Future impacts of RFID on e-supply chains in grocery retailing

Purpose – To place the research on radio frequency identification (RFID) usage in supply chains within a specific business and market context; in this case, the grocery industry. Design/methodology/approach – This paper considers RFID research within the context of the grocery industry and outlines the market drivers that affect the way the grocery industry approaches RFID and also specific areas of research on RFID that should be undertaken to better provide the grocery industry with managerial insights into this technology’s application. Findings – Examining market drivers that are leading to RFID implementation in the grocery industry, this paper provides a theoretical framework for future applied research on RFID implementation. Specifically, it develops a research framework that includes research using modeling techniques, RFID implementation and the impact of RFID on daily operational issues. Research limitations/implications – This paper focuses on the market drivers for RFID implementation. While it does address other areas that are related to research in this field, it is limited in its ability to go into detailed discussion of those areas. For example, while technology implementation and innovation diffusion issues are raised, they are detailed research domains of their own which can only be superficially addressed in the context of this paper. Practical implications – The paper provides a detailed framework of research areas that are of direct, practical importance to the grocery industry. This should encourage research into this area, for, as researchers provide insights into these issues, the grocery industry can immediately put the findings into practice. Originality/value – RFID has garnered a great deal of research interest. However, that research has primarily focused on RFID’s impact on general supply chain issues, failing to place the discussion within a specific business domain. This is necessary because the strategic environment of any business impacts on the applicability of any technology.