Checkpoint Systems has announced it has signed a multi‑year global software agreement with JD Sports Fashion Plc to deploy its ItemOptix RFID Inventory Management Software across the retailer’s Sports Fashion Group stores, starting in Europe.
This partnership is said to modernise inventory management, delivering real-time inventory visibility that enables JD Sports to improve shelf availability and make more accurate, data-driven inventory-focused decisions across its store network.
This collaboration reportedly began with a pilot in the second half of 2024 in the UK, France and Spain across five stores and has rapidly scaled into a full SaaS rollout.
The initial phase is said to see more than 400 stores go live by the end of the year in the UK and Ireland, with the deployment expanding across Europe to reach nearly 1,000 stores by the end of 2026.
Checkpoint’s DC tunnel solutions are said to be already operational in JD Sports’ UK Distribution Centre, with installation at the Netherlands distribution centre scheduled imminently.
JD Sports reportedly selected Checkpoint over contending vendors after a competitive evaluation, choosing ItemOptix for its ability to deliver clearer inventory visibility, greater accuracy in stock counts and replenishment and improved shelf availability that reduces out-of-stocks and enhances the customer experience.
During the pilot phase, JD Sports reported a 12% increase in on-shelf availability and a 20% improvement in restocking speed with a 95% increase in items found, driven by the real-time insights and operational agility provided by the platform.
According to Checkpoint, JD Sports’ team was also excited about the availability of the ItemOptix SDK (Software Deployment Kit), which allowed them to integrate key RFID processes directly into their existing operational store app.
Daniel McGrath, Head of Customer Operations, JD Group said: “We are very excited to take our partnership with Checkpoint to the next level over the coming months and years ahead and we thank Checkpoint for their support and for everyone’s efforts to date as we start our RFID Journey.”
McGrath continued: “We are forming a partnership to span many years and that needs to start on the right footing and I firmly believe we have created that between us.
“Both sides have worked tirelessly and in very short timelines to get us to where we are today.”
Sarabjeet Chhatwal, VP Global Software, Checkpoint commented: “Working with the JD Sports team has been a great experience and one our team looks forward to continuing in the years to come.
“JD choosing our ItemOptix Software Platform to be their software of choice for their RFID Journey is yet another great endorsement from a retailer that our solution is what the market is looking for; a solution which is Easy to Use, Easy to Deploy and Easy to Adapt.”
