Sensormatic Systems Value

We just came back from a trip to Sensormatic Systems Head-Quarters in Boca Raton, Florida. What a fascinating, interesting and eye-opening experience. As anti-shoplifting systems are concerned, we clearly left with the knowledge that Sensormatic is the top of the line for value and quality. I have been in the field of Loss Prevention for over 35 years (I hate saying that, it makes me feel …. old). I rose to the top in a number of fine retail companies as the Director of Loss Prevention. I have had my own company now for many years. So, I have bought these systems as a Director and I now have the privilege of being a premier nationwide Sensormatic Dealer. For many years we sold another top brand. But it is very clear to me why Sensormatic is the world-wide leader. Let me throw out a few conclusions for you. 

Sensormatic invests a huge amount of money into testing. Not just making sure that systems ring the bell and flash the light. Testing is extensive. Research laboratories are used by Sensormatic Engineers to take something from an idea to a finished product. It starts with a team in design. They look at style and how it will impact the Retailer and their customers. Ergonomics are tested thoroughly. It is important that a retail employee can use a hand-held device for long periods of time with minimal fatigue. Drop tests are performed with high speed cameras to determine if devices will properly survive a fall with minimal damage and a low risk to the people around it. Stress tests are conducted on antenna systems to see how they will react to being bent until broken. Do the systems splinter? Does the electronics spark? 

Sensormatic is a massive company that operates on every continent, okay, well maybe not Antarctica.  Sensormatic Systems is part of Johnson Controls. And if you have not been hiding under a rock all your life know that Johnson Controls is one of the largest companies in the world with a serious reputation for quality and service in many fields. The Sensormatic division has that behind it. 

That is in addition to the testing of the antenna systems for detection of tags and labels. Sensormatic systems are tested and certified safe by the main testing agencies in the various countries all over the world. For example, in the United States Sensormatic systems are UL Certified among others. 

Sensormatic security systems are not going to be the cheapest. But it is like anything else you get what you pay for. However, the value runs deeper than just the highest quality commercial grade equipment that is made to last a very long time. These Acousto Magnetic (AM) systems perform much better than the competition for the price and much better than Radio Frequency (RF) systems. RF systems are very prone to false or phantom (no one nearby the system) alarms. Acousto Magnetic does not have that problem. This technology operates on a different frequency that is less prone to issues. Because of that we can easily get an 8 foot isle width. The very best RF can do is 6 feet.  

Acousto Magnetic technology has been around for over fifty years. It is proven and stable. Sensormatic brand hard tags and labels are very robust. The hard tags have clean, well “welded” seams that will not snag clothing. The genuine Sensormatic labels outperform any knock offs in both range and deactivation. Sensormatic security system deactivation performs at a very high level. When your cash/wrap associate kills the labels, it stays dead.  

So, the real question now is this: Are you going to go through all of the coming up year and again lose money, watching it walk out the door with shoplifters? Or are you going to fix the problem once and for all? Loss Prevention Systems’ proven process will significantly reduce your losses? All you have left to do now is contact us. 

Proper EAS Tagging Tips For Retailers

There’s no question about it electronic article surveillance (EAS) retail anti-theft devices work in every store they are used in. In fact they are so effective that according to the Sensormatic Global Retail Shrink Index, EAS is the most popular Loss Prevention and Asset Protection investment among retailers in the United States. 92.16% of retailers surveyed indicated they are investing in electronic article surveillance (pg. 45). Is it enough that EAS tags are used or is there more to making them an effective tool? 

     In order to get the most out of an electronic article surveillance system tags retailers should ensure they have effective tagging guidelines in place. It may not seem like it would make a big difference at first glance but the reality is a proper tagging program can make a theft prevention program stronger. Here is are some suggestions to consider as a guideline of where you should tag your merchandise: 

  • Keep visibility in mind. While hiding tags may seem like a good idea at first it can cause some problems for the retailer rather than a thief. Hidden hard tags may not be seen by a cashier and removed when a piece of clothing is purchased. That can cause an unnecessary EAS tower alarm and an embarrassing moment for your patron. A similar problem can occur with an EAS label if it is hidden. It may not deactivate properly at the point of sale and cause a false alarm. 
  • Location of tags is important to prevent concealment by a shoplifter. If a pair of pants is protected with a hard tag on the waistline it is not difficult to untuck a shirt and hide it. Keeping the placement where the tags are hard to cover improves the deterrent effect of the devices. 
  • Another thing to avoid is placing soft tags or labels on manufacturer hang tags if possible. I encourage retailers to place labels directly on merchandise packaging. For example a Sensormatic label is difficult to remove from a box of razor blades but if it is on a hang tag on a shirt sleeve a crook can pop the hang tag off and the label goes with it.  

So what do I suggest when it comes to tag placement? Here a few suggestions that I have found to be effective: 

  • When tagging pant or slacks a hard tag can be pinned through a seam near the knee. If that is a bit more work than you want to do, the next best solution would be a couple of inches above the cuff. Both solutions make it difficult to hide the tag and if the location is consistent on every pair of pants cahiers will be accustomed to looking for hard tags in the same place every time. 
  • If your store sells shoes people are going to want to try them on. I suggest tagging them through an eyelet. If there is no place to that a hard tag can be attached the next best solution would be a label on the bottom of the shoe. Tag both shoes as an extra precaution against shoplifting. 
  • Shirts should be tagged near the front of the neckline. The next best option would be the cuff of the shirt sleeve. The point is to keep the tags in as visible a location as possible. The problem with a cuff versus a neckline is that a cuff can be upturned and a tag hidden. Also when a tag is placed too close to the end of a cuff it is easier to make a small cut in the garment to remove a tag and repair it with a stitch or two. 
  •  Purses can be protected with a hard tag. If you are tagging purses the key to doing so efficiently and reducing customer distractions is to tag them as closely as possible to one place for all bags. Wallets may have an EAS label hidden inside because they are more difficult to tag with a hard tag. If this is the case for your store make sure cashiers are all aware of this and carefully placing the merchandise on the deactivation pads at checkout. 

These are the most common items of clothing and softlines merchandise to be protected. Hopefully the message you are reading is that the consistency of a tagging program is what matters. Do it properly and you will have minimal false alarms and customer distractions and the alarms that do go off will be real attempts to steal. When supervisors and employees respond to real alarms and fewer false alarms they will be more thorough in their receipt checks. That will result in more recovered dollars and less shortage for you. 

Advantages of AM over RF EAS Systems

Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you have to make a decision on a purchase and you have to determine what is going to be best for your situation? I know that car shopping is one of those purchases where I have to take multiple factors into consideration and it isn’t always just about cost. I have to be able to accommodate at least 5 adults and perhaps even 6 if my mother-in-law is included in a ride. I need to get decent gas mileage because I never know who may have to use it and all of our work so I don’t want to fill it every day. I need dependability, I’ve had too many vehicle break-downs and I don’t want a breakdown on my wife if I can help it. Before I make a purchase I search customer reviews of vehicles and automotive expert ratings on websites such as Edmunds or Kelly Blue Book. The vehicle has to meet my requirements or I have to pass on it regardless of how good the deal may appear to be. The same thing can be true for a retailer when determining the best Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS) System and tags to use to combat theft related shortage.

     There are two choices that a store owner will have when deciding on an EAS system, a radio frequency (rf) system or an acousto-magnetic (am) system. But how do you choose? What are the advantages of one over the other?

RF Tags:

  • RF tags (labels) are easier to deactivate at the point of sale. These tags can be passed over a deactivation pad and the tags will not cause an alarm when the merchandise is carried out the doors.
  • RF label deactivation pads are less expensive to operate since the pad only “activates” when a label passes over it. The AM deactivation pad continually runs and uses more power (Wikipedia)
  • RF labels tend to be a bit less expensive to purchase than AM tags.
  • RF labels have made improvements over the years. Small, clear labels have been developed that can be placed on smaller packages without concealing as much important information. Wikipedia does state that small RF tags do cause problems with consistency in deactivation. This can be a cause for false alarms that can hinder the effectiveness of EAS systems.

AM Tags:

  • The highest detection rate in the industry.
  • The standard AM label has a smaller footprint than the standard RF label.
  • Based on their design AM tags have less interference from outside the detection band frequency they operate on.
  • These tags and labels have a greater detection range than RF labels.
  • Where RF labels may be affected by foils, metals, and liquids, AM labels are less susceptible to making them more effective against booster devices. (“Genuine Sensormatic Labels”, Tyco White Paper)
  • Where a metal shopping cart may interfere with the detection performance of an RF label the same shopping carts have no effect on AM tags and labels.

As you can see for yourself there are advantages to both types of systems and tags. The question is going to be which is the best fit for you?  We have worked with both systems and are a nationwide sensormatic dealer and we have worked with both types of technology extensively.

     From a Loss Prevention perspective, the biggest concerns involve professional shoplifters who use devices to try to circumvent a store EAS system and false alarms. Knowing that foiled lined bags and clothing can disrupt RF systems and having apprehended shoplifters using these devices I would tend to favor the AM tags. False alarms can be annoying to customers and have a negative impact on shopper attitudes and RF systems do tend to have a higher rate of false alarm problems. Whether a store manager chooses the RF system or the AM system the most important part is to make sure a system is purchased. It is a proven method of theft deterrence and shortage reduction.