To the nightclub owners and managers out there who are looking for new ideas to make your club more profitable, the following scenarios are for you: OH BOY! It’s your birthday and you want to celebrate? How about having some family and friends over for some cake and fun party hats and a game of charades? Planning a class reunion and you want to go to the former high school and reminisce about “the good old days”? Go all out and add a punch bowl and cookies THAT will be fun! Maybe it is an office party you are planning and nothing is more special than meeting in the office and everyone bringing a dessert tray! I am not poking fun at any of these suggestions they actually fall right up my alley (all except for the charades and party hats and I really didn’t like high school, so nix that idea), but there are people who are looking to spice up their celebrations. One great idea is to take your party to a nightclub that offers a bottle service.
I know you want to ask me what is the difference between taking your group to a club and having a good time or going to a nightclub with a bottle service? Well, there is quite a bit of difference. Think of it like this, anyone can go to a baseball game and get general admission tickets and if you aren’t stuck up in the nosebleed section or behind a pillar, you might get to see some of the ball game (you might also be stuck next to the drunk guy with the stupid foam finger, screaming in your ear). Someone that goes to that same ball game and gets box seats sits near the action, has more room, better access to EVERYTHING! (I am not that guy). Bottle Service at a nightclub comes in the form of a VIP reservation and varying levels of service. One tier of service may sit you at a private booth near the dancefloor and the DJ while another level of service may offer a private room overlooking the dancefloor. Regardless of the VIP level you purchase, all come with a bottle (or two, depending on the level) of top shelf wine or spirits. A bottle service waiter or waitress is usually dedicated to serve the group. The price for the bottle(s) is significantly marked up but this is offset by the personal attention the group receives from the server. The bottle of choice is also secured with a bottle lock that can only be opened by the server with a special key they carry.
So now you want to know how your group benefits from the waiter or waitress with a bottle lock key. You may even want to know why you aren’t just pouring your own drinks. The bottle lock keeps people who are not members of your party from sneaking drinks from your bottle. Even with a dedicated server, you are still in nightclub and things can be a bit hectic. The bottle lock also keeps members of your own party from over filling their drinks. Your waiter or waitress pours your drinks and mixes them for you, ensuring a proper serving is measured out. Once a round of drinks is poured the bottle lock goes back on and bottle is secured until time for another round. Bottle locks also help you to keep your party fun and controlled. If a member of the group is starting to go from life of the party to the drunk with the foam finger, the server can deny further access to the bottle since he or she has the bottle lock key.
If you are the owner of a nightclub and you want to increase profits, put yourself in the place of the person wanting to add pizzazz to their party. Make your clients feel like VIPs and add a bottle service to your business with dedicated staff and bottle locks. And hey, throw in a game of charades if you want to!
For more information on bottle service, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547
AutoPeg Tag-5 WC blog 35
Stop Shoplifting-3
Electronic Article Surveillance-4
Are Empty Pegs A Problem? Auto Peg Tags Can Improve Product In-Stocks
Sometimes there are things I see in the area of merchandise protection that make me just scratch my head and wonder, “What was the point of this?” For example, when locking peg hooks were first introduced in a store I worked for, I really thought someone had lost their mind. We put the peg hooks in place and then we hung the merchandise on the peg. The head scratcher was that the merchandise we locked on the pegs mostly had flimsy cardboard or plastic hangtags! Now I don’t pretend to be all that smart but I was certainly able to see that these peg hooks were probably not going to do a lot to stop shoplifting. It was not going to take much effort to tear the product hang tab and remove the merchandise from the peg. Sure enough, the bad guys figured out that cardboard and plastic hang tabs were pretty easy to defeat. It took some time but eventually someone else in the company also noticed that inventory continued to disappear from stores, in spite of the fact we were using locking peg hooks. Soon we were receiving shipments of hard, plastic hang tab reinforces. Checkpoint hard tags has taken the idea of a tab reinforcer a step further and they have introduced the iS Auto Peg Tag.
The iS Auto Peg Tag attaches to the portion of the product packaging that has the peg hook tab. The tag works with an electronic article surveillance system so it will cause an antenna to alarm if someone attempts to leave the store with the tag still on the product. The tags are easy to apply in the store and easy to remove at the register with the S3 hand key. Another benefit is that the tag does not increase the product packaging size so it does not reduce the quantity of product on a peg hook. Limiting product on a shelf or on a peg hook has the potential for reducing sales because fewer products are immediately available to the customer.
Electronic Article Surveillance products such as Checkpoint hard tags can’t stop shoplifting altogether, but they can deter a significant portion of theft. The casual shoplifter who steals on an impulse may be deterred simply by seeing the tag and the “Security Protected” wording on an iS Auto Peg Tag. These shoplifters tend to steal for a thrill or a dare or they just have an urge to take something they want. They aren’t necessarily willing to take serious risks if they think it may result in an alarm alerting store personnel when they leave the store. For professional boosters, those who come in to steal large quantities of products in a single trip, electronic article surveillance may not be enough to stop them from shoplifting. Electronic article surveillance does, however, cause them to consider other factors such as whether or not the store has additional security measures in place such as closed circuit television cameras or store Loss Prevention employees. Often boosters are looking for peg hook merchandise such as razor blades and batteries. These items tend to be somewhat expensive but are easily resold online, at flea markets or to individuals who will buy the product for a few cents on the dollar and resell it in a small “Mom and Pop” shop. iS Auto Peg Tags used with anti-theft tools such as locking peg hooks can make it hard for boosters to get product off of the peg quickly.
The ability to controlling inventory starts with putting measures in place to stop shoplifting. Checkpoint’s iS Auto Peg Tag is one tool that will work with your store EAS system to deter thieves and keep your store profitable.
For more information on AutoPeg Tags, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547
Sometimes there are things I see in the area of merchandise protection that make me just scratch my head and wonder, “What was the point of this?” For example, when locking peg hooks were first introduced in a store I worked for, I really thought someone had lost their mind. We put the peg hooks in place and then we hung the merchandise on the peg. The head scratcher was that the merchandise we locked on the pegs mostly had flimsy cardboard or plastic hangtags! Now I don’t pretend to be all that smart but I was certainly able to see that these peg hooks were probably not going to do a lot to stop shoplifting. It was not going to take much effort to tear the product hang tab and remove the merchandise from the peg. Sure enough, the bad guys figured out that cardboard and plastic hang tabs were pretty easy to defeat. It took some time but eventually someone else in the company also noticed that inventory continued to disappear from stores, in spite of the fact we were using locking peg hooks. Soon we were receiving shipments of hard, plastic hang tab reinforces. Checkpoint hard tags has taken the idea of a tab reinforcer a step further and they have introduced the iS Auto Peg Tag.
The iS Auto Peg Tag attaches to the portion of the product packaging that has the peg hook tab. The tag works with an electronic article surveillance system so it will cause an antenna to alarm if someone attempts to leave the store with the tag still on the product. The tags are easy to apply in the store and easy to remove at the register with the S3 hand key.
Another benefit is that the tag does not increase the product packaging size so it does not reduce the quantity of product on a peg hook. Limiting product on a shelf or on a peg hook has the potential for reducing sales because fewer products are immediately available to the customer.
Electronic Article Surveillance products such as Checkpoint hard tags can’t stop shoplifting altogether, but they can deter a significant portion of theft. The casual shoplifter who steals on an impulse may be deterred simply by seeing the tag and the “Security Protected” wording on an iS Auto Peg Tag. These shoplifters tend to steal for a thrill or a dare or they just have an urge to take something they want. They aren’t necessarily willing to take serious risks if they think it may result in an alarm alerting store personnel when they leave the store. For professional boosters, those who come in to steal large quantities of products in a single trip, electronic article surveillance may not be enough to stop them from shoplifting. Electronic article surveillance does, however, cause them to consider other factors such as whether or not the store has additional security measures in place such as closed circuit television cameras or store Loss Prevention employees. Often boosters are looking for peg hook merchandise such as razor blades and batteries. These items tend to be somewhat expensive but are easily resold online, at flea markets or to individuals who will buy the product for a few cents on the dollar and resell it in a small “Mom and Pop” shop. iS Auto Peg Tags used with anti-theft tools such as locking peg hooks can make it hard for boosters to get product off of the peg quickly.
The ability to controlling inventory starts with putting measures in place to stop shoplifting. Checkpoint’s iS Auto Peg Tag is one tool that will work with your store EAS system to deter thieves and keep your store profitable.
For more information on AutoPeg Tags, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547
THE VERSATILE VERSALOK
I’m not a salesperson. That’s not what I do. By day, I’m a Regional Loss Prevention Manager for a big box retailer. At night, I try to provide you all with some tricks of the trade to, hopefully, make your work life a little easier. I like to tell you how certain products have had a financial impact on my stores and the occasional funny shoplifter story. I think today, I’m going to do something a bit different. I’m going to talk directly about a great product that I see so many retailers use incorrectly and in-effectively, including my own. I’m talking about the Alpha Versalok.
A few years ago, we purchased these tags as we were having some serious shrink issues with toner and ink. We tried a few different tags and nothing really fit well, so we went with these. The Versalok is easy to use. You simply slide a disposable trace through the main tag and stick it to whatever you don’t want stolen. Here was our problem, and it’s the same problem that I’ve seen at countless other stores.
The associate tagging the merchandise simply stuck the tag on top of the box, or on the side. Well it doesn’t take a criminal with half a brain to realize this. What we found was copious amounts of empty boxes where our toner and ink cartridges were once merchandise. The associates and managers who tagged these did absolutely nothing to prevent shoplifting. How ridiculous (and frustrating I may add) was it for me to see this? I know some of you are laughing a bit at this because you’ve been in the exact same boat. Well, there is a solution.
If you’re using the Versalok to secure a boxed item, here’s a novel idea. Place the trace over the seams of the box. This way, the box can’t simply be opened and the merchandise taken out. If someone attempts to open the packing, or cut the trace, the product will alarm. It’s so very simple, yet effective against a thief. I heard a lot of my peers say how ineffective these tags are, but I think they are just mis-understood. If used correctly and with just a bit of common sense, they’re as good as any other tag on the market.
Taking this a step further, since we’re talking about the uses of this particular tag, it’s also great on display product. How often do we fail to prevent shoplifting on single item displays? Probably more often than we are comfortable saying out loud. These are a great solution to various items that may be difficult to secure with more traditional tagging devices. Perfect for high end baseball bats displays, electronics and so much more.
There are hundreds of different products out there that all promise to prevent shoplifting. As a retailer, you can spend hundreds and even thousands of dollars on EAS systems, cameras and state of the art technology. None of it is any good if the tools aren’t used as they are designed. You wouldn’t load ammo backwards into a firearm and expect it to take down a 10 point buck, would you? Why misfire when it comes to your product protection strategies either?
For more information about Alpha Technology, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547
I’m not a salesperson. That’s not what I do. By day, I’m a Regional Loss Prevention Manager for a big box retailer. At night, I try to provide you all with some tricks of the trade to, hopefully, make your work life a little easier. I like to tell you how certain products have had a financial impact on my stores and the occasional funny shoplifter story. I think today, I’m going to do something a bit different. I’m going to talk directly about a great product that I see so many retailers use incorrectly and in-effectively, including my own. I’m talking about the Alpha Versalok.
A few years ago, we purchased these tags as we were having some serious shrink issues with toner and ink. We tried a few different tags and nothing really fit well, so we went with these. The Versalok is easy to use. You simply slide a disposable trace through the main tag and stick it to whatever you don’t want stolen. Here was our problem, and it’s the same problem that I’ve seen at countless other stores.
The associate tagging the merchandise simply stuck the tag on top of the box, or on the side. Well it doesn’t take a criminal with half a brain to realize this. What we found was copious amounts of empty boxes where our toner and ink cartridges were once merchandise. The associates and managers who tagged these did absolutely nothing to prevent shoplifting. How ridiculous (and frustrating I may add) was it for me to see this? I know some of you are laughing a bit at this because you’ve been in the exact same boat. Well, there is a solution.
If you’re using the Versalok to secure a boxed item, here’s a novel idea. Place the trace over the seams of the box. This way, the box can’t simply be opened and the merchandise taken out. If someone attempts to open the packing, or cut the trace, the product will alarm. It’s so very simple, yet effective against a thief. I heard a lot of my peers say how ineffective these tags are, but I think they are just mis-understood. If used correctly and with just a bit of common sense, they’re as good as any other tag on the market.
Taking this a step further, since we’re talking about the uses of this particular tag, it’s also great on display product. How often do we fail to prevent shoplifting on single item displays? Probably more often than we are comfortable saying out loud. These are a great solution to various items that may be difficult to secure with more traditional tagging devices. Perfect for high end baseball bats displays, electronics and so much more.
There are hundreds of different products out there that all promise to prevent shoplifting. As a retailer, you can spend hundreds and even thousands of dollars on EAS systems, cameras and state of the art technology. None of it is any good if the tools aren’t used as they are designed. You wouldn’t load ammo backwards into a firearm and expect it to take down a 10 point buck, would you? Why misfire when it comes to your product protection strategies either?
For more information about Alpha Technology, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547
Clothing security tags-5 WC blog 44
clothing security-4
Checkpoint tags-4
Winter Solstice And Shortage: Spring Into Action With Clothing Security Tags
Winter Solstice begins on December 21st and Spring Equinox begins on March 20th. No, don’t worry this is not a scientific article on seasonal change or the Earth’s rotation around the sun or anything of the sort. This is important to you if you own a retail business and especially if you sell clothing. If clothing security has not been a priority for your business in the past, I encourage you to continue reading this article. You may not be aware of it but according to the 2014-2015 Global Retail Theft Barometer report, “A majority of shrinkage occurs during winters due to high customer traffic/ football (due to festive season) which makes it difficult to track and prevent theft” (pg. 52 GRTB 2015). A few other facts from the report that all retail managers and store owners should take note of:
• Total shrinkage in North America stood at $36.79 billion
• Top Shrinkage retailers – Pharmacy/drug stores (2.25%), apparel specialists (1.98%), electronics/appliances/media retailers (1.90%). The majority of shrink caused by shoplifting and dishonest employees
• Dishonest employee theft caused approximately $16.56 billion in shrinkage
• Shoplifting caused approximately $13.24 billion in shrinkage
For this article I have one additional fact from the report that I want to focus on and this is specific to clothing retailers. According to the report, Apparel Specialist Retailers spent .30% on loss prevention as a percent to total sales. This should be a cause for concern if your store(s) sell apparel, have you been focused on clothing security? Is this an area where you have cut spending in order to save money? Perhaps it would be in your interest to ask yourself if cutting spending on security has caused an increase in shortage for your stores.
Clothing security can be in the form of Checkpoint tags and clothing alarms attached to merchandise. You may not be sure of the type of security device that best suits your need and Checkpoint can assist you with the best solution to fit your needs. It is important to remember that clothing security tags should be part of an electronic article surveillance system (EAS). Investing in tags alone without the EAS antennas at the entrance/exits to your stores will only deter a fraction of the theft that is taking place in your store. Checkpoint tags on clothes will set off the antenna alarm if someone attempts to exit the store with items in which tags are attached. Depending on the type of clothing security tags, there are some that will not only sound the antenna alarm but also have a built in alarm. These devices activate in the event someone attempts to walk out with a tagged item providing a double alarm protection.
For retail owners who don’t invest in clothing security tags because they are concerned about it detracting from the appearance of their products, there are solutions available to address this problem. Checkpoint tags can be designed to be a part of a label and sewn into clothing at the source. These tags may incorporate a scannable UPC code that is undetectable to the shopper or the potential shoplifter. There are also teams that can assist in designing clothing security tags using a variety of materials and brand them with your business logo. These tags still incorporate EAS technology giving you the same protection as traditional clothing security tags.
So now you may be wondering, why is winter such a contributing factor to the increase in theft, especially clothing theft? Several things are pointed out in the Global Retail Theft Barometer Report, one factor being that people wear heavier clothing including jackets. It is much easier to conceal merchandise in and under these items. Even wearing clothing out of a store is easier. Other factors included, “shoppers’ pressure to buy, seasonal hiring and crowded and chaotic stores” (pg. 52 GRTB 2015). I will address some of these factors in future articles.
Inventory time will be approaching soon and as store shortage results post reflect on how much you spent on clothing security. Did you cut spending this year to save money? Did you spend on security at all? I recommend you take time to review the 2015 Global Retail Theft Barometer Report and then consider if investing in Checkpoint tags and other clothing alarms could save you money in the long run.
For more information on clothing security tags, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547
Winter Solstice begins on December 21st and Spring Equinox begins on March 20th. No, don’t worry this is not a scientific article on seasonal change or the Earth’s rotation around the sun or anything of the sort. This is important to you if you own a retail business and especially if you sell clothing. If clothing security has not been a priority for your business in the past, I encourage you to continue reading this article. You may not be aware of it but according to the 2014-2015 Global Retail Theft Barometer report, “A majority of shrinkage occurs during winters due to high customer traffic/ football (due to festive season) which makes it difficult to track and prevent theft” (pg. 52 GRTB 2015). A few other facts from the report that all retail managers and store owners should take note of:
• Total shrinkage in North America stood at $36.79 billion
• Top Shrinkage retailers – Pharmacy/drug stores (2.25%), apparel specialists (1.98%), electronics/appliances/media retailers (1.90%). The majority of shrink caused by shoplifting and dishonest employees
• Dishonest employee theft caused approximately $16.56 billion in shrinkage
• Shoplifting caused approximately $13.24 billion in shrinkage
For this article I have one additional fact from the report that I want to focus on and this is specific to clothing retailers. According to the report, Apparel Specialist Retailers spent .30% on loss prevention as a percent to total sales. This should be a cause for concern if your store(s) sell apparel, have you been focused on clothing security? Is this an area where you have cut spending in order to save money? Perhaps it would be in your interest to ask yourself if cutting spending on security has caused an increase in shortage for your stores.
Clothing security can be in the form of Checkpoint tags and clothing alarms attached to merchandise. You may not be sure of the type of security device that best suits your need and Checkpoint can assist you with the best solution to fit your needs. It is important to remember that clothing security tags should be part of an electronic article surveillance system (EAS). Investing in tags alone without the EAS antennas at the entrance/exits to your stores will only deter a fraction of the theft that is taking place in your store. Checkpoint tags on clothes will set off the antenna alarm if someone attempts to exit the store with items in which tags are attached. Depending on the type of clothing security tags, there are some that will not only sound the antenna alarm but also have a built in alarm. These devices activate in the event someone attempts to walk out with a tagged item providing a double alarm protection.
For retail owners who don’t invest in clothing security tags because they are concerned about it detracting from the appearance of their products, there are solutions available to address this problem. Checkpoint tags can be designed to be a part of a label and sewn into clothing at the source. These tags may incorporate a scannable UPC code that is undetectable to the shopper or the potential shoplifter. There are also teams that can assist in designing clothing security tags using a variety of materials and brand them with your business logo. These tags still incorporate EAS technology giving you the same protection as traditional clothing security tags.
So now you may be wondering, why is winter such a contributing factor to the increase in theft, especially clothing theft? Several things are pointed out in the Global Retail Theft Barometer Report, one factor being that people wear heavier clothing including jackets. It is much easier to conceal merchandise in and under these items. Even wearing clothing out of a store is easier. Other factors included, “shoppers’ pressure to buy, seasonal hiring and crowded and chaotic stores” (pg. 52 GRTB 2015). I will address some of these factors in future articles.
Inventory time will be approaching soon and as store shortage results post reflect on how much you spent on clothing security. Did you cut spending this year to save money? Did you spend on security at all? I recommend you take time to review the 2015 Global Retail Theft Barometer Report and then consider if investing in Checkpoint tags and other clothing alarms could save you money in the long run.
For more information on clothing security tags, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547
Wardrobing-5 WC blog 54
Return Fraud-5
Alpha Shark Tags-4
Freedom From Fraud With Alpha Shark Tags
So, have you read something that makes you shake your head in disbelief? I have been in the retail industry for about 25 years in one capacity of another and when I think I have seen or heard everything, I always seem to find out that I am mistaken. Take return fraud for example, I thought it was a rather limited number of people that have participated in it. Though I dealt with it quite a bit as a Loss Prevention Manager and as a retail store executive, I gave the benefit of the doubt that the vast majority of people would not engage in it. That is why I was somewhat shocked when I read in an online opinion piece in theguardian, “Wardrobing: why returning worn clothes is the latest fashion”, by Daisy Buchanan, the writer states that, “According to a survey, one in six women admits to purchasing an item of clothing or an accessory, wearing it and then returning it to the shop for a full refund.” The writer does not say who conducted the survey, but if the numbers are true, this is should be a concern for clothing retailers. Return fraud and specifically wardrobing is a costly drain on retailers. I can only think of two ways to defend against this, either deny a majority of your returns and lose good customers along with the bad ones or use Alpha Shark Tags.
Wardrobing is the intentional purchasing of clothing or clothes accessories, wearing the merchandise and returning it. While this is certainly not illegal, it is a grey area and it does hurt retailers who are burdened with the associated costs of the activity. In most cases of wardrobing, the clothing is being worn to a party or a night out. This means when it is returned to the store it has odors of food, cologne, perfume or perhaps stains from drinks or makeup. These pieces of clothing can no longer be sold at the original price. If the practice is new to you, you may be wondering why, if the tags are removed are retailers taking them back? People who practice this return fraud use a number of methods to get around this problem. The easiest is to tape the tags inside the clothing so they are not visible. Another method is to carefully remove the tags from the plastic tag attachment/hanger and replace them before returning the merchandise. The third way is a little more extreme, but some will go out and purchase a ticket gun with the plastic attachments. Alpha Shark Tags are attached to clothes and placed where they cannot be hidden. The store requires the tags to be cut off by the customer when they get the clothing home and once removed, the garment cannot be returned.
In an attempt to find more information on how many people may actually practice this type of return fraud, I reviewed a number of web sites and came across one, which did a poll of their readers. The question was, “Have You bought clothes just to wear then return?”
The first two responses that could be given were, “I regularly wear and return to get free rental” and “I’ve done it once or twice in the last couple of years”. Of 16,020 votes cast, 580 respondents voted in one of these two ways. The next response that could be given was, “I’ve only ever done it once in my life”. Of those polled, 703 said they have done it once in their life. Granted this is not a scientific poll, but about 8% of those responding to this poll said they have bought clothes just to wear and return at least once in their life. If Alpha Shark Tags were used in your store, you would be able to prevent nearly 10% of your customers from committing refund fraud and that would translate into further profit.
Don’t allow your store to be the victim of return fraud. There is a solution to wardrobing by using Alpha Shark Tags on your merchandise. By using Alpha Shark Tags, your honest customers will continue to shop with you and the dishonest customers will go elsewhere.
For more information on Alpha Shark Tags contact us or call 1.770.426.0547
So, have you read something that makes you shake your head in disbelief? I have been in the retail industry for about 25 years in one capacity of another and when I think I have seen or heard everything, I always seem to find out that I am mistaken. Take return fraud for example, I thought it was a rather limited number of people that have participated in it. Though I dealt with it quite a bit as a Loss Prevention Manager and as a retail store executive, I gave the benefit of the doubt that the vast majority of people would not engage in it. That is why I was somewhat shocked when I read in an online opinion piece in theguardian, “Wardrobing: why returning worn clothes is the latest fashion”, by Daisy Buchanan, the writer states that, “According to a survey, one in six women admits to purchasing an item of clothing or an accessory, wearing it and then returning it to the shop for a full refund.” The writer does not say who conducted the survey, but if the numbers are true, this is should be a concern for clothing retailers. Return fraud and specifically wardrobing is a costly drain on retailers. I can only think of two ways to defend against this, either deny a majority of your returns and lose good customers along with the bad ones or use Alpha Shark Tags.
Wardrobing is the intentional purchasing of clothing or clothes accessories, wearing the merchandise and returning it. While this is certainly not illegal, it is a grey area and it does hurt retailers who are burdened with the associated costs of the activity. In most cases of wardrobing, the clothing is being worn to a party or a night out. This means when it is returned to the store it has odors of food, cologne, perfume or perhaps stains from drinks or makeup. These pieces of clothing can no longer be sold at the original price. If the practice is new to you, you may be wondering why, if the tags are removed are retailers taking them back? People who practice this return fraud use a number of methods to get around this problem. The easiest is to tape the tags inside the clothing so they are not visible. Another method is to carefully remove the tags from the plastic tag attachment/hanger and replace them before returning the merchandise. The third way is a little more extreme, but some will go out and purchase a ticket gun with the plastic attachments. Alpha Shark Tags are attached to clothes and placed where they cannot be hidden. The store requires the tags to be cut off by the customer when they get the clothing home and once removed, the garment cannot be returned.
In an attempt to find more information on how many people may actually practice this type of return fraud, I reviewed a number of web sites and came across one, which did a poll of their readers. The question was, “Have You bought clothes just to wear then return?”The first two responses that could be given were, “I regularly wear and return to get free rental” and “I’ve done it once or twice in the last couple of years”. Of 16,020 votes cast, 580 respondents voted in one of these two ways. The next response that could be given was, “I’ve only ever done it once in my life”. Of those polled, 703 said they have done it once in their life. Granted this is not a scientific poll, but about 8% of those responding to this poll said they have bought clothes just to wear and return at least once in their life. If Alpha Shark Tags were used in your store, you would be able to prevent nearly 10% of your customers from committing refund fraud and that would translate into further profit.
Don’t allow your store to be the victim of return fraud. There is a solution to wardrobing by using Alpha Shark Tags on your merchandise. By using Alpha Shark Tags, your honest customers will continue to shop with you and the dishonest customers will go elsewhere.
For more information on Alpha Shark Tags, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547
