VF Corporation preps roll-out of Nedap inventory visibility technology with The North Face up first

Nedap has announced a partnership with VF Corporation, a specialist in apparel, footwear and equipment whose portfolio of brands includes The North Face, Vans and Timberland.

As part of this, VF Corporation will deploy the Nedap Inventory Engine across its brand portfolio and 1,500+ stores. The deployment starts in Q2-2026 with The North Face and will expand to additional VF brands over time.

The partnership supports its ambition to create a single view of stock, built on a single, trusted view on inventory across its operations. With the Inventory Engine, it aims to enhance stock accuracy, improve product availability and strengthen omnichannel performance across all regions.

In addition to the store roll-out, VF has expanded the initiative into its distribution channels, enhancing visibility and supporting efforts to address grey market activities and strengthen brand protection.

“Our consumers expect the same level of product availability and service whether they shop online, in-store or through any of our brand touchpoints,’ says Carsten Trenz, VP of Digital at VF Corporation. “Unified visibility across our operations allows us to deliver that consistency and build long term customer loyalty.”

Hope Waldron, VP of Supply Chain Strategy, VF Corporation, says: “Extending our RFID program beyond stores to include distribution centres and vendor partners at the source gives us greater transparency across our entire supply chain. That visibility improves our ability to ensure product availability, strengthen brand protection, and deliver a more consistent consumer experience.”

VF selected Nedap following a pilot using an alternative solution, after which the company reassessed its long-term requirements for scalability, architecture and global support.

“In today’s retail landscape, unified commerce only works when brands can rely on one consistent source of truth for their inventory,” says Hilbert Dijkstra, Managing Director Retail at Nedap. “VF’s decision to invest in end-to-end visibility reflects a clear vision for the future: the ability to serve consumers seamlessly across any channel. Through ongoing innovation of our platform, we help VF operate with confidence, agility and precision.”

2026 RTIH Innovation Awards

Omnichannel retail will be a key focus area at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards.

The awards are now open for entries and celebrate global retail technology innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.

Our winners will be revealed at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards Ceremony, taking place at The HAC in Central London on Wednesday, 4th November.

Check out our 2025 winners here.

Our 2025 hall of fame entrants were revealed during a sold out event which took place at The HAC on 16th October and consisted of a drinks reception, three course meal, and awards ceremony presided over by award winning comedian, actress and writer Tiff Stevenson.

In his welcome speech, Scott Thompson, Founder and Editor, RTIH, said: “This is the awards’ fifth year as a physical event. We started off with just 30 people at the South Place Hotel not far from here, then moved to London Bridge Hotel, then The Barbican, and last year RIBA’s HQ in the West End.”

“But I’m conscious of the fact that, to quote the legend that is Taylor Swift, You’re only as hot as your last hit, baby. So, this year we’ve moved to our biggest venue yet, and also pulled in our largest number of entries to date and broken attendance records.”

He added: “This year’s submissions have without doubt been our best yet. To quote one of the judges: The examples of innovative developments across both traditional and digital retail spaces were truly remarkable.”

Congratulations to our winners, and a big thank you to our sponsors, judging panel, the legend that is Tiff Stevenson, and all those who attended our 2025 gathering.