Stop thieves: EAS makes a splash

Deep Dive 7: A new wave of intelligent Electronic Article Surveillance Systems (EAS) such as Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags for product protection are providing security personnel with important data analytics and amplifying risk to thieves.

As part of our 2019 Deep Dive series, we explore theft in the retail industry. Stay tuned in the lead-up to Security 2019 for the trends affecting the different sectors.

These technologies have applications across different markets but their benefits are strongest in the retail sector.

According to Nick Trudgett, general manager of sales and operations at EAS supplier Checkpoint Systems, these technologies are giving security managers access to data previously unimaginable, such as the location of products in stores, the number of alarms going off, the location of these alarms and even the type of products being stolen.

“Instead of focusing carte blanche across their estate on loss-prevention measures, security managers can now put additional measures into those stores where they have big problems,” Trudgett says.

Using tags to deter theft is not a new thing in the retail industry. However, RFID provides two main advantages over conventional radio-frequency (RF) tags – they have greater range and items can be readily identified with a unique code. “Using this data, managers are able to respond quickly to security alerts, are better able to identify key trends in product shrinkage and also able to make more informed decisions to prevent theft,” Trudgett says.

There’s an added benefit to RFID technologies: better customer experience, says Trudgett. “Knowing how people and products are moving allows businesses to measure their inventory better, to ensure they have the right products in the right places at the right time, which is key to customer experience,” he says.

Financial institutions in Australia are also implementing RFID technology and this is being mostly driven by the need for better data security. In this market, RFID technology is establishing a big presence in wearable payment devices. One example is Bankwest’s ring. Dubbed “Halo”, the ring, worn by customers, allows them to make secure tap-and-go transactions without the use of a card.

Read the previous Deep Dive: Paradigm shift: profession in transition

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