Theft Costs A Store Money; Using The Loss Prevention ROI Calculator Doesn’t And The Results Will Astound You

 

Loss Prevention ROI Calculator-4                                                                                      WC Blog 221
Can Loss Prevention Be Free?-3
Free Loss Prevention Calculator-3
Theft Costs A Store Money; Using The Loss Prevention ROI Calculator Doesn’t And The Results Will Astound You
     There a a lot of small retail stores that struggle to survive, let alone grow their profits.  According to the Small Business Association (SBA) Office of Advocacy, https://www.sba.gov/sites/default/files/Business-Survival.pdf  “About two thirds of businesses with employees survive at least 2 years and about half survive at least 5 years.”  Owners and managers of small businesses know that there is a lot of personal sweat and blood that goes into running their store but that isn’t necessarily enough to stay afloat.  There are a number of factors that can cause a business to go under.  On their website, Quickbooks lists several of these reasons and I recommend anyone thinking about going into business for themselves to carefully read the article so they are prepared to be successful.  There was one factor that I would like to focus on from the article; http://quickbooks.intuit.com/r/money/8-reasons-why-small-businesses-fail/ According to the Quickbooks article one of the reasons they cite for businesses failing is lack of funding.  Their suggestion is that as part of the planning for the business, “calculate startup and operating costs.”  In making those calculations one should ask, “What will my Return On Investment (ROI) be with this or that purchase?”  Well, if you are starting a retail store you can start by using the Loss Prevention ROI Calculator.
      Going into the retail business involves more than simply setting up shelving, installing a point of sale system, obtaining merchandise and suppliers.  It is easy to overlook the ongoing expense of what theft and merchandise shortage is going to cost.  People are going to steal from you, customers, employees and potentially vendors.  In North America in 2014-2015, retail shrinkage was around 1.97% (according to the 2014-2015 Global Retail Theft Barometer)!  It is critical that before you start a business you plan on addressing this issue.  The Loss Prevention ROI Calculator provides you with the ability to enter both your projected or anticipated sales dollars for a year and how much you would like to invest in retail theft prevention technology.  You can change your entries and try out different calculations and the information is yours to view.  Nothing is sent out unless you decide you would like more information and you can then share a figure with a representative.  The amazing part of this is the Loss prevention ROI Calculator costs nothing to use.  Can Loss Prevention Be Free?  You may be surprised to learn it can be after you try out the Free Loss Prevention Calculator. 
     But what if you have already started your business, you are struggling, and you need to fix your problems since it is too late to plan them in your calculations.  Can Loss Prevention Be Free for you as well?  You bet it can.  Your business may be seeing profits drained by theft and you don’t know it.  An electronic article surveillance (EAS) system can prevent theft by deterring it in the first place and secondly, by allowing you to identify and stop it when it does happen.  The deterrence value of an EAS system alone significantly reduces your shortage.   Since you have an established business, you can use the Loss Prevention ROI Calculator and enter your known annual sales information without having to guess, as a start up owner would have to do.  Enter different dollar amounts of what you might like to invest in EAS protection and you will get an estimate for how many months it would take for your new Checkpoint system to show your Return On Investment.  With the Free Loss Prevention Calculator you will even be able to generate a PDF document to use for your strategic planning to get back  to a stable footing.  
     As you make preparations for a new business or if you are struggling right now, you need to consider what your return on investments will be for each purchase you make and account for the dollars spent.  Unless you plan for it, assume you will lose 2% or more annually from your bottom line.  OR, you can make the best investment and use the Free Loss Prevention Calculator.  No cost to use and you can answer the question for yourself, “Can Loss Prevention Be Free?”  Go ahead, try it out and see how much a retail theft prevention system can save you and how quickly it can pay for itself. 
Need information on the Loss Prevention ROI Calculator?  Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.

There a a lot of small retail stores that struggle to survive, let alone grow their profits.  According to the Small Business Association (SBA) Office of Advocacy, https://www.sba.gov/sites/default/files/Business-Survival.pdf “About two thirds of businesses with employees survive at least 2 years and about half survive at least 5 years.” Owners and managers of small businesses know that there is a lot of personal sweat and blood that goes into running their store but that isn’t necessarily enough to stay afloat. There are a number of factors that can cause a business to go under. On their website, Quickbooks lists several of these reasons and I recommend anyone thinking about going into business for themselves to carefully read the article so they are prepared to be successful. There was one factor that I would like to focus on from the article; http://quickbooks.intuit.com/r/money/8-reasons-why-small-businesses-fail/ According to the Quickbooks article one of the reasons they cite for businesses failing is lack of funding. Their suggestion is that as part of the planning for the business, “calculate startup and operating costs.” In making those calculations one should ask, “What will my Return On Investment (ROI) be with this or that purchase?” Well, if you are starting a retail store you can start by using the Loss Prevention ROI Calculator.

Going into the retail business involves more than simply setting up shelving, installing a point of sale system, obtaining merchandise and suppliers. It is easy to overlook the ongoing expense of what theft and merchandise shortage is going to cost. People are going to steal from you, customers, employees and potentially vendors. In North America in 2014-2015, retail shrinkage was around 1.97% (according to the 2014-2015 Global Retail Theft Barometer)! It is critical that before you start a business you plan on addressing this issue. The Loss Prevention ROI Calculator provides you with the ability to enter both your projected or anticipated sales dollars for a year and how much you would like to invest in retail theft prevention technology. You can change your entries and try out different calculations and the information is yours to view. Nothing is sent out unless you decide you would like more information and you can then share a figure with a representative. The amazing part of this is the Loss prevention ROI Calculator costs nothing to use. Can Loss Prevention Be Free?  You may be surprised to learn it can be after you try out the Free Loss Prevention Calculator.      

 

But what if you have already started your business, you are struggling, and you need to fix your problems since it is too late to plan them in your calculations. Can Loss Prevention Be Free for you as well? You bet it can. Your business may be seeing profits drained by theft and you don’t know it. An electronic article surveillance (EAS) system can prevent theft by deterring it in the first place and secondly, by allowing you to identify and stop it when it does happen. The deterrence value of an EAS system alone significantly reduces your shortage. Since you have an established business, you can use the Loss Prevention ROI Calculator and enter your known annual sales information without having to guess, as a start up owner would have to do. Enter different dollar amounts of what you might like to invest in EAS protection and you will get an estimate for how many months it would take for your new Checkpoint system to show your Return On Investment. With the Free Loss Prevention Calculator you will even be able to generate a PDF document to use for your strategic planning to get back  to a stable footing.  

As you make preparations for a new business or if you are struggling right now, you need to consider what your return on investments will be for each purchase you make and account for the dollars spent. Unless you plan for it, assume you will lose 2% or more annually from your bottom line. OR, you can make the best investment and use the Free Loss Prevention Calculator. No cost to use and you can answer the question for yourself, “Can Loss Prevention Be Free?” Go ahead, try it out and see how much a retail theft prevention system can save you and how quickly it can pay for itself. 

 

Need information on the Loss Prevention ROI Calculator? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.

 

 

Lack of Checkpoint Labels Leads To A Trickle Down Theory

 

Checkpoint labels-3                                                                                                                          WC Blog 152
Stop shoplifting-3
Lack of Checkpoint Labels Leads To A Trickle Down Theory
     On occasion when I am discussing my Loss Prevention experience with others the question usually arises, “You must have some interesting stories to tell?”  As a matter of fact, I do have a couple that I enjoy sharing.  I was never of the mindset that someone should be allowed to get away with shoplifting.  As long as there was nothing more pressing happening in the store I expected my Loss Prevention team to stop all shoplifters (within company guidelines) or if it was a small item, to make every effort to deter theft.  One area we were having a lot of petty theft in was our collector cards near the end of the checkout lanes.  There was a popular collector card series out at the time, based on a children’s television cartoon that was the object of many juvenile shoplifters.  We tagged our boxed sets of cards with Checkpoint labels to stop shoplifting but we did not do so with individual card packs due to the quantities we carried and some were source tagged by the vendor inside the packaging.
      Let me briefly take a moment to mention what the Checkpoint labels are.  Labels come in a number of styles, but they are “soft” tags that are designed with a circuit in the tag that is designed to work with the radio frequency of a Checkpoint security system electronic article surveillance antenna (EAS).  The labels are placed on merchandise at the store and in some cases by vendors who “source tag” merchandise inside the packaging.  Tags are “turned off” when passed over deactivation pads at the point of sale, usually integrated in the point of sale scan beds.  When someone attempts to steal merchandise that is tagged, the tag is not deactivated and will set off the EAS antenna alarms.
     So, one day I was walking through the store doing audits on high theft merchandise and I heard the sound of cellophane being torn open, one of those things that always perked up my ears.  I started to walk down the back row of the area I was in and noticed a young boy, perhaps 5 or 6 years old standing in an aisle with his back to me.  He was opening some type of packaging, but I had not seen him select anything although I could guess it was one of our collectable card packs. It was merely my intention to simply stop shoplifting by startling him and getting him to put the cards down and leave. I walked up behind the young fella and said, “Hello”.  He turned to look at me with a petrified look on his face.  I looked at the cards in his hand, and the torn packaging and asked what kind of cards he had.  The boy did not respond, his mouth was hanging open and his eyes were wide.  I asked again about the cards in his hands and then I heard something that sounded like water spilling on the tile floor.  I looked down and wouldn’t you know it, the young man was urinating himself and on our floor.  Being a parent myself, I was sympathetic and asked for assistance in a spill cleanup and took the boy to the front where I paged for his mother.  Mom came up and I explained what had happened.  I let her know I thought the he may have learned his lesson and said he was probably embarrassed enough at having wet himself.  Mom apologized for her son, bought him a pair of jeans and left.  
     It has been my experience that when merchandise has Checkpoint labels on them and they are placed in a visible location on a package, they have a strong deterrent value and can stop shoplifting.  In my case above, there was no visible label and even had there been the young man may not have been old enough to be deterred, but an adult may have been.
Need more information on Checkpoint labels? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.

On occasion when I am discussing my Loss Prevention experience with others the question usually arises, “You must have some interesting stories to tell?” As a matter of fact, I do have a couple that I enjoy sharing. I was never of the mindset that someone should be allowed to get away with shoplifting. As long as there was nothing more pressing happening in the store I expected my Loss Prevention team to stop all shoplifters (within company guidelines) or if it was a small item, to make every effort to deter theft. One area we were having a lot of petty theft in was our collector cards near the end of the checkout lanes. There was a popular collector card series out at the time, based on a children’s television cartoon that was the object of many juvenile shoplifters. We tagged our boxed sets of cards with Checkpoint labels to stop shoplifting but we did not do so with individual card packs due to the quantities we carried and some were source tagged by the vendor inside the packaging.

Let me briefly take a moment to mention what the Checkpoint labels are. Labels come in a number of styles, but they are “soft” tags that are designed with a circuit in the tag that is designed to work with the radio frequency of a Checkpoint security system electronic article surveillance antenna (EAS). The labels are placed on merchandise at the store and in some cases by vendors who “source tag” merchandise inside the packaging. Tags are “turned off” when passed over deactivation pads at the point of sale, usually integrated in the point of sale scan beds. When someone attempts to steal merchandise that is tagged, the tag is not deactivated and will set off the EAS antenna alarms.

So, one day I was walking through the store doing audits on high theft merchandise and I heard the sound of cellophane being torn open, one of those things that always perked up my ears. I started to walk down the back row of the area I was in and noticed a young boy, perhaps 5 or 6 years old standing in an aisle with his back to me. He was opening some type of packaging, but I had not seen him select anything although I could guess it was one of our collectable card packs. It was merely my intention to simply stop shoplifting by startling him and getting him to put the cards down and leave. I walked up behind the young fella and said, “Hello”. He turned to look at me with a petrified look on his face. I looked at the cards in his hand, and the torn packaging and asked what kind of cards he had. The boy did not respond, his mouth was hanging open and his eyes were wide.  I asked again about the cards in his hands and then I heard something that sounded like water spilling on the tile floor. I looked down and wouldn’t you know it, the young man was urinating himself and on our floor. Being a parent myself, I was sympathetic and asked for assistance in a spill cleanup and took the boy to the front where I paged for his mother. Mom came up and I explained what had happened. I let her know I thought the he may have learned his lesson and said he was probably embarrassed enough at having wet himself. Mom apologized for her son, bought him a pair of jeans and left.  

It has been my experience that when merchandise has Checkpoint labels on them and they are placed in a visible location on a package, they have a strong deterrent value and can stop shoplifting. In my case above, there was no visible label and even had there been the young man may not have been old enough to be deterred, but an adult may have been.

 

Need more information on Checkpoint labels? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.

 

 

Disturbed By Display Disappearance? O Tags Can Disrupt Shoplifter Dastardly Deeds

 

O Tag-5                                                                                                                                         WC Blog 189
Prevent Shoplifting-3
Retail Anti-Theft Device-3
 Disturbed By Display Disappearance? O Tags Can Disrupt Shoplifter Dastardly Deeds
     Does your store sell tools, electric appliances or electric household gadgets such as vacuum cleaners?  Most stores that sell such items have display models out that clients may look at to get an idea if they want to purchase the item or not.  Usually the display is a working model that can be taken from the shelf and held or examined.  For example, I worked in stores that sold vacuum cleaners and we had an unboxed display for most of the units.  If someone wanted to get a feel for how light the weight was or how easy it was to remove the dirt bin, they were able to do so with the floor sample.  To do so meant that we could not tie the display down or secure it to prevent shoplifting since the idea was to make it accessible to our customers.  Similarly, we had displays of power tools that we had out for handling as well.  We did experience issues of shoplifting and box switching and had to develop strategies to prevent this from happening.  Our strategies would have been a lot easier to create if we had Alpha’s O Tag available to us at that time.  
     Alpha’s O Tag is a retail anti-theft device that can be clamped around the power cord of a device.  The tag has a hard casing with a circular center that can be secured around the power cord and cannot be pulled over the plug end.  The only means for a shoplifter to get the tag off a piece of merchandise is to cut the cord, which of course renders the item inoperable.  Customers are able to pick up and handle the item they are interested in, but criminals are thwarted from stealing the display.  The tag also works with an electronic article surveillance (EAS) system which also prevents shoplifting.  If a tag is not properly removed from a display at the point of sale by a cashier, the tag will cause the EAS antennas at the door to sound their built in alarm.  
     I mentioned that we had problems with box switching of merchandise.  This is simply another form of shoplifting, but what would happen was a patron would take an expensive display and also a cheaper, boxed version of another brand and remove the cheaper brand item from its’ box.  The expensive display model would go in the box and the cheaper version was placed in the display units spot.  The shoplifter would re-tape the box and go through the check lane, paying the price of the cheaper item but in reality getting the expensive item hidden inside.  Finding the right retail anti-theft device to deter theft could be a challenge and at the time we did not have the tools at our disposal that are available today.
     An O tag attached to the cord of a display item would activate the EAS antenna alarm even when concealed in a box.  Store staff would be able to respond to the alarm and investigate the cause, locating the source of the activation.   Our problem wasn’t limited to just vacuum cleaners other departments had issues too.  We had to prevent shoplifting and box switching in the hardware department as well as in kitchen ware.  Power tool displays sometimes disappeared as did small kitchen appliances and we didn’t always identify it right away so thieves did get away with the merchandise from time to time.  
     If you own a small hardware store or a small appliance store, consider all the merchandise that could be placed on display and protected.  Can openers, electric frying pans, coffee makers, and toaster ovens are just a few items I can think of that are often put on display in stores to draw customers and let them see what they are buying.  Hardware stores put out electric drills, sanders, electric saws and again, an O Tag could easily be used to deter theft and box switching activity.
     Prevent shoplifting and box switching by using an O Tag retail anti-theft device to keep your merchandise in the store and minimize opportunities for loss.  Decreased loss means more merchandise on the floor and we all know that translates to increased sales.  And isn’t that what drives your bottom line?
Get more information on O Tags, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.
 

Does your store sell tools, electric appliances or electric household gadgets such as vacuum cleaners? Most stores that sell such items have display models out that clients may look at to get an idea if they want to purchase the item or not. Usually the display is a working model that can be taken from the shelf and held or examined. For example, I worked in stores that sold vacuum cleaners and we had an unboxed display for most of the units. If someone wanted to get a feel for how light the weight was or how easy it was to remove the dirt bin, they were able to do so with the floor sample. To do so meant that we could not tie the display down or secure it to prevent shoplifting since the idea was to make it accessible to our customers. Similarly, we had displays of power tools that we had out for handling as well. We did experience issues of shoplifting and box switching and had to develop strategies to prevent this from happening. Our strategies would have been a lot easier to create if we had Alpha’s O Tag available to us at that time.  

Alpha’s O Tag is a retail anti-theft device that can be clamped around the power cord of a device. The tag has a hard casing with a circular center that can be secured around the power cord and cannot be pulled over the plug end. The only means for a shoplifter to get the tag off a piece of merchandise is to cut the cord, which of course renders the item inoperable. Customers are able to pick up and handle the item they are interested in, but criminals are thwarted from stealing the display. The tag also works with an electronic article surveillance (EAS) system which also prevents shoplifting. If a tag is not properly removed from a display at the point of sale by a cashier, the tag will cause the EAS antennas at the door to sound their built in alarm.  

I mentioned that we had problems with box switching of merchandise. This is simply another form of shoplifting, but what would happen was a patron would take an expensive display and also a cheaper, boxed version of another brand and remove the cheaper brand item from its’ box. The expensive display model would go in the box and the cheaper version was placed in the display units spot. The shoplifter would re-tape the box and go through the check lane, paying the price of the cheaper item but in reality getting the expensive item hidden inside. Finding the right retail anti-theft device to deter theft could be a challenge and at the time we did not have the tools at our disposal that are available today.

An O tag attached to the cord of a display item would activate the EAS antenna alarm even when concealed in a box. Store staff would be able to respond to the alarm and investigate the cause, locating the source of the activation. Our problem wasn’t limited to just vacuum cleaners other departments had issues too. We had to prevent shoplifting and box switching in the hardware department as well as in kitchen ware. Power tool displays sometimes disappeared as did small kitchen appliances and we didn’t always identify it right away so thieves did get away with the merchandise from time to time.  

If you own a small hardware store or a small appliance store, consider all the merchandise that could be placed on display and protected. Can openers, electric frying pans, coffee makers, and toaster ovens are just a few items I can think of that are often put on display in stores to draw customers and let them see what they are buying. Hardware stores put out electric drills, sanders, electric saws and again, an O Tag could easily be used to deter theft and box switching activity.

Prevent shoplifting and box switching by using an O Tag retail anti-theft device to keep your merchandise in the store and minimize opportunities for loss. Decreased loss means more merchandise on the floor and we all know that translates to increased sales.  And isn’t that what drives your bottom line?

 

Get more information on O Tags, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.

 

 

 

Customer Counting Systems: An Innovative Way To Identify Customer Trends, Manage labor And Increase Profit

 

AA Blog 08
Customer Counting Systems:  5
Door Counting Sensor:  4
Customer Counting Systems:  An Innovative Way to Identify Customer Trends, Manage labor and Increase Profit
In my position I have to travel rather frequently to various locations throughout the United States and Canada to deal with security related issues.  As you can expect my travel often comes with some interesting stories and experiences, some of which can be rather humorous.  It also provides me with the opportunity to frequent different hotels, restaurants, and other businesses during the course of my travel.  Although some experiences are better than others, it often gives me a different perspective regarding how businesses operate.  On a recent trip I decided to eat dinner at a popular chain restaurant that was close to my hotel.  It was rather early in the day for dinner, but I was dealing with a time change situation.  When I walked in I noticed the place was pretty empty, which didn’t surprise me.  After deciding what I wanted, I waited for an extended period of time for my server to come take my order, which began to irritate me.  As I was waiting and looking around I couldn’t help but notice that there were a lot of employees working considering the time of day.  I use the word working liberally, as most of them were standing around having personal conversations, and doing nothing in the way of customer service.  I counted 12 employees as I sat there waiting and I couldn’t help but think, what a waste of money and resources, for poor service.  Maybe those large chains can afford to waste money by poorly scheduling resources, but what about those small businesses that are working hard to reduce their overhead costs, in order to increase their profit margin?  This made me think about customer counting systems and how they could help this restaurant work more efficiently.  
Although, most people might think customer counting systems are primarily used in the retail industry; they can be a great resource for any business that wants to track customer activity.  It is important for any type of business to know how many people are frequenting their establishment and when.  A door counting sensor can be extremely beneficial because it can provide real time data to eliminate labor issues.  It can also provide other information that can be used to improve business or evaluate current or future promotional opportunities.   A door counting sensor provides customer information, which is reported by the hour each day.  Therefore, a manager or owner can utilize this information for scheduling purposes to ensure they have the appropriate staff working during the peak times of the day.  Customer counting systems can also help you determine whether a promotional sale or event was successful.  A door counting sensor can also be used to identify opportunities for growth and development.  If a business can identify lulls in service, they can better direct their efforts on promotions during those time frames.  For example, if a restaurant is slowest between 4pm-6pm, maybe you could improve sales by adding happy hour specials during those times.  Customer counting systems can be received in a reporting format or incorporated into your sales data so that you can easily and quickly see trends without having to conduct a lengthy analysis based on sales and other factors.  
Customer counting systems are easily installed and are a cost-efficient means to help you monitor your customer traffic in order to reduce overhead cost, while improving sales and customer satisfaction.  Although I know that each business is operated differently, thus resulting in a different experience each time, I do know that poor service will ultimately impact my future consumer choices.  So if you are a business manager or business owner make balancing your budget and increasing sales a priority through easy and efficient trend analysis.  I would strongly recommend getting a door counting sensor, so you can better track and respond to your customers’ needs.  
Customer counting systems are important and we can help you with it.  Call 1.770.426.0547 and let’s talk.  

In my position I have to travel rather frequently to various locations throughout the United States and Canada to deal with security related issues. As you can expect my travel often comes with some interesting stories and experiences, some of which can be rather humorous. It also provides me with the opportunity to frequent different hotels, restaurants, and other businesses during the course of my travel. Although some experiences are better than others, it often gives me a different perspective regarding how businesses operate. On a recent trip I decided to eat dinner at a popular chain restaurant that was close to my hotel. It was rather early in the day for dinner, but I was dealing with a time change situation. When I walked in I noticed the place was pretty empty, which didn’t surprise me. After deciding what I wanted, I waited for an extended period of time for my server to come take my order, which began to irritate me. As I was waiting and looking around I couldn’t help but notice that there were a lot of employees working considering the time of day. I use the word working liberally, as most of them were standing around having personal conversations, and doing nothing in the way of customer service. I counted 12 employees as I sat there waiting and I couldn’t help but think, what a waste of money and resources, for poor service. Maybe those large chains can afford to waste money by poorly scheduling resources, but what about those small businesses that are working hard to reduce their overhead costs, in order to increase their profit margin? This made me think about customer counting systems and how they could help this restaurant work more efficiently.  

Although, most people might think customer counting systems are primarily used in the retail industry; they can be a great resource for any business that wants to track customer activity. It is important for any type of business to know how many people are frequenting their establishment and when. A door counting sensor can be extremely beneficial because it can provide real time data to eliminate labor issues. It can also provide other information that can be used to improve business or evaluate current or future promotional opportunities. A door counting sensor provides customer information, which is reported by the hour each day. Therefore, a manager or owner can utilize this information for scheduling purposes to ensure they have the appropriate staff working during the peak times of the day. Customer counting systems can also help you determine whether a promotional sale or event was successful. A door counting sensor can also be used to identify opportunities for growth and development. If a business can identify lulls in service, they can better direct their efforts on promotions during those time frames. For example, if a restaurant is slowest between 4pm-6pm, maybe you could improve sales by adding happy hour specials during those times. Customer counting systems can be received in a reporting format or incorporated into your sales data so that you can easily and quickly see trends without having to conduct a lengthy analysis based on sales and other factors.  

Customer counting systems are easily installed and are a cost-efficient means to help you monitor your customer traffic in order to reduce overhead cost, while improving sales and customer satisfaction. Although I know that each business is operated differently, thus resulting in a different experience each time, I do know that poor service will ultimately impact my future consumer choices. So if you are a business manager or business owner make balancing your budget and increasing sales a priority through easy and efficient trend analysis. I would strongly recommend getting a door counting sensor, so you can better track and respond to your customers’ needs.  

 

Customer counting systems are important and we can help you with it. Call 1.770.426.0547 and let’s talk.  

 

 

 

Wardrobing- No Excuse To Borrow An Item You Can’t Afford

Celebrity stylists do it.  Soccer moms do it. Young professionals that can’t afford to pay for an “interview” suit do it. Wardrobing is a more common practice than you may think.  You may have overheard a lady at a party even say it out loud. “Be careful and don’t spill your wine on my dress; I have to return it tomorrow.” And they’ll say it like it’s perfectly acceptable, as if they’re oblivious to the fact that it is clearly return fraud. Some blame it on the fact that they simply cannot afford a nice outfit for a wedding or a party. Some blame it on social pressure. They wouldn’t dare post a selfie wearing the same outfit twice.


Wardrobing is the act of purchasing an item with zero intentions of keeping it. The people that do this don’t purchase items like normal customers. They know the store’s return policy where they shop. They know exactly how long they have, and as long as they return it on time, they will be able to receive a full refund. They want to be able to use they products they want for free, treating retailers as if they are simply a library. Basically, they pay nothing in the end for the items they use. They may bring back high heels with scuffs on the bottoms. They may bring back a purse with crumbs in the pockets. There’s nothing more gross than a party dress with sweat stains in the armpits. However, if the customer claims they were not happy with the dress, even though it has clearly been worn, the store may have no choice but to accept the return, as long as they have their receipt and they are within the valid return time period.  And the store is the one that suffers for this type of return fraud. After the customer returns the less valuable items, if they are still salable at all, they are usually still sold at a deep discount for being used. That just eats up a retailer’s profit line.


There is a solution to wardrobing, however. It is a simple, yet extremely effective way to put a stop to free renters. The tools are called Alpha Shark Tags.They are meant to be attached to the front of a garment in a very prominent area. As for shoes and other accessories, they can also be attached via lanyard. They are bright red and call immediate attention to themselves. The customer can still try on the item in the store or in the comfort of their own home.  It does not affect the way the garment fits.  Alpha Shark Tags are designed to work as part of your store’s return policy. You can even attach a copy of that return policy to the item with the tag itself. They are to be removed at home with a simple pair of household scissors. But, once removed, the item is no longer eligible to be returned. That’s the main reason you attach it in a conspicuous area of the item. The idea is to place Alpha Shark Tags where they cannot simply be tucked away. They are designed to deter return fraud, and to send a clear message that your store does not participate in wardrobing.


Get more information on Alpha Shark Tags.  Contact us or call:1.770.426.0547