After COVID-19 pandemic, the Hong Kong market environment has undergone a structural transformation, including changes in consumer habits and rising operational costs, which have placed pressure on retail industry. According to the crime statistics of Q3 2025 by the Police Force, shoplifting cases in Hong Kong have reached 6,011 incidents which rank high among all theft categories, and supermarkets are one of the common venues of thrifting. While self-checkout enhances shopping convenience, it brings a new security challenge which customers failing to scan certain items to evade payment. This action has evolved into a new form of shoplifting, resulting in a significant loss for supermarkets. By facing these challenges, smart security systems can build a robust security barrier for supermarkets.
Defuse Shoplifting by EAS System
Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS) system plays an important role in building this safety barrier. It creates a security net to prevent shoplifting incidents by installing antennas at main entrances and applying tags to products. EAS system works with tags and deactivators, tags should be deactivated at the cashier. Otherwise, alarms will be triggered immediately if an active tag passes through the EAS panel.
EAS system is mainly divided into two types which are EAS Pedestal and Conceal Floor System. Supermarkets shall choose the most suitable option based on the environment, installation scale, and the needs of their products. EAS Pedestal is commonly installed at the main entrances or escalator exits in multi-level structures that serve as a strong visual deterrent. Since the conceal floor system is often used in the entrances of large or premium supermarkets, its hidden panel design can blend seamlessly into the environment, maintaining supermarket aesthetics while providing an anti-theft function.
At the same time, supermarkets should apply different EAS tags based on products’ features, including soft tags and hard tags. Soft Tag utilizes a one-time hidden label design, suitable for products with soft packaging or those that are not easily destroyed, such as snack packaging, coffee boxes, packaged fruit boxes and cosmetics. Hard Tag, it is sturdy and durable which is hardly remove. It is always used for protecting high-value products, such as wine, shampoo, supplements and electronic items. A well-implemented EAS system reduces labour costs associated with surveillance while eliminating the risk of theft. It enhances security in the self-checkout area and deters shoplifting.
People Counting System Changes Retails Development
Besides EAS system, People Counting System is a key factor to the retail industry as it converts intangible customer flow into tangible revenue growth. By integrating AI visual analysis and Internet of Things (IoT) sensing technology, it is able to transform customer traffic data into an improved operation strategy. Through real-time flow monitoring, supermarkets can optimize staffing arrangements based on the analysis of customer flow in different periods and zones, thereby preventing under- or over-staffing and enhancing customers’ shopping experiences. Moreover, by analyzing historical data with AI algorithms, People Counting System can analyze future traffic trends for peak seasons, festivals and promotional periods, enabling proactive planning of staffing and inventory. Foot Traffic Analytics provides deep insights into customer dwell time and actions in different zones, which helps improve product placement and plan promotional strategies to boost customer shopping interest and enhance operational gains. All data will upload to cloud platform and administrators will be able to view the reports at any time and anywhere. By comparing sales performance and customer behaviours across different branches, operational decisions become more agile and precise.
Comprehensive Surveillance by CCTV
A comprehensive security strategy is incomplete without CCTV system. It provides 24/7 recording coupled with remote monitoring which allows administrators to understand all branch operations in real-time from any location via cloud platform. On the other hand, most supermarkets have a wide structure but display too many products, which narrows the aisles. By installing 360° Fisheye Camera that can fully cover shelf aisles and corners, which blind spots are eliminated for preventing theft. CCTV is one of the key tools for theft prevention, actively deterring operational losses by recording.
Smartly Strengthen Burglar Alarm System
While the EAS System and CCTV provide overall protection, special areas such as storage, conveyor corridors and non-operational periods also require Burglar Alarm Systems for targeted protection. These include Smoke and Heat Detector, Alarm Systems and Door Contact. Supermarkets are often filled with cartons, products and electrical equipment, which face risks of fire. Smoke and Heat Detector utilizes dual photoelectric and ionization sensing technology to detect fires through the analysis of smoke particles and temperature. It filters out false alarms from environmental disruptions, such as dust and smoke from supermarket sampling stations. When abnormal temperature or smoke density is detected, the audible alarm is triggered. Alerts are sent immediately to administrators’ phones, providing early warning to protect both people and assets.
Apart from the systems mentioned, installing Card Reader, Push Bar and Sliding Door is also important, which can be strengthen supermarket safety and prevent loss. By integrating data to improve return on investment and enhance operations management. If you are interested in above products and services, please contact us via email at enquiry@ensecsolutions.com or call (852) 2343 6884 for more product details.