CONSUMER RESPONSES TO ELECTRONIC ARTICLE SURVEILLANCE ALARMS

Electronic article surveillance (EAS) is a primary weapon in retailers ' arsenal for abating shoplifting. Although the evidence does suggest that EAS decreases shoplifting, no research has been conducted to asse ss the unintended effects from errant EAS alarms. Based on a survey ad ministered to 250 individuals selected from a systematic random sample , the results of this study reveal that nearly half of all consumers h ave experienced an accidental EAS alarm. Most importantly, 16 percent of consumers may never shop again at a store that subjects them to an errant EAS alarm.