BF015
Stop shoplifting- 3
Auto peg tag- 3
Checkpoint hard tags-3
USE AUTO PEG TAGS TO PREVENT SWEEPING THEFT!
One of the most important means of recognizing ways to stop shoplifting in your store is to identify the types of shoplifters you have matriculating throughout your stores. I personally have come across many different faces in my days of Loss Prevention service. I’ve caught heart surgeons stealing sandwich bags. I’ve caught store managers tapping the store safes and tills. I’ve even apprehended a group of four ladies straight off of a church bus. All of them were seemingly mundane and harmless cases of opportunistic shoplifters.
However there is a different waive of shoplifters that you must know about. The kind who are crafty, desperate and in the know. These are the kind of thieves that don’t really care about loss prevention personnel in the store or the fact that you have cameras all over the ceiling. They’re in it to get ‘bang’ for their ‘buck’ (or lack thereof since they’re stealing) by grabbing as much stuff as possible in one fell swoop. These are the kinds of shoplifters that will go mad when they encounter the Auto peg tag by Checkpoint systems! See, these particular types of Checkpoint hard tags deny the benefit of allowing the thief from ‘sweeping’ your peg displays clean of product. What I mean by ‘sweeping’ is by removing the entire contents of product from a single peg hook display, in order to conceal them for imminent theft.
Shoplifters can certainly still ‘sweep’ the peg hooks with the Auto peg tags affixed to the products in question but there is no doubt that getting that volume of secured product past the EAS (Electronic Article Surveillance) systems and out of your store, will prove to be utterly difficult. These wonderful little tags work by affixing to the tops of your smaller blister pack and peg hook products and providing the trigger needed to set off your EAS alarm system. More professional thieves will take arm loads (not just handfuls) of smaller expensive product. If they ‘sweep’ up an arm load of product with these clever Checkpoint hard tags on them, they will certainly find difficulty in moving enough of the tags to circumvent detection by the EAS pedestals at the front of the store. A thief would have to quite literally take the time to remove every single last Checkpoint hard tag from each product swept from the peg hook. A major inconvenience and deterrent! If you want to stop shoplifting and keep product on your displays and into the hands of paying customers, these are the way to go.
The types of product these tags help secure are some of the most commonly targeted products by shoplifters. These include but are not limited to batteries, cosmetics, razor blades, condoms, ink cartridges, allergy medicines, diabetic testing strips, weight loss supplements, electronic toothbrushes and some cell phones. All of these items (and more) are often ‘swept’ from peg hooks by the arms loads and stolen from stores every day. At this very moment even, someone is cleaning off a peg full of batteries from a display and dumping them into bag or the bottom of an infant stroller. The benefit to thief is the ability to take a mass quantity of the same product at one time, then turn around and sell them on the black market for half price. All of the above named items command a decent retail price and beneficial targets for shoplifters looking to make a clean sweep and maximize their ‘take’. Imagine what someone who ‘sweeps’ two dozen packs of batteries from a single peg hook would make? At an average of $6.00 per pack, the crook could make just shy of $75 (street price) for a half dozen. Pop a Checkpoint brand Auto peg tag on these items and that easy money dream is all over for the shoplifter. The thief would literally have to destroy the visual appeal of the product in order to remove the tags from them, rendering them virtually useless on the black market for resale!
For more information about the Auto peg tag, contact us or call 1-770-426-0547.
One of the most important means of recognizing ways to stop shoplifting in your store is to identify the types of shoplifters you have matriculating throughout your stores. I personally have come across many different faces in my days of Loss Prevention service. I’ve caught heart surgeons stealing sandwich bags. I’ve caught store managers tapping the store safes and tills. I’ve even apprehended a group of four ladies straight off of a church bus. All of them were seemingly mundane and harmless cases of opportunistic shoplifters.
However there is a different waive of shoplifters that you must know about. The kind who are crafty, desperate and in the know. These are the kind of thieves that don’t really care about loss prevention personnel in the store or the fact that you have cameras all over the ceiling. They’re in it to get ‘bang’ for their ‘buck’ (or lack thereof since they’re stealing) by grabbing as much stuff as possible in one fell swoop. These are the kinds of shoplifters that will go mad when they encounter the Auto peg tag by Checkpoint systems! See, these particular types of Checkpoint hard tags deny the benefit of allowing the thief from ‘sweeping’ your peg displays clean of product. What I mean by ‘sweeping’ is by removing the entire contents of product from a single peg hook display, in order to conceal them for imminent theft.
Shoplifters can certainly still ‘sweep’ the peg hooks with the Auto peg tags affixed to the products in question but there is no doubt that getting that volume of secured product past the EAS (Electronic Article Surveillance) systems and out of your store, will prove to be utterly difficult. These wonderful little tags work by affixing to the tops of your smaller blister pack and peg hook products and providing the trigger needed to set off your EAS alarm system. More professional thieves will take arm loads (not just handfuls) of smaller expensive product. If they ‘sweep’ up an arm load of product with these clever Checkpoint hard tags on them, they will certainly find difficulty in moving enough of the tags to circumvent detection by the EAS pedestals at the front of the store. A thief would have to quite literally take the time to remove every single last Checkpoint hard tag from each product swept from the peg hook. A major inconvenience and deterrent! If you want to stop shoplifting and keep product on your displays and into the hands of paying customers, these are the way to go.
The types of product these tags help secure are some of the most commonly targeted products by shoplifters. These include but are not limited to batteries, cosmetics, razor blades, condoms, ink cartridges, allergy medicines, diabetic testing strips, weight loss supplements, electronic toothbrushes and some cell phones. All of these items (and more) are often ‘swept’ from peg hooks by the arms loads and stolen from stores every day. At this very moment even, someone is cleaning off a peg full of batteries from a display and dumping them into a bag or the bottom of an infant stroller. The benefit to thief is the ability to take a mass quantity of the same product at one time, then turn around and sell them on the black market for half price. All of the above named items command a decent retail price and beneficial targets for shoplifters looking to make a clean sweep and maximize their ‘take’. Imagine what someone who ‘sweeps’ two dozen packs of batteries from a single peg hook would make? At an average of $6.00 per pack, the crook could make just shy of $75 (street price) for a half dozen. Pop a Checkpoint brand Auto peg tag on these items and that easy money dream is all over for the shoplifter. The thief would literally have to destroy the visual appeal of the product in order to remove the tags from them, rendering them virtually useless on the black market for resale!
For more information about the Auto peg tag, contact us or call 1-770-426-0547.
Alpha Thunder Tag-4 WC blog 37
Tablet Theft-3
ipad Theft-3
Alpha Thunder Tags Terminate Medical Tablet Theft Temptations
Working in a medical facility or hospital, staff regularly handle confidential information. Most data and personal information is now digitalized and accessed through computers, laptops and now handheld devices. With this increased use of mobile technology, information security is increasingly at risk. According to Kevin Page and Phillip Hampton consultants for the American Bar Association, “On October 21, 2013, Alhambra, California-based AHMC Healthcare Inc. reported the theft of two unencrypted laptops containing the protected health information (“PHI”) of approximately 729,000 patients.” ( ABA Health eSource, Protecting PHI on Mobile Devices
Vol. 10 No. 3 Kevin Page, Waller, Nashville, TN, Phillip Hampton, LogicForce Consulting, LLC, Nashville, TN.) As healthcare providers are moving away from paper records and increasing the use of portable devices to care for patients, it is important for data as well as the devices to be protected. These devices include laptops, i-pads, tablets and even smartphones. Technology has made it possible for medical professionals to access patient records with a few key strokes or a swipe of the finger. Trying to find methods to protect devices can be difficult, but the Alpha Thunder Tag can provide the security you need. Healthcare professionals have an obligation to protect the information of their patients and the tools they use to store and access that information.
The Alpha Thunder Tag has electronic article surveillance built into it and if it passes through an EAS antenna, the antenna alarm will sound and alert staff to a possible theft or a forgotten device. If someone attempts to remove a device there is a tamper alarm that will sound, again alerting staff to a possible theft of the unit. The Thunder Tag does come in a 3 alarm version that sounds not only the antenna alarm if someone tried to exit with it, the alarm built into the device will also sound an alert.
I decided to do a little investigating of my own to see what information was available on data breaches in the healthcare industry. I went to the U.S. Department of HHS to seek information. The Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights website has a report titled “Breaches Affecting 500 or More Individuals”; (https://ocrportal.hhs.gov/ocr/breach/breach_report.jsf In order to get the most accurate information available for this article, I applied the following filters: Dates from 1/1/2015 – 11/1/2015, for “Types of Breach” I included ” Hacking IT Incidents”, “Theft”,” Loss” and “Unknown”, for “Location” I only included “ Laptop” and “Other Portable Devices”.) For “The Type of Covered Entity” I used “Health Provider”. With these filters I received a list of 39 reported incidents with a total of 464,166 “Individuals Affected”. Bear in mind, this report only included breaches where 500 or more individuals were affected. 499 individuals affected or less are not included in the report from the DHHS. If you don’t think that tablet theft or i-pad theft is a problem, it is my hope that these numbers may change your mind. Security of these devices cannot be taken lightly. The Alpha Thunder Tag used with an Electronic Article Surveillance System can help you protect your portable laptops and mobile devices.
Thieves do not necessarily consider whether a tablet theft will result in gaining useful information. The opportunist may take a laptop or i-pad simply because it is accessible. If a device is stolen and information is encrypted, sometimes the challenge to some criminals is to see if they can access information. If successful they then have to decide what type of information they have and if they can use any of it. Some hackers do what they do to see if it can be done and that’s all. Unfortunately, if your office or practice is the victim of a tablet theft or i-pad theft, you can’t know what is being done with the information lost. The liability risk for your practice is minimized when the Alpha Thunder Tag is used to protect against laptop, tablet, and i-pad theft.
Don’t allow your mobile devices to go unprotected. Limit the risk of losing your mobile devices and with them, patient information. Look into the protection afforded you by investing in Alpha Thunder Tags.
For more information on the Alpha Thunder Tag, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547
Working in a medical facility or hospital, staff regularly handle confidential information. Most data and personal information is now digitalized and accessed through computers, laptops and now handheld devices. With this increased use of mobile technology, information security is increasingly at risk. According to Kevin Page and Phillip Hampton consultants for the American Bar Association, “On October 21, 2013, Alhambra, California-based AHMC Healthcare Inc. reported the theft of two unencrypted laptops containing the protected health information (“PHI”) of approximately 729,000 patients.” ( ABA Health eSource, Protecting PHI on Mobile DevicesVol. 10 No. 3 Kevin Page, Waller, Nashville, TN, Phillip Hampton, LogicForce Consulting, LLC, Nashville, TN.) As healthcare providers are moving away from paper records and increasing the use of portable devices to care for patients, it is important for data as well as the devices to be protected. These devices include laptops, i-pads, tablets and even smartphones. Technology has made it possible for medical professionals to access patient records with a few key strokes or a swipe of the finger. Trying to find methods to protect devices can be difficult, but the Alpha Thunder Tag can provide the security you need. Healthcare professionals have an obligation to protect the information of their patients and the tools they use to store and access that information.
The Alpha Thunder Tag has electronic article surveillance built into it and if it passes through an EAS antenna, the antenna alarm will sound and alert staff to a possible theft or a forgotten device. If someone attempts to remove a device there is a tamper alarm that will sound, again alerting staff to a possible theft of the unit. The Thunder Tag does come in a 3 alarm version that sounds not only the antenna alarm if someone tried to exit with it, the alarm built into the device will also sound an alert.
I decided to do a little investigating of my own to see what information was available on data breaches in the healthcare industry. I went to the U.S. Department of HHS to seek information. The Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights website has a report titled “Breaches Affecting 500 or More Individuals” (https://ocrportal.hhs.gov/ocr/breach/breach_report.jsf In order to get the most accurate information available for this article, I applied the following filters: Dates from 1/1/2015 – 11/1/2015, for “Types of Breach” I included ” Hacking IT Incidents”, “Theft”,” Loss” and “Unknown”, for “Location” I only included “ Laptop” and “Other Portable Devices”.) For “The Type of Covered Entity” I used “Health Provider”. With these filters I received a list of 39 reported incidents with a total of 464,166 “Individuals Affected”. Bear in mind, this report only included breaches where 500 or more individuals were affected. 499 individuals affected or less are not included in the report from the DHHS. If you don’t think that tablet theft or i-pad theft is a problem, it is my hope that these numbers may change your mind. Security of these devices cannot be taken lightly. The Alpha Thunder Tag used with an Electronic Article Surveillance System can help you protect your portable laptops and mobile devices.
Thieves do not necessarily consider whether a tablet theft will result in gaining useful information. The opportunist may take a laptop or i-pad simply because it is accessible. If a device is stolen and information is encrypted, sometimes the challenge to some criminals is to see if they can access information. If successful they then have to decide what type of information they have and if they can use any of it. Some hackers do what they do to see if it can be done and that’s all. Unfortunately, if your office or practice is the victim of a tablet theft or i-pad theft, you can’t know what is being done with the information lost. The liability risk for your practice is minimized when the Alpha Thunder Tag is used to protect against laptop, tablet, and i-pad theft.
Don’t allow your mobile devices to go unprotected. Limit the risk of losing your mobile devices and with them, patient information. Look into the protection afforded you by investing in Alpha Thunder Tags.
For more information on the Alpha Thunder Tag, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547
Return Fraud-5 WC blog 29
Alpha Shark tags-4
Alpha Shark Tags Can Help You Avoid Holiday Return Fraud
Well, the holidays are coming to a close and a New Year is fast approaching. Did you receive the gifts you were hoping for this Christmas? Perhaps you celebrate another holiday with the exchange of gifts. Did you like everything you were given? We all hope that we make the right selections, especially when it comes to clothing. We want to make family and friends happy, but clothing is one of those things that can be tricky to purchase. In any case, not everyone will be happy with all of the gifts they receive and the return rush is going to happen. You as the retailer are going to have mostly legitimate returns, but what about the attempts at return fraud that people are going to attempt to slip by on you? In all those returns how do you pick the good from the bad? It isn’t easy, but if you are using Alpha Shark Tags you will make it a little less difficult for your employees and managers to make those determinations.
When applied to merchandise, primarily clothing, Alpha Shark Tags provide protection to the retailer against return fraud. The tag is secured to clothing and unlike electronic article surveillance hard tags, it is not alarmed. This tag works because it is NOT removed at the point of sale when purchased. Alpha Shark Tags remain on the article of clothing and is removed when the buyer gets the item home. Stores should make clear to customers that if the tag is removed they will not be able to return the merchandise. The customer can always try on the clothing in the store or at home with the tag on the garment to be sure it fits. If the article of clothing does not fit, the store can allow a full credit return on the condition the tag is still intact.
There are several methods that those committing return fraud will use to try to make a fast buck. One to be concerned with during the holidays is the attempt to return merchandise that doesn’t even come from that particular store. In many instances this is an innocent attempt at returning merchandise but associates that take these items back cause shortage because the item cannot be resold. If the store uses Shark tags and requires the tag to be on the clothing in order to return it, the cashier will have a good indicator that the item does belong to the store because the bright orange tag will stand out. The shark tag will also serve to alert the cashier to check manufacturer tags to verify the item did not possibly come from another retailer who also uses the same tag but carries different brands.
Another form of return fraud that is often seen around Christmas and New Year’s Eve is wardrobing fraud. These fraudsters will purchase your party clothes, suits, dresses, ties and wear them to their parties and return the clothes afterwards. The clothing tags are discreetly hidden or removed so the partier appears to have on a new outfit. Alpha Shark Tags stand out with their color and have to be cut off in order to not be visible. Properly placed so they can’t be hidden, the wardrober won’t be able to wear the garment without removing the tag. You can save significant dollars by not taking back worn clothing that may have to be reduced in price or marked out of stock entirely.
Alpha Shark tags won’t stop ALL attempts at return fraud but what they will stop is those who try to bring in merchandise that doesn’t belong to your business. They will help you enforce your return policies by requiring the tags to be in place in order to return the items, just be sure to clearly state your return policies to your customers at your points of sale.
For more information on return fraud contact us or call 1.770.426.0547
Well, the holidays are coming to a close and a New Year is fast approaching. Did you receive the gifts you were hoping for this Christmas? Perhaps you celebrate another holiday with the exchange of gifts. Did you like everything you were given? We all hope that we make the right selections, especially when it comes to clothing. We want to make family and friends happy, but clothing is one of those things that can be tricky to purchase. In any case, not everyone will be happy with all of the gifts they receie and the return rush is going to happen. You as the retailer are going to have mostly legitimate returns, but what about the attempts at return fraud that people are going to attempt to slip by on you? In all those returns how do you pick the good from the bad? It isn’t easy, but if you are using Alpha Shark Tags you will make it a little less difficult for your employees and managers to make those determinations.
When applied to merchandise, primarily clothing, Alpha Shark Tags provide protection to the retailer against return fraud. The tag is secured to clothing and unlike electronic article surveillance hard tags, it is not alarmed. This tag works because it is NOT removed at the point of sale when purchased. Alpha Shark Tags remain on the article of clothing and is removed when the buyer gets the item home. Stores should make clear to customers that if the tag is removed they will not be able to return the merchandise. The customer can always try on the clothing in the store or at home with the tag on the garment to be sure it fits. If the article of clothing does not fit, the store can allow a full credit return on the condition the tag is still intact.
There are several methods that those committing return fraud will use to try to make a fast buck. One to be concerned with during the holidays is the attempt to return merchandise that doesn’t even come from that particular store. In many instances this is an innocent attempt at returning merchandise but associates that take these items back cause shortage because the item cannot be resold. If the store uses Shark tags and requires the tag to be on the clothing in order to return it, the cashier will have a good indicator that the item does belong to the store because the bright orange tag will stand out. The shark tag will also serve to alert the cashier to check manufacturer tags to verify the item did not possibly come from another retailer who also uses the same tag but carries different brands.
Another form of return fraud that is often seen around Christmas and New Year’s Eve is wardrobing fraud. These fraudsters will purchase your party clothes, suits, dresses, ties and wear them to their parties and return the clothes afterwards. The clothing tags are discreetly hidden or removed so the partier appears to have on a new outfit. Alpha Shark Tags stand out with their color and have to be cut off in order to not be visible. Properly placed so they can’t be hidden, the wardrober won’t be able to wear the garment without removing the tag. You can save significant dollars by not taking back worn clothing that may have to be reduced in price or marked out of stock entirely.
Alpha Shark tags won’t stop ALL attempts at return fraud but what they will stop is those who try to bring in merchandise that doesn’t belong to your business. They will help you enforce your return policies by requiring the tags to be in place in order to return the items, just be sure to clearly state your return policies to your customers at your points of sale.
For more information on return fraud contact us or call 1.770.426.0547
RL-178
(Clothing security tags-4), (Checkpoint tags-4)
The Thin Line Between Customer Satisfaction and Loss of Profits
In any retail setting, you want to do everything possible to make sure your customers stay happy, and keep coming back to shop in your store. We all know that you have to make exceptions to the rules sometimes, but where do you draw the line? I recently observed something in a store that immediately got my attention, and made me wonder where the line should be drawn between making customers happy and following protocol regarding the use and removal of clothing security tags or any other merchandise protection devices.
A customer came into the store the other day carrying several pieces of clothing with clothing security tags still attached to the garments. The Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS) alarm sounded as she walked into the store, and she approached an employee at the customer service desk. The customer said that she purchased the items, but the cashier failed to remove the Checkpoint tags from the clothing items that she purchased. What happened next was a bit disturbing to me at the time, but the employee had to make a judgement call.
The employee then removed the Checkpoint tags from the clothing items without even checking if the customer had a receipt for the items she claimed to have purchased. The customer then told the cashier helping her, that she lost the receipt for the purchase. As I witnessed this from a distance, I was in disbelief, and I then went to talk to the employee as the customer left the store. What I didn’t know at the time was that another nearby cashier remembered seeing that customer making the purchase earlier on in the day. Out of curiosity, I then asked the employee what they would have done if the other cashier hadn’t recognized the customer, and the cashier said that they probably would have done the same thing.
Depending on what your company or store policy is, what might normally happen in this situation is that the cashier should verify the receipt, and if the customer could not produce a receipt, then the matter would be referred to a supervisor. On the other hand, you may want to empower your cashiers to make reasonable decisions for purposes of customer satisfaction, provided that the adjustment for the customer wasn’t some absurd amount of money. Whether or not an exception is provided to the customer, the transaction should still be researched if possible. If you have video or register journal text available, it would be a good idea to take a look and see what actually happened. The cashier that should have removed the Checkpoint tags from the clothing should be talked to, as well as checking to see if the EAS alarm went off at the door when the customer originally exited the store with the merchandise. If the alarm didn’t sound, you may need to call and have your equipment serviced so something like this doesn’t happen again in the future.
Although the store policy didn’t say that you could remove clothing security tags based off of an employee’s memory of an earlier purchase, the cashier’s intentions were to make the customer happy so they would continue to shop in the store. Though this was most likely an honest mistake on the part of the original cashier, anyone who happened to be in the area when this conversation took place could try this in the future in order to have a cashier remove Checkpoint tags from stolen clothing items.
For more information about clothing security tags, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547
In any retail setting, you want to do everything possible to make sure your customers stay happy, and keep coming back to shop in your store. We all know that you have to make exceptions to the rules sometimes, but where do you draw the line? I recently observed something in a store that immediately got my attention, and made me wonder where the line should be drawn between making customers happy and following protocol regarding the use and removal of clothing security tags or any other merchandise protection devices.
A customer came into the store the other day carrying several pieces of clothing with clothing security tags still attached to the garments. The Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS) alarm sounded as she walked into the store, and she approached an employee at the customer service desk. The customer said that she purchased the items, but the cashier failed to remove the Checkpoint tags from the clothing items that she purchased. What happened next was a bit disturbing to me at the time, but the employee had to make a judgement call.
The employee then removed the Checkpoint tags from the clothing items without even checking if the customer had a receipt for the items she claimed to have purchased. The customer then told the cashier helping her, that she lost the receipt for the purchase. As I witnessed this from a distance, I was in disbelief, and I then went to talk to the employee as the customer left the store. What I didn’t know at the time was that another nearby cashier remembered seeing that customer making the purchase earlier on in the day. Out of curiosity, I then asked the employee what they would have done if the other cashier hadn’t recognized the customer, and the cashier said that they probably would have done the same thing.
Depending on what your company or store policy is, what might normally happen in this situation is that the cashier should verify the receipt, and if the customer could not produce a receipt, then the matter would be referred to a supervisor. On the other hand, you may want to empower your cashiers to make reasonable decisions for purposes of customer satisfaction, provided that the adjustment for the customer wasn’t some absurd amount of money. Whether or not an exception is provided to the customer, the transaction should still be researched if possible. If you have video or register journal text available, it would be a good idea to take a look and see what actually happened. The cashier that should have removed the Checkpoint tags from the clothing should be talked to, as well as checking to see if the EAS alarm went off at the door when the customer originally exited the store with the merchandise. If the alarm didn’t sound, you may need to call and have your equipment serviced so something like this doesn’t happen again in the future.
Although the store policy didn’t say that you could remove clothing security tags based off of an employee’s memory of an earlier purchase, the cashier’s intentions were to make the customer happy so they would continue to shop in the store. Though this was most likely an honest mistake on the part of the original cashier, anyone who happened to be in the area when this conversation took place could try this in the future in order to have a cashier remove Checkpoint tags from stolen clothing items.
For more information about clothing security tags, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547
Checkpoint Systems-3
The Numbers Don’t Lie: Checkpoint Systems Deter Theft
When I hire a new employee, whether a cashier or a supervisor, part of their initial training involves how to handle shoplifters. Most of the time, they look at me in disbelief when I tell them about the theft issues we battle in our small retail pharmacy. All I have to do is show them the pages of detail sheets where I have scanned empty packages into our pilferage file. Or , depending on the day of the week, I can show them the basket of empty packages under my desk waiting to be scanned. After we go through our apprehension rules, we walk the store and I show them our antishoplifting tools, like our Checkpoint Systems, all the different size Alpha keepers, spider wraps, etc. We go over each tool, how it is applied, how it is removed, and what items are more likely to be used with the tools because they are commonly targeted.
Shoplifting is one of the most common crimes in the country. People generally don’t look at it as a “big deal.” Most incidents of theft can be chalked up as simple greed. They want something and they don’t want to pay for it. Many retailers are trending away from apprehension and going with lenient policies. Their employees are paid more per hour than the item that was stolen is even worth, so they don’t see prosecution as worth the trouble. The justice system is flawed in how it handles shoplifters. There’s no denying that. I see it over and over; we call the police, have them cuffed and stuffed, go to court five or more times, and then the thief gets a slap on the wrist. I have had the officer not show up, or even worse, I forgot the court date and didn’t show up, and the charges get dismissed. This is all really frustrating for any retailer. But I still want to stop shoplifting. I don’t give up, and I don’t ever let my guard down. I abide by my companies policies, but I also educate my staff.
Statistically speaking, one in eleven people will steal something today. Those people are caught less than half of the times they do it, and will be prosecuted even less than half of those times. This just perpetuates the problem.
I am a store manager, not a baby sitter. I don’t have time to monitor every single person that walks through the store in order to keep them from stealing. Loss prevention is not so much about catching thieves and putting them behind bars. That’s where a lot of stores get confused. They want to put up threatening signs, hassle every person coming through their front door, and inconvenience their customers. You can’t keep honest cash paying customers loyal to your store by treating them like criminals. Loss prevention is about truly preventing the loss from happening in the first place. Deterrence is the key to loss prevention. That’s why I rely on my antishoplifting tools. In my store, Checkpoint Systems are always ready and on patrol. My staff knows our mandatory list of items that must have an EAS label adhered before being put out for sale. There are items that must be encased in Alpha keepers and or wrapped in an Alpha spider wrap as well. Honestly, the empty packages add up, and those probably only reflect a quarter or what is really stolen. However, I do know that the tools we utilize are making a difference. With the addition of these valuable security measures, our shrink results have been cut in half. Fraudulent refunds have gone down dramatically since they can’t steal the stuff in the first place. Word has gotten out in the community, and incidents of theft have dropped off considerably. The numbers don’t lie; we are winning the battle and we have our Checkpoint Systems and all the gadgets that work with it to thank for that.
For more information on Checkpoint Systems, contact us or call: 1.770.426.0547 or Antishoplifting.net
When I hire a new employee, whether a cashier or a supervisor, part of their initial training involves how to handle shoplifters. Most of the time, they look at me in disbelief when I tell them about the theft issues we battle in our small retail pharmacy. All I have to do is show them the pages of detail sheets where I have scanned empty packages into our pilferage file. Or, depending on the day of the week, I can show them the basket of empty packages under my desk waiting to be scanned. After we go through our apprehension rules, we walk the store and I show them our antishoplifting tools, like our Checkpoint Systems, all the different size Alpha keepers, spider wraps, etc. We go over each tool, how it is applied, how it is removed, and what items are more likely to be used with the tools because they are commonly targeted.
Shoplifting is one of the most common crimes in the country. People generally don’t look at it as a “big deal.” Most incidents of theft can be chalked up as simple greed. They want something and they don’t want to pay for it. Many retailers are trending away from apprehension and going with lenient policies. Their employees are paid more per hour than the item that was stolen is even worth, so they don’t see prosecution as worth the trouble. The justice system is flawed in how it handles shoplifters. There’s no denying that. I see it over and over; we call the police, have them cuffed and stuffed, go to court five or more times, and then the thief gets a slap on the wrist. I have had the officer not show up, or even worse, I forgot the court date and didn’t show up, and the charges get dismissed. This is all really frustrating for any retailer. But I still want to stop shoplifting. I don’t give up, and I don’t ever let my guard down. I abide by my companies policies, but I also educate my staff. Statistically speaking, one in eleven people will steal something today. Those people are caught less than half of the times they do it, and will be prosecuted even less than half of those times. This just perpetuates the problem.
I am a store manager, not a baby sitter. I don’t have time to monitor every single person that walks through the store in order to keep them from stealing. Loss prevention is not so much about catching thieves and putting them behind bars. That’s where a lot of stores get confused. They want to put up threatening signs, hassle every person coming through their front door, and inconvenience their customers. You can’t keep honest cash paying customers loyal to your store by treating them like criminals. Loss prevention is about truly preventing the loss from happening in the first place. Deterrence is the key to loss prevention. That’s why I rely on my antishoplifting tools. In my store, Checkpoint Systems are always ready and on patrol. My staff knows our mandatory list of items that must have an EAS label adhered before being put out for sale. There are items that must be encased in Alpha keepers and or wrapped in an Alpha spider wrap as well. Honestly, the empty packages add up, and those probably only reflect a quarter or what is really stolen. However, I do know that the tools we utilize are making a difference. With the addition of these valuable security measures, our shrink results have been cut in half. Fraudulent refunds have gone down dramatically since they can’t steal the stuff in the first place. Word has gotten out in the community, and incidents of theft have dropped off considerably. The numbers don’t lie; we are winning the battle and we have our Checkpoint Systems and all the gadgets that work with it to thank for that.
For more information on Checkpoint Systems, contact us or call: 1.770.426.0547 or Antishoplifting.net
