Different Types of Devices

The reason any store purchases an EAS system is to reduce theft and increase customer satisfaction. To do this, it is imperative that the EAS device such as a tag or label, is suitable for your product. What good would a system do if the tag or label does not correctly fit your items? Before selecting your system make sure that the technology you choose has labels and tags that fit the products.

In the first newsletter of this series, we talked about the two leading technologies in EAS AM (Sensormatic) and RF (Checkpoint). One crucial difference between AM and RF is the type of labels the systems utilize. AM systems uses a plastic label, commonly called a chicklet, that is about 1/8 inch thick. These labels are very effective but easy to spot, reasonably easy to remove and bulky. RF labels on the other hand, are paper thin. There are dozens of sizes and shapes including a small "postage stamp" label, labels specifically for cosmetics, food, and books. Also, consider the selection of EAS devices that are not labels like tags, keepers, spider wraps and other items for hard to protect or expensive items.

Do yourself and your customer a favor and stay away from "cheap" knock-off labels that are not made by the two major players in the EAS world Checkpoint for RF and Sensormatic for AM. The "knock-Off" labels often do not work or even worse, tend to reactivate. They also may come back to life after being deactivated at the register as much as up to twenty percent of the time between the register and the exit door. False alarms can be very embarrassing for your customer and be irritating to your employees. A few years ago I was shopping with my young grandson, and that happened to me. I had purchased the item (as I recall a razor) and the alarm sounded, I wonder to this day if they thought, even for a moment, that I stole the blade!

Bonus Tip:

John Spence wrote:

“Making one person smile can change the world. Maybe not the whole world but their world.”
What does a smile have to do with Loss Prevention? If you and your employees acknowledge customers, smile at them, the honest ones may smile back, and the less than honest ones might move on to another store where they are left alone to walk out the door with your products.
Thanks,
-Mark Turner