A method, article of manufacture, and apparatus for inventory control of items in a location are disclosed. In an embodiment, this comprises an identification tag associated with a transaction authorizing some items to be removed from the location, such as a purchase, an identification tag reader configured to read the identification tag and placed to cover a portion of the location, and a computer configured to process information including the identification tag read by the reader and take action in response, such as issuing an alert. The inventory control system may be further configured to detect when the identification tag is brought back into the location.