Let Go Of My Lego! Toy Thieves Aren’t Playing Around And Neither Should You; Use Retail Anti-Theft Devices To Stop Shoplifting

 

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Let Go Of My Lego! Toy Thieves Aren’t Playing Around And Neither Should You; Use Retail Anti-Theft Devices To Stop Shoplifting
     I’m a big kid at heart and I still like walking through the toy aisles of stores to see what’s new and what continues to thrive on the market all these years later. It tickles me to see some of my favorite toys and games repackaged in order to pique the interest of today’s generation who are geared towards electronic gadgets. One all-time favorite of mine that continues to fascinate kids today are the Lego toys. They come in very small sets that sell for a few dollars to huge collector editions that sell in the hundreds of dollars. Add to the mix the cute Lego movies and video games and it’s no wonder they have been so successful. Unfortunately when something is popular with consumers, thieves see another market and it becomes a target for them. These items were popular when I was a Loss Prevention Manager trying to prevent shoplifting of them by small time crooks. Today there are theft rings targeting Lego toys and we are talking about some major dollars! I saw an online article headline on the subject and started surfing around the internet and came across several stories involving theft of Legos and not just in the U.S.:
• June 11, 2015, The Guardian.com reported police had foiled a $100,000 Lego Crime Ring
• Nov 5, 2005 Fox News website reported a Reno, Nevada man had been arrested for stealing $200,000 of Lego toys.
• August 26, 2016 King5.com reported a ring had been stealing sets valued at more than $300 each.
• Jan 19, 2017 stuff.co.nz headline: Lego crime wave hits Melbourne: Police ask for help to catch brick obsessed thief.
• March 22,2017 wrg.com: Hundreds of dollars’ worth of Legos stolen from Arlington specialty shop
Obviously Legos aren’t just for kids anymore, but trying to prevent shoplifting of these toys isn’t an easy task. When I was in the field we were limited in what we could do to protect the merchandise aside from limiting floor quantities. If I had to find a solution today my preference would be to use some type of retail anti-theft devices such as Alpha Spider Wrap to stop thieves.
     There are several reasons I would lean towards the Alpha Spider Wrap for this particular product. First is that this retail anti-theft device is secured around all sides of a box. It hinders the thief from getting to the contents and removing parts and pieces from a set. A second benefit is the electronic article surveillance (EAS) technology contained in each Spider Wrap. The EAS part of the device allows it to be detected by EAS pedestals near entry/exit doors in the event anyone was to try to shoplift a box. Finally, the devices are tamper proof meaning that if a criminal attempts to cut a wire, the device sounds an alarm alerting associates to the activity.
     Someone may wonder why a lock up showcase wouldn’t be a better option to prevent shoplifting. The use of showcases allows stores to fill their shelves and keeps the bad guys from getting access to merchandise you want to control. These are legitimate points but there are two major drawbacks to using showcases. First, a store has to have enough people readily available with a set of keys to respond and open a case up and that may be just so the customer can browse. If you don’t make a sale from the time spent do you think that was the best use of your employee’s time? Second and sort of related to the first, failure to respond to a customer request in a timely manner impacts the customer’s perception of your service. If people don’t feel like they are receiving great service they may not return to shop at your store. The other issue is that if someone doesn’t get immediate service at a showcase they may walk off and the opportunity for the sale is lost. Yes, showcases may keep product secure but they can hamper sales and customer service.
     Using retail anti-theft devices gives retailers the flexibility to keep toy shelves full and drive up sales. Legos and other high theft merchandise are protected to prevent shoplifting and shoppers have access to goods without the requirement of a salesperson to open a case or stand with them while they browse. It is a win-win solution for store owners/managers.
     Don’t let Lego lifters empty your shelves and your pockets. Try using Alpha Spider Wrap to deter thieves and watch how much your in-stock percent improves and sales increase.
Get more information on Alpha Spider Wraps, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.
 

I’m a big kid at heart and I still like walking through the toy aisles of stores to see what’s new and what continues to thrive on the market all these years later. It tickles me to see some of my favorite toys and games repackaged in order to pique the interest of today’s generation who are geared towards electronic gadgets. One all-time favorite of mine that continues to fascinate kids today are the Lego toys. They come in very small sets that sell for a few dollars to huge collector editions that sell in the hundreds of dollars. Add to the mix the cute Lego movies and video games and it’s no wonder they have been so successful. Unfortunately when something is popular with consumers, thieves see another market and it becomes a target for them. These items were popular when I was a Loss Prevention Manager trying to prevent shoplifting of them by small time crooks. Today there are theft rings targeting Lego toys and we are talking about some major dollars! I saw an online article headline on the subject and started surfing around the internet and came across several stories involving theft of Legos and not just in the U.S.:

 

• June 11, 2015, The Guardian.com reported police had foiled a $100,000 Lego Crime Ring

• Nov 5, 2005 Fox News website reported a Reno, Nevada man had been arrested for stealing $200,000 of Lego toys.

• August 26, 2016 King5.com reported a ring had been stealing sets valued at more than $300 each.

• Jan 19, 2017 stuff.co.nz headline: Lego crime wave hits Melbourne: Police ask for help to catch brick obsessed thief.

• March 22,2017 wrg.com: Hundreds of dollars’ worth of Legos stolen from Arlington specialty shop

 

Obviously Legos aren’t just for kids anymore, but trying to prevent shoplifting of these toys isn’t an easy task. When I was in the field we were limited in what we could do to protect the merchandise aside from limiting floor quantities. If I had to find a solution today my preference would be to use some type of retail anti-theft devices such as Alpha Spider Wrap to stop thieves.

There are several reasons I would lean towards the Alpha Spider Wrap for this particular product. First is this retail anti-theft device is secured around all sides of a box. It hinders the thief from getting to the contents and removing parts and pieces from a set. A second benefit is the electronic article surveillance (EAS) technology contained in each Spider Wrap. The EAS part of the device allows it to be detected by EAS pedestals near entry/exit doors in the event anyone was to try to shoplift a box. Finally, the devices are tamper proof meaning that if a criminal attempts to cut a wire, the device sounds an alarm alerting associates to the activity.

Someone may wonder why a lock up showcase wouldn’t be a better option to prevent shoplifting. The use of showcases allows stores to fill their shelves and keeps the bad guys from getting access to merchandise you want to control. These are legitimate points but there are two major drawbacks to using showcases. First, a store has to have enough people readily available with a set of keys to respond and open a case up and that may be just so the customer can browse. If you don’t make a sale from the time spent do you think that was the best use of your employee’s time? Second and sort of related to the first, failure to respond to a customer request in a timely manner impacts the customer’s perception of your service. If people don’t feel like they are receiving great service they may not return to shop at your store. The other issue is that if someone doesn’t get immediate service at a showcase they may walk off and the opportunity for the sale is lost. Yes, showcases may keep product secure but they can hamper sales and customer service.

Using retail anti-theft devices gives retailers the flexibility to keep toy shelves full and drive up sales. Legos and other high theft merchandise are protected to prevent shoplifting and shoppers have access to goods without the requirement of a salesperson to open a case or stand with them while they browse. It is a win-win solution for store owners/managers.

Don’t let Lego lifters empty your shelves and your pockets. Try using Alpha Spider Wrap to deter thieves and watch how much your in-stock percent improves and sales increase.

 

Get more information on Alpha Spider Wraps, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.