American Apparel to track its clothing with RFID

We talked about RFID at the retreat. This is the technology that is 'scanable' and so small that it can be embeded underneath the skin for satellite tracking. This may be used as a device that will hold all of your account information instead of a credit card! Read this...

The hip clothing retailer is set to roll out "item-level" RFID tags to track its inventory, although there are still lingering questions about what'll happen to the chip in that hoodie you just bought.

The RFID Journal reports that American Apparel launched a trial chipping program at a single New York City location late last year, and plans on rollout out RFID tracking to 16 more Gotham stores over the next three months, with a national rollout to follow.

Now, there's nothing new about retailers using RFID tags to track their inventory—but as the RFID Journal points out, the chips are usually embedded in single cases or pallets, not individual items. American Apparel will be one of the first retailers to chip each and every shirt, sweater, and sock.

So, how do we feel about this? Well, for its part, American Apparel says it’ll have better-stocked stores, with "one of everything on the floor"—meaning you'll always find your size and color on the shelf. And since it'll take less time to take inventory (just two clerks for two hours a week, versus four employees taking eight hours a week, according to RFID Journal), you'll get more help while you're shopping.

That said, what happens to those RFID chips when you walk out the door? For its pilot program, American Apparel clerks removed the chips from clothes once they were sold, the Journal reports, but after the rollout, the tags will remain in the garments you buy.

RFID Journal said that American Apparel has yet to detail exactly how—or if—it plans on deactivating the chips once your T-shirt is bought and paid for.

While I seriously doubt American Apparel has anything nefarious up its sleeves, the company would be well advised to detail its RFID privacy policies, pronto, and nip these nagging questions in the bud.

What do you think—are you all for "item-level" RFID tracking if it means always finding your size and getting better service? Or are you worried that Big Brother wants to track your new V-neck?