A method of preventing the theft of packaged products from a building, in which the method includes the steps of incorporating an electronic device into the packaging material for the packaged product, and configuring the electronic device to activate an alarm if the packaged product is removed from the building prior to deactivation of the electronic device. In a particular embodiment, the method further includes configuring the electronic device to impair the function or appearance of the packaged product if the packaged product is removed from the building prior to deactivation of the electronic device.