Electronic article surveillance (EAS) is a technology used by stores to prevent shoplifting. It involves affixing a tag to merchandise, which emits radio waves or uses magnetic technology to trigger an alarm if not deactivated at the point of sale. Microwave-based EAS is the most expensive but hardest to bypass. EAS is most effective against inexperienced shoplifters, and stores may periodically change frequencies or tag locations to deter professional thieves. The cost of implementing EAS may lead some businesses to opt for video surveillance instead.
Electronic item surveillance, or EAS as it is commonly called, is an merchandise tracking technology that stores and store owners use to deter shoplifting. There are different forms of electronic article surveillance, and the technology has a range of complexities. Regardless of the technical details, most systems focus on three main elements: a tag, a deactivator, and a sensor. Merchandise is first affixed with a tag or reader of some sort, usually in an inconspicuous place that a sales associate can remove or disable at the point of sale. If a customer attempts to leave the store with goods that have not been purchased and turned off, an alarm will usually sound at the door.
All EAS technology is based on active packaging of goods, i.e. goods are equipped with active tracking devices from the moment they reach the point of sale, and sometimes even before. The most common means of tracking is radio frequency identification. Tags inside clothes, televisions, books, and other items have tiny transponders that emit radio waves. The waves are harmless and usually go undetected unless they are within close range of a receiver programmed to the same frequency. Depending on the store, receivers can sound alarms, trigger door locks, or silently alert managers.
Transmitters can also be based on electromagnetic technology. Magnet technology is usually the least expensive to implement. It is commonly used in barcode technology and high turnover transaction areas, such as libraries. Magnetic tags can be turned on and off repeatedly, as long as the tag remains intact.
The primary goal of electronic article surveillance systems is to discourage shoplifting and the illegal removal of goods. Traditionally it works best to thwart rookies or inadvertent shoplifters. Professional thieves are generally more experienced at EAS. Magnetic tags can be deactivated without much effort by people who know where to look and what to do, and most radio frequency tags can be removed without damaging the property they are attached to.
For highly valuable goods or goods that are particularly vulnerable to theft, a microwave-based EAS system may be the best solution. Microwave technology is the most expensive, but also the hardest to get around: Most microwave transmitters are permanently attached to merchandise with large plastic tags. This makes them obvious, but nearly impossible to remove without special equipment.
Cost is a big part of any company’s decision to invest in electronic article surveillance. Many mass-market products come pre-installed with EAS-ready tags, but it is often up to individual stores to set up deactivators, sensors and alarms. To truly protect themselves from clever criminals, stores prone to security breaches often change their frequencies periodically, move tag locations, or double down on tagging strategies on certain items. This has been proven to increase safety, but it also comes at a cost. Businesses that don’t expect to lose what it would cost to maintain an electronic article surveillance system often opt for less expensive security measures, such as video surveillance.
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