EAS training - Security Tags

Four things you need to know about security tag alarms

Kyle Hall — Thu, 29 Apr 2021 08:02:07 +0000

By far the most effective feature of electronic article surveillance (EAS) is the fact it alerts your staff to a potential theft occurring.

This allows retail staff to get on with the job at hand, without being overly distracted watching the shop floor for shoplifters.

However, there are a series of hints to ensure alarms only sound when they should, and your staff understand exactly what each alarm means.

So here are four things you need to know about security tag alarms…

The importance of EAS best practice

EAS as a retail loss prevention solution is hugely popular and extremely effective. The system sees security tags and/or security labels affixed to products and when they enter a zone near the store exit, an alarm automatically sounds to alert staff a theft may be occurring.

That said, the system is only as good as the policies, procedures and education that surround it.

That means your staff should be educated in how EAS works and follow the correct protocols when it comes to an alarm and its meaning.

Tag pollution

Tag pollution occurs when another retailer fails to properly deactivate a label or remove a tag. When a shopper carrying that item enters your retail environment, it may cause your EAS system to activate.

These days most EAS antenna have a lighting system that indicates whether an alarm is sounding due to an inbound tag, or an outbound tag.

Staff should be educated on what the lighting means on the EAS antenna.

They should also be given protocols to follow when it is likely a tag from another store has activated your alarm, for example, perhaps checking the shopper’s bag.

Alarm fatigue

Every time an EAS antenna sounds an alarm, it means something. But sometimes stores fail to follow EAS best practice and the alarm sounds so often that staff begin to ignore its potential meaning.

This usually comes down to one of four issues:

Tag pollution.

Tags in the no-go zone.

Failure to properly detach tags or deactivate labels.

Incorrect checks and inadequate EAS system maintenance.

So, what do each of those mean?

The no-tag zone

The area between and around the EAS antenna is considered a no-tag zone. This an area that should be kept free of tagged or labelled products and even decorations with a high foil content.

If tagged or labelled items are positioned in this area, it is likely to cause the EAS antenna to sound.

The “No Tag” zone is generally within six feet of the EAS system.

As a simple check, stretch your arms out like you are doing a star jump, and make sure there are no security tags within, or just out of your reach, all around each pedestal.

In over 90 per cent of reported cases of false alarming, alarms are caused by a tag within the vicinity of the antenna.

Failure to properly detach tags or deactivate labels

In order to stop the EAS system from sounding an alarm when an item exits the store, security tags need to be detached at the point of sale, while labels need to be deactivated.

Staff should be properly trained on exactly how to do this effectively, and should also be given adequate tools to do so.

Detachers are usually anchored to the POS, while deactivators can be incorporated into the scanning area of the checkout so that the label is deactivated at the same time as the barcode is processed during a sales transaction.

Daily checks

As a valuable piece of equipment that is designed to protect a retailer from loss, your EAS system should be checked daily and serviced when required.

Your manufacturer likely has guidelines for exactly what checks and servicing needs to occur, but as a minimum, the system should be checked prior to store opening each morning to ensure the system is powered up and working correctly.

At the same time, staff should also ensure the label deactivator is switched on.

You can learn more about EAS best practice to reduce false alarms here, or view our range of security tags here, and security labels here.

The post Four things you need to know about security tag alarms first appeared on Security Tags.

Employing EAS best practice to reduce theft

Kyle Hall — Fri, 26 Feb 2021 05:46:36 +0000

Electronic Article Surveillance remains one of the most effective and popular tools in the fight against retail theft.

Employing security tags, security labels, and antenna that monitor the tags, it is renowned as the most comprehensive way to protect stock at a product-based level, reducing eternal theft by between 60 and 80 per cent.

But like any loss prevention tool, EAS effectiveness is impacted by the way it’s deployed and how well staff is trained in using the system.

With that in mind, here’s a quick guide on EAS best practices to reduce theft…

The right tag or label

Featured products: Shell Tag and Boss Labels AM

For retailers drawing on the power of EAS, it’s critical they select the right security tag or the correct security label for the product they’re looking to protect.

These days security tags and labels are available in both AM and RF frequencies, while tags come in different shapes, sizes, and magnetic strengths.

You can gain a full insight into selecting the right security tags for your store here and learn more about the different types of labels and their uses here.

But to put it briefly:

Apparel is best protected using clothing tags with a minimum superlock strength.

Accessories like handbags and sports shoes are generally protected with security tags that attach via lanyard or cable.

High-volume, low-value items like perfumes are best protected with labels.

Specialist tags are available for products including golf clubs, liquor, eyewear, and baby formula.

Position matters

Where the security tag or label is positioned on a product matters for a whole host of reasons.

Uniform positioning allows a store to be more visually appealing, while consistent positioning also assists with tag removal and label deactivation at the Point of Sale.

Security tags

Security labels and stickers

Featured products: Boss Labels AM and 30×30″ RF Labels

The ideal position for a security label is near the barcode. This position allows for quick deactivation and maximum efficiency at the Point of Sale.

When it comes to best practices, retailers should have a store guide and policies regarding the tag and label positioning to ensure consistency throughout a retail outlet.

Easy label deactivation and tag detachment

While labels are deactivated using a deactivator that breaks a circuit within the label, security tags need to be detached using a tag detacher.

Security tag detachers and label deactivators are best positioned at the Point of Sale, allowing for easy tag removal and label deactivation.

Tag detachers can be built into the countertop or affixed to it, while deactivators can be mounted to the counter, concealed beneath it, or incorporated into barcode scanning equipment.

Retailers should ensure these detachers and deactivators are easily accessible to staff, and there are enough to service all Points of Sale.

Meanwhile, deactivators should be checked to ensure they are powered and working each day as part of a store’s opening protocols.

Minimize false alarms

If your store experiences false EAS alarms, it desensitizes staff to the real risk of an item being shoplifted.

In order to minimize false alarms:

Your EAS antenna system should be tested daily.

Staff should be made aware of the ‘no-tag’ zone (between the antenna and a 6ft region around it).

Staff should be educated on tag pollution.

Staff should be trained in tag detaching and label deactivation.

You can read more about minimizing false EAS alarms here.

Understand the clues

If you find items are being shoplifted even with an EAS system in place, there are generally clues to areas that need improvement.

For example, if you find tags removed and discarded in store, it indicates one or a couple of the following:

Insufficient magnetic strength.

Incorrect tag type for the product being protected.

Inadequate tag pin size.

We have a helpful further guide to troubleshooting tag security here

The final word

EAS remains one of the most effective security tools in the fight against retail theft. But like anything, it can benefit from honing and improving over time.

If you’re looking to improve your EAS system, you can view our range of security tags here, and labels here.

The post Employing EAS best practice to reduce theft first appeared on Security Tags.

Five things your retail staff need to know about EAS

Kyle Hall — Tue, 24 Sep 2019 02:45:33 +0000

Although electronic article surveillance might be widely understood by retailers and management, for the staff members and sales associates who use it daily, its use and best practice may not be so well known.

Importantly, staff should be regularly trained in the use of EAS, so they can better utilise and respond to it as a loss prevention tool.

When training new staff or offering a refresher on in-store security, here are five things your staff need to know about EAS…

EAS basics

Electronic article surveillance works on the simple principle that products are affixed with tags or labels which cause an alarm to sound if they pass through the entryway of a store.

These labels and tags are monitored by antenna positioned at the store opening.

In order to get a tagged or labelled item to leave a retail outlet without an alarm sounding, a tag needs to be detached, while a label needs to be deactivated. These detachers and deactivators are commonly located at the Point of Sale

That means some of the regular tasks that staff may have include affixing labels and tags to new products, deactivating labels or removing tags during a sales transaction, and responding to any alarms that the EAS system may sound.

So, here’s a checklist of what they should be educated on to help them use this system effectively.

The system should be checked daily

The EAS antenna that guards the entryway to the store should be checked each day on store opening. This ensures there is power to the system and it lights up correctly to illustrate it’s in use.

Different systems may have different daily requirements, but generally this is a very simple process that clearly indicates the antenna is working correctly.

Deactivators and detachers

In addition to checking the antenna, staff should also check label deactivators are plugged into a power outlet and working properly.

Meanwhile, tag detachers tend to work using strong magnets, which do not require a power source. However, these should be carefully looked after and even affixed to the Point of Sale to ensure they are not a target for theft.

In the wrong hands, tag detachers allow shoplifters to remove tags from items, so their security and care is paramount.

Position matters for labels and tags

When new stock arrives at an outlet, one of the back of house tasks is to affix security labels and tags to items, and it’s important staff understand that position matters when doing this job.

Tags should be affixed in a position where they do not interfere with the customer experience of a garment or item, yet can be easily removed during a transaction and are also visible enough to act as a deterrent.

In the interests of store appeal and product uniformity, many retailers often have policies for where exactly tags should be positioned, so all products look neat and the same.

When it comes to labels, these should be positioned so as not to obscure product information, and in a place that is near the barcode of a product.

This allows staff to quickly scan a product and deactivate the label in the same manoeuvre at the POS.

Alarms mean something

It’s important that staff understand every EAS alarm that sounds in a retail outlet means something and should be responded to.

If alarms are sounding when an item is not being taken, it may indicate products are positioned too close to the antenna, the detection setting of the EAS is too high, or they are encountering tag pollution.

Tag pollution is when a tag or label from another retailer has not been detached or deactivated properly and is brought into a store, causing an EAS alarm to sound.

Most EAS antenna have lights which indicate a tag is inbound rather than outbound, but staff should be educated on what to look for.

You can learn more about training your staff in EAS here, or alternately contact our staff for further advice on sourcing the right tags and labels for your retail outlet.

The post Five things your retail staff need to know about EAS first appeared on Security Tags.