Carol went on to describe a system whereby KK would embed flat tags in the bills of its caps. At the register, the tag would be activated—that is, it would become associated with corresponding customer information: amount spent, items bought, size, method of payment. When the shopper next visited a KK outlet wearing the hat, readers mounted at the store entrance would recognize the tag. Video screens would flash a personal greeting and a map of the store highlighting areas the customer had visited in the past. Store personnel could welcome her by name and immediately steer her to styles she preferred, in the right size, or to appropriate sale items.
“I know, I know. It sounds like something out of Minority Report. But what a way to stoke the brand,” Carol said. “We’d know the kinds of clothes our customers like, how often they’re buying, the sizes they need, and so on. And the chips could help us with authentication. Now that we’re so popular, people are knocking us off. Our customers need to be confident that a KK sweater is, in fact, a KK sweater.”