Global UHF RFID (RAIN) Market Size to Reach USD 14.7 Billion by 2031

According to a new comprehensive report from The Insight Partners, the global UHF RFID (RAIN) market is observing significant growth owing to rising adoption of RFID technologies in the retail sector and soaring demand for sustainability in supply chain.

The UHF RFID (RAIN) market is experiencing rapid growth, driven by increasing demand for real-time asset tracking, inventory management, and supply chain optimization across sectors like retail, logistics, healthcare, and manufacturing. Key players include Impinj Inc., NXP Semiconductors, Murata Manufacturing, Alien Technology, Avery Dennison, Zebra Technologies, CAEN RFID Srl, Invengo Technology, Jadak (Novanta), and Securitag Assembly Group (SAG).

The UHF RFID (RAIN) market is expected to reach US$ 14076.98 million by 2031 from US$ 4621.53 million in 2024, at a CAGR of 17.9% during the forecast period. RAIN (UHF RFID) is a wireless technology that allows organizations and consumers to identify, locate, verify, and interact with commonplace products by connecting them to the internet. The RAIN technology manages data, takes action, and reads and writes tagged items via a reader. These abilities make it possible for companies and customers to recognize, find, verify, and interact with each object that has a RAIN tag. RAIN offers comprehensive, real-time data and insights for applications such as supply chain optimization, asset tracking, and inventory management. The RAIN spectrum falls in the upper band (between 860-960 MHz) of the ultra-high frequency range of RFID technology and aligns with specific standards and protocols. RAIN RFID is a passive, battery-free technology that operates at ultra-high frequencies (UHF) and can identify items from distances of up to 15 meters. It can recognize as many as 1,000 items per second, even in the absence of a direct line of sight

Rising Adoption of RFID Technologies in the Retail Sector: Continuous developments in inventory tracking technologies and a growing emphasis on online marketing tools, such as Facebook and Google ads, are driving the growth of the retail sector. It is one of the mature industries in the US, where consumers are highly inclined toward online shopping. As per the facts stated by the Census Bureau of the Department of Commerce, the retail e-commerce sales in the US were US$ 1192.6 billion in 2024, with an increase of 8.1% from 2023.

In the retail sector, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is adopted for apparel tagging. The apparel vendors are incorporating digitalization and Big Data analytics in RFID applications. RFID technology utilizes radio waves to transmit data from RFID tags to a reader, enabling the identification of objects based on the received data and facilitating the tracking of their locations. Organizations are seeking affordable solutions that enable them to increase operational efficiencies and reduce overhead costs. Data from Accenture shows that 93% of North American retailers are using RFID in some capacity to achieve these goals. Retail sector giants, such as H&M, Lululemon, Zara, and Nike, use UHF RFID technology for inventory management, which helps them maintain an effective supply chain, combat counterfeit items, and prevent out-of-stock situations. Walmart mandated its clothing suppliers to attach RFID labels on their products in 2020. In 2022, the mandate was extended to cover toys, electronics, and other home items. The mandate expanded to cover everything from automotive supply to sporting products in 2023 and 2024. By 2025, the majority of other product categories that are sold in Walmart stores are expected to be covered by the requirement. The implementation of such initiatives in the retail sector drives the market growth in the segment.

Deployment of UHF RFID Technology in IoT Devices: The adoption of smart devices and government investments—especially in countries such as Japan, Singapore, China, and Australia—focused on the R&D and installations of the Internet of Things (IoT) in sectors, including manufacturing, utilities, and retail, is fueling the growth of IoT. IoT applications necessitate a data connection between the physical and digital world, and UHF RFID is the finest technology to bridge these spaces. With the boom in IoT, the majority of networked objects would be connected wirelessly through the passive UHF RFID technology that seamlessly allows passive objects to communicate crucial data, which can be used to identify these objects with exact place and time details. The technology adds intelligence to the IoT ecosystem and simplifies new applications for connected resources. In July 2023, Impinj, Inc. released Impinj M800 series RAIN RFID tag chips to support global IoT deployments, enhancing item connectivity for enterprises. These chips improve readability, reliability, and manufacturability, advancing the speed, range, and dependability of RAIN RFID systems in tracking and securing connected items. This integration helps businesses make informed decisions based on accurate information. By connecting RFID tags to the internet, companies can gather data on item location, usage patterns, and environmental conditions, which can be used for predictive analytics. Thus, the incorporation of UHF RFID technology in IoT devices is expected to generate future growth opportunities in the market.