Transparent EP tags act as a visual deterrent against theft and have been tested by retailers in pilot programs, reducing theft by more than 15%. The Health and Beauty category, which has a high theft rate, is one of the ideal areas to benefit from this new RF tag, due to its small size and its ability to protect items targeted by thieves, such as cosmetics, perfumes, and other small merchandise.
Checkpoint is the first company to achieve the technological breakthrough of manufacturing a label that doesn't detract from the brand or interfere with packaging design. It also allows product barcodes to be scanned through the transparent label. Until now, technology has made it difficult to manufacture an EAS label this small with this level of visibility.
Higher performance and accuracy are the hallmarks of the EP tag line introduced by Checkpoint in 2007. This new addition—the clear EP tag—continues that trend, delivering exceptional detection and accuracy, especially when used with Checkpoint's EVOLVE systems. In retailer pilots, the EP tag and EVOLVE antennas have demonstrated a combined detection rate of 95% or higher, remarkable for a tag of this size.
EP labels can be applied to products in stores by employees, or they can be easily integrated into high-speed source labeling processes by manufacturers, so that merchandise arrives at stores ready for sale.
“The transparent EP tag gives retailers and manufacturers the effective protection they’re looking for to safeguard small, high-risk merchandise,” says Farrokh Abadi, Global President of Shrink Management Systems at Checkpoint. “The proven decrease in theft is due to potential thieves clearly seeing that the products are protected – the tag’s electronic circuitry is now visible on the items. For small, high-theft items, visible deterrence is the ideal method of protection.”
“The ability to scan barcodes through the transparent EP label is another advancement that makes these labels ideal for cosmetic products, which retailers are reporting increased theft of,” explains Abadi, adding: “By introducing this advancement into our innovative EP labels, we have raised the bar and achieved what our customers are looking for: better anti-theft protection with a smaller, more attractive label, designed to work well for source labeling of goods.”
EP transparent labels are also environmentally friendly. Produced using less aluminum, paper, and plastic than standard labels, they help retailers reduce waste. By replacing standard EAS labels with EP transparent labels, retailers and manufacturers of consumer goods can reduce waste by up to 65%.
