EAS security tags are a hugely effective way of guarding individual products in a retail outlet against theft. But that doesn’t stop shoplifters trying to get around and remove them using all sorts of creative techniques.

The upshot is retailers need to remain vigilant when it comes to ensuring their tags are up to par and can withstand even the most devious thieves.

So, here are seven ways to boost your tag security in store.

Go for strength

Security tags are available in a series of magnetic strengths ranging from standard to superlock and then the enhanced strengths of hyperlock and multi-polar.

When it comes to combatting illicit removal, the higher the strength the better. Many retail outlets still rely on standard strength tags, but as a minimum we recommend superlock.

Superlock tags can only be removed by high-strength magnetic detachers, which are harder to find on the black market than the types which open standard tags.

Increase the pin size

Tags are secured to merchandise using a pin, and the pin heads available also come in a series of sizes. Larger pin heads are harder for a thief to push through a product without causing significant damage to the item they’re looking to steal, so these offer increased security.

Consider benefit denial

Large pinheads are considered a benefit denial strategy, meaning the thief has to damage the product by cutting or ripping it in order to steal the item.

And there are also further benefit denial strategies available to curb a shoplifter’s enthusiasm for tampering with a tag. These include ink-dye pinheads, which release indelible ink into a product when a tag is tampered with, thereby rendering it valueless to the thief.

Consider the tag shape

Just as pinhead size makes a difference to the security of a tag, so does the tag shape.

This relates to the surface area that thieves can get a purchase on when trying to prize the tag apart from the pinhead. For increased security look for round tags with pinheads that correspond in size. Known as clamshell tags, these offer few areas for a thief to access.

Alternatively, alligator tags have a simple feature where the tag and pinhead are all housed in the one hinged body that claps and locks shut. These are also harder to prize apart.

Secure your detachers

They might seem innocuous, but magnetic tag detachers are highly sought after by thieves,

Ensure your tag detachers are secured to the benchtop at the point of sale. Some tag detachers even come with a registered serial number making them extra secure and traceable.

Train staff in EAS

EAS false alarms can soon make your staff complacent about shoplifting, so ensure they are trained in the daily checks required to ensure the system is working properly.

This also includes educating them about tag pollution – a phenomenon which sees an alarm sound when a tag which has not been detached by another retailer enters your store.

Most EAS systems will light up in a different colour when a tag is entering rather than leaving a store, so train your staff to recognize this issue.

Guard your fitting room

Out of sight and private, fitting rooms provide an ideal venue for thieves to attempt tag removal, or to conceal items in booster bags.

In addition to having staff man the fitting room, consider high-tech options like the Apparel Guard which sound an alarm when a tag is being tampered with or concealed.

The final word

Combatting shoplifting is an ongoing fight where retailers consistently need to up their game to thwart attempts at theft.

That means staying vigilant and employing the best and latest methods available to boost the effectiveness of EAS.

You can speak with our friendly staff about sourcing high-security EAS tags or about employing additional tag security features like larger pinheads and ink-dye tags.

Electronic Article Surveillance, including security tags, labels and antenna, has been a staple of retail loss prevention since the 1960s, and like all technology, it has improved dramatically over the years.

If you’re wondering what’s evolved in the decades since EAS first revolutionized product-level security, here’s an insight into just some of the improved features EAS now offers.

Increased accuracy

Over the years the accuracy of EAS has improved remarkably with a dramatic reduction in false alarms.

Antenna systems can be better tuned to the retail environment, while acousto magnetic technology has resulted in less interference from metallic product packaging, and also works to thwart shoplifters using booster bags.

In fact, recent statistics indicate EAS reduces theft by an estimated 60-80 per cent.

Increased strength

EAS systems have constantly evolved to keep pace with the shoplifters who try to circumvent them. And one of the major innovations has been the improved strength of tag locking systems.

Now security tags are available in a variety of magnetic strengths, ranging from standard to superlock, hyperlock and multi-polar.

These higher-strength tags offer unprecedented security, with the premium options like multi-polar near impossible to force open or unlock without a specialist detacher.

Wider applications

It’s no longer a case of one size fits all when it comes to tags, labels, and even antenna. Over the years hard tags have been honed to suit specific purposes like optical wear, liquor bottles and high-end accessories like shoes and handbags.

In terms of labels, they have also improved. Now labels come in a range of sizes to suit both acousto magnetic and radio frequency systems, meaning they can be applied to a wider range of products.

RF labels, in particular, can now be printed on, allowing retailers to incorporate a barcode and product security into the one neat label.

More discreet antenna

The antenna systems that monitor a retail outlet have also improved dramatically over time. Antennas are available as pedestals and can now also be discreetly hidden in door frames, beneath the floor or even overhead at a retail outlet.

Less intrusive

The bulky plastic hard tags of the 1960s, 70s and 80s are long gone, with EAS security tags and labels available in a variety of sizes and dimensions.

This ensures tags no longer interfere with the customer’s experience of a product but still protect the item. In the meantime, retailers should note EAS tags are designed to act as a deterrent, meaning that should be visible to customers in a bid to put them off any attempt at theft.

Greater adoption

All these features have led to greater adoption of EAS technology. The National Retail Security Survey recently noted 80.9 per cent of US retailers now employ EAS.

They further found in the past year alone:

• Use of merchandise alarms/electronic security tags had increased by 25.4 per cent to 46 per cent adoption.
• Use of acousto magnetic/electronic security tags had increased by 12.7 per cent to 34.9 per cent adoption.

Meanwhile, a recent survey of loss prevention professionals found 68 per cent believe EAS and other security measures “are truly effective in deterring theft in retail stores”.

If you’re looking to understand which EAS security tags and labels would best suit your store, more information is available here, or contact our friendly staff for further assistance.

In the highly effective world of Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS), security tags and labels are available to suit all sorts of products, meaning there’s a wealth of choice for retailers looking to harness the power of product-based security.

But with so many options available, it begs the question, what tag or label would I use for that?

Here’s a quick guide to when a tag or label suits best and what type of tag or label should be employed to best protect a product against theft.

Tags or labels?

Whether you opt for a hard tag or adhesive security label depends on a range of factors including the type of product you are looking to protect, its value and the volume sold.

As a general rule of thumb, hard tags are used to protect high-value items like clothing, fashion accessories, and electronics. These items tend to command a higher price and are sold in single transactions or transactions involving only a few items.

This allows the tag to be detached at the point of sale without causing undue delay to the consumer or an excessive impost on the sales associate.

Obvious to the consumer, the tags also act as a deterrent against shoplifting. Tags are then available with further deterrents like ink-dye pins, which discharge indelible ink into a product when the tag is tampered with, thereby rendering the item useless.

In contrast, labels are used for low-value, high-volume items like non-perishable groceries, hardware and pharmaceuticals.

These are the types of items that might be sold in bulk transactions, and the labels allow for easy deactivation at the point of sale, with a deactivator often incorporated into the POS scanner.

AM or RF?

In the world of EAS, there are two major types of labels and tags available – Acousto Magnetic (AM) and Radio Frequency (RF). The type of tag or label you select will depend on whether you have an RF or AM EAS detection system installed.

Radio Frequency

RF tags and labels range from an array of small ultra-thin adhesive labels through to a variety of hard tags and are suitable for numerous applications, including clothing, food and pharmaceutical products. RF labels can be printed on.

Historically RF has been considered more affordable to install and is often most popular with retailers who use adhesive security labels over security hard tags

Who uses RF?

Radio Frequency EAS is perfectly suited to retailers with a high volume of packaged products due to the convenience of adhesive, flat tags.

That makes RF the system of choice for supermarkets, discount stores, chemists and video stores.

That said, the ability to upgrade some RF EAS systems to RFID means its usage has recently grown in apparel stores.

Acousto Magnetic

AM hard tags are also available in a range of sizes. When it comes to labels, AM options are often smaller than RF labels, but are not paper thin and instead have a raised profile.

The raised profile of AM labels is sometimes considered a drawback for retailers like grocery stores who sell small, high-turnover goods.

In the past, AM was traditionally more expensive to install than RF, however, due to increased competition, system costs have come down in recent years.

Who uses AM?

AM is more often seen in small to large clothing apparel outlets, large department stores, DIY shops, electronic shops, and pharmaceutical retailers where products have metallic components in their packaging.

What style of tag?

If a security tag is the option of choice, there are also additional factors to consider, like what type of product you are protecting.

While clothing lends itself to hard tags with pinheads, accessories like handbags and shoes often utilize lanyards or cables and tags so the tag can be affixed without needing to pass through the product.

Meanwhile, there are additional tag types for specific high-value products.

For example, optical items like sunglasses and reading glasses can be protected using purpose-made optical tags that are designed not to interfere with the consumer’s experience of a product yet protect each item individually.

In recent years bottle tags have also been developed which are designed to protect high-value liquor against theft. These tags sit snugly over the lid of the bottle, preventing it from being opened instore or stolen.

If you’re looking to better understand which type of tag or label best suits your retail environment, our friendly Security Tags staff are available to assist and can be contacted here.

When it comes to identifying a shoplifter, there is no single type. Shoplifters come from all demographics and may steal for a variety of reasons, whether that’s poverty, an adrenaline rush, or because the opportunity arises.

But according to a recent article in Business Insider, staff are often the first to notice specific behaviors that indicate an offence is about to take place.

Here are the key shop theft clues often noticed by retail staff…

Body language

The way a customer conducts themselves instore is a major indicator as to whether their intentions are genuine or more devious.

The retail staff interviewed by Business Insider note a customer who appears too nervous or overly relaxed is often trying to conceal their real motive for entering a retail outlet.

“Some shoplifters often try ‘harder than normal to blend in’,” one US retail employee said. Other customers might appear more on edge, hurrying through a store without making eye contact with staff.

Head down, no contact

This lack of eye contact is a suspicious sign many retail employees believe raises an immediate red flag.

Often this failure to interact with either staff or other consumers extends right through the shoplifter’s entire visit to a store, seeing them avoid any meaningful contact or conversations with sales associates.

It might be because they feel guilty, are preoccupied with the intended theft at hand or don’t wish to be remembered, but patrons who avoid interaction often indicate something’s amiss.

Assessing the store, not the products within it

When a customer looks around more at the shop than the merchandise, it can also be a key clue a person is scoping the store rather than looking to enjoy the retail experience within it.

They may be seeking clues on security systems in place or assessing their ease of exit. But either way a customer who is looking up and around rather than at the products on offer may not be visiting for entirely legitimate reasons.

Importantly, this potential thief may not be seeking to steal during their initial visit, but might actually be marking a target for future theft.

Oversized clothes and excessive bags

Unseasonal or overly large clothing is often touted as a signal a shopper might be considering concealing merchandise. The anecdotal evidence from retail associates confirms this is a definite clue.

“Customers with ‘baggier clothing’ sometimes stick out, given that sagging garments offer shoplifters more room to hide stolen goods,” Business Insider reflects.

Meanwhile, large bags can also be employed to conceal items, and some are even designed to interfere with older-style Electronic Article Surveillance systems.

A target in mind

Whether it’s electronic accessories, top shelf liquor, or clothing, a shopper who makes a beeline for a specific area of the store could also offer a clue they have something in mind to steal.

Meanwhile, some products and departments of a retail outlet are more prone to theft than others.

“Shoplifters ‘usually go straight to electronics, cosmetics, or clothing’,” one retail employee noted, while another agreed “someone with their ‘head down’ walking straight towards electronics could raise some red flags”.

The regular offender

The biggest clue of all comes in the form of the frequent offender who regularly steals from an outlet and whose suspicious behaviour has previously been noticed by staff.

“We usually know who our thieves are,” one retail employee told Business Insider.

Offenders often visit a location or chain of outlets more than once, especially if they identify flaws in their security and surveillance.

Best prevention strategies

The best loss prevention involves using multiple strategies and having a comprehensive approach to product security.

It includes:

• Educating staff as to the behaviour of shoplifters and suspicious activity to watch out for
• Utilising electronic article surveillance like security tags and labels to monitor stock
• Implementing regular stock takes and RFID inventory tracking to ascertain whether items are stolen and what stock is most at risk
• Creating good store layout to eliminate hidden areas, and position high value stock/commonly stolen items within view of staff
• Offering good customer service
• CCTV monitoring
• Using tethered cables, lockable displays and cabinet locks for high-value and frequently stolen items

You can learn more about selecting the right EAS security options like security tags and labels for your retail environment, or contact our friendly staff for further advice.

When talk turns to Electronic Article Surveillance, the focus is often on its role in reducing theft. But in the competitive world of real-world retail, the benefits of EAS extend far beyond deterring and detecting shoplifting.

EAS can also improve the customer experience, general store safety and staff productivity. So, here’s an insight into six hidden benefits of EAS.

The customer experience

In the modern retail environment, the “customer experience” allows bricks and mortar retailers to play to their strengths. A positive customer experience sees consumers touching, feeling and interacting with products as part of their purchasing journey.

EAS helps facilitate this experience by allowing retailers to securely showcase their wares in an open and welcoming environment without the fear of theft.

Due to the discreet, unobtrusive nature of security tags and labels, customers can freely interact with merchandise, while the store associate can concentrate on selling rather than standing guard against shoplifting.

Open display of stock

When it comes to shoplifting, high-value products that are easily re-sold are some of the most commonly targeted items.

Traditionally retailers protected these products by keeping them secured in lockable cabinets or displays. While this method was effective, it’s not exactly welcoming and also costs the retailer time and effort.

Instead, EAS allows the open display of items, providing easy access and an attractive experience, in the knowledge each item is protected by tags or labels at a product level.

Staff productivity

The beauty of EAS is that it alerts staff to a potential theft by sounding an alarm. This allows retailers to get on with the job of selling and serving their consumers, rather than constantly monitoring stock or analyzing surveillance footage.

EAS also cuts down on time wasted opening and closing lockable cabinets or displays.

Fewer out of stocks

When items randomly go missing due to theft, retailers lose their ability to keep track of stock. Ultimately this can result in products being out of stock, which again affects the experience of the customer and the productivity of staff.

EAS helps reduce out of stock events by ensuring the product is available.

Improved store safety

Unobtrusive and effective, EAS helps benefit the store environment as a whole. It works to deter shoplifters from targeting a retail outlet, but also helps catch them in the act should they run the risk of attempting a theft.

This improves the safety of the retail outlet as a whole for both staff and customers.

Easy to operate

Once an EAS system has been installed and activated, it is simple for staff to use. The antennas run 24/7 and require very little maintenance.

Staff simply affix active security tags or labels to a product, which then communicate with an antenna. These tags and labels are quickly and easily detached or deactivated at the Point of Sale as part of the sales transaction.

Tags can be reused, while deactivated labels are disposable and pass through the security antenna without sounding an alarm.

The final word

EAS is renowned by retailers across the globe as one of the most effective methods of preventing theft, with statistics indicating it can reduce stock loss by up to 80 per cent.

In the interim, it also reduces the burden on staff when it comes to detecting theft, helps create a safer more welcoming environment and allows consumers to freely interact with merchandise, affording them an improved customer experience.

You can learn more about selecting the right EAS system for your retail outlet here.

Regardless of which Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS) system you employ or whether your retail outlet favors hard tags or security labels, your staff should be properly trained in the system’s use.

Staff training ensures your EAS system functions effectively, while consistently and reliably guarding your products against theft.

Here’s a quick guide to training your staff in the use of EAS.

Very little maintenance

Once installed, the antennas or pedestals associated with EAS systems require very little maintenance. When maintenance or a repair is required it should only be conducted by a qualified technician in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.

System checks

EAS system checks should be conducted daily at the time of store opening.

Generally, these checks take just a couple of seconds and involve ensuring the power outlet to the pedestal is switched on, and the relevant lights are illuminated to indicate the system is working.

False alarms

False alarms present one of the biggest threats to the effectiveness of any EAS system as they desensitise staff to potential thefts and also impact the customer experience.

Basically, every alarm that sounds in your store should mean a theft is occurring, and if it doesn’t, it’s critical to understand why.

There are a couple of very common, preventable reasons false alarms might be occurring, including:

• Failure to properly remove tags or deactivate labels

• Merchandise positioned too close to the antenna

• Improper EAS sensitivity levels

• Tag interference

• System malfunction (this is rare)

The “no tag” zone

One of the most important things staff should understand is that product positioning can affect your EAS.

Basically, every EAS system has a “no tag” zone. This area comprises 6ft around the EAS antennas and the space between them. This area should be kept free of product displays, clothing racks, LCD screens and even decorations. (Some decorations, especially those with foil or metal have been known to trigger an EAS alarm).

Deactivation and detaching

As part of daily system checks, staff should ensure all label deactivators are plugged into a power source and operating correctly. Meanwhile, all staff should be thoroughly trained on the removal of tags, and tag detachers should be made readily available at the Point of Sale.

Tag and label positioning

Label and tag positioning play an important role in how quickly and effectively a security label can be deactivated or how easy it is for staff to detach a security tag.

The ideal position for a security label is near the barcode, while ensuring the security label does not obscure it. This position allows for quick deactivation and maximum efficiency at the Point of Sale.

When it comes to security tags, they should be positioned so as not to interfere with the customer’s experience of an item yet be placed in a spot that’s easy for store associates to locate and access for tag removal.

Implementing a store guide that provides consistency in label and tag positioning can assist. Meanwhile, store management should ensure there are enough detachers and deactivators available at the Point/s or Sale.

Tag pollution

Tag pollution occurs when labels or tags are not properly deactivated or removed by other retailers.

Many advanced EAS antennas feature multi-coloured lights which allow staff to understand whether an alarm is sounding as someone enters or exits the store. This helps determine whether an alarm is sounding due to tag pollution or an actual theft.

Ensure staff are properly trained on identifying and handling tag pollution.

EAS sensitivity

When your EAS system is first installed, a technician will set its sensitivity. This sensitivity allows interference to be filtered out depending on your retail environment.

If false alarms are sounding, the sensitivity level may be a contributing factor. If you believe that’s the case, notify your EAS supplier so they can have a technician attend the store or even adjust it remotely over the internet.

Theft detection policy

Finally, all retail outlets should have guidelines for what staff need to do if they believe a theft is occurring or an EAS system is not working effectively.

These guidelines should incorporate tag and label positioning, EAS system contact details, maintenance schedules and more.

For more advice on using the right tags or labels to suit your retail environment, you can contact our friendly Security Tags staff here.