As the pandemic continues to shift the industry landscape, many retailers are turning to innovative technologies like smarter electronic article surveillance (EAS) systems and elevated services to ensure every tool in their anti-theft arsenal is effective, affordable, and trouble-free. Working with an experienced retail security partner is the first step in identifying the right EAS products and services for your retail space.
The Right Tag
EAS hard tags come in various shapes, sizes, and purposes, such as those developed for clothing, shoes, handbags, and sunglasses; others that fit atop liquor bottles; and benefit denial devices, like ink tags that damage or destroy an item if forcibly removed. Some of the newest EAS tags target high-value and high-theft merchandise, like electronics.
Advanced EAS Security Tags—Advanced EAS security tags for boxed goods allow retailers to stack multiple boxes on the shelf without obscuring the boxes’ message and branding. An adhesive-backed holder is attached to the item, arming the EAS box with the flip of a switch after it slides into the carrier. Once applied and armed, the tag detects illicit tampering or removal and will self-alarm if detached or if it passes through the store’s EAS detection pedestals before removal.
Self-Alarming EAS Tags—Self-alarming tags using infrared (IR) technology can provide theft protection for small or difficult-to-tag items, like health and beauty products, sunglasses, delicate clothing, fragrances, and sporting goods.
Remote Tuning
To be an effective deterrent against shoplifting, an EAS system has to work properly. If an issue with the system arises, seamless correction is a must.
More retailers are relying on Wi-Fi remote tuning for EAS systems as an innovative and cost-effective way to reduce on-site service visits. When you place a service call, the technician can remotely log in to your system to diagnose and, in most cases, reconfigure your system so it performs at its peak.
Concealed Pedestal Systems
Consumers returning to brick-and-mortar locations say they want retail experiences that provide a sense of safety and comfort that does not feel intrusive. For luxury brands, aesthetics and lifestyle continue to be highly valued among shoppers who want to indulge in experiences that instill feelings of happiness, familiarity, and openness.
Several high-end retailers are implementing concealed EAS systems that are less prominent at store entrances without sacrificing security. Luxurious, wide entrances enhance a retailer’s exterior display area and are more welcoming to customers, while offering robust anti-theft technology and reduced nuisance alarms. The more advanced concealed EAS systems work with smaller, unobtrusive EAS tags often preferred by high-fashion retailers.
Cost Versus Savings
EAS systems have earned a solid reputation for simplicity and effectiveness to protect against theft of items. After installing a system, retailers report a 60- to 80-percent reduction in theft.1 If properly maintained, systems typically last ten to fifteen years with minimal downtime, and some systems can last more than fifteen years.
Any cost-benefit comparison must take into account the cost of stock losses due to theft weighed against the initial and ongoing expenditures of a system.
For many store owners, the investment in operating and maintaining an EAS system is far less expensive than the ongoing cost of theft that can have wide-ranging impacts on the business. Not only does theft account for lost sales but it can also erode customer loyalty by causing legitimate customers to go elsewhere for better product selection because stolen products are no longer on store shelves. As a result, EAS systems guarantee that companies’ products will be effectively protected against threats of theft that may pose a risk to their retail spaces.
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1. Schulz, David P. “High-Tech Electronic Article Surveillance Tags Preclude Theft.” NRF, 1 Dec. 2016, nrf.com/blog/high-tech-electronic-article-surveillance-tags-preclude-theft.
