Checkpoint Systems unveils new RFID label for all apparel categories

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Checkpoint Systems, Inc., supplier of merchandise availability solutions for the retail industry, announced at RFID Journal Live its new Zephyr 2 RFID label, which is certified by the University of Arkansas' ARC Centre for item-level tagging of all apparel categories in the U.S. and Europe.

The New Zephyr 2 RFID label design has an integrated UCODE 7 chip from NXP Semiconductors, and comes with optimal read/write sensitivity for accurate counting and quicker encoding.  With a wide range of apparel applications, it is ideal for retailers deploying large-scale implementations. In an early indicator of the expected demand for Zephyr 2, pre-launch orders have already been placed for hundreds of thousands of these RFID labels to be used in pilot programs with a large European retailer this year.

The Zephyr 2, offered with a label size of 54x34mm, has been optimised for performance with all of Checkpoint's RFID solutions, including its RFID EAS Overhead Solution, the EVOLVE Exclusive E10 pedestal, and other Merchandise Visibility solutions. It has received certification from the University of Arkansas' ARC Center for Categories A (denim), B (polybagged apparel), C (boxed items) and D (hanging apparel) for use in North America, and Categories I (apparel) and K (apparel) for European apparel items. This will allow our customers to use the same tag globally across many categories, streamlining their source tagging operations.

"As international item-level RFID adoption continues to grow, it is crucial for retailers and brand owners to have access to 'global' RFID tags that can perform equally well in retailers across the world in various frequency ranges. Checkpoint's U7 Zephyr 2 is one of the first generation of these new global tagging solutions approved in multiple apparel and hardline categories for the US and Europe," said Justin Patton, RFID Research Centre -- Managing Director University of Arkansas.

According to Umesh Cooduvalli, Checkpoint's senior director, RFID Consumables, "Major apparel retailers have expressed a strong interest in the capabilities that the Zephyr 2 offers, particularly those with broad apparel product lines with large-scale deployment needs. We're excited that this product is already being used in RFID pilots and we look forward to scaling up supply for future deployments."