6 Benefits of Electronic Article Surveillance and AM tags

Electronic article surveillance (EAS) is a loss prevention system that prevents shoplifting. It uses antenna usually placed at the exits and entrances to a store virtually creating an invisible gate. The antenna picks up if an active tag passes the antenna and sets off an alarm. Tags are attached to items that are either on display in-store or in the manufacture or packaging process. Either hard or sticker tags can be removed or deactivated at the checkout. If an item with an active tag passes through the gate an alarm sound is generated and a security guard or sales associate can defy the suspected shoplifter.

Here are 6 major benefits that EAS AM Systems can offer -

1. Eliminates Theft

A core advantage of EAS is that it deters theft. This technology first took off after pioneering research was conducted in 1993. Tests demonstrated that sales were greatest where the articles were on open display. Losses were nearly non-existent in the case of the tagged items.

2. Improves Staff Performance

Anti-theft systems take the pressure off sales associates. They no longer have the added responsibility of monitoring customers and preventing theft. Encounters with shoplifters reduce. Employees should focus on selling not protecting products. By doing this they also increase sales and the security system pays for itself.

3. Supports Open Display of Goods

Without EAS, high-value items and effortlessly re-sold items are a target for shoplifters. This means retailers must take measures to make them less accessible to shoplifters. This, in turn, makes them less accessible to customers. Lockable display cases and cabinets are the usual solutions. Merchandise is sometimes located behind counters and made available only with a shopkeeper’s assistance. The cost of cabinets and required staffing can erode the profitability of the business. Customers tend to be less aware of the merchandise on offer and displays are less provoking. Customers can be reluctant about asking for assistance when they are used to a self-service environment.

Open display of merchandise doubtlessly promotes sales. Customers like it because it is convenient and they can examine the merchandise without being supervised by a salesperson. Retail managers like it because it is good for productivity and sales.

4. Inexpensive

The installation of EAS security products is less expensive than you might think. Reusable hard tags and paper self-adhesive labels make protecting merchandise inexpensive. Manufacturers can fit tags into the product or packaging. Balanced against the cost of shoplifting, the cost of attaching tags in-store is a great investment. With source tagging, it can only be positive.

5. Easy To Operate

EAS security products are easy to use. After a simple installation, attaching tags could not be simpler. Tags come in a range of types and sizes to suit different types of merchandise. Electrical equipment, liquor, apparel, and digital products can all be catered for. It takes seconds to fit a label or tag and seconds to deactivate it. In the case of hard tags, they can be removed very easily with the correct security tag remover. It is much more difficult for a shoplifter to remove or deactivate a tag.

6. Return on Investment

Security tags and the equipment systems that support them are reliable and durable. They have a long effective life. The loss prevention benefits keep paying back year after year. There is virtually no maintenance. Hard tags are reusable. The only ongoing costs are the purchase of self-adhesive labels and the labor costs of attaching tags. Typically, retailers report a 1% to 2% of turnover loss through theft. Even a small reduction in theft makes the investment well worthwhile. For a one-off investment in a store system, the reduction in loss is ongoing.