Spotlight on the bottle cap tag

Kyle Hall — Thu, 12 Mar 2020 23:51:06 +0000

Security tags come in a range of sizes and shapes, with some designed to accommodate specific purposes and products. One such security tag is the bottle cap tag.

Designed to guard against the shoplifting and theft of liquor, bottle cap tags are available in a series of sizes to accommodate both RF and AM electronic article surveillance systems.

Here’s how they work and the benefits they offer.

Some facts about liquor theft

According to the most recent Global Retail Theft Barometer, wines and spirits rank as the most commonly stolen items in the US food and beverage vertical.

And in many ways the reason for their pilfering popularity is obvious. Not only are wines and spirits sought after for personal consumption, but high-end brands also command a high resale value.

That makes liquor a target for casual shoplifters stealing out of addiction, opportunistic juvenile thieves stealing for the thrill and also organized retail crime, who steal to re-sell the items.

The Global Retail Theft Barometer also explains spirits and wines are relatively easy to conceal, making them a natural target for shoplifting and theft.

In North America, that’s resulted in a spike in liquor thefts in recent years, especially in Canada where liquor theft has been labelled an epidemic in areas like Winnipeg and Alberta.

CBC news recently reported robberies at liquor stores in Winnipeg had been spiking for more than a year, “with thieves boldly swarming the aisles and filling backpacks and other bags with armloads of bottles before walking past staff, who have been warned not to intervene out of fear of attacks”.

“At times, staff have been threatened with weapons, including knives and pepper spray. In other cases, thieves have picked up bottles and used them as weapons, too”.

And it’s not just north of the Canadian border where an increase in thefts is occurring.

On March 2, sheriffs in Baton Rouge, Louisiana put out a call for public assistance after a couple went on a shoplifting spree, stealing liquor from multiple retailers throughout the capital area.

And that’s where targeted loss prevention strategies like bottle cap tags come into their own.

What is a bottle cap tag?

Suited to a range of bottle sizes, bottle cap tags fit over the cap of the liquor or wine bottle and lock into position. They can only be removed with a specialist magnetic detacher.

Each tag is also fitted with a receiver that will alarm when in the proximity of the store’s electronic article surveillance (EAS) during an attempted theft.

Together, these two strategies ensure the bottle cannot be opened for the contents to be consumed instore, while any attempted theft of the bottle will cause an alarm to sound.

Bottlecap tags are available to suit both AM (acousto magnetic) and RF (radio frequency) EAS systems, making them compatible with existing EAS systems that are likely to be on the premises.

They are available in both small and large sizes to suit wine and spirits including top-shelf liquors, champagnes and standard wine bottle openings.

Advantages

Easy to fit and reusable, bottle cap tags offer a host of benefits, including:

Eliminating alcohol consumption instore
Activating an alarm during a theft
Easy to apply
Reusable
Available for RF or AM EAS systems
Available in a range of sizes
Easy to remove at the Point of Sale
Act as a deterrent to liquor theft
Available in bulk
Cost effective to implement

You can order the Bottle Cap tag here.

The post Spotlight on the bottle cap tag first appeared on Security Tags.

Best in class – our top security tag solutions

Kyle Hall — Thu, 29 Aug 2019 10:53:34 +0000

In the ongoing battle against retail theft, deciding which security tags are right for your retail outlet can prove a bit of a challenge when there are so many options available.

That’s why Security Tags has designed a helpful guide of what to look for, and we also have some recommendations when it comes to ensuring optimum tag security with minimum fuss.

Here’s our take on best in class when it comes to the top security tag solutions.

What to look for

As we’ve previously mentioned, the best security tags will have multiple features, including:

High-strength locking mechanisms that are impervious to easily sourced magnetic detachers

Large pinheads that cannot be pulled through garments or cut off without causing major product damage

A design and shape that thwarts attempts to pry a tag and pinhead apart

Convenient size so as not to interfere with the customer experience of a product

In addition, the ideal security tag will feature:

Flexibility to work on products like handbags and shoes using lanyards or cables

RFID compatibility for inventory management and product tracking

Compatibility with additional theft prevention strategies like benefit denial using ink dye pins

So, in the search for the right security tags, it begs the question, what would we recommend?

Best in class – our top tag recommendations

The right security tag for your retail outlet will first and foremost depend on the type of electronic article surveillance system your store has in place, with Radio Frequency and Acousto Magnetic being the two categories that EAS systems fall under.

Then it comes down to selecting the right option for the right frequency. Here are our top picks…

Our favoured AM security tag

In the AM security tag selection, we believe the BossTag range, comprising the XT30 security tag and its smaller cousin smaller cousin the X18 security tag, deliver the best security and the best value for money.

Both feature high security and are resistant to high-strength magnets, meaning they cannot be opened by the types of detachers that are commonly available on the internet.

Meanwhile, the XT30 also boasts a larger pinhead, which increases tamper resistance and further enhances security.

In addition, the XT30 and X18 also feature an inbuilt lanyard hole which can accept lanyards that attach to accessories like handbags, shoes and appliances. Both can accept either grooved or smooth pins and are compatible with RFID, when used with our optional RFID pin, or can incorporate ink dye pins as a benefit denial strategy.

Our favoured RF security tag for delicates

When it comes to tags for delicates/ swimwear or even lingerie, our favoured tag is the Alligator Tag due to its seamless design and supreme security.

The Alligator Tag is actually available in both RF and AM frequencies and features superior security due to its innovative design.

This revolutionary tag accommodates the pin and the tag in one single body with a hinge that snaps it shut. Ultimately this ensures there are no more lost pins and the tag can also be used without having to push the pin through clothing.

Meanwhile, the spring-loaded pin is retracted into a housing when not in use and then pushed out when required, reducing the risk of injury to staff and customers.

Featuring a high-strength magnetic lock for superior protection, the Alligator Tag is easy and fast to apply and can be attached to garments with just a single hand and clicked into place.

This reduces application time dramatically when applying tags to large quantities of merchandise, while the one-handed application and detaching also accelerates checkout and alleviates unnecessary shopper delays.

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