management, merchandise visibility and apparel labeling solutions, today commented on the expansion of its Apparel Labeling Solutions business through its previously announced acquisition of Brilliant Label Manufacturing Ltd. This expansion adds to initiatives already underway to strengthen the business units breadth of offerings and meet the growing demand for its labeling solutions.

Checkpoint acquired Brilliant Label Manufacturing Ltd., a China-based manufacturer of paper, fabric and woven tags and labels. Brilliant Label, through its facilities in Hong Kong and China, adds significant capacity to Checkpoints world-class apparel labeling business. It enables Checkpoint to meet greater demand for fabric and woven tags and labels and expands the companys global manufacturing footprint. Additionally, Checkpoints labeling business extends the use of paper, fabric and woven labels beyond branding, variable data and garment care information by enabling discreet integration of RF-EAS and RFID tags. These capabilities enable apparel retailers and vendors to brand, track and secure their products at the point of manufacture using a single solution.

Brilliant Label broadens Checkpoints manufacturing footprint through strategic locations in Shanghai and Southern China.

Brilliant Label enables Checkpoints Apparel Labeling Solutions business to supply its customers with a source-to-store solution, through which all their apparel labeling needs can be met by Checkpoint as a single supplier, said Steven Davidson, President of Checkpoints Apparel Labeling Solutions business.Brilliants capabilities strengthen and expand Checkpoints apparel labeling business, and enable us to provide retailers and vendors with a world-class service offering of complete visibility, cost efficiencies, just-in-time delivery, enhanced quality and increased speed to shelf.

Expanded capabilities through Checkpoints Check-Net service

Checkpoints Check-Net service, the companys 24/7 global ticket ordering, logistics and data management platform, has long been recognised by retailers and vendors as an innovative and unique solution to meet the industrys global labeling requirements.

This sophisticated web-based system allows retailers and vendors to order various tags and labels for individual product lines, fulfilling all their labeling needs accurately, quickly and easily. Using Check-Net to manage the process ensures data integrity and delivers precise visibility throughout. The system automatically allocates orders to one of more than 30 strategically located print shops around the world, where they are processed. Apparel vendors can then apply tags and labels at source, during the garment manufacturing process. The location of Checkpoint print shops plays a significant role in helping to minimise and control the overall labeling expenditure for any retailer or vendor.

This platform facilitates the delivery of various solutions to factories around the world, in a just-in-time fashion. It enables vendors and their trading partners to deliver merchandise to stores branded to specifications, packaged and ready to be put on the shelves for sale. RF-EAS can also be integrated into these tags and labels at source to protect products against theft.

Powered by Check-Net, Checkpoints Apparel Labeling Solutions allow retailers to increase the speed of the order-to-cash cycle, which reduces the turn-around time between retailers placing an order for merchandise with the vendor to the time it reaches the point of sale.

In addition to having a global footprint with locations in strategic apparel manufacturing centres, Checkpoints Apparel Labeling Solutions make it easier for apparel vendors to fulfill their customers requirements, added Davidson. They can use Check-Nets online service to create and release orders instantly, giving them more flexibility to accommodate tight deadlines.

Increased Merchandise Visibility

The acquisition of Brilliant Label also complements Checkpoints merchandise visibility solution, which provides all the elements needed to deploy a comprehensive RFID offering including services, software, RFID labels and hardware. The solution employs RFID labels to track merchandise from source to store, giving retailers unprecedented visibility into their supply chains and store operations, thereby increasing sales and shelf availability through reduced out-of-stock situations. Previously, for apparel labeling solutions, most RFID applications depended on integrating the RFID label into a paper hang tag. The Brilliant Label acquisition delivers the ability to embed RFID tags directly into other garment trim items such as fabric and woven brand labels and a host of other carriers making RFID source labeling more flexible than ever before.

The acquisition of Brilliant Label and updated capabilities has significantly strengthened Checkpoints already world-class apparel labeling offering. We will continue to innovate and look for ways to improve our products and services, to build upon our leadership in providing labeling solutions to the apparel industry, concluded Davidson.