The Impact of RFID Technology on a Firm’s Customer Capital: A Prospective Analysis in the Retailing Industry

The emergence of radio frequency devices associated with smart tags—in what is called radio frequency identification (RFID) technology—has been widely discussed in the logistics field, mainly with respect to the implications accrued from this technology in the improvement of organizational efficiency and the creation of strategic ecosystems. However, very little research is available regarding the benefits of this technology in leveraging the relationship of firms with their customers, especially in the retailing arena. Hence, the purpose of this chapter is to analyze the potential of RFID technology with respect to the relationship between retailers and their clients, in order to understand how this technology is capable of increasing a firm’s customer capital, in-line with intellectual capital taxonomy. Lastly, from this study, prospective scenarios are elaborated concerning the use of this technology to increase a firm’s customer capital.