Get Ready for the Internet of Clothes

How smart are your shoes?

Packaging company Avery Dennison and IoT smart products platform creator Evrythng announced on April 18 that they are teaming up to bring the IoT to the world of footwear and apparel.

Through embedded wireless chips and codes in clothing linked to mobile apps, customers would be able to access manufacturing info, reorder items, join loyalty and recycling programs, and receive personalized content about their products. The system could also provide recommendations on other products the consumer may want to purchase. In other words — the Internet of Clothes.

The companies plan to work with the world’s top fashion brands, and estimate that over 10 billion products will be connected to the IoT.

“We can drive new consumer experiences, protect brands’ value, and provide supply chains with real-time analytics,” said Mitch Butier, Avery Dennison president and chief operating officer.

This will happen via the introduction of the Janela Smart Products platform, which will allow products to interact with apps and services and provide real-time mobile experiences and insights to consumers.

According to Evrythng,  retailers would also be able to detect fraudulent returns, have real-time alerts and insights into the supply chain, have more insight into stock control, and more.

There’s also the prospect that one could “Google” their missing shoes.

The deployment will start with QR codes and wireless chips using NFC or RFID technology. Both companies made it clear that consumer privacy is important to them and inferred that the connected items would not track people or collect personal info without their consent.

Related:

Real-time retail: why Uniqlo employees use handhelds

Three ways the IoT is used in retail marketing

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