EAS tags - Security Tags

A pro’s guide to selecting and positioning security tags

Kyle Hall — Thu, 05 Nov 2020 01:41:03 +0000

When it comes to security tags, where you position them is almost as important as the type and size you select.

Why? Because all these factors affect the customer’s experience of the product and also impact the speed at the Point of Sale.

So as a quick recap, here’s a pro’s guide to selecting and positioning security tags.

Type

Security tags come in a range of types and sizes that are suited to different types of apparel along with further products like eyewear, liquor, sporting goods, and even baby formula.

The type of tag you select affects the product’s security, while also impacting how a product looks on display and the customer experience when they try it on or interact with an item.

Size

The size of the tag you opt for will be dependent on the type of product you are protecting.

For example, lingerie requires a smaller tag type than denim jeans, due to the delicate nature of the fabric used.

Meanwhile, bulky overcoats would be better suited to a larger tag with a longer pin, but footwear that uses a lanyard to secure a tag to the product benefits from smaller or pencil-shaped tags as this is less obtrusive.

Size also impacts the customer experience, which is why optical tags are designed to be small, liquor tags are designed not to obscure brand labels etc.

Position

Tags should be positioned with four factors in mind:

How well they protect the product. i.e. they should be positioned so they cannot be ripped or cut off without significantly damaging the item and rendering it useless

How they affect the look of the product on display

How they impact the customer’s experience of the product when trying it on or interacting with it

How easy they are for the staff member to find and detach at the Point of Sale

Where possible, tags should be positioned on products in a uniform manner. This affects the look of a store and how visually appealing it is when a customer is shopping.

Uniformity also allows a staff member to quickly locate the tag at the Point of Sale.

Pro tips for products

General apparel

Type: Round, square, pencil or alligator tags are suited to general apparel

Size: Size varies depending on the type of products stocked, but smaller tags are better suited to lightweight fabrics, while larger tags with longer pins are better for heavy items like coats, jackets, and denim jeans.

Position: Again, this varies depending on the product sold.

For dresses, shirts and t-shirts – the rear of the collar or the end of the sleeve are the best locations

For pants, slacks and jeans – the rear of the waistband or through a rear pocket is favored

For skirts – The rear of the waistband or the hem of heavyweight, knee-length skirts is preferred

Lingerie and swimwear

Type: Pencil tags, alligator tags or small round tags

Size: Smaller

Position: The position varies depending on the product.

Bras and bikinis – Alligator tags are positioned to pass across the bra or bikini strap, while other tags pin through the strap, near the bra clasp at the rear, or just beneath where the strap joins the cup on the front.

Negligees and underwear – When it comes to negligees, underwear, one-piece swimmers or bikini bottoms, the tag is positioned at the rear near the brand label, or on the lower size seam at about hip height.

Handbags and sporting shoes

Type: Fashion items like handbags and shoes are generally best suited to tags with lanyards or cables. These lanyards or cables allow the tag to be affixed to the product without a pin passing through the item.

Size: The size of the tag can vary, but pencil tags in combination with lanyards often offer a more streamlined look

Position:

Handbags -In the case of handbags, the lanyard and tag are secured around the strap of the bag, or alternately they are secured to the hole in the zip slider.

Footwear – When it comes to sports shoes, or formal lace-up shoes, the lanyard with tag generally passes through the upper shoelace hole.

Sunglasses and eyewear

Type: Optical tag

Size: Small

Position: Optical tags are designed specifically to fit snugly around the arm of sunglasses and eyewear and are small enough not to interfere with the customer experience of the product.

Liquor

Type: Liquor (bottle cap) tag

Size: This depends on the bottle cap size, with standard and large-sized tags available

Position: Over the cap of the bottle

You can view our extensive range of security tags here, and find more details about selecting the right tags for your store here.

The post A pro’s guide to selecting and positioning security tags first appeared on Security Tags.

More than apparel protection – The other uses for security tags

Kyle Hall — Thu, 30 Jul 2020 01:47:32 +0000

When it comes to electronic article surveillance, people most often associate security tags with protecting clothing from theft.

And it’s true, in the past, apparel protection was indeed a popular use for security tags.

But over the years the design and technology of security tags has extended to encompass far more than just clothing, and now they can be applied to bottle tops, eyewear, electronics, fashion accessories and so much more.

So, let’s look to the other uses for security tags and how they’ve come to protect far more than apparel.

A little history

When it comes to electronic article surveillance, people most often associate security tags with protecting clothing from theft.

And it’s true, in the past, apparel protection was indeed a popular use for security tags.

So, let’s look to the other uses for security tags and how they’ve come to protect far more than apparel.

Popular option for apparel

The simple design of security tags makes them a natural loss prevention strategy for apparel. Each tag features a transmitter which communicates with an antenna at the entryway of the store.

The tag is affixed to clothing via a pin that passes through the item and locks into the transmitter housing.

Easy to attach, the system provides a simple and effective option for protecting clothing. Tags can also be quickly removed at the point of sale using a specialised detacher and then re-used.

Over the years, however, innovation and design refinements have enabled the security tag to protect far more than just clothing.

Lanyards and cables

The addition of lanyards and cables allows security tags to be affixed to products including fashion accessories, handbags, and even shoes.

This simple fixture sees the cable lock into the tag where the transmitter is housed and offers a wealth of flexibility in terms of products it can be applied to.

Importantly, the lanyard or cable removes the need for a pin to pass through a product, making this method ideal for high-value products made of materials like leather.

Liquor bottles and eyewear

In addition to hard tags, lanyards and cables, security tags have also been developed for specific purposes.

These include tags which protect liquor, eyewear, and even baby formula from theft.

For example, liquor bottle tags affix to the cap of a bottle and stop the product being stolen or consumed in-store, while optical tags grip firmly onto the arm of eyewear, but are small enough not to interfere with the customer experience of the product.

Spider wraps

Another innovation of the security tag is the spider wrap, which sees expandable cables wrap around a product then lock into a tag. The tag sounds an alarm when a product is being removed from a store or when the cables are tampered with.

Security labels

Meanwhile, EAS has also evolved to include security labels, which are often used for low value, high volume products.

These work on the same principle as security tags, but are deactivated, rather than detached at the point of sale, and are used to protect products like books, CDs, pharmaceuticals and more.

For more information on finding the right tag or label to suit your loss prevention needs, see here, or contact our team directly for further advice.

The post More than apparel protection – The other uses for security tags first appeared on Security Tags.

4 reasons to add ink security tags to your EAS

Kyle Hall — Fri, 24 Jan 2020 03:38:34 +0000

When it comes to protecting individual items against theft, Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS) is one of the most effective loss prevention strategies available.
But occasionally even this tried and true theft prevention method can benefit from a little help, and that’s where strategies like ink security tags come.
Used in conjunction with EAS, ink security tags or pins add an extra layer of shoplifting prevention by employing benefit denial.
So where and why would you add this to your loss prevention toolkit? Here are four reasons you might add ink security tags to your EAS.

A quick ink tag refresher

Developed in 1984, ink security tags feature an ampoule of indelible ink which breaks and seeps into a product when a tag is tampered with. They are known as a benefit denial strategy as they render the shoplifted item useless.

Over the years ink dye tags have been developed to use alongside EAS. This dual approach allows products to be monitored via antenna yet the obvious presence of the ink dye tag also deters thieves from attempting to remove the security tag.

Now they are available as EAS tags which have ink ampoules built into their design. These are available in both AM and RF frequencies to cater to all common EAS security systems.

Alternatively, ink dye pins can be added to existing EAS tags as an additional layer of security.

When ink dye tags are used

As we mentioned, ink dye tags and pins help deter shoplifters from attempting to tamper with security tags. And although EAS tags are now more secure and far more tamper resistant than in years gone by, the role ink dye tags and pins play continues to be important.

Here are four reasons you might consider their use…

To prevent tag tampering in the change room

One of the most common reasons apparel retailers opt to use ink dye tags is because of tag tampering in the change room.
Out of view and away from the watchful gaze of staff, the change room offers the potential for shoplifters to try to remove tags.
If you regularly find tags discarded on the floor of the change room or secreted behind mirrors and seating, ink security tags can assist in deterring shoplifters from tampering with them.
Again, this comes down to benefit denial – with ink dye tags, the shoplifter is visually warned that tampering with the tag will destroy the item they intend to steal.
Alternatively, retailers can also employ change room EAS systems like the Apparel Guard which notifies staff of tag tampering, they can also fit tags with larger pinheads, or increase the magnetic strength of the tags used.

To lengthen the life of your EAS tags

Your tags may be resistant to tampering but in some cases that doesn’t stop shoplifters from trying. If you find that tags show signs of tampering, it’s time to up the theft prevention ante.

Ink dye tags or pins could potentially increase the lifespan of your tags and pins by ensuring they are not damaged during shoplifting attempts.

For high value items

High value apparel and its associated accessories like handbags remain some of the most targeted items in the retail sector.

These items are often shoplifted due to their high resale value and can also attract the attention of gangs. Ink tags add an additional level of security for items like denim, designer clothing and even sports shoes, making the products less attractive to thieves.

If organized retail crime targets your store

Organized retail crime involving gangs and groups of shoplifters is a growing and frustrating crime for the retail sector. But by nature, it’s not random. Gangs tend to case stores in advance of a theft, selecting the items they plan to take based on resale value and ease of theft.

Ink tags make a product less appealing. They make it a lot harder to circumvent an EAS system because the tags cannot be removed without causing damage to the product and even if the crime involves a snatch and grab style theft, the items will be of no value.

You can learn more about our range including ink security tags and pins here.

The post 4 reasons to add ink security tags to your EAS first appeared on Security Tags.

Have you considered adding benefit denial tag?

Kyle Hall — Fri, 06 Sep 2019 00:21:22 +0000

Retail loss prevention is an ever-evolving playing field where best practice sees retailers revisiting their security strategies regularly and changing them up when required in a bid to combat theft.

When it comes to security tags and electronic article surveillance, there are a host of methods retailers can employ to upgrade their tag security. These include using high-strength tags and utilising tag shapes that are hard for thieves to tamper with.

But one of the often-overlooked options retailers can quickly and affordably employ is the adoption of benefit denial.

What is benefit denial?

Benefit denial is a strategy that deters thieves from taking an item. It is based on the premise that if they do attempt to steal, the security method attached to a product will destroy it and render it useless.

The idea first became popular to combat major crimes like bank robberies, which use ink dye packs that explode and permanently mark the money.

In retail, the most common benefit denial method works in a similar way, using ink dye tags and pins that release permanent ink into a product when tampered with.

This strategy acts as a deterrent to theft because shoplifters understand that should they try to get around it illegally, the item they’re seeking to steal will be significantly damaged or even destroyed.

In other words, the strategy denies a shoplifter any benefit for their efforts.

Used in conjunction with electronic article surveillance, benefit denial offers an additional security measure.

Not only will staff be alerted to a potential theft using the alarm system of EAS, but should thieves try to remove a tag prior to theft, the product will be destroyed.

Ink dye tags

Now celebrating their 35^th anniversary, ink dye tags have proved a hugely popular option for retailers looking to combat theft.

They offer a second level of tag security and are also easy to retrofit or combine with EAS.

Common methods of employing ink dye tags see the ink ampoules either built into acousto magnetic (AM) or radio frequency (RF) tags, or alternatively, retailers can purchase pin heads that have the ink dye component within them.

These ink dye pin heads are highly affordable and are designed to lock into commonly available AM and RF tags.

But ink dye tags aren’t the only effective benefit denial strategy available.

Large pin heads and tag components

Another benefit denial strategy that deters thieves from tampering with tags is the use of oversize pin heads.

This method works on the premise that thieves either have to cut the product or rip it in order to pull the pin head through the item they intend to steal.

Again, it means that the product will be significantly damaged and lose its value once the tag is illegally tampered with, thereby deterring thieves from targeting the item in the first place.

The benefits of benefit denial

Benefit denial is an excellent option when it comes to deterring thieves from targeting products. Although it can be used as an alternative to EAS, best practice sees it employed in conjunction with alarmed tags.

When used together, EAS and benefit denial ensure fewer tags are tampered with, staff will be alerted to any incidents of theft, and should a thief try to circumvent EAS by attempting removal of the tag, they will not enjoy any benefits.

You can learn more about the history of the ink dye security tag here, or alternatively order ink dye tags and pins from our extensive range of EAS products.

The post Have you considered adding benefit denial tag? first appeared on Security Tags.

Why use security tags and labels?

Kyle Hall — Thu, 13 Jun 2019 12:52:34 +0000

A recent security survey by the National Retail Federation indicates more and more retailers are turning to security tags, labels and electronic article surveillance (EAS) in a bid to reduce theft.

Here’s an insight into why EAS is gaining popularity and how retailers are using security tags and labels to lower the incidence of shoplifting when it comes to both individual theft and organized retail crime.

The recent findings

On June 6, the NRF released the National Retail Security Survey and found amidst emerging loss prevention strategies, security tags, and labels were on the rise, with an estimated 80.9 per cent of retailers now harnessing the power of EAS.

They found:

46 per cent of retailers now use merchandise alarms/electronic security tags – an increase of 25.4 per cent since 2018.

9 per cent of retailers now use acousto magnetic/electronic security tags – an increase of 12.7 per cent on 2018

So why the increase?

A bit about EAS, security tags and labels

Electronic Article Surveillance is considered the prime strategy when it comes to protecting items at a product level.

The system sees tags and labels affixed to products. These labels and tags are then in communication with a surveillance antenna positioned at the entryway to a retail outlet.

When tags and labels come into proximity of that antenna, an alarm sounds indicating an item is leaving the premises.

EAS has been around since the 1960s, and in the decades since, the technology, accuracy and affordability of this loss prevention method has increased dramatically.

Here are the benefits it offers.

EAS benefits

Effective

EAS is renowned as extremely effective, resulting in an estimated 60-80 per cent decrease in external theft.

Individual product protection

The system is designed to protect individual products, meaning any item that a label or tag is affixed to will cause an EAS alarm to sound if it is being taken illegally from a store.

Immediate alert

The audible alarm means retail associates are immediately alerted to a theft in progress as the item is leaving the store. That allows them to retrieve the product and then seek to ascertain whether law enforcement should become involved.

Easy to use

Security tags and labels are easy to use, while the EAS antenna requires only minimal servicing and simple daily checks after installation.

Tags can be affixed quickly by staff and are removed at the Point of Sale using a detacher during the sales transaction. They can then be re-used time and again.

Labels do not require detaching, but rather are deactivated at the Point of Sale using a device that breaks the circuit in the label. This deactivator can even be incorporated into the barcode scanner for greater speed and efficiency.

Scalable

A major benefit of EAS is that it’s scalable. If a retailer increases their stock volume, they simply buy more compatible tags and labels that communicate with the installed antenna system.

Additional retail outlets can also be easily outfitted with antenna, while using the same type of tags and labels across multiple outlets allows for economies of scale.

Visible deterrent

As shoplifting is often a crime of opportunity, the simple presence of a security tag or label means a product is much less likely to be a target of shoplifting.

Cost effective

Broadly speaking, a reputable EAS system has an expected lifespan of about 10-15 years.

Meanwhile, ongoing costs include purchasing replacement tags (when required) and labels. Compared to the cost of shrink, which results in an average loss of between one and three per cent of sales, EAS costs often pale into insignificance.

Aesthetically pleasing

As EAS technology has improved, so too has its look. Some EAS antenna can now be discreetly positioned within door frames, under the entryway floor or even in the ceiling, allowing for a streamlined look in-store.

Many options available

Security tags and labels are available for almost all imaginable products and in a variety of shapes and sizes. From clothing tags to labels, optical tags and liquor tags, there is a huge array of security tags and labels to suit every purpose in retail.

You can learn more about how EAS works and the types of security tags and labels available, or contact our friendly staff for further advice.

The post Why use security tags and labels? first appeared on Security Tags.

A brief history of EAS security tags

Kyle Hall — Wed, 27 Feb 2019 02:48:57 +0000

For as long as there have been products to sell, retailers have been battling the five-finger discount, and along the way they’ve employed all sorts of methods to combat the crime.

In this constantly evolving battleground, one of the most effective strategies developed was Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS), allowing retailers to protect individual products with security tags and be alerted to an incident of theft.

Since they first hit the shop floor in the 1960s, EAS and security tags have become one of the most popular loss prevention tools available, and in the five decades that have ensued they’ve also come a very long way.

Here’s a brief history of EAS and security tags and how they came to be one of the top methods employed in the battle against retail shrink.

Not so humble beginnings

Electronic Article Surveillance had its origins in 1964 when a store manager in Ohio became frustrated with the ongoing problem of shoplifting. After chasing a man who had pilfered bottles of spirits, he reportedly remarked that anyone who could figure out a way to deter such thieves was destined to make a fortune.

Overhearing the comment, his cousin, Jack Welch, enthusiastically embraced the challenge, returning to the store weeks later with a tag taped to a piece of cardboard and a box of electrical components. The creation was rough and ready but demonstrated that if you tried to leave the store with the tag, an alarm would sound.

The super tag 60s

Fast forward two years and the official honour of inventing EAS security tags actually goes to Arthur J. Minasy. He is the inventor credited with creating and patenting a security device that could be attached to items for sale. Manasy’s system was based on Radio Frequency (RF) technology and became the basis for his company Knogo.

By the end of that year, security tags were widely marketed to retailers.

Swept RF and the small label 70s

The 1970s saw major innovations in the world of EAS. By the early 1970s Swept RF technology had been developed, followed by electro-magnetic technology and the ability to create small labels.

The acousto magnetic 80s

Further innovation continued throughout the 1980s with acousto-magnetic technology joining the EAS line-up.

Operating on a lower frequency, it allowed retailers to thwart shoplifters who tried to get around tag security by using foil booster bags.

Then in 1986 Ink tags arrived, featuring a dye pack that would release ink when thieves tampered with the tag. The first incarnation of the technology wasn’t a huge success, but it would go on to be developed into a highly effective benefit denial strategy that now also harnesses the power of EAS.

The source tag 90s

The 1990s saw the rollout of source tagging where retailers now enjoyed the convenience of tags being applied at the point of manufacture. It was quickly embraced by major US retailers like Home Depot and JC Penney.

Beyond 2000

The past two decades have seen the constant improvement and refinement of EAS.

Security tags and security labels now offer a higher quality solution in a range of sizes that do not impede consumer interaction. They are also more readily integrated with packaging, are more reliable, and are easier to deactivate at the point of sale.

Much of this innovation has been driven by the availability of new technology and smaller components, but it has also been in response to the improved talents of thieves.

As a result, EAS, security labels and tags continue to improve and evolve, and the method remains the most popular form of loss prevention. Employed by 68 per cent of retailers in the US and 73 per cent of retailers globally, it also ranks as one of the most effective strategies, curbing loss by up to 80 per cent.

You can learn more about EAS and selecting the right security tags here.

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