I thought I’d seen it all when it came to external theft, and for the most part I think I have. Every now and then something will come up that will surprise me, or blow me out of the water. In my job I handle both internal theft as well as developing solutions aimed to prevent shoplifting. Every now and then the two areas merge together in ways that are truly unbelievable.
Not three months ago, I was sitting in my office, working on an investigation, when my eyes could no longer stare my computer monitor. I needed a break so I decided to walk the sales floor for a little while, maybe even catch a shoplifter. I was burning the midnight oil so to speak. I’m normally out by five, but I was working on a complex case and it was easily past eight, but I still had a ton of reports to sift through. After a few loops around the store, I came across two guys in their early 20s looking at athletic apparel. Their behavior was odd, so I decided to observe them for a bit. It didn’t take long before both individuals began concealing merchandise. I watched as both subjects defeated the alpha 2 alarm tags by deactivating them at any empty register, and walked out of the store with my merchandise. That was a first. I had watched people try everything under the sun to get around the Alpha Security systems, but never had I seen someone walk up to a register so casually. Now, I had a good excuse to stop working on my case. Processing a shoplifter takes about an hour, so I figured after this was done I would just head home finally. I was pretty hungry anyway.
I made the apprehension and they would eventually go to jail that night. It was a pretty normal stop with nothing out of the ordinary. A few weeks went by and get subpoenaed to go to court. The day came and I prepared just as I had for every other case. I printed out all of my statements, photographs and even had a copy of video in my hand ready to present to the judge. There was no doubt that these two guys were guilty and nothing they could say could change my mind. It was a solid case. I sat in the courthouse for several hours until my case was called up. The judge called the first suspect up and asked him to tell his side of the story. My shoplifter prefaces his story with “Your Honor, it all started when I called the store and spoke to my friend.” What was I about to hear?! He went on to say that his friend, who is a supervisor, told him that it was a good time to come steal. He continued with details that made me realize he was telling the truth. He identified the supervisor by name, and a quick social media check showed the two were in fact friends. He went as far as to say the supervisor told him how to deactivate the Alpha Security tags at an empty register and what aisles to steal on that were no covered on camera.
I was amazed. At no point in my entire career had anything like this ever happened. He didn’t mention this during the apprehension, or even when questioned by the responding officers. I definitely would have liked to have known this supervisor was dirty 3 months ago. By the end of the day, he was found guilty, but based on his statements; the court imposed a lighter sentence. As for the supervisor… she was arrested a few weeks later once we uncovered that she was stealing hundreds of dollars in bank deposits.
For more information, contact us: Prevent Shoplifting, or call 1.770.426.0547
I thought I’d seen it all when it came to external theft, and for the most part I think I have. Every now and then something will come up that will surprise me, or blow me out of the water. In my job I handle both internal theft as well as developing solutions aimed to prevent shoplifting. Every now and then the two areas merge together in ways that are truly unbelievable.
Not three months ago, I was sitting in my office, working on an investigation, when my eyes could no longer stare my computer monitor. I needed a break so I decided to walk the sales floor for a little while, maybe even catch a shoplifter. I was burning the midnight oil so to speak. I’m normally out by five, but I was working on a complex case and it was easily past eight, but I still had a ton of reports to sift through. After a few loops around the store, I came across two guys in their early 20s looking at athletic apparel. Their behavior was odd, so I decided to observe them for a bit. It didn’t take long before both individuals began concealing merchandise. I watched as both subjects defeated the Alpha 2 Alarm Tags by deactivating them at any empty register, and walked out of the store with my merchandise. That was a first. I had watched people try everything under the sun to get around the Alpha Security systems, but never had I seen someone walk up to a register so casually. Now, I had a good excuse to stop working on my case. Processing a shoplifter takes about an hour, so I figured after this was done I would just head home finally. I was pretty hungry anyway.
I made the apprehension and they would eventually go to jail that night. It was a pretty normal stop with nothing out of the ordinary. A few weeks went by and get subpoenaed to go to court. The day came and I prepared just as I had for every other case. I printed out all of my statements, photographs and even had a copy of video in my hand ready to present to the judge. There was no doubt that these two guys were guilty and nothing they could say could change my mind. It was a solid case. I sat in the courthouse for several hours until my case was called up. The judge called the first suspect up and asked him to tell his side of the story. My shoplifter prefaces his story with “Your Honor, it all started when I called the store and spoke to my friend.” What was I about to hear?! He went on to say that his friend, who is a supervisor, told him that it was a good time to come steal. He continued with details that made me realize he was telling the truth. He identified the supervisor by name, and a quick social media check showed the two were in fact friends. He went as far as to say the supervisor told him how to deactivate the Alpha Security tags at an empty register and what aisles to steal on that were not covered on camera.
I was amazed. At no point in my entire career had anything like this ever happened. He didn’t mention this during the apprehension, or even when questioned by the responding officers. I definitely would have liked to have known this supervisor was dirty 3 months ago. By the end of the day, he was found guilty, but based on his statements; the court imposed a lighter sentence. As for the supervisor… she was arrested a few weeks later once we uncovered that she was stealing hundreds of dollars in bank deposits.
For more information, contact us: Prevent Shoplifting, or call 1.770.426.0547
If your store sells clothing, chances are that your customers are going to want to try those clothes on before they take them home and add them to their wardrobe. Offering changing areas so that customers can assess the fit is just a staple of good customer service when it comes to selling clothes. The only problem is that thieves and shoplifters love to commit their crimes out of sight. Where is a place better than the fitting room to conceal merchandise into a purse, bag, or even underneath clothes? This is going to be a hotspot of theft for shoplifters, but there are a few things you can do to make your fitting rooms less appealing to shoplifters and better for clothing security.
The first and most effective thing you can do is to staff the fitting room! Fitting room attendants, when trained properly, can deter a lot of theft! Shoplifters are typically most afraid of being noticed. If the risk of being noticed is high enough, they will decide not to steal. A fitting room greeter that can acknowledge customers and shoplifters, count their items before they enter, and clear out the fitting rooms when customers exit is an extremely powerful tool to secure clothing. Likewise, it is a great way to provide exceptional customer service at the same time. Not only can fitting room greeters prevent theft, but they can also improve sales! If changing-area attendants hand-pick additional items for customers to try on, those customers may very well choose to purchase additional items, especially when those items are recommended by a professional.
Another option that can be used as an addition or as a stand-alone option for securing clothes is to install a CCTV system. Surveillance cameras and public-view monitors also help to reinforce the mentality that shoplifters cannot act in anonymity. Placing a camera and monitor outside of the fitting room areas (where they are not jeopardizing anyone’s privacy) and allowing other shoppers and employees to see it will also flush out some potential thieves. The idea of having the criminal act recorded can also scare off shoplifters. Let’s not forget, if you find out that someone did shoplift clothing from your store, recording video can be great evidence to press charges in court, and to get restitution for the items taken!
Not everyone can afford to dedicate payroll hours to an employee just to staff the changing room. Another thing that can prevent clothing theft includes locating fitting areas near heavy foot traffic areas. If there are many people where the thief is trying to steal, it will increase the odds of being discovered; something that most shoplifters avoid at all costs. Likewise, placing a motion-censored chime at the fitting room entrance gives customers and shoplifters a sense that associates nearby know that they are there. Another simple way to make your fitting rooms great for customers and not for shoplifters is by maintaining lighting. Dark areas are more appealing to those trying to commit theft for the same reasons; dark areas allow for greater concealment of criminal activities. Also, having the lights on allows customers to see their clothing in the mirror as they want to see it, and will also prevent accidents like tripping or running into objects (something else than can easily impact your profitability). Most importantly, all of these options, alone or combined, will help to increase the clothing security in your store.
For more information contact us: Clothing security or call 1.770.426.0547
If your store sells clothing, chances are that your customers are going to want to try those clothes on before they take them home and add them to their wardrobe. Offering changing areas so that customers can assess the fit is just a staple of good customer service when it comes to selling clothes. The only problem is that thieves and shoplifters love to commit their crimes out of sight. Where is a place better than the fitting room to conceal merchandise into a purse, bag, or even underneath clothes? This is going to be a hotspot of theft for shoplifters, but there are a few things you can do to make your fitting rooms less appealing to shoplifters and better for clothing security.
The first and most effective thing you can do is to staff the fitting room! Fitting room attendants, when trained properly, can deter a lot of theft! Shoplifters are typically most afraid of being noticed. If the risk of being noticed is high enough, they will decide not to steal. A fitting room greeter that can acknowledge customers and shoplifters, count their items before they enter, and clear out the fitting rooms when customers exit is an extremely powerful tool to secure clothing. Likewise, it is a great way to provide exceptional customer service at the same time. Not only can fitting room greeters prevent theft, but they can also improve sales! If changing-area attendants hand-pick additional items for customers to try on, those customers may very well choose to purchase additional items, especially when those items are recommended by a professional.
Another option that can be used as an addition or as a stand-alone option for securing clothes is to install a CCTV system. Surveillance cameras and public-view monitors also help to reinforce the mentality that shoplifters cannot act in anonymity. Placing a camera and monitor outside of the fitting room areas (where they are not jeopardizing anyone’s privacy) and allowing other shoppers and employees to see it will also flush out some potential thieves. The idea of having the criminal act recorded can also scare off shoplifters. Let’s not forget, if you find out that someone did shoplift clothing from your store, recording video can be great evidence to press charges in court, and to get restitution for the items taken!
Not everyone can afford to dedicate payroll hours to an employee just to staff the changing room. Another thing that can prevent clothing theft includes locating fitting areas near heavy foot traffic areas. If there are many people where the thief is trying to steal, it will increase the odds of being discovered; something that most shoplifters avoid at all costs. Likewise, placing a motion-censored chime at the fitting room entrance gives customers and shoplifters a sense that associates nearby know that they are there. Another simple way to make your fitting rooms great for customers and not for shoplifters is by maintaining lighting. Dark areas are more appealing to those trying to commit theft for the same reasons; dark areas allow for greater concealment of criminal activities. Also, having the lights on allows customers to see their clothing in the mirror as they want to see it, and will also prevent accidents like tripping or running into objects (something else than can easily impact your profitability). Most importantly, all of these options, alone or combined, will help to increase the clothing security in your store.
For more information contact us: Clothing Security or call 1.770.426.0547
Theft alcohol from retailers and grocers is on the rise. Thieves don’t appear to be discriminating between big box stores and small businesses either. While a big box may be made susceptible because of the square footage of the building, the small business has big challenges as well by not having as many employees in the store for coverage, and the ease of getting in and out quickly. With all the stories in the papers and on the nightly news of these brazen thefts, consider Bottle Loks as a theft deterrent for your business to utilize.
Organized retail crime is a problem for many stores. The methods have changed through the years, but it still robs you of merchandise and your bottom line. In many cases they are entering the store while it is open, and getting away with cart loads of bottles. They know that most stores have a “do not chase or exit the building” policy in place for thefts, and employees know they can be terminated for doing so, even if the person is caught. Bottle Loks can assist you in your fight. Theft rings typically come in and observe your store first. They need to know how many people are usually working, when you are the busiest and most distracted, and possibly when you get deliveries so you have the most inventory available. You can help change their mind about targeting your store if they see you have product protection in place.
Theft rings can be sent in by different operations. They may be stealing alcohol for a fence operation that simply resells the bottles to private individuals. They may also be stealing for an unscrupulous bar or nightclub owner. In this case, they may have been cut off by reputable wholesalers, or they do not want to pay the taxes and fees associated with buying legally. In a recent case in California, a restaurant and bar owner was busted after a long surveillance operation. His two hired thieves were caught, and they cooperated with authorities to help catch him in the act. He was not only selling the stolen alcohol in his own business, but also selling the excess bottles to other area restaurants and bars.
Bottle Loks can help get your store off the thieves “shopping” list. If they know you have incorporated these into your tool chest, they are less likely to choose to steal from you. They know the Bottle Loks are designed to make it near impossible to get the bottle open (without breaking it) unless they have the proper tool to remove them. Bottle Loks also produce an alarm if they are taken through the door. If they do get out with the bottles, and they are still attached, they are worth less money to them at the buyer. Imagine the time it will take to remove the devices from each item. Buying stolen merchandise without being caught is tricky enough I’m sure, but to have to clean it too makes it a lot less desirable.
Don’t be the next victim in your community. Take a look at what Bottle Loks can do for you, and how they can deter theft for you. They are an investment that will pay you back.
For more information contact us: Bottlelock.net or call 1.770.426.0547
Theft of alcohol from retailers and grocers is on the rise. Thieves don’t appear to be discriminating between big box stores and small businesses either. While a big box may be more susceptible because of the square footage of the building, the small business has big challenges as well by not having as many employees in the store for coverage, and the ease of getting in and out quickly. With all the stories in the papers and on the nightly news of these brazen thefts, consider Bottle Loks as a theft deterrent for your business to utilize.
Organized retail crime is a problem for many stores. The methods have changed through the years, but it still robs you of merchandise and your bottom line. In many cases they are entering the store while it is open, and getting away with cart loads of bottles. They know that most stores have a “do not chase or exit the building” policy in place for thefts, and employees know they can be terminated for doing so, even if the person is caught. Bottle Loks can assist you in your fight. Theft rings typically come in and observe your store first. They need to know how many people are usually working, when you are the busiest and most distracted, and possibly when you get deliveries so you have the most inventory available. You can help change their mind about targeting your store if they see you have product protection in place.
Theft rings can be sent in by different operations. They may be stealing alcohol for a fence operation that simply resells the bottles to private individuals. They may also be stealing for an unscrupulous bar or nightclub owner. In this case, they may have been cut off by reputable wholesalers, or they do not want to pay the taxes and fees associated with buying legally. In a recent case in California, a restaurant and bar owner was busted after a long surveillance operation. His two hired thieves were caught, and they cooperated with authorities to help catch him in the act. He was not only selling the stolen alcohol in his own business, but also selling the excess bottles to other area restaurants and bars.
Bottle Loks can help get your store off the thieves “shopping” list. If they know you have incorporated these into your tool chest, they are less likely to choose to steal from you. They know the Bottle Loks are designed to make it near impossible to get the bottle open (without breaking it) unless they have the proper tool to remove them. Bottle Loks also produce an alarm if they are taken through the door. If they do get out with the bottles, and the Bottle Loks are still attached, they are worth less money to them at the buyer. Imagine the time it will take to remove the devices from each item. Buying stolen merchandise without being caught is tricky enough I’m sure, but to have to clean it too makes it a lot less desirable.
Don’t be the next victim in your community. Take a look at what Bottle Loks can do for you, and how they can deter theft for you. They are an investment that will pay you back.
For more information contact us: Bottlelock.net or call 1.770.426.0547
When you think of socks, you probably don’t see a high shrink category. Socks, for the most part are relatively cheap. You can pick up a 12 pack for ten dollars, or so. Next time you’re in a shoe store, pay attention to some of the name brands. High end performance socks can go upwards of $20 a pair! Theft in this area can quickly add up. I worked as a loss prevention manager for a company that specialized in athletic footwear an apparel. It’s always going to be impossible to stop shoplifting completely, but a few simple measures in your store could help drastically reduce losses from theft.
About four years ago, I was conducting a routine audit of one of the stores in my district. I was making sure the managers were complying to the company’s physical security standards and that general safety practices were being adhered to. While in the footwear section of the store, I noticed a kid in his late teens acting a little odd while browsing the athletic socks. I called over to the loss prevention agent working in the store and we both began live observation. It wasn’t long before we began to witness the suspect remove and conceal about fifteen pairs of socks that retailed for $24.99 each. There were anti-shoplifting devices securing the socks, but he simply placed them down the front of his pants. As the suspect exited the store, an apprehension was attempted, however he fled with the merchandise. Since we won’t chase down a shoplifter, we made sure to give the video to local police and I went on about my day, albeit, a little disappointed and frustrated.
A few days went by and I found myself at another one of my store locations. I was in the store to close out an employee theft case. After the employee was arrested for theft, I walked the sales floor for a few minutes to clear my head. As I was walking though the footwear department, I saw the same shoplifting suspect that had stolen the socks from a different store location and ran. Again, I watched as he loaded his pants with varying sizes of all the same color socks. The checkpoint tags securing the socks didn’t seem to phase him. I contacted local police, but he was able to get out again before the police could arrive. Twice gotten by the same shoplifter. I was really frustrated. When the responding officer came to take my report, he asked to see the video. Upon viewing the recording, he recognized the suspect. He told me that my shoplifter was the quarterback of his kid’s high school football team.
It was Friday and there was no doubt a game. The officer asked if I would want to accompany him to the school, which was a ½ mile down the road. Eager for a road trip, I agreed. We spoke to the coach, who brought out our suspect. He admitted to shoplifting, but wouldn’t tell us what he had done with the merchandise. It was about this time that I noticed that the entire team was wearing the same style socks as what were stolen. I mentioned this to the officer and upon closer inspection; we proved that the socks were ours. On each sock, there was a hole where the anti-shoplifting device had been. The star quarterback had out-fitted his entire team with stolen socks.
For more information, contact us: anti-shoplifting, or call 1.770.426.0547
When you think of socks, you probably don’t see a high shrink category. Socks, for the most part are relatively cheap. You can pick up a 12 pack for ten dollars, or so. Next time you’re in a shoe store, pay attention to some of the name brands. High end performance socks can go upwards of $20 a pair! Theft in this area can quickly add up. I worked as a loss prevention manager for a company that specialized in athletic footwear and apparel. It’s always going to be impossible to stop shoplifting completely, but a few simple measures in your store could help drastically reduce losses from theft.
About four years ago, I was conducting a routine audit of one of the stores in my district. I was making sure the managers were complying to the company’s physical security standards and that general safety practices were being adhered to. While in the footwear section of the store, I noticed a kid in his late teens acting a little odd while browsing the athletic socks. I called over to the loss prevention agent working in the store and we both began live observation. It wasn’t long before we began to witness the suspect remove and conceal about fifteen pairs of socks that retailed for $24.99 each. There were anti-shoplifting devices securing the socks, but he simply placed them down the front of his pants. As the suspect exited the store, an apprehension was attempted, however he fled with the merchandise. Since we won’t chase down a shoplifter, we made sure to give the video to local police and I went on about my day, albeit, a little disappointed and frustrated.
A few days went by and I found myself at another one of my store locations. I was in the store to close out an employee theft case. After the employee was arrested for theft, I walked the sales floor for a few minutes to clear my head. As I was walking though the footwear department, I saw the same shoplifting suspect that had stolen the socks from a different store location and ran. Again, I watched as he loaded his pants with varying sizes of all the same color socks. The Checkpoint Tags securing the socks didn’t seem to phase him. I contacted local police, but he was able to get out again before the police could arrive. Twice gotten by the same shoplifter. I was really frustrated. When the responding officer came to take my report, he asked to see the video. Upon viewing the recording, he recognized the suspect. He told me that my shoplifter was the quarterback of his kid’s high school football team.
It was Friday and there was no doubt a game. The officer asked if I would want to accompany him to the school, which was a ½ mile down the road. Eager for a road trip, I agreed. We spoke to the coach, who brought out our suspect. He admitted to shoplifting, but wouldn’t tell us what he had done with the merchandise. It was about this time that I noticed that the entire team was wearing the same style socks as what were stolen. I mentioned this to the officer and upon closer inspection; we proved that the socks were ours. On each sock, there was a hole where the anti-shoplifting device had been. The star quarterback had out-fitted his entire team with stolen socks.
For more information, contact us: anti-shoplifting, or call 1.770.426.0547
It was finally spring time and I couldn’t be happier. The long, cold winter was finally behind us and baseball season was right around the corner. It was a transition time for the stores, as they worked to move the post-holiday goods out and began to fill with all the new baseball items for the season. It wasn’t long before we were receiving high end bats and gloves, and well, pretty much anything else you could ever need to make your game a winner. It also presented a unique challenge to prevent shoplifting in this category.
As the Loss Prevention manager for my store, I often conduct audits on the store’s point of sale system to ensure we don’t have a dishonest employee and to also look for indicators of external theft. A few refunds for the week caught my attention. There were several refunds for a four hundred dollar baseball glove. I knew we hadn’t sold that many, so I needed to look a little further. I pulled the videos of the refund transactions and saw that the same person had conducted the refund each time. Furthermore, during each refund, the Alpha 3 Alarm tag, meant to prevent shoplifting, was still attached to the glove.
I went to the glove display area to check the inventory counts. To my surprise, I wasn’t missing a single glove. In fact, I was over on the book inventory the same number of refunds. I really couldn’t figure it out. How could I be over on the books when I was certain that this individual had stolen the mitts that were refunded? It would be a no-brainer to me now, but back then, I was relatively new to the Loss Prevention world, so I had to fumble my way through this one.
I started investigating, but I was perplexed by the alpha security tag that was still on the product. I looked at the alarm record that the door greeter keeps and didn’t see a log entry for an alarm activation during the time period before the refund. If the subject came into the store with the glove, it surely would’ve activated the Nano Gate. I had to dig a little further. I went backwards on the CCTV system and found when the subject entered the store. I was shocked when I saw that she had entered the store with nothing in her hands. I followed her through the store and saw that she had went to the baseball aisle, selected the glove and simply brought it to the return desk.
I looked at every other time a glove was returned for the week and the MO matched every single time. I was not happy with the store team. How could they process a refund with a security device still attached to the product? How could the same cashier do this for the same person multiple times in one week and not get a manager involved? It brought to light some training opportunities in the store that were quickly addressed. We also were able to implement several refund polices that were aimed at eliminating this type of activity. It just goes to show that even with the most sophisticated security systems in place, there is no substitute for a well trained and alert store employee.
For more information, contact us: Prevent Shoplifting, or call 1.770.426.0547
It was finally spring time and I couldn’t be happier. The long, cold winter was finally behind us and baseball season was right around the corner. It was a transition time for the stores, as they worked to move the post-holiday goods out and began to fill with all the new baseball items for the season. It wasn’t long before we were receiving high end bats and gloves, and well, pretty much anything else you could ever need to make your game a winner. It also presented a unique challenge to prevent shoplifting in this category.
As the Loss Prevention manager for my store, I often conduct audits on the store’s point of sale system to ensure we don’t have a dishonest employee and to also look for indicators of external theft. A few refunds for the week caught my attention. There were several refunds for a four hundred dollar baseball glove. I knew we hadn’t sold that many, so I needed to look a little further. I pulled the videos of the refund transactions and saw that the same person had conducted the refund each time. Furthermore, during each refund, the Alpha 3 Alarm tag, meant to prevent shoplifting, was still attached to the glove.
I went to the glove display area to check the inventory counts. To my surprise, I wasn’t missing a single glove. In fact, I was over on the book inventory by the same number of refunds. I really couldn’t figure it out. How could I be over on the books when I was certain that this individual had stolen the mitts that were refunded? It would be a no-brainer to me now, but back then, I was relatively new to the Loss Prevention world, so I had to fumble my way through this one.
I started investigating, but I was perplexed by the Alpha Security Tag that was still on the product. I looked at the alarm record that the door greeter keeps and didn’t see a log entry for an alarm activation during the time period before the refund. If the subject came into the store with the glove, it surely would’ve activated the Nano Gate. I had to dig a little further. I went backwards on the CCTV system and found when the subject entered the store. I was shocked when I saw that she had entered the store with nothing in her hands. I followed her through the store and saw that she had went to the baseball aisle, selected the glove and simply brought it to the return desk.
I looked at every other time a glove was returned for the week and the MO matched every single time. I was not happy with the store team. How could they process a refund with a security device still attached to the product? How could the same cashier do this for the same person multiple times in one week and not get a manager involved? It brought to light some training opportunities in the store that were quickly addressed. We also were able to implement several refund polices that were aimed at eliminating this type of activity. It just goes to show that even with the most sophisticated security systems in place, there is no substitute for a well trained and alert store employee.
For more information, contact us: Prevent Shoplifting, or call 1.770.426.0547
