Iris Nova installs Avery Dennison’s RFID system

The Drug Store is an extension of the Iris Nova text-to-order platform and operates via the ‘honor’ system, where the only point-of-sale is the customer's cell phone. The Drug Store features three refrigerators and offers customers easy access to the Iris Nova portfolio of beverages. The process is simple, customers walk in, take what they want, and send a text message to complete payment. 

‘With RFID technology as a foundation, we have a lot of potential to make frictionless shopping a reality and engage even further with our customers,’ said Zak Normadin, CEO and founder of Iris Nova. ‘Knowing in real time when a product leaves the cooler is immensely powerful and this data tells us instantly what drinks customers prefer. It enables us to ensure that we’re never out of stock and map long term trends to help us drive our product development.

‘It’s still early days but already we are looking at expanding our use of RFID. This will include expanding to 100-150 coolers within existing retail spaces in 2020 and a new dedicated store in the Los Angeles area.’  

Julie Vargas, director of the Global Market Development at Avery Dennison added: ‘We’re anticipating a world where everything we buy, and use will have a digital identity. Iris Nova is at the very cutting edge of this trend we’re delighted to see the results it has delivered in the supply chain and for the customer experience. They are redefining the concept of convenience and retail.’

The Avery Dennison label gives each product a unique digital identity – customers can scan the label, gain product information such as nutritional values or date of manufacture and pay for the product via SMS at their convenience – even after they have left the store. The system will automatically register and log the inventory change and keep the brand informed on stock replenishment and buying trends.

The Tribeca store deployment has already delivered inventory accuracy counts of 98 percent and increased product on-shelf availability. Since RFID assigns a unique ID to each beverage, the brand is able to track product life cycle, decrease theft, enhance consumer experience and support frictionless checkout. This compares favorably with conventional inventory systems which typically operate at between 50-60 percent stock accuracy, resulting in out-of-stock situations and poor customer experiences.