ELECTRONIC ARTICLE SURVEILLANCE AND SOURCE TAGGING
Implications and opportunities for packaging, labelling and product manufacturers

A TECHNO-ECONOMIC MARKET REVIEW AND IMPLEMENTATION ANALYSIS

Escalating retail theft has resulted in a huge and expanding international industry. Losses through retail crime typically average at around 2 per cent of store turnover, which can easily equate to 20 per cent of store profits. Retail chains are increasingly requiring that retail products/packaging be EAS tagged at source by manufacturers. Current total spend by the world wide retail industry on EAS technology is estimated at US$1.2 billion annually.

Demand is being met with a variety of hard and soft (self-adhesive label) configurations. There are three distinct and 'non-compatible' technologies available in the marketplace, which can make optimal system selection less obvious for retailers and also raises some thorny issues for manufacturers in terms of logistics & on-line source tagging.

Implications and opportunities for packaging & label converters, product manufacturers & contract packers. A techno-economic market review and analysis of implementation issues. This report is the first comprehensive survey of the subject to give such an in-depth market analysis of EAS

Contents of report as follows:
* Retail theft - An international perspective
* Electronic Article Surveillance. Basic principles, usage and management
* Electromagnetic (EM), Radio Frequency (RF), Acousto-magnetic (AM), Multiple technology tagging solutions - Technology and Applications
* Source tagging - Implications & Applications (including covert tagging, fractional tagging at source)
* Setting standards and Quality performance
* Opportunities beyond existing EAS technologies (intelligent RFID tags, non-retail applications, asset tracking personnel and livestock identification, anti-counterfeiting protection)
* Opportunities for packaging and Labelling producers
* Comprehensive Guide to Suppliers, Glossary of terms, List of useful contacts.