EAS antennas are at the cornerstone of every store’s security ecosystem. In more than 20 years Neto Baltic has become one of the leading companies in the Baltic loss prevention space. We are an authorized partner of Checkpoint Systems – one of the global leaders in retail security, which is often one-step-ahead in terms of product innovation. EAS antennas by Checkpoint Systems are difficult to beat in terms of detection accuracy or detection range.
With the shoplifting epidemic in full swing, we would like to share some pro tips on how to secure your store – without overspending or making a negative impact on the customer experience.
Choosing the right EAS antenna. How wide is your entrance?
Store entrance width is the main factor when choosing an EAS antenna. Specialized clothing, fashion and apparel stores strive for wide and clean entrances.
Such stores often place sale or new collection items to lure shoppers into the store and want to avoid other visual distractions.
Among the RF EAS antennas NEO series products by Checkpoint Systems offer the widest detection range. NP12 model detection range between antennas is 2.7m (1.35m to either side of the antenna). This allows to place fewer antennas in the entrance. For narrower entrances, G35 is a great choice with up to 1.8m range of detection.
For wide and tall entrances, SFERO ceiling antennas can help to make the entrance absolutely clean. The antennas support entrances of up to 10m in width and 3.5m in height. With antennas mounted to the ceiling, there is no need for additional standing antennas in the entrance.
PRO TIPS
- When planning for detection range, you should not only take the store design into account (e.g. that pairs of narrower detection range antennas do not pollute your store design), but also think about the largest item that needs to be transported into the store. Perhaps items are brought on transport pallets via the front entrance or once a year scaffolding needs to be brought into the store to fix the AC. Taking such edge scenarios into consideration, there will be no need to dismantle the EAS antennas when faced with oversized challenges.
- All EAS antennas operate within the detection precision spectrum (e.g. detection at 0.8m is 100%, at 1.2m – 95%). You may adjust your EAS selection by your risk tolerance, plus store location, high theft items at the store etc.
- Even inactive EAS antennas serve as a theft deterrent.
- Interior space dictates the solutions and limitations. For instance, when the entrance is limited by a supporting column and traditional pairs of antennas do not fit, a NS45 can be mounted on the column itself.
What EAS antenna technology to choose?
Most common EAS antenna solutions feature Acousto Magnetic (AM), radio-frequency (RF) and radio-frequency identification (RFID) technologies.
AM is a legacy technology. It peaked a decade ago, when AM antennas could secure wider entrances than the RF technology. Today RF has caught up with AM in terms of detection range, yet AM limitations were not resolved.
AM solutions only offers a single type of security label. It is simple to ‘trick’ – deactivate the label with a magnet or by pressing the metal plates together.
Due to technological limitations the labels cannot be applied to certain types of products (e.g. frozen goods). These technological dead-ends led some solution providers to phase out AM products, focusing on RF / RFID instead.
Today RF is the industry standard. Thanks to improvements of the technology, RF can now offer a wide detection range. RF also offers the widest selection of security tags and labels.
RFID is also making big inroads in the EAS market. When source tagging is employed, the time from factory to the shelf is reduced. In this scenario EAS antennas also operate as an inventory counting / stock tracking platform (after paying for the item at the register, RFID signal is automatically deactivated; the product is marked as sold; the system also enables to accurately measure missing + unpaid = stolen items, providing a better view of shrinkage).
RFID solutions not only reduce manual labor for inventory audits or securing the items, but also are indispensable for omnichannel commerce (for ‘order online, collect at the store’, ‘fulfillment from the store’ scenarios).
Last but not least, with fast fashion retailers adopting self-checkouts (eliminating the need to manually remove the security tag), RFID will soon replace RF as the industry standard.
PRO TIPS
- Even if today your store does not carry RFID tagged items, this might not be the case in 2-3 years time. Stock tracking is turning into an exact science. Many leading fashion retailers have already deployed RFID to track their products throughout the full lifecycle. In a few year’s time RFID support can become a requirement for the brand franchisers.
- EAS antennas last a decade or even more. They are a long-term investment. Thus upcoming retail requirements need to be taken into consideration.
What additional EAS antenna features would I need?
Remote EAS antenna management is probably the most important feature for retailers. More than 80% of common issues can be resolved remotely without the technician visiting the store, including false alarms, reducing or increasing detection sensitivity, reducing the alarm volume, system reboots and many more.
Neto Baltic offers a remote EAS monitoring service. It is offered for all EAS antennas from different vendors, which are connected to the network. The service includes an ‘always-on’ monitoring, where every few minutes a signal is sent to the antennas to check whether they are operational. After establishing the typical number of alarm activations, we monitor for any deviations and discrepancies.
When EAS antennas operate in tandem with a video surveillance system, we can match the alarm to the corresponding video footage.
It is also worthwhile to invest into a people counter. The platform can address each customer with a custom audio greeting when entering or exiting the store. Additionally they track the movement direction of the product in the store (e.g. the product is carried along the EAS antennas, not from the inside to the outside), thus reducing the number of false alarms.
Best Budget Option
- 1.80m detection range
- High build quality
- Made by the global EAS leader
- Integrated insert for marketing materials
- Can be serviced remotely
Best Value Option
- 1.80m detection range
- Acrylic glass design
- LED lighting can be customized to fit the store design
- Looks more expensive than it is
- Can be serviced remotely
Best Premium Option
- Designed for wide entrances
- Record detection range (2.4-2.7m)
- Awards for best product design
- Integrated protection against jamming
- Can feature custom audible greetings
- Wide selection of additional options
Best of Best Option
- Ceiling or floor mounted option
- For extra wide entrances (10m width, 3.5m height)
- RF and RFID support
- Can be integrated with SCOs
- Automated inventory management