Beyond the Barcode: Behind the Scenes of Retail’s Most Transformative Technology

JW Franz, Director of Innovation at TRG, returns for another high-impact episode of the Beyond the Barcode series—this time in conversation with John-Pierre Kamel, Managing Director of RFID Sherpas and one of the world’s most trusted advisors in RFID strategy and deployment.

With more than two decades of experience guiding enterprise-wide RFID adoption across North America, Europe, and the Middle East, JP brings a practical, global perspective to what’s working in RFID today—and what it takes to move beyond the pilot phase and into true business transformation.

Together, JW and JP go behind the scenes of retail’s most transformative technology, digging into where RFID delivers its strongest ROI, where handheld and overhead systems each make sense, and why store visibility has become the backbone of modern retail execution.

You’ll hear their insights on:

• Why inventory accuracy remains the bedrock of RFID’s value proposition
• The cost and operational tradeoffs between handhelds and overhead readers
• How leading retailers like H&M, Fabletics, and American Eagle are scaling RFID
• Why RFID is evolving from a “snapshot” to a real-time visibility platform
• The convergence of RFID, robotics, computer vision, and AI
• What successful RFID programs have in common—and where many go wrong
• Market maturity trends, common missteps, and the next wave of retail innovation

Whether you’re RFID-curious or already managing a complex deployment, this conversation will sharpen your understanding of how serialized data, real-time visibility, and automated intelligence are reshaping the retail landscape.

About RFID Sherpas
RFID Sherpas is a global advisory firm specializing in RFID business case development, solution design, and change management. They’ve helped many of the world’s top retailers and brands successfully navigate RFID adoption and scale enterprise-wide programs.

Learn more: https://www.rfidsherpas.com

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