How EAS Systems Cut Retail Shrinkage in Kenya
Electronic article surveillance deters theft on sight and catches what deterrence misses. Kenyan retailers typically see a 50-70% drop in shrinkage in year one.
What Shrinkage Costs
Shrinkage — the gap between recorded stock and stock on the shelf — runs at 1.5% to 3% of turnover for most Kenyan retailers. It comes from shoplifting, staff theft, supplier fraud and administrative error. On a supermarket turning over KES 200 million a year, that is KES 3-6 million walking out of the building.
How EAS Changes the Numbers
An electronic article surveillance system has three parts: security tags or labels on the merchandise, detection gates at the exit, and deactivation equipment at the till. A tagged item that passes the gate without being deactivated triggers an alarm.
The visible gates and tags deter opportunistic theft before it happens. The alarm catches the rest. Across our Kenyan installations, retailers see a 50-70% reduction in shrinkage within the first year, with the fastest payback in high-value categories — spirits, cosmetics, baby formula, phone accessories and fashion.
Choosing the Right Technology
RF (8.2 MHz) is the most cost-effective and suits general retail. AM (58 kHz) gives wider aisle coverage and near-zero false alarms next to metal shelving and fridges, which makes it the supermarket standard. RFID-EAS adds item-level inventory tracking on the same tags. The right choice depends on your aisle widths, product mix and budget — which is what a store survey establishes.