METI study group proposes using RFID in publishing industry

On April 21, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry's "Study Group on Reducing Returns in the Publishing Industry" compiled a report on reducing returns in the publishing industry, positioning RFID tags as a core technology for distribution reform. In the publishing industry, the high return rate under the consignment sales system has been a long-standing issue, leading to increased logistics costs and inventory management expenses.

The report indicated a policy to suppress supply-demand mismatches by grasping sales and inventory information for each product in real time, leading to appropriate distribution and rapid replenishment. Demonstrations at bookstores have also confirmed benefits such as labor savings in inventory operations, and the study group points out the necessity of utilizing RFID as a fundamental technology supporting the visualization and automation of distribution.