The location of your business does play a direct role in how you operate. Deliveries may have to be scheduled for certain days and times due to limited access to parking. Your advertising and signage size may be controlled by town ordinances. These are things you are not be able to control. When it comes to making an Antishoplifting action plan for your store, however, you are in complete control. Use your location as a guide, but don’t let your demographics turn into stereotypes.
My particular small retail pharmacy is in a low income area, more downtown than inner city though. There is some foot traffic, but there is very little public transportation available. Our biggest problem is with boosters and professional shoplifters. We have to keep on top of what is popular at the area flea markets in order to make our Antishoplifting efforts work. First of the year, we have to keep a close eye on the diet pills. We limit shelf quantities and tag them with Checkpoint Labels. When Spring gets close we move our focus to the name brand allergy remedies. There has to be plenty on the shelves available to the customers, but they have to be protected. I actually double tag the smaller size boxes, one on the front and one on the bottom. The larger size boxes, 45 count and higher, are locked in Alpha Keepers. Throughout the year we change our plan based on the season and trends.
I was helping out at one of our stores, located in a true inner city setting. There is a great deal of foot traffic, due to a high concentration of public housing nearby. I was there to follow up with a new manager and check on his progress in re-merchandising the store, and his plan to implement some new Antishoplifting measures. While walking the aisles, I saw there were Checkpoint Labels on all of the ethnic haircare products. When I questioned him about this decision, he said they did that because of the large minority population that shopped there. I asked him if items in this section had been frequently stolen. Of course, they had not. Product protection should not be based solely on who lives near your store. When I surveyed his clerks, they said that batteries, razors, and small electronics were the most pilfered items. Those were the most common empty packages found and the items more people attempted to return without receipts.
A great example of really using your demographics to decide what to use Antishoplifting tools on is one of our stores located directly across from a university. This manager knows what she has to do to deter theft. High dollar stomach remedies and other commonly boosted items in my store sit right out on the shelf at her store. Condoms and pregnancy tests, however, are all encased in Alpha Keepers. Cosmetics and even air fresheners have Checkpoint Labels on them. She wants the business of the college students, but she knows what items some of them are more apt to steal. But she is not just blindly putting Spider Wraps on the notebooks and pencils.
Use the right factors in making your Antishoplifting plans, and utilize the tools to protect the right items.
For more information contact us: 1.770.426.0547 or Antishoplifting.net
The location of your business does play a direct role in how you operate. Deliveries may have to be scheduled for certain days and times due to limited access to parking. Your advertising and signage size may be controlled by town ordinances. These are things you are not be able to control. When it comes to making an Antishoplifting action plan for your store, however, you are in complete control. Use your location as a guide, but don’t let your demographics turn into stereotypes.
My particular small retail pharmacy is in a low income area, more downtown than inner city though. There is some foot traffic, but there is very little public transportation available. Our biggest problem is with boosters and professional shoplifters. We have to keep on top of what is popular at the area flea markets in order to make our Antishoplifting efforts work. First of the year, we have to keep a close eye on the diet pills. We limit shelf quantities and tag them with Checkpoint Labels. When Spring gets close we move our focus to the name brand allergy remedies. There has to be plenty on the shelves available to the customers, but they have to be protected. I actually double tag the smaller size boxes, one on the front and one on the bottom. The larger size boxes, 45 count and higher, are locked in Alpha Keepers. Throughout the year we change our plan based on the season and trends.
I was helping out at one of our stores, located in a true inner city setting. There is a great deal of foot traffic, due to a high concentration of public housing nearby. I was there to follow up with a new manager and check on his progress in re-merchandising the store, and his plan to implement some new Antishoplifting measures. While walking the aisles, I saw there were Checkpoint Labels on all of the ethnic haircare products. When I questioned him about this decision, he said they did that because of the large minority population that shopped there. I asked him if items in this section had been frequently stolen. Of course, they had not. Product protection should not be based solely on who lives near your store. When I surveyed his clerks, they said that batteries, razors, and small electronics were the most pilfered items. Those were the most common empty packages found and the items more people attempted to return without receipts.
A great example of really using your demographics to decide what to use Antishoplifting tools on is one of our stores located directly across from a university. This manager knows what she has to do to deter theft. High dollar stomach remedies and other commonly boosted items in my store sit right out on the shelf at her store. Condoms and pregnancy tests, however, are all encased in Alpha Keepers. Cosmetics and even air fresheners have Checkpoint Labels on them. She wants the business of the college students, but she knows what items some of them are more apt to steal. But she is not just blindly putting Spider Wraps on the notebooks and pencils.
Use the right factors in making your Antishoplifting plans, and utilize the tools to protect the right items.
For more information contact us: 1.770.426.0547 or Antishoplifting.net
While working today in retail loss prevention, scanning the sales floor looking for suspicious people, I came across a couple walking toward the bedding department, one male carrying a box of expensive boots. I found out that one of my colleagues had been watching them earlier and had noticed some very strange behavior in the shoe department. The next thing I know, the man and woman walk past an exterior exit, stop dead in their tracks, and double-back down an aisle. I then see the man say something to the woman, and hand her his car keys. She then walks in the other direction and heads out of the store.
Oh great. I have seen this before. I anticipate that this is going to be another grab-and-run on this pair of boots. I have no proof that this man is shoplifting these boots. After all, I did not see him take them off of the shelf, but I have a pretty good idea of what he is up to. So what do I do? In the asset protection and loss prevention business, we call it “the Burn.” Basically, the idea is to let the potential shoplifter know that they are being observed, without creating any sorts of accusations of theft, in order to prevent shoplifting. For me, it simply involved talking on the phone with my colleague, watching the man, making eye contact a few times, and tailing him from a distance in the store (while pretending to shop of course).
What do you know? It worked! After being fed up with my following him, and him telling me that I am “terrible at my job,” he left the shoes at the counter to “put on hold”, and he left the store, entering the vehicle that was being driven by the same woman from earlier, who was parked immediately outside of the same doors against the curb. Not everyone has a loss prevention team or even a single employee, so what good is “the Burn” for those stores?
The same concept can be applied with uniformed, ordinary employees with one main difference; the potential shoplifter is given the best customer service imaginable! Can you think of a better way to prevent shoplifting? It goes like this: an employee notices suspicious activity, and thinks that a shopper may be trying to steal. She approaches the customer, makes eye contact, and can even make a merchandise-specific comment to the customer like, “Would you like me to ring those boots at the register for you?” or “I noticed that you were looking at lots of men’s jeans. May I recommend a style or find you a size?” On top of this, it is best to continue to provide great service until either the customer buys, or the shoplifter leaves empty-handed.
The best thing about this approach to shoplifting prevention is that if an employee is perhaps mistaken about someone’s intentions to purchase or steal, there are no accusations made to offend the customer, only friendly statements to make their experience better! Likewise, shoplifters do not want to be noticed by store staff in most situations; this will make them likely to be scared away. It is a win-win!
So the next time you see that shady character in the corner with a big bag and some of your merchandise, or someone who just looks lost or confused, try to Burn them! Well, you know what I mean.
For more information contact us: Prevent Shoplifting or call 1.770.426.0547
While working today in retail loss prevention, scanning the sales floor looking for suspicious people, I came across a couple walking toward the bedding department, one male carrying a box of expensive boots. I found out that one of my colleagues had been watching them earlier and had noticed some very strange behavior in the shoe department. The next thing I know, the man and woman walk past an exterior exit, stop dead in their tracks, and double-back down an aisle. I then see the man say something to the woman, and hand her his car keys. She then walks in the other direction and heads out of the store.
Oh great. I have seen this before. I anticipate that this is going to be another grab-and-run on this pair of boots. I have no proof that this man is shoplifting these boots. After all, I did not see him take them off of the shelf, but I have a pretty good idea of what he is up to. So what do I do? In the asset protection and loss prevention business, we call it “the Burn.” Basically, the idea is to let the potential shoplifter know that they are being observed, without creating any sorts of accusations of theft, in order to prevent shoplifting. For me, it simply involved talking on the phone with my colleague, watching the man, making eye contact a few times, and tailing him from a distance in the store (while pretending to shop of course).
What do you know? It worked! After being fed up with my following him, and him telling me that I am “terrible at my job,” he left the shoes at the counter to “put on hold”, and he left the store, entering the vehicle that was being driven by the same woman from earlier, who was parked immediately outside of the same doors against the curb. Not everyone has a loss prevention team or even a single employee, so what good is “the Burn” for those stores?
The same concept can be applied with uniformed, ordinary employees with one main difference; the potential shoplifter is given the best customer service imaginable! Can you think of a better way to prevent shoplifting? It goes like this: an employee notices suspicious activity, and thinks that a shopper may be trying to steal. She approaches the customer, makes eye contact, and can even make a merchandise-specific comment to the customer like, “Would you like me to ring those boots at the register for you?” or “I noticed that you were looking at lots of men’s jeans. May I recommend a style or find you a size?” On top of this, it is best to continue to provide great service until either the customer buys, or the shoplifter leaves empty-handed.
The best thing about this approach to shoplifting prevention is that if an employee is perhaps mistaken about someone’s intentions to purchase or steal, there are no accusations made to offend the customer, only friendly statements to make their experience better! Likewise, shoplifters do not want to be noticed by store staff in most situations; this will make them likely to be scared away. It is a win-win!
So the next time you see that shady character in the corner with a big bag and some of your merchandise, or someone who just looks lost or confused, try to Burn them! Well, you know what I mean.
For more information contact us: Prevent Shoplifting or call 1.770.426.0547
You’ve more than likely heard of the Great White Shark, but have you heard of the Great Red Shark? This shark is different, because the only people that should be scared of it are people trying to pull off deceptive returns. It also doesn’t bite people, it only bites big chunks out of your losses, and puts the profit back into your pocket. Okay, in all seriousness, I’m not referring to the predator that you would find in the ocean. I’m talking about Alpha Shark Tags. These tags are a different kind of clothing security device that can be used on several types of clothing and accessories, but its focus is on preventing dishonest return practices.
Some of the merchandise the tags are typically applied to include dresses, shirts, pants, coats, swimwear, lingerie, formal wear, and even furs. Another option is to use a special lanyard along with the tags that is designed for merchandise protection applications. This will allow you to use the tags on items like purses or wallets. You can attach the lanyard with the tag onto a loop or buckle on the purse, just not on the strap if it can be easily removed. This way, the teeth from the device won’t damage material like leather or other materials that could be damaged by the teeth when the tag is attached. The purpose of the Alpha Shark Tag is to eliminate wardrobing, which occurs when someone buys an item, wears or uses it, and then returns it to the store. The customer is still free to try on the clothing, but they wouldn’t want to wear it out of the house without removing the highly visible red tag that is attached to the item.
Purses or handbags are no different than other items that the Alpha Shark Tags can be placed on, because the idea is the same. You don’t want people to feel comfortable wearing the item out in public. They will be much less likely to wear merchandise out if there is a noticeable red tag attached to it attracting unwanted attention, but it still allows them to take it home and try it out. All they have to do if they decide to keep the item is cut off the tag with a pair of scissors. If for some reason they want to return the item, they can do that too, as long as the tag has not been tampered with or removed from the item.
You could update your return policy to reflect these rules, and let your customers know that they will receive a full refund if the wardrobing tags are still attached to the merchandise upon return. If the tags aren’t intact when the merchandise is returned, you can decide if you want to grant them a percentage of the purchase price, or just deny the return all together. Even if you did decide to grant partial credit for the return, the likelihood of wardrobing occurring in your store would decrease dramatically, because they would probably choose a different retailer that was not using the same strategy. Whichever choice you make, you will be making an impact on your bottom line, and making people think twice before attempting a bogus return in your store.
For more information contact us: (Alpha Shark Tags) or call 1.770.426.0547
You’ve more than likely heard of the Great White Shark, but have you heard of the Great Red Shark? This shark is different, because the only people that should be scared of it are people trying to pull off deceptive returns. It also doesn’t bite people, it only bites big chunks out of your losses, and puts the profit back into your pocket. Okay, in all seriousness, I’m not referring to the predator that you would find in the ocean. I’m talking about Alpha Shark Tags. These tags are a different kind of clothing security device that can be used on several types of clothing and accessories, but its focus is on preventing dishonest return practices.
Some of the merchandise the tags are typically applied to include dresses, shirts, pants, coats, swimwear, lingerie, formal wear, and even furs. Another option is to use a special lanyard along with the tags that is designed for merchandise protection applications. This will allow you to use the tags on items like purses or wallets. You can attach the lanyard with the tag onto a loop or buckle on the purse, just not on the strap if it can be easily removed. This way, the teeth from the device won’t damage material like leather or other materials that could be damaged by the teeth when the tag is attached. The purpose of the Alpha Shark Tag is to eliminate wardrobing, which occurs when someone buys an item, wears or uses it, and then returns it to the store. The customer is still free to try on the clothing, but they wouldn’t want to wear it out of the house without removing the highly visible red tag that is attached to the item.
Purses or handbags are no different than other items that the Alpha Shark Tags can be placed on, because the idea is the same. You don’t want people to feel comfortable wearing the item out in public. They will be much less likely to wear merchandise out if there is a noticeable red tag attached to it attracting unwanted attention, but it still allows them to take it home and try it out. All they have to do if they decide to keep the item is cut off the tag with a pair of scissors. If for some reason they want to return the item, they can do that too, as long as the tag has not been tampered with or removed from the item.
You could update your return policy to reflect these rules, and let your customers know that they will receive a full refund if the wardrobing tags are still attached to the merchandise upon return. If the tags aren’t intact when the merchandise is returned, you can decide if you want to grant them a percentage of the purchase price, or just deny the return all together. Even if you did decide to grant partial credit for the return, the likelihood of wardrobing occurring in your store would decrease dramatically, because they would probably choose a different retailer that was not using the same strategy. Whichever choice you make, you will be making an impact on your bottom line, and making people think twice before attempting a bogus return in your store.
For more information contact us at Alpha Shark Tags or call 1.770.426.0547
Wouldn’t it be great if shoplifters would just stick to the same methods, and steal the same things every time? It certainly would make my job a lot easier, and it would even out the playing field. While it is no game to steal from businesses simply for the sport of it, or to resell the merchandise for pure profit, it can definitely be compared to the standards of cat and mouse. We want to be proactive and get the return on the investment in the different Anti Shoplifting tools we utilize. More often, however, we end up reacting to a theft and making our choices based solely on those events.
I’ll give you an example from the latest edition of “how shoplifters drive me crazy”. I work for a retail pharmacy, and we sell various items out front based on the season. Two years ago the fragrance gift sets I had displayed for Christmas kept disappearing. When I reviewed video I found several instances where people were picking them up and taking them to the pharmacy to check out. They would have their prescriptions rang up, and then on the way to the front door, would just put the fragrance boxes into their bag. Last year, I decided the way to outsmart them was to put Checkpoint labels inside the packages so the alarm would sound if they tried to leave without paying. It was Anti-Shoplifting 101 and worked well until they figured it out. Then they just started leaving behind the empty packages instead. I found the boxes stuffed in some strange places around the store. So this year, I changed it up again. When the fragrance sets arrived this year, I picked out the ones that were targeted most last year plus the new releases from this year, and put Spider-Wraps on them. The sets were selling instead of vanishing. Even the boxes I had not put anything on were not being stolen, and I really thought I had won the battle of the year.
Reality came back to me one day when a pair of shoplifters came in and re-taught me a lesson. My assistant looked up one weekend afternoon hearing the Checkpoint alarm sounding, and sees two people running out the door with large gift bags in hand. Upon viewing the surveillance feed, we saw they had come in, gotten a shopping cart, and went to get those big bags from the greeting card section. They opened the bags, placed them in the cart, and began filling them with all the name brand hair regrowth products. It totaled over $300.00 in one hit. Of course, when they were replenished the next week, I mvoed some Spider-Wraps to these items. The worst thing was knowing these products had been stolen before, but my tunnel vision around the fragrance sets prevented me from thinking about that.
I got too wrapped up in seasonal merchandise being stolen, and forgot about the everyday stuff. Anti-Shoplifting efforts are a constant challenge, and if you let your guard down, the thieves will change their methods or their target items and leave you wondering: what just happened? Know the season, the new items that are trending, and use your instincts to determine what is likely to be your store’s most vulnerable products. Get input from your staff and the local police. Here is a tip from me: It is almost the new year; if you sell diet items, start preparing now for what you will do to protect them.
For more information contact us: Antishoplifting.net or call 1.770.426.0547
Wouldn’t it be great if shoplifters would just stick to the same methods, and steal the same things every time? It certainly would make my job a lot easier, and it would even out the playing field. While it is no game to steal from businesses simply for the sport of it, or to resell the merchandise for pure profit, it can definitely be compared to the standards of cat and mouse. We want to be proactive and get the return on the investment in the different Anti Shoplifting tools we utilize. More often, however, we end up reacting to a theft and making our choices based solely on those events.
I’ll give you an example from the latest edition of “how shoplifters drive me crazy”. I work for a retail pharmacy, and we sell various items out front based on the season. Two years ago the fragrance gift sets I had displayed for Christmas kept disappearing. When I reviewed video I found several instances where people were picking them up and taking them to the pharmacy to check out. They would have their prescriptions rang up, and then on the way to the front door, would just put the fragrance boxes into their bag. Last year, I decided the way to outsmart them was to put Checkpoint Labels inside the packages so the alarm would sound if they tried to leave without paying. It was Anti-Shoplifting 101 and worked well until they figured it out. Then they just started leaving behind the empty packages instead. I found the boxes stuffed in some strange places around the store. So this year, I changed it up again. When the fragrance sets arrived this year, I picked out the ones that were targeted most last year plus the new releases from this year, and put Spider-Wraps on them. The sets were selling instead of vanishing. Even the boxes I had not put anything on were not being stolen, and I really thought I had won the battle of the year.
Reality came back to me one day when a pair of shoplifters came in and re-taught me a lesson. My assistant looked up one weekend afternoon hearing the Checkpoint Alarm sounding, and sees two people running out the door with large gift bags in hand. Upon viewing the surveillance feed, we saw they had come in, gotten a shopping cart, and went to get those big bags from the greeting card section. They opened the bags, placed them in the cart, and began filling them with all the name brand hair regrowth products. It totaled over $300.00 in one hit. Of course, when they were replenished the next week, I placed some Spider-Wraps to these items. The worst thing was knowing these products had been stolen before, but my tunnel vision around the fragrance sets prevented me from thinking about that.
I got too wrapped up in seasonal merchandise being stolen, and forgot about the everyday stuff. Anti-Shoplifting efforts are a constant challenge, and if you let your guard down, the thieves will change their methods or their target items and leave you wondering: what just happened? Know the season, the new items that are trending, and use your instincts to determine what is likely to be your store’s most vulnerable products. Get input from your staff and the local police. Here is a tip from me: It is almost time for back to school; if you sell school items, start preparing now for what you will do to protect them.
For more information contact us Antishoplifting.net or call 1.770.426.0547
I love a good shoplifting story. So does my wife, family, friends, co-workers… (You get the idea). I love the loss prevention field. There is nothing more exciting than this and I don’t see myself anywhere else. At least not in the foreseeable future. Like I tell my boss, I’m only one lottery ticket away from quitting! There’s always something, somewhere that is just hilarious and it usually involves someone stealing, or trying to steal something. While I wish I could prevent shoplifting altogether, if I did, life wouldn’t be as entertaining.
It wasn’t too long ago that I was investigating the loss of several high end, personal video cameras. You know the ones; tiny, portable and can record underwater, or while you jump out of an airplane. My stores in this one market had been seeing an high number of thefts with this unit, even though they were secured to the display fixture with a cable and lock. After watching several videos of the ring of thieves, it was clear that our small cable was not match for their pliers. We began using Alpha spider wraps to help prevent and deter the thieves. It did, for a while.
After a few weeks, we started to see theft again. I figured that the thieves had figured out a way to defeat the spider wrap. After doing a little digging, I was able to see the same group of thieves. This time, they were back with a vengeance. After snipping off the cable, they simply grabbed a handful of the cameras and walked out. They were using the spider wrap as a handle!! They were targeting my stores during peak hours and it seemed like they operated with impunity as they would stroll out the front door with product in hand. Before anyone could react to the EAS tower, they would disappear into the parking lot.
That’s not the funny part either. It is if you think about it though. Imagine a thief holding several cameras by the security tags as he strolls out the door. It was like it made it even easier for him to carry more than two. The funny part came a few weeks later. I received a phone call from a local detective. He was assigned to the pawn shops in the parish and noticed that one individual was pawning these cameras seemingly once or twice a week. Pawn shops must record and report all pawns in most states, if you didn’t know. He provided me with some serial numbers, and I was able to determine that they had been stolen from my store. He asked if I wanted to come with him to the pawn shop to recover the stolen property.
Normally, a pawn shop has to hold the merchandise for 30 days in order to clear the item through any stolen database. A reputable pawn broker will be able identify stolen goods. The not-so-reputable ones will turn a blind eye and accept the product anyway, regardless of the manner in which it made its way into their store. When I arrived with the detective, I was surprised to see that the cameras were still secured with the spider wraps!! The pawn broker explained that those were his tags, but he couldn’t produce a device to properly remove them. Not only did I get my merchandise back and make an arrest, I got another great story to tell.
For more information, contact us: Prevent Shoplifting, or call 1.770.426.0547
I love a good shoplifting story. So does my wife, family, friends, co-workers… (You get the idea). I love the loss prevention field. There is nothing more exciting than this and I don’t see myself anywhere else. At least not in the foreseeable future. Like I tell my boss, I’m only one lottery ticket away from quitting! There’s always something, somewhere that is just hilarious and it usually involves someone stealing, or trying to steal something. While I wish I could prevent shoplifting altogether, if I did, life wouldn’t be as entertaining.
It wasn’t too long ago that I was investigating the loss of several high end, personal video cameras. You know the ones; tiny, portable and can record underwater, or while you jump out of an airplane. My stores in this one market had been seeing an high number of thefts with this unit, even though they were secured to the display fixture with a cable and lock. After watching several videos of the ring of thieves, it was clear that our small cable was not match for their pliers. We began using Alpha Spider Wraps to help prevent and deter the thieves. It did, for a while.
After a few weeks, we started to see theft again. I figured that the thieves had figured out a way to defeat the Spider Wrap. After doing a little digging, I was able to see the same group of thieves. This time, they were back with a vengeance. After snipping off the cable, they simply grabbed a handful of the cameras and walked out. They were using the Spider Wrap as a handle!! They were targeting my stores during peak hours and it seemed like they operated with impunity as they would stroll out the front door with product in hand. Before anyone could react to the EAS tower, they would disappear into the parking lot.
That’s not the funny part either. It is if you think about it though. Imagine a thief holding several cameras by the security tags as he strolls out the door. It was like it made it even easier for him to carry more than two. The funny part came a few weeks later. I received a phone call from a local detective. He was assigned to the pawn shops in the parish and noticed that one individual was pawning these cameras seemingly once or twice a week. Pawn shops must record and report all pawns in most states, if you didn’t know. He provided me with some serial numbers, and I was able to determine that they had been stolen from my store. He asked if I wanted to come with him to the pawn shop to recover the stolen property.
Normally, a pawn shop has to hold the merchandise for 30 days in order to clear the item through any stolen database. A reputable pawn broker will be able identify stolen goods. The not-so-reputable ones will turn a blind eye and accept the product anyway, regardless of the manner in which it made its way into their store. When I arrived with the detective, I was surprised to see that the cameras were still secured with the Spider Wraps!! The pawn broker explained that those were his tags, but he couldn’t produce a device to properly remove them. Not only did I get my merchandise back and make an arrest, I got another great story to tell.
For more information, contact us: Prevent Shoplifting, or call 1.770.426.0547
