For nearly two decades, Walmart has been a major force in driving RFID adoption across retail. Starting in the early 2000s, the retail giant began implementing RFID in its supply chain, initially focusing on apparel, footwear, and other soft goods like textiles. These categories were relatively straightforward to tag and the operational improvements were significant—improving inventory accuracy, streamlining replenishment and reducing out-of-stocks.

As these RFID programs matured and proved their value, Walmart and other major retailers began to expand the use of RFID to other, more complex product categories. RFID deployments have evolved from tagging items of low complexity to the challenges of tagging hard-to-read materials and formats. And now, one of the latest frontiers in RFID tagging - bottled merchandise.

This category includes items packaged in bottles, such as household cleaners, automotive fluids, and nutraceuticals (think vitamins and dietary supplements). Unlike soft , bottles present a unique challenge for RFID. Their contents can interfere with radio frequency signals, often absorbing the waves a tag needs to communicate effectively with a reader.

That makes it critical to design RFID inlays and tags that work and perform reliably in the presence of such materials. To address these challenges, Auburn University’s RFID Lab recently released a new performance specification: ARC Spec B2, which sets the standard for RAIN RFID tag performance in a variety of merchandise categories, including bottled items.

We’re proud to announce that Tageos is the first company in the industry to achieve this important Spec B2 certification with our latest innovative inlay: the EOS-233 M830.

The new EOS-233 M830 is a 30mm diameter circular RAIN RFID inlay designed for application to bottle caps. Its combines a cutting-edge antenna and a powerful Impinj M830 IC, enabling consistent high performance when applied to a wide variety of bottle sizes, shapes, and contents. This innovative capability extends the benefits of RFID —such as accurate inventory tracking, improved on-shelf availability and increased loss prevention—to even more merchandise types.

Beyond retail, the EOS-233 M830 also opens up exciting possibilities in healthcare. RFID can now be used to reliably track and manage bottled pharmaceuticals, medical fluids, and other critical items, significantly improving patient safety, reducing waste and streamlining supply chain operations in hospitals, medical care and pharmacies.

The EOS-233 M830 will be available in Q2 2025. For more information or to request samples, please contact our sales team.