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.

This year US retailers will lose over $50.6 billion to shoplifting, dishonest employees, fraud, and supply chain loss.

It’s an astounding figure that sees 1.38 per cent of the industry’s sales simply disappear at the hands of thieves, through error, or via staff deceit.

Critically, it’s a statistic that can be drastically reduced by employing best practice, and in today’s retail environment that involves strategies ranging from stock protection on the floor right through to accountability in the supply chain.

Products on the floor

In 2018, the National Retail Federation found shoplifting accounted for 35.7 per cent of all retail shrink, costing retailers about $17.55 billion.

For retailers that means protecting items at both a product-based level and protecting the retail outlet overall should be a priority.

When it comes to protecting stock on the floor, key strategies include:

• Staff training in attentive customer service and recognising shoplifting behaviour

• Electronic article surveillance comprising antenna, security tags, and labels to guard individual items against theft

• CCTV to deter, identify, and catch thieves in the act

• Good store lighting and design to minimise out of sight areas that might facilitate theft

• Lockable displays and cabinets that safeguard high-value products

The fitting room

Private and out of view of retail associates, the fitting room is a customer service necessity which unfortunately also facilitates theft.

The fitting room is often the place where would-be thieves use innovative strategies to either tamper with or remove security tags, and as a venue that’s private by nature, it presents a unique challenge in the war against theft.

Fortunately, new technology means retailers are now better armed than ever before in the fight against shoplifting, with systems like the Apparel Guard available to monitor security tags, identify tampering in real time and alert staff to a potential theft.

Meanwhile, in addition to technology, further fitting room protection strategies include ensuring staff meet and greet customers, while counting items in and out.

The Point of Sale

The Point of Sale is a retail area which can be affected by both customer fraud and employee theft, while the physical Point of Sale itself can also be a target for theft.

Securing the Point of Sale involves ensuring mobile components of the POS, like tablets or barcode scanners are secured to the countertop, while the POS itself is monitored via CCTV.

CCTV monitoring helps deter cash theft, fraud, and dishonest employee behaviour.

Meanwhile, analytics can also be employed to identify fraudulent transactions like gift card fraud, under-ringing, and false returns.

The storeroom

The National Retail Security Survey 2018 found dishonest employees account for 33.2 per cent of retail loss, costing retailers $15.54 billion.

In addition to dishonest behaviour occurring at the POS, it is also most likely to occur in the storeroom where staff have direct access to products.

Like most areas of theft prevention, protecting the storeroom or warehouse area requires multiple strategies.

These include

• Securing high-value stock in lockable drawers and using smart keys to track staff access

• Proper order reconciliation and stock taking

• CCTV

• Advanced tools like RFID, which track the location of items

The supply chain

Whether it’s an error, vendor fraud or theft, the supply chain also presents a challenging arena for retailers looking to stem the loss.

Identifying and protecting the supply chain involves simple strategies like order reconciliation and stock counting, while recent research has also indicated the value of technology in ensuring accuracy.

Last year Auburn University found RFID can offer near perfect supply chain accuracy (99.9 per cent) compared to traditional barcode accuracy of 31 per cent.

Also, they noted RFID-enabled systems helped retailers:

• Achieve unprecedented levels of inventory accuracy, which further assists retailers with “last item” sales opportunities, fewer markdowns, and customer loyalty (sales associates never have to say, “I don’t know if we have it.”)

• Decreased out-of-stocks and even eliminated the need for safety stocks or over-ordering of inventory to meet demand.

• Improved loss detection with increased visibility and knowing exactly what is on hand and what has been sold.

• Expedited the costly returns process by being able to trace products at the item level.

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.

The amateur – This shoplifter steals for the “rush”, at the behest of friends or out of simple necessity. It’s not about economic gain, but about social status or even survival, and often includes teenagers who steal as a rite of passage.

In fact, according to the National Association for Shoplifting Prevention (NASP), around a quarter of all American shoplifters are teens, and chances are they’re stealing on a dare or out of boredom.

The brazen theft of a $4000 bottle of cognac from a Massachusetts liquor store last week has highlighted just how prevalent alcohol shoplifting is, with wine and spirits remaining the most commonly stolen products in the food and beverage sector.

So, how do retailers go about protecting this readily available, easily concealed item?

Here’s an insight into liquor security tags and how they work to prevent shoplifting when it comes to wine and spirits.

The liquor dilemma

According to the most recent Global Retail Theft Barometer, liquor is the most commonly stolen item in the food and beverage sector. It ranks ahead of baby formula, meat, cheese and coffee.

Meanwhile, the National Retail Federation also notes high-end liquor is amongst the top 10 targets for shoplifters across all verticals. The reason it’s so popular is that it ticks a series of shoplifting boxes.

Alcohol is often readily available, is rarely locked up unless it’s very expensive, is easy to conceal and commands a high resale value. And anecdotal evidence suggests different types of thieves target it for different reasons.

Opportune pilfering

Some shoplifters steal liquor simply because the opportunity arises. This category of opportune thieves incorporates teens who steal alcohol almost as a rite of passage and people who may already be under the influence, and harness their decreased inhibitions to have a further drink with a five-finger discount.

These types of thieves usually go after lower value items that are easy to access.

Strategic shoplifting

Other thieves are more strategic in their product selection, targeting high-value liquor that can be resold at a greater price. These sees liquor amongst the prime targets for organized retail crime.

But regardless of the reason or strategy behind it, alcohol theft costs retailers a significant sum, contributing to an estimated $46.8 billion in total across all verticals shrink each year, according to the latest National Retail Federation survey.

The cognac conundrum

News website East Texas Matters recently reported on February 26 a man entered a liquor store in Seekonk, Massachusetts then set about brazenly stealing a $4000 bottle of cognac that was kept in a locked case, near the counter, in full view of staff.

Video footage reveals he possibly picked the lock, allegedly took the bottle of Louis the 13^th Remy Martin and moved out of view to conceal it in his clothing before paying for other items and leaving the store.

And it’s far from the only incident making the news. So what options do retailers have?

Liquor security tags

Designed specifically to protect wines and spirits, liquor security tags are amongst the latest innovations in Electronic Article Surveillance.

The caps are designed to fit over the bottle top, can only be removed at the Point of Sale and ensure an alarm sounds if a thief tries to steal the item.

They also prevent alcohol from being consumed in the store, are available to suit both RF and AM EAS systems and offer a universal fit to suit varying bottle neck shapes and sizes.

As an added benefit, the caps are available in bulk, are reusable and easy for store assistants to remove and attach. They also offer an affordable way to protect products while still allowing the consumer to access, touch, feel and examine them.

Locked cabinets

When it comes to top-shelf liquor many retailers opt to secure their products behind glass, and this has both benefits and drawbacks.

Glass cabinets allow the consumer to see the product but not touch it. It enables the staff to keep the items under their control but can cost time when it comes to access. Meanwhile, as noted in the instance above the locks need to be impervious to picking.

CCTV

CCTV and video surveillance are excellent loss prevention strategies for monitoring an entire store, and can be a tool that deters thieves from committing an act of theft

However, CCTV often detects a crime and identifies a criminal after the incidence has occurred, leaving the matter in the hands of police rather than avoiding a theft.

You can learn more about liquor bottle security tags here.

 

 

Right now, America is in the grip of shoplifting season, with statistics indicating winter is the prime time for theft across the retail sector.

That’s partly due to the festive season, but also because of a whole host of other factors that create the perfect storm when it comes to retail loss.

So, let’s take a deep dive into when people shoplift and the strategies you can employ to mitigate the loss.

‘Tis the season of thieving

According to the latest Global Retail Theft Barometer,  shoplifting is indeed a seasonal activity, with winter presenting some of the greatest challenges and losses for retailers in the US.

Much of that theft is driven by the festive season, with 81 per cent of winter losses occurring during holidays/festivities.

This shrinkage is prompted by increased foot traffic throughout stores, making it harder to track and detect theft, and is then further complicated by casual employees, who often have less training in store protocols and shoplifting detection.

Meanwhile, the consumer’s need to “have items” for the season of giving may lower their inhibitions about committing a theft.

“Rise in theft during holidays/festivals is driven by shoppers’ pressures to buy, seasonal hiring, crowded and chaotic stores, and increased perceptions about easy opportunities to get away with theft,” the Theft Barometer notes.

But make no mistake, even after the crowds of Christmas subside and the footfall of sales traffic subdues, retail loss continues at a higher rate throughout the winter months.

And, according to the Global Retail Theft Barometer that comes down to an often-overlooked cause – the clothing people wear. They note that theft in winter increases quite simply because of the heavy and bulky clothing people wear, which makes it easier to conceal stolen merchandise.

Five finger discounts at sales time

Although winter is a standout season for increased theft there are other peak times of the year, usually coinciding with sales periods.

Again, the upward trend in loss during these times is attributed to increased foot traffic, more frenzied shopper behavior, and the perception that theft is easier to get away with.

However, it’s also likely stock positioning and store layout contributes to the rise in losses.

Sales often see more stock on the floor, and this results in more items being available to shoplifters. Not only is there more opportunity, but due to crowded aisles and stacked sales tables, store associates are more likely to struggle to see thefts occurring, partly due to the fact they are busy and partly because additional stock on the floor reduces visibility.

So what can you do?

Reducing spikes in theft

Loss prevention is always multi-faceted strategy that includes harnessing available technology, while also focusing on staff recruitment and training. Periods which are renowned for additional losses should see extra vigilance across the board.

Staff training

Even though holidays and sales periods may see an influx of seasonal workers, all should be screened carefully prior to commencing employment.

New recruits should also be given thorough training in store protocols and customer service techniques. It has been widely reported that the simple act of greeting customers can result in a reduction in theft.

All staff should be given aa refresher of the suspicious behavior that shoplifters are likely to portray, which includes:

• Spending more time watching the cashier or salesperson than actually shopping.
• Wearing bulky, heavy clothing during warm weather or coats when unnecessary.
• Walking with short or unnatural steps, which may indicate that they are concealing stolen items.
• Taking several items into a dressing room and only leaving with one item or none.
• The customer’s eyes are not looking at what their hands are doing; instead they are looking out for staff! So if the eyes don’t match the action…beware.
• Appearing nervous and picking up random items with no interest.
• Frequently entering store and never making a purchase.

Electronic article surveillance

Electronic article surveillance, comprising security tags, security labels, and detection antenna, remains one of the most widely used and effective means to detect an incidence of theft as it is occurring.

Noted to reduce shoplifting by an estimated 60-80 per cent, the strategy sees tags or labels affixed to merchandise. Tagged or labelled products are constantly monitored by the antenna, and should a shoplifter attempt to leave a store with an item, an alarm will sound, alerting staff to a potential theft.

Tags or labels on merchandise also often act as a visual deterrent for thieves.

Store layout

Even during busy periods like sales and holidays, store management should use common sense in terms of store layout.

Good lighting plays a role in reducing theft, as does clear visibility of the store and stock. Change rooms should be carefully monitored and/or fitted with technology like the fittingroom guard.

Meanwhile, management may wish to reconsider the volume of high value stock they have on the floor, instead opting for a tethered display item, with further stock stored in lockable cabinets or on display racks with stop locks.

Retailers should also resist the urge to locate sales tables too close to the entry where items may be more prone to the snatch technique, which sees shoplifters simply grab an item and run (regardless of whether an alarm sounds).

Security personnel and CCTV

Technology, staff training and good store layout might be the first lines of defense, but monitoring also has an important role in loss prevention.

Sales periods and holidays are an ideal time to boost your in-store security presence, while CCTV is a simple and cost-effective way of recording and identifying shoplifting crimes.

You can learn more about security tags and label technology here, or gain an insight into shoplifting behaviour here.

 

When it comes to combatting shoplifting, security tags and labels remain one of the most effective strategies employed by retailers across the globe.

Also known as electronic article surveillance (EAS), it’s a loss prevention method used by 73 per cent of retailers worldwide, and 69 per cent of retailers in the US, according to the most recent Global Retail Theft Barometer. Used effectively, EAS can reduce shoplifting by an estimated 60-80 per cent.

So how exactly does it work, and what do you need to know?

Electronic article surveillance elements

EAS comprises a series of essential elements that all work together to monitor and protect stock within a store.

Antenna

Antenna are usually housed within the entrance to a store. Most often they are a single pedestal-style antenna or a set of two or three antennas found just inside the doorway. They can also be concealed within the doorframe, under the floor at the entry, or even overhead.

These detection antennas send out a signal, and security tags or labels attached to products and merchandise within a store answer back. When an item with an active tag or label passes by or between these antennas, an alarm sounds, indicating an item is leaving the store.

Two systems

There are two widely used types of EAS systems available – Radio Frequency (RF) and Acousto Magnetic (AM). The key difference between them is the frequency at which they operate, which is measured in Hertz.

AM (Acousto Magnetic) systems operate at 58 KHz, which means a signal is sent out in pulses or bursts between 50 and 90 times a second while (RF) Radio Frequency operates in a sweep at 8.2 MHz.

Security Tags

Commonly used to protect items like clothing, accessories, liquor and even eyewear, security tags comprise a hard, external casing with a transmitter housed inside. This transmitter is in constant communication with the antenna guarding the entrance to the store.

Security tags are available to suit either RF or AM security systems.

In the case of clothing and soft items, the security tag is affixed to an item using a pin, which passes through the fabric of the product. This pin then locks into the security tag.

There are two common types of locking mechanisms used within security tags – mechanical locks and magnetic locks.

In the case of magnetic locks there are different strengths available, ranging from standard to SuperLock, HyperLock and Multipolar. The higher the magnetic strength, the more difficult the tag is to illicitly remove, with SuperLock being the minimum magnetic strength recommended.

Meanwhile, the security pin should have a large enough head to ensure it cannot be forced through the fabric of the item it is affixed to, and there are a range of pinhead sizes available.

Security tags are also available in a variety of shapes, which also have a bearing on how hard it is to illicitly remove a tag.

These shapes include round, square and pencil shaped tags. Round tags (or clamshell-style tags) with a pinhead that corresponds to the size of the tag are considered one of the most difficult tags for shoplifters to remove. They are more difficult to force open because there is little surface area to get a purchase on, and the pinhead cannot be forced through the product without making a significant cut or tear.

Meanwhile, hard tags can also be affixed to items like handbags and shoes using a steel enforced lanyard, and bottles and eyewear can be secured using purpose-designed hard tags that clip on to the product.

Security tag removal

Security tags require removal when a product is sold. This simple process occurs using a detacher device which is mounted or installed in the counter at the Point of Sale. Either a mechanical device or a high-powered magnet, the detacher releases the security tag’s locking mechanism and allows the tag to be removed. Tags can then be re-used on other products.

Security labels

Suited to high-volume, low value merchandise like books, CDs, hardware, non-perishable groceries and pharmaceuticals, security labels are also available for both RF and AM systems and come in a range of shapes and sizes.

They work in the same way as hard tags in that they are in constant communication with a store’s EAS antenna, causing an alarm to sound if they pass the antenna without being deactivated. However, labels can be quickly adhered to products and are flat or feature a very low profile.

The benefit of adhesive security labels is that they offer affordability and disposability. They are simple to apply and quick to deactivate.

Security label deactivation

Security labels are usually deactivated by a deactivator that is situated at the point of sale or integrated into the scanner. This deactivator works by breaking a circuit within a label so they no longer emit a signal and can pass near an antenna without causing an alarm to sound. Labels cannot be re-used.

If you’re looking to understand which security tags or labels are best suited to your retail outlet, further information is available here, or you can contact our friendly staff for expert advice.

Since it first rolled out in the 1960s, Electronic Article Surveillance has become one of the most effective and popular methods of securing valuable retail merchandise against theft.

Its usage is so widespread, that is estimated almost three quarters (73 per cent) of retailers harness its power.

Meanwhile, the past 40 years have seen major developments and improvements in both its detection capability and visual appeal, with a range of tags and pedestals available to suit any environment.

If you’re a retailer looking to employ the loss prevention strategy that is EAS, here’s what you need to know…

The lowdown on EAS

Electronic Article Surveillance works on the premise that merchandise is fitted with an electronic tag or label that communicates with an instore antenna, usually positioned near the entry to a store.

When that tag comes into range of the antenna, an alarm sounds, alerting store management that an item is illegally leaving the store.

When items are sold legitimately, the cashier either deactivates a label or physically removes the tag, meaning no alarm will sound when an item has been properly processed.

Some frequency facts

There are two commonly used types of EAS – radio frequency (RF) and acousto magnetic (AM), and the difference between them is the frequency at which they operate. This frequency is measured in hertz.

Acousto Magnetic systems operate at 58 KHz, which means a signal is sent out in pulses or bursts between 50 and 90 times a second while Radio Frequency or RF operates at 8.2 MHz

Each type of EAS has benefits, making some systems more suited to specific retailers than others.

So, let’s look into the pros and cons of each.

Radio Frequency (RF) technology – swept or pulsed

RF electronic article surveillance comprises hard tags or soft labels that communicate with one or more antenna. These antennas can be positioned in pedestals in the shop doorway or even under the floor.

The tags/labels have tiny circuits that resonate between 7.4 to 8.8 MHz, with the most popular frequency being 8.2 MHz.

RF antenna

RF antenna can operate in a number of ways based on whether they use swept or pulsed technology.

Using Swept RF Technology, one pedestal acts as a transmitter, sending out a signal. If an intact tag or label comes into the pedestal vicinity, it will resonate and this is detected by the second pedestal acting as a receiver. An alarm will then sound.

In the case of pulsed RF Technology, a single pedestal antenna both sends and receives the signal, sounding an alarm when a tag is detected within range.

If you’re looking to protect a wide doorway, multiple swept or pulsed pedestals can be used, depending on the width of the doorway being guarded.

RF tags and labels

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

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.

RF tag and label deactivation

Labels are deactivated by using a Label Deactivator to overload the integrated capacitor and effectively break the label’s circuit, while hard tags are removed at the point of sale normally by a powerful magnetic security tag detacher.

Why retailers select it

RF is often favored due to the flat footprint of its paper labels that make it suitable for high volumes of packaged products, and for the easy integration of Deactivation into Point of Sale Scanners.

Probably due to its perceived lower price, RF remains the most widely adopted EAS technology worldwide.

Although RF EAS is not to be confused with RFID, some RF antennas can easily be upgraded to RFID where RF and RFID technology work side by side in the same antenna.

RF limitations

RF does have limitations, however. The technology has traditionally been more sensitive to electrical interference caused by other local electronic fixtures that often don’t affect alternative EAS technologies.

Although in the real world it’s not a problem, RF Security Labels cannot be reactivated once the circuit is broken.

Detection systems are generally limited to doorway pedestals, although recently some RF floor-based systems have become popular.

Who uses RF EAS

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.

RF benefits at a glance

• Affordability: Price can range from very low cost for more basic RF systems to high cost for advanced RF systems.
• Available as flat paper labels
• Wide range of label shapes, sizes and presentation
• Labels can be printed on
• Potential for upgrade path to RFID with some RF antenna systems
• Easy high-speed security label deactivation including possible integration with POS scanners
• Available from many manufacturers

RF disadvantages

• Labels cannot be reused once the circuit is broken
• Limited range of detection systems traditionally limited to pedestals
• More susceptible to electronic and metallic interference

Acousto Magnetic (AM)

Acousto Magnetic EAS sees a transmitter send out a signal in bursts which energize tags within the pedestal zone. When the pulse ends, the tag responds.

Between bursts, the tag’s signal is detected by a receiver. Therefore, if an active tag passes between the pedestals, an alarm will sound.

AM Antenna

One of the major drawcards of Acousto Magnetic technology is that it offers an extended detection range to RF and is normally less susceptible to external electronic interference.

For retailers this provides greater flexibility for installation of the antennas, which can be pedestal-based, concealed within door frames or housed under the floor at the entry of the store.

Meanwhile, AM adhesive security labels can often work on or near metals where other technologies fail.

AM tags and labels

AM hard tags are available in a range of sizes, and can be reused.

Although smaller than RF labels, AM labels are not paper thin and instead have a raised profile. Labels can potentially be deactivated and reactivated, although this is not common practice. They are activated when magnetized and deactivated when demagnetized.

AM tag and label deactivation

AM tags and labels are activated and deactivated using purpose-built magnets that match the strength of the tags.

AM Limitations

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

The raised profile of AM labels has also been seen as a drawback for retailers like grocery stores who sell small, high-turnover goods.

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.

AM benefits at a glance

• Larger detection area so antenna can be positioned further apart
• Less susceptible to electronic interference
• Systems can be concealed in door structures or under flooring
• Security labels can be reused and reactivated
• Accurate detection of tags and labels

AM disadvantages

• Often the cost is higher than RF
• Labels can’t be bent around merchandise and can’t be easily printed on
• Antennas are not easily upgradable to RFID

The bottom line

EAS is a highly effective way of protecting merchandise against theft. The key to selecting the right system for your retail outlet involves considering the type of items sold, their value, the physical layout of the entryway and further considerations such as any future upgrade to RFID.