Checkpoint Systems Inc. says that RENO, part of Europe's  second-biggest shoe retailer, has contracted for an extensive RFID source tagging program, as well as installation of RF-based security systems in 700 stores across Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Slovakia, Czech Republic and Hungary.

Checkpoint says integrated source tagging gives retailers more cost-effective security, and they also gain the advantage of enabling more open merchandising without fear of increased theft. Products are more accessible to the customer, and several recent studies have shown that this increased availability helps to boost sales, Checkpoint officials say.

"Not only should RF merchandise tagging help us to effectively reduce losses, it should also further improve the shopping experience for the customer," says Hans-Werner Königs, divisional manager of organization and goods control at RENO.

"From a strategic point of view, as any other retailer, we 'dream' of fully automatic goods and date tracking-from the supplier to the individual stores. What's more, we'd like to make work processes as simple as possible for our store employees. We believe that RFID is the most suitable system in achieving this goal, and by opting for RF now, we have already set the course for the future," says Königs.

Visit www.checkpointsystems.com and www.reno.de.