Larger, multi-location companies have the advantage of being able to communicate between their different store locations to share shoplifter intelligence. With small businesses, it is a little more difficult because you either have one location, or your stores are not usually as geographically close together. This is where networking comes into play, and is an important tool for your business’s arsenal of anti-shoplifting measures. If you don’t have other nearby locations in your company, you need to reach out to other businesses, even if some of the other businesses are competitors. If shoplifters are stealing from your store, it is a safe bet that they are also targeting nearby businesses. Staying in touch with neighboring business is a must when trying to stop shoplifting in your community.
Why should you share intelligence with a competitor? Because in the war on shoplifting, we are on the same team. Small businesses need to stand together to make more of an effort to work together to stop shoplifting. If you communicate information about a specific shoplifter that has been affecting your store, and the shoplifter is apprehended at your competitor’s store, who wins? The answer is everyone, well except for the shoplifter, of course. The shoplifter is no longer affecting either one of your stores either way.
It’s a good idea to get together every so often and have a meeting with other businesses in the community. Also invite your local law enforcement agency, which will most likely send someone to attend and speak at the event. You would be surprised with the amount of information you will gain from these meetings. You will get a different perspective on what other businesses are doing in regard to anti-shoplifting strategies or devices they may be using. You may also realize that you share some of the same shoplifters. For example, if you have identified a thief that consistently steals from your store at around 3pm on Wednesdays, and then hits another business at around 4pm, you have developed a pattern. This is powerful information that can be used to catch the shoplifter. Even if you attempt to stop the thief at your store and they get away, you know the next place they may be heading, so this can be shared with the other store and law enforcement.
Keeping a good working relationship with area businesses is always beneficial, even if your contact at the other business moves on, they can pass your information on to their replacement and let them know how helpful you have been to them. Remember, the idea and common goal is retail theft prevention. You want to make as much of an impact on theft in your area as possible, so the more partners you have, the easier it will be to catch the shoplifters. On many occasions, I have had other retailers contact me and tell me that they just caught a shoplifter, and the thief also had merchandise from my store in their possession. In some of those cases, our store wasn’t even aware that a theft had occurred. If I wasn’t in contact with the other retailers, there is no telling what would have happened to the merchandise. Communication is key when trying to accomplish any goal, and trying to stop shoplifting in your community is a big goal, so why attempt to do it by yourself?
For more information contact us: (stop shoplifting) or call 1.770.426.0547
Larger, multi-location companies have the advantage of being able to communicate between their different store locations to share shoplifter intelligence. With small businesses, it is a little more difficult because you either have one location, or your stores are not usually as geographically close together. This is where networking comes into play, and is an important tool for your business’s arsenal of anti-shoplifting measures. If you don’t have other nearby locations in your company, you need to reach out to other businesses, even if some of the other businesses are competitors. If shoplifters are stealing from your store, it is a safe bet that they are also targeting nearby businesses. Staying in touch with neighboring business is a must when trying to stop shoplifting in your community.
Why should you share intelligence with a competitor? Because in the war on shoplifting, we are on the same team. Small businesses need to stand together to make more of an effort to work together to stop shoplifting. If you communicate information about a specific shoplifter that has been affecting your store, and the shoplifter is apprehended at your competitor’s store, who wins? The answer is everyone, well except for the shoplifter, of course. The shoplifter is no longer affecting either one of your stores either way.
It’s a good idea to get together every so often and have a meeting with other businesses in the community. Also invite your local law enforcement agency, which will most likely send someone to attend and speak at the event. You would be surprised with the amount of information you will gain from these meetings. You will get a different perspective on what other businesses are doing in regard to anti-shoplifting strategies or devices they may be using. You may also realize that you share some of the same shoplifters. For example, if you have identified a thief that consistently steals from your store at around 3pm on Wednesdays, and then hits another business at around 4pm, you have developed a pattern. This is powerful information that can be used to catch the shoplifter. Even if you attempt to stop the thief at your store and they get away, you know the next place they may be heading, so this can be shared with the other store and law enforcement.
Keeping a good working relationship with area businesses is always beneficial, even if your contact at the other business moves on, they can pass your information on to their replacement and let them know how helpful you have been to them. Remember, the idea and common goal is retail theft prevention. You want to make as much of an impact on theft in your area as possible, so the more partners you have, the easier it will be to catch the shoplifters. On many occasions, I have had other retailers contact me and tell me that they just caught a shoplifter, and the thief also had merchandise from my store in their possession. In some of those cases, our store wasn’t even aware that a theft had occurred. If I wasn’t in contact with the other retailers, there is no telling what would have happened to the merchandise. Communication is key when trying to accomplish any goal, and trying to stop shoplifting in your community is a big goal, so why attempt to do it by yourself?
For more information contact us: Stop Shoplifting or call 1.770.426.0547
You read an article on a shoplifting ring that has just stolen $10k worth of electronics from a store. Chances are, you don’t think twice. It’s common. Shoplifting happens every single day, so this is no different. The next day, maybe you see an article where a guy got busted at a local grocery store shoplifting steaks. Chances are, if you’re like me, it invoked a stronger reaction. More on the lines of “I can’t afford to eat steak every night and I HAVE a job!” You don’t have that new electronic device that was stolen yesterday, and yet you still go to work every morning. Why do we have such different reactions to someone stealing meat?
People spend a lot of money at the grocery store, and most folks visit them more often than any other type of retailer. Think about how many times you are in the supermarket every week. Probably more than twice. Since I travel so often, I don’t buy a lot of food at once. I’ll buy just enough to get me through a couple days so nothing spoils. So if I, the legitimate shopper am spending money daily, one could assume that shoplifters are in just as frequently. So on top of ever approaching expiration dates, thin margins, employee theft and a myriad of other sources of loss, I ask again, why is meat theft gaining so much attention? I think it has to everything to do with the perception of the shoplifter. Shoplifting can be a source of shame, and the shoplifter is most often cast in this light and is thus looked down upon; someone below the normal everyday man. So when a prime cut of meat (which is reserved for those who can afford it) is stolen, we think on some level how unfair it is for this person, who doesn’t deserve to eat this, to simply steal it. Why can’t they get a job and pay for that meat?
You are in business to make money. One way you accomplish this is by keeping your prices competitive. In today’s retail climate, customer’s want a bargain, so if they can get that same cut of ham down the road for $.25 less, chances are they will. One way to keep your prices low is to stop meat theft. Grocers nationwide are seeing this trend and it will no doubt grow unless you do something about it. People steal from the grocery store because they are seen as an easy target. Most family run shops lack even the most basic physical security controls and I’ve never run across an LP team at one, either. You have options, though.
First, if you’re not already reaping the benefits of a checkpoint system, I would encourage you to look into them. If you already have one, great. Checkpoint makes an entire line of labels specifically designed for consumable product, such as steak, cheese and other high end cuts. These give you the security you need to minimize shrink and the peace of mind knowing it is 100% safe for your customers. Meat theft will be, in my opinion, a very fast growing theft trend that will plague retailers that don’t take the appropriate steps to secure their inventory. In fact, I saw this first hand just a few days ago at my local grocer. That story and a little more can be found in part three of my series on Meat Theft.
For more information, contact us: Grocery Store Meat Theft, or call 1.770.426.0547
You read an article on a shoplifting ring that has just stolen $10k worth of electronics from a store. Chances are, you don’t think twice. It’s common. Shoplifting happens every single day, so this is no different. The next day, maybe you see an article where a guy got busted at a local grocery store shoplifting steaks. Chances are, if you’re like me, it invoked a stronger reaction. More on the lines of “I can’t afford to eat steak every night and I HAVE a job!” You don’t have that new electronic device that was stolen yesterday, and yet you still go to work every morning. Why do we have such different reactions to someone stealing meat?
People spend a lot of money at the grocery store, and most folks visit them more often than any other type of retailer. Think about how many times you are in the supermarket every week. Probably more than twice. Since I travel so often, I don’t buy a lot of food at once. I’ll buy just enough to get me through a couple days so nothing spoils. So if I, the legitimate shopper am spending money daily, one could assume that shoplifters are in just as frequently. So on top of ever approaching expiration dates, thin margins, employee theft and a myriad of other sources of loss, I ask again, why is shoplifting steaks gaining so much attention? I think it has everything to do with the perception of the shoplifter. Shoplifting can be a source of shame, and the shoplifter is most often cast in this light and is thus looked down upon; someone below the normal everyday man. So when a prime cut of meat (which is reserved for those who can afford it) is stolen, we think on some level how unfair it is for this person, who doesn’t deserve to eat this, to simply steal it. Why can’t they get a job and pay for that meat?
You are in business to make money. One way you accomplish this is by keeping your prices competitive. In today’s retail climate, customer’s want a bargain, so if they can get that same cut of ham down the road for $.25 less, chances are they will. One way to keep your prices low is to stop theives from shoplifting steaks. Grocers nationwide are seeing this trend and it will no doubt grow unless you do something about it. People steal from the grocery store because they are seen as an easy target. Most family run shops lack even the most basic physical security controls and I’ve never run across an LP team at one, either. You have options, though.
First, if you’re not already reaping the benefits of a Checkpoint System, I would encourage you to look into them. If you already have one, great. Checkpoint makes an entire line of labels specifically designed for consumable product, such as steak, cheese and other high end cuts. These give you the security you need to minimize shrink and the peace of mind knowing it is 100% safe for your customers. Meat theft will be, in my opinion, a very fast growing theft trend that will plague retailers that don’t take the appropriate steps to secure their inventory. In fact, I saw this first hand just a few days ago at my local grocer. That story and a little more can be found in part three of my series on Meat Theft.
For more information, contact us: Grocery Store Meat Theft, or call 1.770.426.0547
My job is great. I get to work for a pretty awesome company, play with cool stuff and most importantly, I get to throw bad guys in jail. I work LP for a small sporting goods store and I can assure you that there is never a dull moment. I’m not a golfer, but I do enjoy the sport. I also like the technology behind the clubs. So naturally, this section of the store is where I tend to gravitate when I have a little down time. It’s also an area where a shoplifter can make off with a good chunk of money.
I found myself in the store early one Saturday morning before heading to the lake. I was off, and needed a few supplies and of course, drifting to the golf section. Some new drivers had just come in and I was talking to the golf manager as he was putting Alpha O-Tags onto them before putting them on display. We talked for a bit and he walked off, leaving me and an older woman in the golf section. She was a very dignified woman, with a long flowing sundress. She looked as if she were about to enjoy the sunny weekend just as I was.
As I was swinging one of those new drives, she came up with one of her own and asked very confused, as to what the item was on the shaft of the club. It was of course the Alpha O-Tag. I explained it was a store security device and she seemed content with that and walked shrugged her shoulder. She said her husband wanted that club and today was his birthday, but she lamented at the price. I told her he’d be lucky to get that as a gift, especially if he was an avid golfer. We talked for a bit more before I left the area. I needed to grab one more thing from the camping section and I was off to the lake. I grabbed my mosquito spray and headed to the register.
As luck would have it, I was in line behind the lady whom I had spoken to earlier. She had in her hand that expensive driver that her husband wanted, and I thought how great it must be to have a wife ☺. The cashier rang the item and then removed the Alpha O-Tag. I wasn’t paying that much attention, but thought I heard the cashier only charge her $20. As the lady walked away, I asked the cashier and she confirmed what I had thought I heard. This lady, whom I would never expect to commit a crime, was now walking out of my store with a $600 golf club that she paid a mere $20 for. I ran from the register and stopped her before she left out. The cameras showed her switching the price tags, and due to the in-attentive cashier, she was almost able to get away with it. One thing is for sure though, I guarantee that won’t be a birthday present her husband won’t soon forget!
For more information, contact us: O-Tags, or call 1.770.426.0547
My job is great. I get to work for a pretty awesome company, play with cool stuff and most importantly, I get to throw bad guys in jail. I work LP for a small sporting goods store and I can assure you that there is never a dull moment. I’m not a golfer, but I do enjoy the sport. I also like the technology behind the clubs. So naturally, this section of the store is where I tend to gravitate when I have a little down time. It’s also an area where a shoplifter can make off with a good chunk of money.
I found myself in the store early one Saturday morning before heading to the lake. I was off, and needed a few supplies and of course, drifting to the golf section. Some new drivers had just come in and I was talking to the golf manager as he was putting Alpha O-Tags onto them before putting them on display. We talked for a bit and he walked off, leaving me and an older woman in the golf section. She was a very dignified woman, with a long flowing sundress. She looked as if she were about to enjoy the sunny weekend just as I was.
As I was swinging one of those new drivers, she came up with one of her own and asked very confused, as to what the item was on the shaft of the club. It was of course the Alpha O-Tag. I explained it was a store security device and she seemed content with that and shrugged her shoulders. She said her husband wanted that club and today was his birthday, but she lamented at the price. I told her he’d be lucky to get that as a gift, especially if he was an avid golfer. We talked for a bit more before I left the area. I needed to grab one more thing from the camping section and I was off to the lake. I grabbed my mosquito spray and headed to the register.
As luck would have it, I was in line behind the lady whom I had spoken to earlier. She had in her hand that expensive driver that her husband wanted, and I thought how great it must be to have a wife. The cashier rang the item and then removed the Alpha O-Tag. I wasn’t paying that much attention, but thought I heard the cashier only charge her $20. As the lady walked away, I asked the cashier and she confirmed what I had thought I heard. This lady, whom I would never expect to commit a crime, was now walking out of my store with a $600 golf club that she paid a mere $20 for. I ran from the register and stopped her before she left out. The cameras showed her switching the price tags, and due to the in-attentive cashier, she was almost able to get away with it. One thing is for sure though, I guarantee that won’t be a birthday present her husband won’t soon forget!
For more information, contact us at losspreventionsystems.com, or call 1.770.426.0547
If you are a manager or owner of a club or bar, do you offer Bottle Service? This is one thing I and several of my friends look for before we choose to go somewhere for a group night out. It gives our group the VIP treatment, and that personal service we want when we go out. Whether it is a birthday party or pre-wedding event, the assistance of an assigned waitress keeping our table in order and stocked, plus taking care of our drinks makes a fun time even better.
Recently we went out to a local popular club for a fund-raising event. They were raising money and awareness for a wildlife and raptor center. They had also booked local female only bands… “Chick Bands for Chicks” was the theme. This particular club does generally offer Bottle Service, and that is one of the reasons we bought tickets for the event, not to mention because at one time or another we had all taken our children to this wildlife center for a day out of the house. When we arrived, we were disappointed to find that they were not offering Bottle Service on this night.
It’s not just about the personal attention, and being a little pampered that we like about this though. It is also getting to avoid some people that cannot control themselves at bars. With the added money we pay for the waitress and table, we also know our drinks are controlled and poured correctly. I like my drinks strong; I have some friends that like them better when they cannot taste the alcohol at all. But when we go out, we need the drinks to be consistent. It is a safety issue as well as a social issue, and the drinks should be poured professionally, not just sloshed in the glasses. After one or two drinks, people tend to get a little braver and stupider, so having someone there that has attended to you knows what you have had already, and can take care of you properly. Plus, since the waitress has the Alpha Key that opens the bottles, we don’t have to worry about the temptation of over pouring for ourselves!
Of course, that night started to go down hill as it got later. I don’t blame the bartenders, because after this one guy had had a few too many drinks, they did cut him off. So he simply sent some of his friends after more drinks for him. Before anyone knew better, he was completely intoxicated, falling into other tables, including ours, and even falling on the floor, unable to get up. When we have Bottle Service, we get tables away from some of this action, so we can avoid people like this. They can ruin the night for others when they start acting out, and even causing fights and other trouble in a bar. We are out for the fun of it, not to get so smashed we cannot remember what happened.
For more information contact us Bottle-Services.net or call 1.770.426.0547
If you are a manager or owner of a club or bar, do you offer Bottle Service? This is one thing I and several of my friends look for before we choose to go somewhere for a group night out. It gives our group the VIP treatment, and that personal service we want when we go out. Whether it is a birthday party or pre-wedding event, the assistance of an assigned waitress keeping our table in order and stocked, plus taking care of our drinks makes a fun time even better.
Recently we went out to a local popular club for a fund-raising event. They were raising money and awareness for a wildlife and raptor center. They had also booked local female only bands… “Chick Bands for Chicks” was the theme. This particular club does generally offer Bottle Service, and that is one of the reasons we bought tickets for the event, not to mention because at one time or another we had all taken our children to this wildlife center for a day out of the house. When we arrived, we were disappointed to find that they were not offering Bottle Service on this night.
It’s not just about the personal attention, and being a little pampered that we like about this though. It is also getting to avoid some people that cannot control themselves at bars. With the added money we pay for the waitress and table, we also know our drinks are controlled and poured correctly. I like my drinks strong; I have some friends that like them better when they cannot taste the alcohol at all. But when we go out, we need the drinks to be consistent. It is a safety issue as well as a social issue, and the drinks should be poured professionally, not just sloshed in the glasses. After one or two drinks, people tend to get a little braver and stupider, so having someone there that has attended to you knows what you have had already, and can take care of you properly. Plus, since the waitress has the Alpha EASy Bottle Key that opens the bottles, we don’t have to worry about the temptation of over pouring for ourselves! Of course, that night started to go down hill as it got later. I don’t blame the bartenders, because after this one guy had had a few too many drinks, they did cut him off. So he simply sent some of his friends after more drinks for him. Before anyone knew better, he was completely intoxicated, falling into other tables, including ours, and even falling on the floor, unable to get up. When we have Bottle Service, we get tables away from some of this action, so we can avoid people like this. They can ruin the night for others when they start acting out, and even causing fights and other trouble in a bar. We are out for the fun of it, not to get so smashed we cannot remember what happened.
For more information contact us Bottle-Services.net or call 1.770.426.0547
If you are a manager or owner of a club or bar, do you offer Bottle Service? This is one thing I and several of my friends look for before we choose to go somewhere for a group night out. It gives our group the VIP treatment, and that personal service we want when we go out. Whether it is a birthday party or pre-wedding event, the assistance of an assigned waitress keeping our table in order and stocked, plus taking care of our drinks makes a fun time even better.
Recently we went out to a local popular club for a fund-raising event. They were raising money and awareness for a wildlife and raptor center. They had also booked local female only bands… “Chick Bands for Chicks” was the theme. This particular club does generally offer Bottle Service, and that is one of the reasons we bought tickets for the event, not to mention because at one time or another we had all taken our children to this wildlife center for a day out of the house. When we arrived, we were disappointed to find that they were not offering Bottle Service on this night.
It’s not just about the personal attention, and being a little pampered that we like about this though. It is also getting to avoid some people that cannot control themselves at bars. With the added money we pay for the waitress and table, we also know our drinks are controlled and poured correctly. I like my drinks strong; I have some friends that like them better when they cannot taste the alcohol at all. But when we go out, we need the drinks to be consistent. It is a safety issue as well as a social issue, and the drinks should be poured professionally, not just sloshed in the glasses. After one or two drinks, people tend to get a little braver and stupider, so having someone there that has attended to you knows what you have had already, and can take care of you properly. Plus, since the waitress has the Alpha Key that opens the bottles, we don’t have to worry about the temptation of over pouring for ourselves!
Of course, that night started to go down hill as it got later. I don’t blame the bartenders, because after this one guy had had a few too many drinks, they did cut him off. So he simply sent some of his friends after more drinks for him. Before anyone knew better, he was completely intoxicated, falling into other tables, including ours, and even falling on the floor, unable to get up. When we have Bottle Service, we get tables away from some of this action, so we can avoid people like this. They can ruin the night for others when they start acting out, and even causing fights and other trouble in a bar. We are out for the fun of it, not to get so smashed we cannot remember what happened.
For more information contact us Bottle-Services.net or call 1.770.426.0547
If you are a manager or owner of a club or bar, do you offer Bottle Service? This is one thing I and several of my friends look for before we choose to go somewhere for a group night out. It gives our group the VIP treatment, and that personal service we want when we go out. Whether it is a birthday party or pre-wedding event, the assistance of an assigned waitress keeping our table in order and stocked, plus taking care of our drinks makes a fun time even better.
Recently we went out to a local popular club for a fund-raising event. They were raising money and awareness for a wildlife and raptor center. They had also booked local female only bands… “Chick Bands for Chicks” was the theme. This particular club does generally offer Bottle Service, and that is one of the reasons we bought tickets for the event, not to mention because at one time or another we had all taken our children to this wildlife center for a day out of the house. When we arrived, we were disappointed to find that they were not offering Bottle Service on this night.
It’s not just about the personal attention, and being a little pampered that we like about this though. It is also getting to avoid some people that cannot control themselves at bars. With the added money we pay for the waitress and table, we also know our drinks are controlled and poured correctly. I like my drinks strong; I have some friends that like them better when they cannot taste the alcohol at all. But when we go out, we need the drinks to be consistent. It is a safety issue as well as a social issue, and the drinks should be poured professionally, not just sloshed in the glasses. After one or two drinks, people tend to get a little braver and stupider, so having someone there that has attended to you knows what you have had already, and can take care of you properly. Plus, since the waitress has the Alpha EASy Bottle Key that opens the bottles, we don’t have to worry about the temptation of over pouring for ourselves! Of course, that night started to go down hill as it got later. I don’t blame the bartenders, because after this one guy had had a few too many drinks, they did cut him off. So he simply sent some of his friends after more drinks for him. Before anyone knew better, he was completely intoxicated, falling into other tables, including ours, and even falling on the floor, unable to get up. When we have Bottle Service, we get tables away from some of this action, so we can avoid people like this. They can ruin the night for others when they start acting out, and even causing fights and other trouble in a bar. We are out for the fun of it, not to get so smashed we cannot remember what happened.
For more information contact us at Bottle-Services.net or call 1.770.426.0547
