Electronic Article Surveillance Market - Growth, Trends, COVID-19 Impact, and Forecasts (2023 - 2028)

Electronic Article Surveillance Market - Growth, Trends, COVID-19 Impact, and Forecasts (2023 - 2028)

The global market for electronic article surveillance is expected to register a CAGR of 3.20 percent over the next few years.With the rise in the adoption of Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS) devices, especially in retail stores throughout the globe, and the high adoption of acoustic-magnetic systems for broader protection in retail stores, the demand for EAS systems is expected to grow and expand throughout the forecast period.

• Organized retail crime remains a growing threat throughout the globe. From brazen merchandise heists by aggressive gangs to sophisticated e-commerce fraud teams, organized retail crime is an increasing concern for retailers. Hence, the protection against inventory losses, shoplifting, and theft is becoming a primary issue for retail stores, creating demand for EAS products and thus driving the market's growth significantly.
• Shoplifting is a significant cause of shrinkage for the retail business. Hence, owing to the increasing number of shoplifting cases globally, there is a growing demand for electronic article surveillance systems, mainly in the retail sector. The application of EAS reduces the need for extensive surveillance in every area, saving a significant investment and providing maximum safety and security for the products. Moreover, the increased inclination toward digital operations and the augmented growth potential in emerging economies are some of the principal opportunities for EAS providers. The clothing and fashion accessory stores are anticipated to have a significant market share of the EAS technology.
• Further, companies are investing heavily in this technology of smart labels. For instance, ThinFilm from Oslo launched a smart label for electronic product security to improve traditional Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS) technology. The result was a new category of anti-shoplifting brands that are easy to incorporate into merchandise and compatible with the world’s 8.2 MHz radiofrequency EAS infrastructure.
• However, aspects like the requirement of additional investment to implement EAS systems and the disruption in the retail sector affecting demand could be significant factors hindering market growth throughout the forecasted period.
• The COVID-19 outbreak affected international trade and supply chains of essential and non-essential services and goods. With the spread of COVID-19 across the world, businesses suffered significantly. The market growth slowed due to the temporary shutdown of retail outlets around the globe, such as clothing and fashion stores, among other types of department stores. Additionally, because of the significant effects of demand distribution across the semiconductor sector, manufacturers of new EAS solutions needed help keeping up with demand.

• Tags are expected to witness significant demand during the forecasted period. The labels are usually offered in various designs and sizes according to their different applications. Vendors all across the world innovate and launch new tags at regular intervals so that the products can contain the latest technology involved in them.
• For instance, in the first quarter of last year, Prosegur Security introduced DoubleLock, a new EAS tag that reduced the number of tag defeats by 60% in a use case. The Double Lock EAS tag has a hook and magnet release mechanism that is protected by a patent. This makes it hard to defeat.
• The EAS tags primarily come in multiple format types. The most common type is a pin that goes through the item, which is generally attached to the product’s tags with a looping wire. These EAS tags are compatible with AM and RF systems, and some work with RFID technology. The benefits of EAS in clothing and fashion accessories, such as ease of application, reduced labor, open merchandising and brand enhancement, speed of delivery on the shop floor, and an improved customer experience, are driving further adoption.
• Source tagging is a good way for stores to keep their goods safe and prevent theft. It is now a common practice.In the process, electronic security tags are put directly on consumer products when they are made and packaged.
• According to the Office for National Statistics (UK), the police in England and Wales recorded about 275 thousand shoplifting crimes in the last financial year, but only about 228 thousand in the following year. This big rise in shoplifting in general will drive the market to grow and expand over the next few years.

• In the EAS market, North America is anticipated to have a sizable market share. The increasing number of retail stores in the apparel, supermarket, and mass merchandise sectors is anticipated to create a considerable demand for EAS systems.
• During the time frame of the forecast, the United States is expected to have the largest market share in North America. The country has been witnessing various retail store expansions. For instance, Ulta Beauty announced its plan to open 40 new stores last year with an investment of USD 70 million. In addition, the company planned to relocate ten stores and remodel 11 stores in the United States. Such investments have been driving opportunities for the EAS market in the region.
• Also, the market is seeing mergers, acquisitions, and investments by key players as part of a vital strategy to improve business and their presence to reach customers and meet their needs for different applications. For example, in the first quarter of 2016, Johnson Controls announced that its leading global retail solutions portfolio, Sensormatic Solutions, had teamed up with Intel Corporation to help retailers find new ways to do business.The collaboration would enable customers to make informed business decisions that drive positive outcomes.
• Also, since the opportunities have been growing, many companies have put a lot of effort into getting into the business of electronic article surveillance.For example, in the first quarter of 2016, ADT Commercial, which offers commercial security, life safety, fire, and risk consulting services, announced its new venture into electronic article surveillance through a strategic alliance with WG Security Products, Inc.This means that ADT can install and service WG Security EAS products in the United States. This includes the full range of detection systems, specialty tags, hard tags, disposable labels, detachers, and deactivation devices.
• Also, more and more customers in the area are asking for EAS tags to have ARC (associate in regulation and compliance) certification, so many vendors have put money into getting the certification. For example, Checkpoint was the first company to make radio-frequency identification (RFID) inlays with UCODE 9 IC that were certified by Auburn University's ARC Laboratory in the second quarter of last year. The certification matches every part of the retail supply chain and shows that the reading distance has grown by 11%. It also cuts down on the amount of time it takes to count the stock in both crowded and empty places.

The global market for electronic article surveillance (EAS) systems is moderately competitive, with many regional and global players. The rise in investments in R&D activities and innovations is expected to enhance market growth shortly and offer potential growth opportunities for new entrants in the coming few years.

In April 2022, Mainetti, an RFID retail solutions provider, declared its partnership with MishiPay, the premier scan-and-go technology provider. Shoppers worldwide will benefit from seamless checkout due to their combined efforts. With this new agreement, Mainetti can offer frictionless shopping to its apparel customers with the additional benefit of integrating MishiPay's patent-pending technology into its RFID and EAS solution and utilizing it on purchased items.

In January 2022, Securitas Electronic Security, Inc., an industry-leading expert in retail security, declared a strategic partnership with Nedap to deliver leading RFID, retail, and cloud-based loss prevention solutions. This partnership extends SES offerings to involve Nedap's portfolio of retail offerings, mainly focused on inventory visibility and seamless shopping experiences; it contains EAS solutions for retail stores, end-to-end supply chain visibility, unified omnichannel customer experiences, and seamless loss prevention.

• The market estimate (ME) sheet in Excel format
• 3 months of analyst support