Using EAS tags to prevent supermarket theft

While many retailers are paying attention to RFID (radio frequency identification) tags used for pallets and transportation, other retailers are trying to stop losses caused by theft, which is also known as “shrinkage”. . Undoubtedly, if RFID is a big investment, the prevention of the theft that occurs in stores also requires more investment.

 

“We installed EAS (Electronic Article Surveillance) in all chain stores,” said Ivan Baker, senior director of Sobeys’ National Security Service. His Sobeys company is a famous department store chain in Canada. The Stellarton-based company has more than 1300 chain stores in 10 Canadian provinces, with annual sales of 11 billion Canadian dollars, and owns chain brands Sobeys, IGA and Price Chopper.

“The decision we make about EAS is based more on the specific analysis of the specific store context,” Baker continued: “Usually, we are in chain stores where the “shrink” or theft is more serious, or shoplifting This kind of electronic anti-hacking device is installed in a relatively common place.” Sobeys adopted the Sensormatic EAS system provided by ADT Security Services. ADT uses a variety of different methods to install a label with this inductive anti-theft device for each product package. If this label is not sensed at the checkout counter, it will issue a warning message. Many products, especially easy-to-swappable products like batteries and razor blades, are equipped with such anti-theft tags by manufacturers. For other products, Sobeys workers attach the pressure-sensitive labels to various products. These pressure-sensitive labels were purchased from ADT.

Meat products are another story. Because Sobeys wanted to add anti-theft tags to higher-priced meat products in certain chain stores, it used Sealed Air's Cryovac Dri-Loc anti-theft sensor pad as a cushion under the cut fresh meat. These pads absorb the gravy contained in the package and also contain an Ultra-Max sensor from ADT.

Some packaging uses a final method that uses a roll label produced by KMA Global Solutions. An Ultra-Max sensor is attached to the label's adhesive surface so that the customer cannot see the sensor.

In general, Sobeys uses explicit or implicit sensors on different products in each of its chain stores. If a shoplifter tries to take a product out of a store without paying at the checkout counter, The sensors all have the function of issuing a steal alarm.

Meat packaging is the goal
“We have found that meat products are a target that can be easily stolen, especially those high-priced meats such as pork chops or baked meat.” Baker said: “Sometimes, it will be resold to restaurants or hotels, and we find it It will also be used to exchange drugs. Of course, some people steal it for their own enjoyment."

One problem that needs to be solved when installing anti-theft labels for meat products is the problem of humidity and temperature when placed in refrigerators. He said that it is difficult to make a security label stick to these packages in such an environment.

"So it's a goal to make labels well affixed to the packaging. Making affixed labels less noticeable is another goal." Usually, a simple affixed label can easily be ripped off the package and then tossed. Drop it.

Sobeys has been using Cryovac felt pads for more than a year now, and Baker is pleased with the success of this pad. "First of all, it is a deterrent. The thief doesn't know where it is, so he can't figure out if a package has a security tag. The only way a potential thief wants to know if there is a Dri-Loc sensor. It's the packaging that removes meat products. Believe it or not, we did find someone trying to do it,” he said.

The fact that Baker particularly liked was that the meat department would use a liner anyway, so adding a pad with a security tag to the package did not require additional labor costs. However, the cost of the liner itself is of course higher, so Sobeys' safety staff asks managers to use it only for higher-priced meat products. "By using the anti-theft tag in the package, a potential thief would not know which package contained the anti-theft tag and which one did not."

Interesting results
Although the company declined to disclose the specific number of cases against theft, Baker said an interesting piece of evidence shows that the devices are effective.

“Sometimes someone tries to leave the store with a full basket of fresh meat products, but one or more of the anti-theft devices will send out an alert,” Baker said. “Actually, we even shop in certain chains. A security tag was also installed on the basket."

Sobeys, like supermarkets in the United States, have all done business as small profits. Adding anti-theft tags to products does increase costs, but Baker pointed out: “The theft of meat products is the bottom line of our losses, so if you can stop this loss in the first time, you walk in front.”

Corine Riddell is the loss-prevention coordinator at Sobeys Ontario, which has the largest number of stores in Ontario with 135 stores. Each store has an EAS anti-theft system installed. “For certain varieties of meat products, we require each store to install anti-theft sensor pads for each package,” she said. “T-bone steak is a product with a high stolen rate, so we hope that there will be theft prevention in every package. Sensing pad, but it does depend on the decision of the branch and department manager, because we do not want to abuse this anti-theft sensor pad."

She told about one thing that happened last week: “A customer came out of the supermarket with a shopping basket with several meat products. When the alarm sounded, our manager could have just before he got into a taxi. Stop him and recover these goods."

Riddell believes that EAS and alarms are very deterrent in 80% of the occasions. "As long as our employees raise alarms and explain to customers in a polite manner, 80% of people who touch the alarm will never come back," she said. "They will look for easier targets."

Other than meat products
Riddell said that more and more products are now tagged with anti-theft tags by manufacturers before entering the store. This is especially true in chain stores that have drugs and personal care products. Condoms, high-end dental products, DVDs and many other products (including bagged lobsters) have been added with anti-theft tags by manufacturers.

In addition, there are two other methods for chain stores to add anti-theft labels to their products. The Sensormatic DRS1 self-adhesive sensor is an explicit anti-theft tag. It is used on many types of goods packaging. Most of these products are health and beauty care products, as well as general goods, including kitchen supplies, pet supplies, Insect repellent and so on. But it will also be used in department stores such as instant coffee and baby food.

For products like meat, seafood, and cooked food, Sobeys uses an invisible printed polyester label because the label's adhesive can be applied very firmly, even in frozen or wet environments. The label is a 2mil thick oval polyester material printed by KMA Global Solutions on Sobeys' green mark “Quality Assurance” using a monochrome flexo method. KMA is also responsible for attaching the anti-theft sensor to the adhesive surface of the polyester label.

Special adhesives
“This type of label uses adhesives specifically designed for low temperature environments,” said Allan White of KMA Global Solutions. “It is particularly suitable for packaging of frozen foods, but at room temperature and at refrigerated temperatures (such as fresh meats) On the product, it can also bond well." This adhesive was developed only a year ago. As long as the moisture on the surface of the package is removed before use, it can maintain good adhesive properties.

Riddell said that in addition to frozen foods, these labels are also used on delicatessen products and cheeses that cost more than $5. Only on some packages that require lower freezing temperatures, this DRS1 tag does not perform well. "This kind of label is not perfect, but compared to other labels we have tried.