Retail Theft Prevention Strategies Change “Because they Can” to “Because they Can’t”

“Hey, stop!!” Too late. There goes another one out the door with your merchandise. “Why do people shoplift anyway?” you ask yourself. The simple answer I have learned from my experiences as a loss prevention professional is “because they can.” Yes, there are a myriad of psychological reasons that motivate someone to shoplift but if you really want to stop shoplifting you just have to concentrate on that one:  people shoplift because they can!

I have walked in many a retail store and have seen the store set-ups that have no anti-shoplifting strategy in place. Clerks are few and clumped together in one area talking about the weekend, displays are tall and stacked with merchandise, high-dollar merchandise is unsecured near the entrances and exits, and retail theft prevention technology is nonexistent. Anti-shoplifting strategies do not just happen by themselves. They have to be thought out, planned, trained, enacted, and reinforced.

Retailers always have to keep in mind that axiom: they shoplift because they can. To stop shoplifting all you have to do then is “harden the target” and make it a lot more difficult to shoplift and get away with it. One way is to set some policies with your staff about floor dispersion and make sure that your clerks and sales staff are walking all areas of the floor and asking customers if they need assistance. Paying attention to a potential shoplifter will drive him or her elsewhere in most cases and eliminate your problem. They can then become a problem for your competitors.

Store layout is also important as an anti-shoplifting strategy. Be mindful of where your high-dollar merchandise is located and try to keep it away from entrances and exits so potential shoplifters cannot just grab the merchandise and run. Keep that merchandise nearer your checkouts or under lock and key. You also want to make it so there are as few hidden areas in your store as possible. Keep the shelving and racks so your staff can see over it and scan the floor for potential shoplifters doing their thing. Try also not to make it easy for someone to push a cart load of merchandise through your store and out the doors. You can do this by planning your aisles so they can culminate with straight runs out the door. Use different display plans that are more geometrical rather than longitudinal.

Finally, a strong anti-shoplifting strategy to stop shoplifting in its tracks is the use of technology.  Everyone thinks first of closed-circuit television as their initial anti-shoplifting strategy; however, we have to remember that CCTV is only good if someone watches it. I, for one, do not believe in having “dummy” cameras that do not capture any images due to the potential liability posed by them should something occur that should have been captured on video but wasn’t.

You can also stop shoplifting by using strong retail theft prevention devices such as Checkpoint systems which use hard and soft Checkpoint tags that are placed on merchandise and detected by special antennae in various configurations and price points. Checkpoint systems also has their Checkpoint tags in a multitude of styles that can be placed on merchandise of all types and detected when the potential shoplifter tries to leave without paying.

These Checkpoint systems have resulted in a many shoplifter detentions during my career as the potential shoplifter conceals the merchandise and forgets that a tag is present or removes an exterior tag only to find out that the manufacturer of the merchandise also believes in Checkpoint tags and has inserted a hidden tag in the merchandise. Unsuspecting shoplifters have been caught by these hidden tags many a time. Strong retail theft prevention strategies will now prevent you from having that shoplifter run from your store with merchandise. They will be bothering your competitors instead or will be escorted from your store by the police as a consequence of your system catching them and preventing your merchandise from leaving the store without activating one of your Checkpoint systems alarms.

“Because they can” will no longer apply to you once you engage in these theft prevention strategies. You will garner a reputation for being the wrong place to shoplift. I know this from working for a retailer who takes shoplifting very seriously and when I interviewed someone who, with a partner, had stolen from other retailers. When asked why they didn’t steal from our store, he said it all: “Because they can’t.”

For more information on Checkpoint tags contact us: 1.770.426.0547 or www.antishoplifting.net.

Clothing Security That Is Off The Chain

I remember when I was in high school everyone wanted a brown leather jacket.  They were in every window of every department store in our town.  They were featured in all the sale papers and they were expensive.  Of course I wanted one just like everybody else, but my family could absolutely not afford to buy one.  That never stopped me from looking when we went shopping though.  What did stop me from looking was the extreme clothing security measures the stores employed: all those awesome leather jackets were chained together and could not be removed from the rack.  Back then I did not dare ask someone to take one off for me to try on because I was just a teenager.  I couldn’t afford one, so there was no need to take up someone’s time anyway. 

Those chains are still used in many big department stores today.  And I still see they are used to link together and secure all the leather jackets.  I also see them on designer handbags.  (Many sports stores use them on expensive equipment as well.  My softball-crazy daughter cannot go in and select a bat without me having to hunt down an associate to come unlock the whole rack.)  Clothing security is certainly an important factor in reducing losses, but when it is a huge inconvenience to the customer, there is also the threat of reduced sales.  Customers want to be able to make their selections and try the garment on if they need or just want to.  Typically items that are locked up in that manner are high retail, impulse items, and many times people tend to talk themselves out of the purchase before ever asking for help.

Retailers have many options when it comes to deciding what is necessary to protect their valuable inventory.  Clothing security tags are one of the more obvious choices.  They are an excellent deterrent.  They range from the soft tags that can be adhered to the price or size tag to the hard tags that can be pinned right on to the front of the garment.  They can be sewn into hidden pockets and seams, and that can make them near impossible to detect or remove when taken into a changing room.  Those are just deactivated at the counter at the time of checkout so there is no extra work for the clerk. 

 Alpha Cable Locks are another great choice in the fight for clothing security.  These tough devices may be the answer to finally retiring those long chains dangling and snaking through the merchandise.  They are virtually unbreakable, easy to attach, and completely reusable.  If a would be thief attempts to remove an item or takes it too close to the exit, the clothing alarm will sound.  They don’t detract from the look of high end or designer merchandise.  Customers will appreciate the ease of shopping, and the easier availability of the product.  They also do not take up a lot of storage room, so in a small business where space is premium, they can be easily kept out of the way when not being utilized.

Unless you operate a big box store with limitless labor hours and employees, your store could definitely benefit from these simple but very effective clothing security tools.  It never fails when I am by myself in the store covering a lunch break or someone has to leave early, that is when the most complicated shoppers are going to come in.  Someone will need help finding an item, another will have questions about how a certain product works, and then the phone will ring.  Anything that can make your work day a little easier is certainly worth looking into.  If you are constantly working alone or short staffed in the store for the day, and you have multiple shoppers pulling you in different directions,  you don’t want to have clothing security measures that impede sales.  People could just choose to go shop your competition instead.

For more information on Clothing Security contact us: 1.770.426.0547 or Clothingsecurity.net

Stop loaning your high end clothes and accessories with Alpha Shark Tags!

Loaning clothes and other high end items is probably something you never thought of when you first opened your store. Really why would you? You’re not in the business to just loan items from your store to customers to use and then return to your store. But the truth is this happens way more than you think and it directly affects your bottom line. In the loss prevention world this is known as Wardrobing. You can now put a final stop to this with Alpha Shark Tags.

A store I worked at sold high end clothes such as dresses, suits, lingerie, as well as high end accessories such as purses and handbags. These items were a big money maker for the store especially during events like homecoming, prom, senior pictures, and of course weddings. The store would spend a lot of time displaying these items so they received the maximum amount of exposure. And of course the price tags reflected just how high end many of these dresses and suits are. While displaying these items for sale, the management made sure to protect these items with Checkpoint tags and security tags on clothes. They thought they had all bases covered. Unfortunately they were missing one key security device; the Alpha Shark Tags.

You see the dresses and suits were protected as far as theft was concerned. In fact customers would purchase the dress or suit spending several hundred even thousands of dollars usually paying by credit card. A legit transaction or is it? A week later that same dress, suit, and even accessories came back in to the store for a refund. “The clothes didn’t fit”, “I don’t like the way it looks on me.” Whatever the reason, the store was issuing a large refund. What really had happened? The customer was using your dress or your suit for prom, a wedding, homecoming, or just a night out on the town. Most likely you’re not a rental store. That dress or suit being returned should have been profit. Instead it was borrowed, worn, and returned and you made no money.

Luckily there is a solution to Wardrobing. It’s called Alpha Shark Tags. These tags are bright red so they stand out immediately. They don’t activate any alarm in your store. However, they serve as an instant reminder that if you purchase the item you keep the item. This is done by having the customer remove the tag easily with a pair of scissors once they’re home.

Unlike price tags the Alpha Shark Tags cannot be concealed. Meaning in order for the person to wear this new dress they must remove it. And once removed it cannot be put back on the item. The tag attaches with a pin and locking teeth to safely attach to the item for sale. 

It is also very important to have a store policy in effect to work in conjunction with the Alpha Shark Tags. The store policy should advise the customer that the dress, suit, shoes, that they are about to buy cannot be returned once the tag has been removed. Depending on your store policy you can still have a return policy as long as the tag is still in place for a period time that you decide.

Wardrobing has been going on for years. Especially if you live anywhere close to a high school but it goes on everywhere. The fact is you’re in the business of making money. You can’t afford to feature your high end clothes and accessories for sale just to have them returned a week later. This equals zero profit. Let the rental stores do the renting. Make sure your business is getting a keeping the sales of these items!

For more information about the Alpha Shark Tags contact us at 1-770-426-0547

Protecting your Bottled Spirits with Alpha Bottle Locks

Does your store sell alcohol such as Whiskey, Vodka, and Tequila? If you do then you know the challenge of carrying these items.  Bottle items such as alcoholic beverages present a unique challenge when it comes to protecting them. Unlike your other items that are traditionally secured, bottled items require shelf space that needs to be presented to the customer in an organized fashion. Securing these items have been a challenge for retailers for many years. We finally have a solution with Alpha Bottle Locks.

Having worked in loss prevention and law enforcement most of my life, I naturally always look at stores security devices or lack thereof.  I am a person that feels like the more I know the better I am in my own career. Many times I see a stores security lacking and this especially holds true while walking down the liquor isle. I’m always shocked that there is no security on these items. Yes, I’ve seen the corner mirror that the one or two store clerks can look at to see in the aisle. But at the same time I see the store clerks busy with customers and unable to stare up at the mirror. The lack of security on these expensive bottles just opens the door to theft. Shoplifting is a crime of opportunity and what better opportunity for a shoplifter than an unsecured bottle?

Alpha High Theft Solutions Bottle Locks are your answer to your bottle theft problems. You can now help stop shoplifting with these innovative devices. These locks have been made with customer input and have underwent many enhancements to produce the best in security. Alpha Bottle Locks are designed to go over the top of the bottle providing an instant deterrent while not interfering with your merchandising. These are designed with low head clearance so that you don’t have to go rearranging your shelves to fit. They are made very durable yet very tough to defeat. They come in both AM and RF technologies. Best of all, these locks go on easily and can be removed easily by your staff and can be reused over and over again. 

What prevents a shoplifter from stealing an $80 dollar bottle of high end Vodka? We know that there are people that have addictions to alcohol and will do nearly anything to get their hands on it.  But there are many others that are just shoplifters looking to take advantage of your unsecured bottles. We’ll protect $12 dollar CD’s or $20 dollar pants but not an $80 plus bottle of wine. How do we prevent and stop shoplifting of these items? I think the bigger problem is until now there has never really been a convenient way to protect bottled items. We know from experience that trying to lock it up reduces sales. The customers can’t access it and the employees are tasked with trying to open a case every time someone wants to get a bottle or even look at one. Bottles are unique as some are tall some are short and they all vary in size. Merchandising bottles is important to retailer. Presentation is the key to successful sales. Until now, trying to secure bottles while allowing for proper presentation was a chore in and of itself. 

Technology is now on your side when it comes to protecting your expensive bottles. Don’t let another bottle walk out your door. You can now prevent and stop shoplifting of these expensive items. Protect your bottles today with Alpha Bottle Locks.

For more information on Alpha Bottle Locks contact us at 1-770-426-0547

Employee Background Checks: The Answer When Implicit Trust Isn’t Present

I trust this guy explicitly” (of course meaning “implicitly”). I have heard this so many times in my career.  It was often when considering someone for employment and a flag came back on pre-employment screening. The district manager who said it knew this person so well that he knew better than the background check company who administered the background check.  The discussion would then move to degrees of trust.

The district manager might say “I trust him with my life” and I would counter, “Let’s not go that far; how about, do you trust him with the keys to your car?”. The discussion might continue as to whether or not he trusted him to babysit his daughter or to take care of his checkbook.  Inevitably, the district manager would realize that his trust wasn’t that implicit and that possibly employee background checks were done for a reason. At least he wouldn’t bet his job and reputation on it.

As a retail manager or business owner we realize we cannot afford to take chance with our business. We really want to have confidence with that person who is the face of our company, dealing with our customers; or is the custodian of our company’s funds, sitting at the cash register. How can we get that confidence if we really don’t know the person we are hiring except what they are telling us? The answer is through pre-employment screening by a reputable background check company. Pre-employment screening is not a miracle answer. It is practical due diligence however.  We have heard over and over and my experience supports that the best predictor of future success is past performance. Isn’t that why we have people submit resumes in the first place?  Don’t we want to know how well they performed their jobs in the past and what those jobs were?  The same is true for employee background checks. We want to know how ethical they were in the past. Were they subject to criminal temptations? Did they already steal from one of their previous employers?  How much confidence would you have then?

In these times, with the “ban the box” movement going on, an employer must be careful of using criminal history data, but that does not mean we should forego employee background checks. Pre-employment screening is still a viable tool but it is just more important we use a reputable background check company and comply with our state’s laws as to when and how we can introduce the pre-employment screening into the process. Your background check company can help you answer that question.

I often hear the argument, “everyone deserves a second chance.” I totally agree but that does not mean you have to give that second chance to them –leave that to your competitor. If your pre-employment screening comes back with a flag, such as the employee who worked for a company where I was employed, where the flag said he was convicted of embezzlement and the district manager thought he was such a nice guy he had to give him a second chance so worked it out with his federal parole officer without corporate knowledge. To almost no one’s surprise, I ended up interviewing him for forgery and embezzlement when he was writing forged checks to cover services and then bonusing off the increased services.  He ended up serving more federal prison time. Predictable, wouldn’t you say?

That is the purpose of the pre-employment screening: to make known to you the predictable. It is your choice as to how much risk you want to take as to what to do with the information once you get it. Maybe you too will be like one of those district managers and say you trust him explicitly… er… I mean implicitly. In any case you have to have the information from employee background checks to make the decision but please remember flags have reasons unless you really can trust that employee to babysit your daughter and handle your personal checkbook.

For more information on employee background checks contact us: 1.770.426.0547 or www.backgroundcheckexperts.net.