Lager 157 and ClarityRFID have been shortlisted for RFID Project of the Year at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards. The nomination recognizes a three-store pilot of Clarity Store in which Lager 157 saw stock accuracy reach as high as 98-99.8% and SKU accuracy climb as high as 97%. The winners will be announced on Wednesday, the 4th of November, at The HAC in Central London.
For ClarityRFID, the shortlisting matters for one reason above all others: it reflects results achieved in real stores. And, it’s measured by the retailer, under normal trading conditions.
What is the RTIH RFID Project of the Year award?
The RTIH Innovation Awards recognize technology projects that drive measurable change across the global retail sector. The 2026 program is the eighth edition, and the organizers reported a record number of entries this year.
RFID Project of the Year is a new category for 2026. According to RTIH, it highlights how RFID solutions help retailers increase visibility in their stores and supply chains, gain operational efficiencies, and improve customer satisfaction. Eligible use cases include inventory visibility, supply chain visibility, and omnichannel services such as ship-from-store and BOPIS.
Shortlisted entries are assessed by an independent judging panel that includes senior leaders from retailers such as JD Sports, Walmart, Ingka Group (IKEA), Boots, and Amazon. Lager 157 and ClarityRFID are one of four shortlisted entries in the category.
The problem Lager 157 needed to solve
Picture a shopper who has driven across town for a specific pair of jeans in a specific size. The website says the store has it. The fitting room is ready. The shelf is not. That moment costs more than one sale; for a retailer built on trust, it chips away at the promise customers return for.
Lager 157, the Swedish fashion retailer known for denim and everyday basics, has built its business on product, price, and word-of-mouth trust rather than traditional marketing. Before the pilot, the retailer relied on manual stock counting and shipment receiving. As a result, head office and store-level data on what was actually in stock, in which size and color, at which store, was not reliably in sync.
For a business whose promise depends on the right size being on the shelf, that gap sat close to the center of the brand.
Lager 157 RFID pilot results
Between August and October 2025, Lager 157 and ClarityRFID ran a pilot of Clarity Store in three stores across three countries: Naestved in Denmark, Nacka in Sweden, and Raisio in Finland. The pilot replaced manual stock counting and shipment receiving with RFID-powered processes that captured real-time, item-level data.
Clarity Store is our in-store RFID software, designed to replace manual cycle counts with continuous, item-level inventory accuracy so teams know what is on hand and where.
The results in participating stores were:
- 98-99.8% stock accuracy, at its highest
- 97% SKU accuracy, at its highest
- 2027 planned full rollout across six countries
Measuring stock accuracy and SKU accuracy
In general terms, stock accuracy measures how closely recorded unit counts match what is physically in the store. SKU accuracy measures how many individual product variants (each size and color combination) match exactly. SKU-level accuracy is typically the stricter of the two measures.
For context, research from the Auburn University RFID Lab indicates that retail inventory accuracy averages around 63% without RFID and rises to approximately 95% with item-level RFID. The Lager 157 results sit at the upper end of that range, although outcomes in any deployment depend on store format, processes, and product mix.
Lager 157 has built a fast-growing business on getting the basics right for its customers. The pilot showed what item-level inventory visibility can do for a business like theirs, and we’re looking forward to building on that as the rollout continues.
– Michael Quimby, GM, ClarityRFID
Why a real-store pilot made the difference
Many technology evaluations happen in controlled environments. Lager 157 and ClarityRFID scoped this pilot differently: RFID-powered counting and receiving ran alongside live store operations, and the results were validated by Lager 157’s own controlling and business development team.
The pilot gave us a completely different level of visibility into our stock, down to the individual item. That’s exactly the insight we want as we plan our next stores.
– Gunnar Palm, Head of Controlling & Business Development, Lager 157
Close collaboration between the two teams also allowed the approach to be refined store by store rather than deployed as a fixed template. That combination of real conditions, retailer-led measurement, and iterative refinement is what moved the conversation from pilot to commitment. Now, Lager 157 and ClarityRFID are working toward a full rollout across Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Germany, and the Netherlands.
What RFID adoption means for retailers the size of Lager 157
Lager 157 is a useful reference point for many mid-market fashion retailers. The company reported SEK 3.5 billion in sales in 2024. This figure is up 28% year on year, and states that it reached 100 stores in 2026 as it expanded into the Netherlands. It operates large-format stores across six countries with an assortment made up entirely of in-house brands.
RFID adoption offers value in five areas
For retailers operating at a similar scale, roughly 100 stores or more with a dense size and color assortment, the evidence suggests RFID adoption offers value in five areas.
- Data head office can plan with. Accurate store-level data supports allocation, replenishment, and new store planning. Lager 157 reported that the pilot improved its head office store-level data.
- Fewer missed sales on the shelf. IHL Group estimates that out-of-stocks cost global retail approximately US$1.2 trillion in 2025. Research by Auburn University and GS1 US indicates that item-level RFID can reduce out-of-stocks by as much as 50%.
- Faster, more frequent counts. The same Auburn and GS1 US research found that RFID can cut cycle count time by up to 96%, which makes frequent counting practical rather than an annual or quarterly event.
- Accurate receiving. Verifying shipments at the item level helps catch discrepancies at the door, before they distort store inventory. Lager 157 applied RFID to shipment receiving as well as counting.
- A stronger foundation for growth. For a retailer opening stores in new markets, starting each location with accurate, item-level data may prevent errors from compounding as the network grows.
Scale works in both directions. A small accuracy gap that costs one store a handful of sales each day is repeated across every store, every day. At 100 locations, the cost of inaction is rarely small, even when it is invisible on any single store’s report.
How to prove RFID in your own stores before you commit
The most important lesson from the Lager 157 pilot may be the simplest: results that are proven in a retailer’s own stores carry more weight than any benchmark.
Our free Proof of Concept (POC) program is built on that principle. It is a live, 30-day deployment in a retailer’s actual environment. It operates with its own SKU mix and its own team, at no cost during the POC. The program is designed for retailers with multiple stores in apparel, footwear, and other inventory-intensive categories.
The free POC program includes:
- A site survey and environment audit before any tags are deployed.
- Full hardware and platform access, including readers, antennas, and Clarity Store.
- A dedicated implementation partner assigned from day one, with associate training and support through Day 30.
- Live data from real stores, not a sandbox or demo environment.
- A documented results report and a tailored deployment plan.
We’ve seen a 94% POC-to-deployment rate across the program. Apply to participate in the free POC today, spots are limited.
Proof before promise
The shortlisting of Lager 157 and ClarityRFID for RFID Project of the Year recognizes more than a set of accuracy figures. It recognizes a way of working: test in real stores, let the retailer set the standard, and scale only when the results earn it. Lager 157 saw stock accuracy reach as high as 98-99.8% and SKU accuracy as high as 97%. Now, they are planning a six-country rollout for 2027.
The judges will announce the winners on November 4th, 2026.
Frequently asked questions about the RTIH RFID Project of the Year shortlist
RFID Project of the Year is a new category in the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards, run by Retail Technology Innovation Hub. It recognizes successful RFID implementations in retail, including inventory visibility, supply chain visibility, and omnichannel services. Before the winners are announced, shortlisted entries are assessed by an independent panel of retail and technology leaders.
During a three-store pilot of ClarityRFID’s Clarity Store in Denmark, Sweden, and Finland, Lager 157 saw stock accuracy reach as high as 98-99.8% and SKU accuracy climb as high as 97%. The pilot replaced manual stock counting and shipment receiving, and the retailer is now planning a full rollout for 2027.
Winners of the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards are announced on Wednesday, November the 4th, 2026. The ceremony is held at The HAC (Prince Consort Rooms) in Central London. According to the organizers, judging takes place in October, after the shortlists and finalists were revealed on the 6th of October.
Evidence suggests RFID can deliver meaningful value at this scale, because small accuracy gaps repeat across every location. Research from Auburn University indicates RFID raises inventory accuracy from around 63% to approximately 95%. Results vary by format and process, so many retailers validate the impact through a pilot in their own stores first.
The free POC program is a live, 30-day RFID proof of concept deployed in a retailer’s own stores at no cost during the POC. It includes hardware, Clarity Store access, a dedicated implementation partner, and a results report. This initiative is designed for retailers with multiple stores. Apply at https://clarityrfid.com/free-poc/.
