RFID has become one of the most important tools in retail operations. It provides item-level visibility into what is in the building and where it is located. When used at scale, RFID improves inventory accuracy and strengthens the foundation for replenishment, forecasting, and customer service.

RFID tells retailers which items should be in the store and how many should be available. It helps retailers know what is where.

But RFID alone cannot provide a complete picture of the selling floor. It cannot show whether an item is actually on the shelf. It cannot confirm whether a section is faced properly. It cannot identify an empty facing or an item sitting in the wrong location. RFID reveals what is where. It does not reveal what is actually here.

To understand the true condition of the store, retailers need visibility into the physical shelf. That requires the second layer.
 

Shelf-level visibility is one of the most persistent challenges in retail. It is also one of the most important.

Badger Technologies’ next-generation digital teammates, powered by autonomous mobile robots and AI-driven computer vision, help solve this challenge. By scanning aisles automatically and capturing shelf images, they identify out-of-stocks, misplaced items, pricing inconsistencies, planogram issues, presentation gaps, and potential safety hazards.

Computer vision shows what is actually here.

This complements RFID’s ability to show what is where, creating a continuous feedback loop between digital records and physical conditions. Together, they help retailers identify when an item is in the building but missing from the shelf, when a price label does not match the system, or when a section has fallen out of compliance before a shopper notices.

This combination moves retailers beyond assumption and into real-time accuracy. It connects the truth in the system with the reality on the shelf.
 

Technology does not recover a store. People do.

Store teams bring experience, judgment, and care for the customer. They make the decisions that matter most. They recover displays. They replenish shelves. They support shoppers who need help. They resolve issues that technology can only detect.

When teams start their day with uncertainty, they lose time searching for problems instead of addressing them. They walk aisles looking for gaps that could have been identified earlier. They replenish based on partial information instead of verified visibility.

This is where the partnership between RFID, automated computer vision, and store teams makes the biggest difference.

When associates can see which shelves are empty, which items are misplaced, and which tasks matter most, they move with purpose. They spend less time double-checking and more time helping customers. They recover the store faster and maintain standards more consistently, even during the busiest weeks of the year.
 

Clarity is not optional during peak season. It is what keeps stores running smoothly from open to close.
 

Retailers do not face the same conditions every day. Holiday shopping, promotions, weekends, and seasonal demand introduce new stresses to store operations.

No day reveals this more clearly than Black Friday. It remains the busiest in-store shopping day of the year in the United States. The pace is relentless. The pressure is immediate. Shelves empty quickly. High-demand items disappear before the next pull arrives. Seasonal aisles take the hardest hits.

Before the morning is half over, the store looks nothing like it did at open. The system says product is available. The shelf says otherwise. Managers triage the floor. Associates are pulled in multiple directions. Teams need clarity and priorities more than ever.

This is why many retailers now rely on digital teammates during off-peak hours to scan shelves, validate conditions, and prepare a verified action plan for the next shift. When the morning crew arrives, they know exactly which items need replenishment, which pricing issues require correction, and which areas need immediate recovery.

Better visibility reduces blind spots. Clear direction speeds replenishment. Stronger partnership keeps shoppers supported. High-performing stores keep shoppers coming back.
 

No single system can deliver accurate, real-time visibility on its own. The modern store requires a coordinated approach that brings together RFID intelligence, automated shelf-level computer vision, and the expertise of store teams.

• RFID delivers the digital record.
• Computer vision delivers the physical verification.
• Store teams deliver the execution.

This partnership gives retailers the ability to keep system truth and shelf reality aligned, even when conditions shift quickly. It supports faster recovery, more consistent standards, and stronger shopper confidence.

Better together is not a slogan. It is a way of working. It is how high-performing stores operate. It is how retailers stay ready for whatever the day brings.
 

• See How RFID, Computer Vision, and Store Teams Work Better Together
• Build a Store That Stays Accurate From Open to Close
• Turn Shelf Intelligence Into Stronger Operational Performance

Badger Technologies, a product division of Jabil, is a leader in retail automation and artificial intelligence solutions. Its autonomous robots and digital teammates help retailers improve on-shelf availability, pricing accuracy, planogram compliance, and store safety.

With deployments across grocery, building supply, and other high-SKU retail environments, Badger Technologies provides retailers with real-time data and actionable insights that drive measurable results. Headquartered in Nicholasville, Kentucky, the company is committed to helping retailers build smarter, safer, and more efficient stores.