Clothing security -4 WC Blog 388
Checkpoint Tags-3
Understanding The Unspoken Crime Of Underwear Theft And How Checkpoint Tags Can Undercut The Shoplifting Underworld
According to Merriam-Webster the following are slang or alternative words that refer to underwear; cutty sark (a term formed from the outdated words “cutty” meaning short and “sark” for shirt describing a short nightgown which they say inspired a famous ship name and that name inspired the brand of whiskey that goes by that name today). Knickers, a standard word for underwear mainly in Britain and a singlet another British term for a sleeveless undershirt. Other words include, tighty whities, underdrawers, unionsuit, unmentionables and pretties. I mention these little tidbits because to be honest I think it’s funny. Also, when we talk about clothing security I would guess that most of the time people tend to think of shirts, shoes, pants, dresses, skirts etc. I have caught thieves stealing all of these items. In addition to this list of stolen garments I have apprehended people stealing hats, socks, ties, purses, scarves and yes, underdrawers and all sorts of umentionables. It seems that when Checkpoint tags are used for clothing security to prevent shoplifting pretties and knickers are often overlooked for some reason.
Clothing security tags come equipped with electronic article surveillance (EAS) technology built into them. A radio frequency signal produced by Checkpoint tags is set to a specific frequency that can be picked up by EAS pedestals if they are carried into the detection field of the pedestals. This means a protected garment can be carried throughout the store by customers but if a crook decides to attempt to shoplift the item the tag will cause the pedestal alarms to activate and alert employees that a theft is taking place. Employees, in response to the alarm, go to the pedestals and conduct a receipt check and recover merchandise. In case you’re wondering why someone couldn’t just remove the tags and leave the store with the stolen merchandise, Checkpoint tags can only be removed with a Checkpoint detachment key. Attempts to pry the tags off or circumvent the security of the tags results in damaged merchandise and that defeats the reason the criminal is stealing in the first place.
Is it a big deal to protect underwear when you take the time to protect all the other clothing in your store? There are some statistics from The Adair Group that can potentially sway opinions one way or the other:
• According to their website, 15% of women own underwear that is five to ten years old. Ten percent of men have underwear that has seen over ten years of use. By these statistics it wouldn’t seem there is a lot of underwear being sold if it’s worn for so long.
• The website also says that the average British woman owns 34 pair of underwear while the average American woman owns 21. Based on this information it would seem there may be a market for underwear.
• Finally, they say that Euromonitor data for 2014 showed the global underwear market was worth over $110 billion dollars.
Of course it is this last piece of information that clears up any question as to why there needs to be clothing security for underwear. $110 billion dollars in underwear sales is a lot of money and therefore it is profitable enough to be a market for shoplifters.
Thieves will steal clothing if they can make money off of it through resale or if they can use it themselves. Don’t allow shoplifters to leave your shelves and racks naked due to theft. Use Checkpoint tags on all of your clothing, undergarments included and install EAS pedestals at the store entry/exit points. You will prevent shoplifting and see unmentionable increases in underwear sales.
Checkpoint Tags are important and we can help you with it. Call 1.770.426.0547 and let’s talk.
According to Merriam-Webster the following are slang or alternative words that refer to underwear; cutty sark (a term formed from the outdated words “cutty” meaning short and “sark” for shirt describing a short nightgown which they say inspired a famous ship name and that name inspired the brand of whiskey that goes by that name today). Knickers, a standard word for underwear mainly in Britain and a singlet another British term for a sleeveless undershirt. Other words include, tighty whities, underdrawers, unionsuit, unmentionables and pretties. I mention these little tidbits because to be honest I think it’s funny. Also, when we talk about clothing security I would guess that most of the time people tend to think of shirts, shoes, pants, dresses, skirts etc. I have caught thieves stealing all of these items. In addition to this list of stolen garments I have apprehended people stealing hats, socks, ties, purses, scarves and yes, underdrawers and all sorts of umentionables. It seems that when Checkpoint tags are used for clothing security to prevent shoplifting pretties and knickers are often overlooked for some reason.
Clothing security tags come equipped with electronic article surveillance (EAS) technology built into them. A radio frequency signal produced by Checkpoint tags is set to a specific frequency that can be picked up by EAS pedestals if they are carried into the detection field of the pedestals. This means a protected garment can be carried throughout the store by customers but if a crook decides to attempt to shoplift the item the tag will cause the pedestal alarms to activate and alert employees that a theft is taking place. Employees, in response to the alarm, go to the pedestals and conduct a receipt check and recover merchandise. In case you’re wondering why someone couldn’t just remove the tags and leave the store with the stolen merchandise, Checkpoint tags can only be removed with a Checkpoint detachment key. Attempts to pry the tags off or circumvent the security of the tags results in damaged merchandise and that defeats the reason the criminal is stealing in the first place.
Is it a big deal to protect underwear when you take the time to protect all the other clothing in your store? There are some statistics from The Adair Group that can potentially sway opinions one way or the other:
• According to their website, 15% of women own underwear that is five to ten years old. Ten percent of men have underwear that has seen over ten years of use. By these statistics it wouldn’t seem there is a lot of underwear being sold if it’s worn for so long.
• The website also says that the average British woman owns 34 pair of underwear while the average American woman owns 21. Based on this information it would seem there may be a market for underwear.
• Finally, they say that Euromonitor data for 2014 showed the global underwear market was worth over $110 billion dollars.
Of course it is this last piece of information that clears up any question as to why there needs to be clothing security for underwear. $110 billion dollars in underwear sales is a lot of money and therefore it is profitable enough to be a market for shoplifters.
Thieves will steal clothing if they can make money off of it through resale or if they can use it themselves. Don’t allow shoplifters to leave your shelves and racks naked due to theft. Use Checkpoint tags on all of your clothing, undergarments included and install EAS pedestals at the store entry/exit points. You will prevent shoplifting and see unmentionable increases in underwear sales.
Checkpoint Tags are important and we can help you with it. Call 1.770.426.0547 and let’s talk.
WC Blog 467
Checkpoint Tags – 4
Checkpoint labels-3
Inventory Control Begins At Unload
Where should a store’s inventory control process begin? In the store I worked for as a Loss Prevention Manager our inventory control process began on the loading dock. We were a big box retailer and carried a large assortment of items. This included clothing, electronics, food, bedding, etcetera so our unload process played a part in our procedures. Electronic merchandise that was considered high theft would be placed in a locking, rolling cart and after the unloading was completed the cart was locked and rolled by a specialist to the electronics department for processing. The specialist was responsible for placing retail anti-theft devices on merchandise within certain categories or price point ranges. Some items would be tagged with Checkpoint Tags and other items were placed in a locking showcase. Some products were not tagged because they were shipped to the store vendor-source tagged with Checkpoint labels inside the packaging. The benefit of this process was that the number of people with access to potentially high-theft merchandise was limited because of the controls we had in place.
What are Checkpoint tags? Although the term is occasionally applied to hard tags and labels the tag is usually a two-piece device with a pin on one side and a clasping piece on the other. Checkpoint labels are a soft tag that can be peeled from a roll and adhered to an item. Designed to interact with electronic article surveillance (EAS) systems to deter theft and identify persons attempting to steal merchandise from a store, the tags and labels cause EAS systems to activate when carried near a tower. When a thief tampers with a tag it usually results in damage to the merchandise. Labels have a strong adhesive that will leave the circuit behind when someone tries to peel it off. This circuit causes the EAS alarms to sound when tagged goods are carried near the tower location. Shoplifters tend to leave merchandise alone when they see the tags or labels and try to find something else to steal or they will find another store where they can go.
I currently work for a store that has merchandise pushed to the floor and it is tagged there. Much of the work is completed before store opening and during that time there is no concern for customers being around to take something from a cart of merchandise. As the employee works the freight they are to place the appropriate Checkpoint Tags on items as directed by a security chart. This is fine when no customers are in the store but once the doors are open the merchandise on the cart is susceptible to theft. The employee has to walk away to put items up or they may be called to assist someone and they can’t keep pushing the cart back and forth to the stockroom. There have been times in the evening when I have stocked leftover freight the team could not get out and obviously I am working when there are plenty of customers in the store. I also respond to back-up calls at the register so you can see there are times when merchandise that is normally secured is not.
The only exception to this is when there is merchandise already source tagged with Checkpoint labels from the manufacturer. However, we do not know which item they may be. Often a source label is embedded in the packaging so the only way to identify those products would be with a hand scanner which our store does not use. Of course the bad guys don’t know it either until they try to walk out the door with stolen merchandise and the EAS system alarms. That is when employees respond to the alarm and conducts a receipt check then recover the merchandise.
I am of the opinion that merchandise that is going to be secured with Checkpoint Tags should be done while the products are still in the stockroom immediately after a truck unload. I know not every store receives their freight the same way so it might be that boxes and containers may have to be opened and sorted first. However you choose to do it, just don’t send merchandise you intend to protect to the selling floor until the tagging is done. You will have much better results come inventory time.
For more information about Checkpoint Tags contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.
Where should a store’s inventory control process begin? In the store I worked for as a Loss Prevention Manager our inventory control process began on the loading dock. We were a big box retailer and carried a large assortment of items. This included clothing, electronics, food, bedding, etcetera so our unload process played a part in our procedures. Electronic merchandise that was considered high theft would be placed in a locking, rolling cart and after the unloading was completed the cart was locked and rolled by a specialist to the electronics department for processing. The specialist was responsible for placing retail anti-theft devices on merchandise within certain categories or price point ranges. Some items would be tagged with Checkpoint Tags and other items were placed in a locking showcase. Some products were not tagged because they were shipped to the store vendor-source tagged with Checkpoint labels inside the packaging. The benefit of this process was that the number of people with access to potentially high-theft merchandise was limited because of the controls we had in place.
What are Checkpoint tags? Although the term is occasionally applied to hard tags and labels the tag is usually a two-piece device with a pin on one side and a clasping piece on the other. Checkpoint labels are a soft tag that can be peeled from a roll and adhered to an item. Designed to interact with electronic article surveillance (EAS) systems to deter theft and identify persons attempting to steal merchandise from a store, the tags and labels cause EAS systems to activate when carried near a tower. When a thief tampers with a tag it usually results in damage to the merchandise. Labels have a strong adhesive that will leave the circuit behind when someone tries to peel it off. This circuit causes the EAS alarms to sound when tagged goods are carried near the tower location. Shoplifters tend to leave merchandise alone when they see the tags or labels and try to find something else to steal or they will find another store where they can go.
I currently work for a store that has merchandise pushed to the floor and it is tagged there. Much of the work is completed before store opening and during that time there is no concern for customers being around to take something from a cart of merchandise. As the employee works the freight they are to place the appropriate Checkpoint Tags on items as directed by a security chart. This is fine when no customers are in the store but once the doors are open the merchandise on the cart is susceptible to theft. The employee has to walk away to put items up or they may be called to assist someone and they can’t keep pushing the cart back and forth to the stockroom. There have been times in the evening when I have stocked leftover freight the team could not get out and obviously I am working when there are plenty of customers in the store. I also respond to back-up calls at the register so you can see there are times when merchandise that is normally secured is not.
The only exception to this is when there is merchandise already source tagged with Checkpoint labels from the manufacturer. However, we do not know which item they may be. Often a source label is embedded in the packaging so the only way to identify those products would be with a hand scanner which our store does not use. Of course the bad guys don’t know it either until they try to walk out the door with stolen merchandise and the EAS system alarms. That is when employees respond to the alarm and conducts a receipt check then recover the merchandise.
I am of the opinion that merchandise that is going to be secured with Checkpoint Tags should be done while the products are still in the stockroom immediately after a truck unload. I know not every store receives their freight the same way so it might be that boxes and containers may have to be opened and sorted first. However you choose to do it, just don’t send merchandise you intend to protect to the selling floor until the tagging is done. You will have much better results come inventory time.
For more information about Checkpoint Tags contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.
There are any number of reasons people shoplift but according to an article in “New Health Advisor” titled, “Why Do People Shoplift?” the reasons they give are:
- Financial Difficulty
- Low Risk
- Peer Pressure
- Emotional Pressure
- Kleptomania
Being the caring, tender-hearted soul I am (yes, my 16+ years in Retail Loss Prevention gave me a soft spot) I think it is important to understand and empathize with the troubled people who dabble in petty larceny. These misguided and perhaps ill people just may need understanding and some re-direction for their lives. You as the business owner and manager should take time to realize you are probably inviting these people to commit their misdeeds by putting out such tempting items within their grasp. Okay, the truth is I can’t spew such drivel much more. It was fun for the first few sentences but I find I’m getting ill. I have zero tolerance for theft and I really don’t care much about the excuses shoplifters give. I think I have heard them all. As far as I’m concerned you steal because you want something for free, perhaps getting a bit of a thrill in the process of committing the crime. Shoplifters may steal to make money from someone else’s hard work or to support a drug habit. Again, I don’t care and I am sure the retail owner isn’t too concerned with the reasons either. Shoplifters think they are getting something for free but there is a cost and that cost is a burden on the retailer (not to mention the customers who pay higher prices). How about retailers getting a break for once? Where are the free goodies for the owner trying to make an honest living? SURPRISE! There are freebies for the good guys too, like the Free Loss Prevention Calculator.
Sounds too good to be true doesn’t it? Better yet, can Loss Prevention be free? What if I told you there IS a Free Loss Prevention Calculator and by using it you can answer the question, “Can Loss Prevention Be Free?” for yourself. Let’s begin with the calculator, what is it? The Free Loss Prevention Calculator is a tool offered by Loss Prevention Systems Inc. (LPSI) that allows a retail store owner or manager to see how much time it would take for an investment in a Checkpoint Security System to pay for itself. Enter your estimated annual sales and how much you are willing to invest in a Checkpoint System and the calculator estimates a shortage reduction from 1.2% to .65% annually, that’s nearly a full HALF percent reduction. The number of months it will take for the system to pay for itself is calculated for you. You read that correctly, over time your retail anti-theft system (electronic article surveillance pedestals, tags, and other equipment) can save you enough money that the system pays for itself in reduced inventory shortage results.
The shoplifters think they are getting free stuff but they are always looking over their shoulder, worrying whether or not they will be caught by Loss Prevention agents. I am giving you the scoop on things that are really free for you to use to improve your bottom line. Speaking of Scoops and freebies, how about “Ruby’s Scoops” from LPSI? These are free Loss Prevention tips you can receive straight to your email. How about signing up for the free online LPSI Magazine? How can anyone beat free advice and informative articles on shoplifting prevention? LPSI provides free tips, advice, humor and information. I truly know of no other company that offers so many FREE resources to potential customers, not just their regular clients.
Shoplifters and those who commit retail fraud may get away with their crimes for a while, but eventually they will be caught. Very few can get away with it without ever paying a price. For the business owners it is time for YOU to get a break. I’ve always said nothing is free but now I have to take back that statement. Can Loss Prevention be free? Yes it can! Does the Free Loss Prevention Calculator cost anything to use it or is there some kind of catch to it? No there’s not. Can I really get free tips and advice on how to prevent theft and fraud? Yes you can, through all of the resources LPSI offers to people who really want expert tips and tricks to make life miserable for shoplifters.
Get more information on the Free Loss Prevention Calculator, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.
