EAS Systems

[EASman]

Hi everyone,

I'm in charge of security at a small clothing chain up in Canada.

we are looking into getting an EAS system possibly.

Anyone have any experiences they would like to share?

what is good, what is not. If you have an EAS system in the store, what you like and what you dont like about it.


there seems to be a lot of people doing EAS today and the prices seem to be all over the map with sensormatic and checkpoint being the more expensive choices which is of course due to them being more well known. But is there a big difference between them and the other companies or is it just the name?

[Curtis Baillie]

Welcome to the site. I'm sure you'll get some answers. I'll let others post before I give mine.

[Don of the Dead]

The Good:
Deturs some small time lifters and slows down the regular lifters. When you see someone fiddling with tags you know who to keep an eye on.

The Bad:
False alarms, employees forgetting to remove tags making the customer have to drive back to your store to get the tag removed, or worse, they try themselves and ruin the item and expect you to replace it.

The Ugly:
http://www.bfi.org.uk/features/westerns-gall/images/420/good-bad-ugly.jpg

[EASman]

how often do you see false alarms?

i notice that some stores in malls particularly when using checkpoint or Sensormatic alarm even when people walk into the stores.
is this a common thing?
and if so, any systems that dont do it.

[Don of the Dead]

how often do you see false alarms?

i notice that some stores in malls particularly when using checkpoint or Sensormatic alarm even when people walk into the stores.
is this a common thing?
and if so, any systems that dont do it.

Our biggest "false alarms" were due to CD's and DVD's from the local Sam Goody. So if you have a Vido/Music store near by you'll probably have a few.

[secguy]

http://eas.oes.ca.gov/Pages/whatseas.htmght

[valleyvista]

This is me personally, id have some good understanding of how you intend to use EAS systems, and examine current and future store policy, and take a look around your local area, see what they are using eg have they got eas gate, what type, are they using bag checkers etc at those gates what do you need to make it work and what are the hidden costs vs benifit

I worked at a large retail chain here in Oz, and to be quite frank, the policy didn’t have the scope to use eas, nor did they change that fact, regardless they went ahead and bought an EAS system, to be frank was a waste of money in this instance, the idea was exactly that and ill conceived.

The flip side is many crims here are savvy with EAS tag removal, I will not go into detail for obvious reasons, but many that were caught damaged the property, clothing for example had holes in them, and could not be sold even in shop soiled clearances. This obviously had a further impact on profits.

Taylor your systems to what your needs really are, identify your strengths and weaknesses compared to local business and get good policy in place, then that should guide you to the exact EAS system

[Don of the Dead]

What does your store sell? There might be other options, like keeping high priced items under lock and key, or behind the counter.

[EASman]

it's a clothing store, mainly the young crowd.
management dosn't want to lock things up.

any particular brand of EAS that are better than others?

the link secguy posted dosn't work, and going to the site dosn't appear to have anythign to do with EAS or am i missing something

[LPAjh9558]

The down side to EAS is definately the "false alarms." They (false alarms) can sometimes be more of a hinderence than anything. I can't even remember the times that we'd have someone come into the store with a completely different looking tag still on some pants they bought elsewhere, only to set our EAS off each & every time!

That being said, and although they are considered at times to be a "pain," these false alarms can also be used a great learning tool when the proceedures are followed correctly. Good luck with the store and.....the EAS when & if your store gets them!

[Aust-SecMan]

I am all for EAS, but poorly implemented systems can become a source of frustration and in the long term a wasted investment if not done properly PRIOR to its installment.

Before you decide to implement EAS ensure you look at the layout and design of your store, if you have displays, fixtures or fitting rooms near the entry this will activate the EAS gates even through small walls, placement of the Pedestals is crucial in ensuring that you minimize false alarms.

Also do some research into other tenants/ DVD rental stores and public libraries in the local area that may use the same system or security tag, you will find that they do not deactivate a lot of tags and this will also increase the amount of false alarms from items being brought into your store.

Tagging placement and tag types are also important to ensure no damage occurs to garments.

Just some food for thought.