Checkpoint Systems Inc, a leading global supplier of shrink management, merchandise visibility and apparel labeling solutions for the retail industry, announced here at NRF Loss Prevention Conference & Expo its RFID Overhead EAS Solution, delivering benefits both for loss prevention and inventory visibility at the point-of-exit. This solution includes overhead RFID hardware with specialized on-board filtering software and new RFID hard tags and labels.

“METRO GROUP is very optimistic about RFID-based EAS,” said Dr. Gerd Wolfram, managing director at METRO SYSTEMS. “We’re confident that RFID builds on the usability of traditional RF EAS both for loss prevention as well as inventory visibility, enabling us to better serve our customers.”

RFID Overhead EAS is a key component of an integrated solution delivering real-time inventory and related benefits, while serving as an enhanced EAS system, improving operations at the point-of-exit. It leverages open-standards RFID technology and delivers several new, important benefits for apparel retailers:

• Leverages a single RFID tag for inventory visibility and loss prevention. The Overhead Solution uses one tag for multiple purposes, increasing efficiency at point-of-sale and cost-effectiveness over the long-term.
• Provides an open entrance. Installed either suspended from the ceiling or fully concealed within it, the Overhead Solution enhances the store entrance’s appearance.
• Enables retailers to know what was stolen. The Overhead Solution enables retailers to actually know what was stolen, the quantity and the dollar value, helping them to maintain shelf availability and respond smarter to a theft event.
• Enables retailers to fight all sources of theft. Apparel retailers now have the potential to distinguish among the actions more typical of a casual shoplifter from a professional thief or organized retail theft group, enabling them to take action based on the size and scope of the event.
• Enhances theft deterrence. Combined with Checkpoint’s Merchandise Visibility Solution, apparel retailers can enhance deterrence by displaying an image or description of the items that were stolen, warning shoplifters of the presence of a more sophisticated system, and causing them to recalculate the risk.
• Increases alarm integrity. By leveraging encoded tags, retailers benefit from the Overhead Solution’s ability to “ignore” tags from other retailers, helping associates respond confidently to alarms, and increasing customer satisfaction.