EAS Labels-4
EAS Labels Will Stop A Shoplifter
When the average shopper walks in a store, and walks past the pedestals, they don’t really think about the electronic article surveillance that is being utilized. When a professional shoplifter, or booster as we usually call them, walks in that is the first thing they scope out. Even a petty thief takes note whether there is a system present in most cases. Websites have been developed to promote shoplifting and they usually warn their members to avoid stores that have this type of security.
EAS labels are very versatile, and can be placed almost anywhere on an item. First of all, they can be put right in plain sight on the front of the package, or on the back side of the hanging price label of a clothing item. The labels are available in different colors, shapes and sizes. They can even be clear, or have the store’s name and address printed on them. Even grocery stores can get in the fun, and label their steaks and other expensive meats. New advances with those labels have even made most of those microwave safe.
Many manufacturers now participate in source tagging, meaning they adhere the EAS label inside the sealed package, so you don’t have to worry about it. The items arrive in your store already protected. Inquire with your suppliers to see whether that is an option for your purchases. That is a perk, but it is not the end of the world if they can’t do it for you. Once you and your staff have a plan developed on what items you need to add product protection to, the task of adhering those is well worth the incentive you get to help stop shoplifting. Whether you decide to place your EAS labels on the outside of the packages or hide them down inside, the benefits are the same. The Checkpoint System will sound the alarm if a person brings merchandise too close that has not yet been purchased and had the labels deactivated.
We had a guy in one of our stores, walking around and acting really suspicious. He was looking up constantly to see where we were, and he had put a magazine against the side of the shopping basket he was carrying. (For those that don’t know already, this is a tell tale sign of a booster. They will “line” the basket with either a magazine or sales ad so you can’t see all the items they are stuffing in there.) I walked right up to him and offered to help him, and he said he was fine and just looking. Of course, I was “just looking” at a bunch of name brand pain relievers in his basket, knowing they all had EAS labels placed down inside the boxes. He could tell that I had seen all the stuff in his basket, and he appeared to have a sudden epiphany. I stood down toward the end of the aisle, concealed behind a display, and watched this brainiac start stuffing the boxes down his pants. He actually pulled rubber bands out of his pockets and secured them around the bottom of his pant legs! I just silently shook my head, and called the police on my cell phone. The guy got all he could down his pants and made a run for it. The police were not even a block away, caught him red-handed, and escorted him right back to the store. Even better, when they searched his car, they found two garbage bags full of other similar and obviously stolen items. Some of the products had the EAS labels I mentioned earlier- the kind with store identifier information printed on them. Those stores got their stuff back too. Who knows what happened to the rest of it? It’s all probably sitting in some evidence room.
For more information on EAS labels, contact us: 1.770.426.0547 or Antishoplifting.net
When the average shopper walks in a store, and walks past the pedestals, they don’t really think about the electronic article surveillance that is being utilized. When a professional shoplifter, or booster as we usually call them, walks in that is the first thing they scope out. Even a petty thief takes note whether there is a system present in most cases. Websites have been developed to promote shoplifting and they usually warn their members to avoid stores that have this type of security.
EAS labels are very versatile, and can be placed almost anywhere on an item. First of all, they can be put right in plain sight on the front of the package, or on the back side of the hanging price label of a clothing item. The labels are available in different colors, shapes and sizes. They can even be clear, or have the store’s name and address printed on them. Even grocery stores can get in the fun, and label their steaks and other expensive meats. New advances with those labels have even made most of those microwave safe.
Many manufacturers now participate in source tagging, meaning they adhere the EAS label inside the sealed package, so you don’t have to worry about it. The items arrive in your store already protected. Inquire with your suppliers to see whether that is an option for your purchases. That is a perk, but it is not the end of the world if they can’t do it for you. Once you and your staff have a plan developed on what items you need to add product protection to, the task of adhering those is well worth the incentive you get to help stop shoplifting. Whether you decide to place your EAS labels on the outside of the packages or hide them down inside, the benefits are the same. The Checkpoint System will sound the alarm if a person brings merchandise too close that has not yet been purchased and had the labels deactivated.
We had a guy in one of our stores, walking around and acting really suspicious. He was looking up constantly to see where we were, and he had put a magazine against the side of the shopping basket he was carrying. (For those that don’t know already, this is a tell tale sign of a booster. They will “line” the basket with either a magazine or sales ad so you can’t see all the items they are stuffing in there.) I walked right up to him and offered to help him, and he said he was fine and just looking. Of course, I was “just looking” at a bunch of name brand pain relievers in his basket, knowing they all had EAS labels placed down inside the boxes. He could tell that I had seen all the stuff in his basket, and he appeared to have a sudden epiphany. I stood down toward the end of the aisle, concealed behind a display, and watched this brainiac start stuffing the boxes down his pants. He actually pulled rubber bands out of his pockets and secured them around the bottom of his pant legs! I just silently shook my head, and called the police on my cell phone. The guy got all he could down his pants and made a run for it. The police were not even a block away, caught him red-handed, and escorted him right back to the store. Even better, when they searched his car, they found two garbage bags full of other similar and obviously stolen items. Some of the products had the EAS labels I mentioned earlier- the kind with store identifier information printed on them. Those stores got their stuff back too. Who knows what happened to the rest of it? It’s all probably sitting in some evidence room.
For more information on EAS labels contact us: 1.770.426.0547 or Antishoplifting.net