"RFID is here and it's staring us in the face," says Tom Williams, spokesman for Wal-Mart. "To ignore it, is to ignore efficient change." Clearly, Wal-Mart is not about to ignore RFID. In fact, last month, 128 of Wal-Mart's top suppliers trekked to Bentonville to hear the retail giant detail its plans for radio frequency identification (RFID) compliance. Several things emerged from that meeting. One is that Wal-Mart is sticking to its mandate that these suppliers apply RFID tags to pallets and cartons by January 2005. Initially, those requirements will be limited to shipments to three distribution centers in Texas that serve 150 Sam's Club, Sam's Market, and Wal-Mart stores from coast to coast. Wal-Mart will gradually expand shipments across its network of 102 DCs as the year progresses.
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