Brooks Running Achieves 100% Shipping Accuracy with Sensormatic RFID
Brooks Running, the Seattle-based athletic footwear brand, has eliminated shipping errors at its primary U.S. distribution centre after deploying an RFID-powered inventory intelligence solution from Sensormatic Solutions. The implementation has delivered a step-change in supply chain visibility, giving the company end-to-end control over its outbound fulfilment process.
At the heart of the deployment is Sensormatic’s TrueVUE Cloud platform, which gives Brooks a real-time picture of inventory movement from the moment product is tagged through to the point of shipment. On-demand RFID label printing and encoding is built into the workflow, and mobile RFID readers replace the need for fixed workstations on the floor, keeping operations flexible and scalable.
The results have been significant. Brooks is now achieving 100% accuracy across all picked and packed items leaving the facility. RFID scanning runs 26 times faster than the manual barcode processes it replaced, and automated shipping audits flag discrepancies in real time, allowing staff to correct mistakes before an order ever leaves the building. The knock-on effect has been a substantial drop in customer chargebacks, a persistent pain point for brands supplying major retail partners where compliance requirements are strict.
Steve LeClerc, Director of Distribution at Brooks Running, was direct about the business impact: “The speed and accuracy, along with the data we capture for accurate shipments, have been amazing.” That kind of feedback reflects what good RFID integration looks like in practice, where the technology becomes part of the daily operational rhythm rather than a bolt-on reporting tool.
Prior to the Sensormatic deployment, Brooks needed a solution that could be rolled out rapidly across the entire distribution centre without disrupting throughput. The brief was straightforward: make sure what ships matches exactly what was ordered. Sensormatic’s answer was an end-to-end system that ties together source tagging, mobile reading infrastructure, and API-level integration with Brooks’ existing warehouse management system. Every outbound shipment now has a complete digital audit trail attached to it.
From a supply chain technology standpoint, this deployment is a solid example of UHF RAIN RFID being used where it delivers genuine operational value rather than simply adding item-level data for its own sake. The combination of cloud-based visibility software, mobile readers, and tight WMS integration addresses the real-world complexity of a busy distribution centre without requiring a full infrastructure overhaul.
For other footwear and apparel brands managing high-volume outbound fulfilment, the Brooks Running case makes a clear argument for RFID at the distribution centre level. Shipping accuracy directly affects retailer relationships, chargeback costs, and brand reputation. When those three factors are all in play, the return on investment for a properly implemented RFID solution tends to justify itself quickly.
Sensormatic Solutions continues to expand its retail and supply chain RFID portfolio, and the Brooks partnership adds another data point to the growing evidence base for item-level RFID in athletic and performance footwear distribution.
Read more at https://www.sensormatic.com/Resources/cs/2026/Brooks-Case-Study