What is an EAS System?

What is an EAS System?

Electronic article surveillance, or EAS, is a type of technology that prevents shoplifting. EAS is most often used in retail stores but can also be found in libraries and office buildings. EAS usually involves three components:

  • At least one electronic antenna
  • A deactivator or detacher
  • An electronic tag

How an EAS System Works

The process is quite simple. First, an EAS tag or label must be attached to an item, and EAS antennae are installed at the store’s entry and exit points. When a customer purchases an item, a store employee removes the tag or deactivates the label with an EAS tag remover. After the tag has been removed or the label is deactivated, the customer can then leave the store without alarm the antennae. If a tag or label is still active when passing through the antennae, the EAS system will sound an EAS alert to alert the staff.

Today, EAS tags come in a wide range of form factors. The most common forms are a pin that goes through the item, a label attached to the item’s tags and a loop attached to the item. The electronic antennae, sometimes referred to as pedestals, make up the EAS system that detects active tags.

What is Source Tagging?

Source tagging is the process of applying an EAS tag or label to a product’s packaging or to the product itself at the point of manufacture or packaging, rather than in store by retail employees. This process leaders to greater retail chain efficiencies, increased sales, lower shrink and higher profitability.

By having product vendors, manufacturers and product packaging companies attach EAS tags and labels to products and packaging ahead of time, retailers can eliminate the high cost and inefficiency of in-store tagging, and the process of moving products to the sales floor is much faster.