AA Blog
Checkpoint labels: 5
Stop shoplifting: 3
Checkpoint Labels Provide An Easy And Cost-Efficient Means To Protect Your Sales Inventory
In the retail business we tend to have clearances and sales that include excess items, clothing and other specialty items that need to be removed from inventory. My mother-in-law always hits the clearance sales, looking for all types of items, gifts, clothes and children’s toys that need to go. It is a great time for shoppers to pick up a great deal. This may also include high valued items that are marked down in an attempt to reduce inventory. While shopping this year my mother-in-law said that they had moved all the sales items to the front of the store and were making room for a whole row of new items. You would think that these types of sales items would be low risk for theft, but unfortunately that is not the case. In my experience I have seen higher than normal rates of theft of these types of items. I believe this has to do with the fact that these items are low priority for the store. We realize that these items are significantly reduced in price, and what doesn’t get sold, tends to get written off as an inventory loss. Therefore, we don’t typically increase security on these types of items. They also tend to put these products in areas that are close to exits, for high visibility and access. These areas typically have reduced associate interaction and monitoring. These areas are a low priority for associates, as they are typically already restocking new products, and focusing on areas that contain higher priced items. I have found that the easiest and cheapest way to protect these types of items and stop shoplifting is to use Checkpoint labels.
Checkpoint labels provide the added security you need to protect your retail property, at a reasonable price, without a great deal of added time or effort. These labels come in various shapes and sizes to meet all your product needs. They are equipped with EAS technology, which provide a reliable means to notify associates when a theft occurs. Electronic article surveillance provides an audible alarm when someone attempts to remove an item from the store. Checkpoint labels can be printed in store, to allow for a simple way to price and individualize your labels, quickly and efficiently. These labels are designed for accuracy and efficiency, while allowing you the ability to customize your labels with individualized logos or store barcodes, for a multi-faceted product. These labels can be used on any product to include food items. These labels have a high grade adhesive, which prevents removal once applied to the product. These labels provide a cost-efficient means to stop shoplifting, with little time or effort.
I tend to use Checkpoint Labels for the majority of my retail products, due to the simplicity and quality of the product. It is a convenient product that allows me the ability to customize them to meet my individual sales needs. They come in a large roll, which allows me the ability to simply print the labels in store. I can include my pricing, store barcode and logo, while securing my products with EAS technology that is compatible with my existing security program. They are easily deactivated at the time of sale, which increases customer satisfaction while protecting my products from theft. These are a great means to stop shoplifting in your stores, regardless of the items you are trying to protect. Whether you are decreasing inventory, reducing holiday items, or protecting high line items, the labels can provide you the security you need.
Need information on Checkpoint labels? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
In the retail business we tend to have clearances and sales that include excess items, clothing and other specialty items that need to be removed from inventory. My mother-in-law always hits the clearance sales, looking for all types of items, gifts, clothes and children’s toys that need to go. It is a great time for shoppers to pick up a great deal. This may also include high valued items that are marked down in an attempt to reduce inventory. While shopping this year my mother-in-law said that they had moved all the sales items to the front of the store and were making room for a whole row of new items. You would think that these types of sales items would be low risk for theft, but unfortunately that is not the case. In my experience I have seen higher than normal rates of theft of these types of items. I believe this has to do with the fact that these items are low priority for the store. We realize that these items are significantly reduced in price, and what doesn’t get sold, tends to get written off as an inventory loss. Therefore, we don’t typically increase security on these types of items. They also tend to put these products in areas that are close to exits, for high visibility and access. These areas typically have reduced associate interaction and monitoring. These areas are a low priority for associates, as they are typically already restocking new products, and focusing on areas that contain higher priced items. I have found that the easiest and cheapest way to protect these types of items and stop shoplifting is to use Checkpoint labels.
Checkpoint labels provide the added security you need to protect your retail property, at a reasonable price, without a great deal of added time or effort. These labels come in various shapes and sizes to meet all your product needs. They are equipped with EAS technology, which provide a reliable means to notify associates when a theft occurs. Electronic article surveillance provides an audible alarm when someone attempts to remove an item from the store. Checkpoint labels can be printed in store, to allow for a simple way to price and individualize your labels, quickly and efficiently. These labels are designed for accuracy and efficiency, while allowing you the ability to customize your labels with individualized logos or store barcodes, for a multi-faceted product. These labels can be used on any product to include food items. These labels have a high grade adhesive, which prevents removal once applied to the product. These labels provide a cost-efficient means to stop shoplifting, with little time or effort.
I tend to use Checkpoint Labels for the majority of my retail products, due to the simplicity and quality of the product. It is a convenient product that allows me the ability to customize them to meet my individual sales needs. They come in a large roll, which allows me the ability to simply print the labels in store. I can include my pricing, store barcode and logo, while securing my products with EAS technology that is compatible with my existing security program. They are easily deactivated at the time of sale, which increases customer satisfaction while protecting my products from theft. These are a great means to stop shoplifting in your stores, regardless of the items you are trying to protect. Whether you are decreasing inventory, reducing holiday items, or protecting high line items, the labels can provide you the security you need.
Need information on Checkpoint labels? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
Customer Counting Systems-5 WC Blog 286
People Counting Systems-4
Door Counting Sensor-3
Set New And Profitable Goals For Your Store By Using People Counting Systems
I think back to 1990 when I first started working in retail as a Loss Prevention Associate. It was here that I learned not only about the ins and outs of merchandise theft, I started learning about store operations as well. I learned that the corporate office gave sales goals for the day and that the store managers based a successful day on meeting or exceeding those goals. As I progressed in my career with other companies I became a Loss Prevention Manager, then a Loss Prevention Manager with Manager On Duty Responsibilities followed by a stint as a Logistics Manager. I still work in retail after 26 years. One thing I have learned is that every company I work for bases successful days on meeting and exceeding sales goals. Fair enough. You have to have goals in order to know where you want to go otherwise a company stagnates or worse yet wanders aimlessly since they have nothing to shoot for except a non-specific goal of “To Be Successful”. But then what does that look like? I have been rethinking sales goals recently especially as the company I work for has focused some store measurements on patron “conversion” rates and also as I have investigated People Counting Systems.
People counting systems or customer counting systems as they are sometimes referred to, use a door counting sensor to track how many people enter and exit a business or building during the day. Reporting data from these customer counting systems can provide managers with data showing how many people entered and exited by the hour of the day. Stores that have measures in place to stop shoplifting and reduce merchandise shrinkage with a Checkpoint Security System can have a Visiplus customer counting device attached to the Checkpoint electronic article surveillance (EAS) antennas. Using the Smart Alarm Management tool, those stores can monitor EAS alarm activity and compare the information to door counting sensor numbers to better manage EAS activity levels.
Here is where my recent thinking has been taking me. We get excited over meeting a sales goal, usually a number based on historical sales information like the prior year sales for that same day. Adjustments may be made based on an overall picture of how the economy is performing or whether an event the prior year may have impacted sales. An example of this would be a store that had to close due to a hurricane evacuation the prior year is not going to have a sales goal based off of last year’s sales data. If a store has a daily sales goal of $10,000 and makes $11,000 the management team is going to be pleased and that would properly be something to be happy about. But let me toss out a new idea. What if the stores used people counting systems and found that they had 400 customers enter the store during the day and only had 300 transactions. What in the world happened to those other 100 customers? What could have been done to get those 100 people to purchase something before leaving the store? Without using customer counting systems you would never know you missed selling opportunities to another 100 customers.
All your information is from sales transactions and yes, you beat your sales goal by $1,000 but could you have beaten it by $1,100 or more? By using a door counting sensor you could set new goals, you had 400 customers in your store last Wednesday, how will you attract 410 THIS Wednesday. You missed 100 potential sales last Wednesday, what will you do differently to try to help more customers find what they need or can use while in the store? Can you entice your customers to make an impulse purchase with a cool display of food or drinks at the font of the store? Maybe the new goals you set for your store are dollar related AND customer driven.
It is one thing to aim for increased sales dollars it’s another thing to find ways to draw in more customers. If you can attract those customers then your goal is to get them to buy and that is a challenge but one that is necessary if you want your business to grow. The only way to know how many customers are visiting your store is by using customer counting systems. Invest in people counting systems today and see a whole new set of goals to achieve and with it, more growth and profit.
Get more information on People Counting Systems, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.
I think back to 1990 when I first started working in retail as a Loss Prevention Associate. It was here that I learned not only about the ins and outs of merchandise theft, I started learning about store operations as well. I learned that the corporate office gave sales goals for the day and that the store managers based a successful day on meeting or exceeding those goals. As I progressed in my career with other companies I became a Loss Prevention Manager, then a Loss Prevention Manager with Manager On Duty Responsibilities followed by a stint as a Logistics Manager. I still work in retail after 26 years. One thing I have learned is that every company I work for bases successful days on meeting and exceeding sales goals. Fair enough. You have to have goals in order to know where you want to go otherwise a company stagnates or worse yet wanders aimlessly since they have nothing to shoot for except a non-specific goal of “To Be Successful”. But then what does that look like? I have been rethinking sales goals recently especially as the company I work for has focused some store measurements on patron “conversion” rates and also as I have investigated People Counting Systems.
People counting systems or customer counting systems as they are sometimes referred to, use a door counting sensor to track how many people enter and exit a business or building during the day. Reporting data from these customer counting systems can provide managers with data showing how many people entered and exited by the hour of the day. Stores that have measures in place to stop shoplifting and reduce merchandise shrinkage with a Checkpoint Security System can have a Visiplus customer counting device attached to the Checkpoint electronic article surveillance (EAS) antennas. Using the Smart Alarm Management tool, those stores can monitor EAS alarm activity and compare the information to door counting sensor numbers to better manage EAS activity levels.
Here is where my recent thinking has been taking me. We get excited over meeting a sales goal, usually a number based on historical sales information like the prior year sales for that same day. Adjustments may be made based on an overall picture of how the economy is performing or whether an event the prior year may have impacted sales. An example of this would be a store that had to close due to a hurricane evacuation the prior year is not going to have a sales goal based off of last year’s sales data. If a store has a daily sales goal of $10,000 and makes $11,000 the management team is going to be pleased and that would properly be something to be happy about. But let me toss out a new idea. What if the stores used people counting systems and found that they had 400 customers enter the store during the day and only had 300 transactions. What in the world happened to those other 100 customers? What could have been done to get those 100 people to purchase something before leaving the store? Without using customer counting systems you would never know you missed selling opportunities to another 100 customers.
All your information is from sales transactions and yes, you beat your sales goal by $1,000 but could you have beaten it by $1,100 or more? By using a door counting sensor you could set new goals, you had 400 customers in your store last Wednesday, how will you attract 410 THIS Wednesday. You missed 100 potential sales last Wednesday, what will you do differently to try to help more customers find what they need or can use while in the store? Can you entice your customers to make an impulse purchase with a cool display of food or drinks at the font of the store? Maybe the new goals you set for your store are dollar related AND customer driven.
It is one thing to aim for increased sales dollars it’s another thing to find ways to draw in more customers. If you can attract those customers then your goal is to get them to buy and that is a challenge but one that is necessary if you want your business to grow. The only way to know how many customers are visiting your store is by using customer counting systems. Invest in people counting systems today and see a whole new set of goals to achieve and with it, more growth and profit.
Get more information on People Counting Systems, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.
CLOTHING SECURITY TIPS AND TRICKS – Pt 1
It’s very easy to become complacent in regards to physical security measures on our clothing lines. It’s not as simple as running Checkpoint Tags through a shirt and moving on with your day. Knowing what to use on which product, as well as some common-sense items can really get you more bang for your buck, so to speak, on your investment in EAS devices. Here are some good tips for you and your team to follow.
Place Checkpoint Tags in the seam of the clothing to avoid damaging the garment
This should be a no-brainer, but I see store associates do this constantly! The idea is to protect the merchandise from a thief in order to sell it! If you damage it, you still end up with a loss. Make sure when using a hard style tag, to always slide the tag through the seam of the item. This ensures that no damage is done to the fabric. This is even more important when securing dry-fit material, and other higher dollar garments.
Always place a hard tag in prominent and visible location of clothing
Again, this goes back to discouraging a theft before it happens. A good percentage of thieves will be discouraged by the slightest hint of Clothing Security, so make sure that the hard tag is clearly visible. Remember to also stay consistent in placement. For example, try tagging all of your shirts on the bottom left side seam. This not only gives you a consistent look across your store, but it also helps you and your team identify articles that are without tagging.
Use soft tags in the back pocket of jeans in addition to a hard tag in a visible location
Denim jeans for me are one of my highest shrinking categories each year. There always exists a market to resell these very easily, which in turn guarantees that they will always be a target for shoplifters. I’ve found great success in deterring theft here with a two-step approach. I use Checkpoint Tags on the rear seam, at the waist line. In addition to that, I place a soft tag in one of the back pockets. This way, if they are able to cut the hard-tag off, I still have the protection of the hidden soft tag.
Don’t expose your detachers
File this one under “duh!” Something so simple, yet very often overlooked is the placement of the magnetic detachers that we use to remove our EAS devices. While the vast majority of stores keep these behind the cash register, I’ve run across a few stores that have opted to place them in some… strange locations around the store. Easily accessible areas such as fitting rooms are not the place for these tools. Your detachers are a part of your Clothing Security plan and should not be ignored!
One size does not fit all
You should not take a one size fits all approach to Clothing Security. You may have tons of success using a certain style and size hard-tag on one particular shirt, but the same tag may be in-effective on a different shirt, or pants. Try different Checkpoint Tags and experiment with placement in order to be most effective. Like any good plan, you’ll need to continually evolve and adapt over time to get the biggest return on your investment.
Need information on Clothing Security? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
It’s very easy to become complacent in regards to physical security measures on our clothing lines. It’s not as simple as running Checkpoint Tags through a shirt and moving on with your day. Knowing what to use on which product, as well as some common-sense items can really get you more bang for your buck, so to speak, on your investment in EAS devices. Here are some good tips for you and your team to follow.
Place Checkpoint Tags in the seam of the clothing to avoid damaging the garment
This should be a no-brainer, but I see store associates do this constantly! The idea is to protect the merchandise from a thief in order to sell it! If you damage it, you still end up with a loss. Make sure when using a hard style tag, to always slide the tag through the seam of the item. This ensures that no damage is done to the fabric. This is even more important when securing dry-fit material, and other higher dollar garments.
Always place a hard tag in prominent and visible location of clothing
Again, this goes back to discouraging a theft before it happens. A good percentage of thieves will be discouraged by the slightest hint of Clothing Security, so make sure that the hard tag is clearly visible. Remember to also stay consistent in placement. For example, try tagging all of your shirts on the bottom left side seam. This not only gives you a consistent look across your store, but it also helps you and your team identify articles that are without tagging.
Use soft tags in the back pocket of jeans in addition to a hard tag in a visible location
Denim jeans for me are one of my highest shrinking categories each year. There always exists a market to resell these very easily, which in turn guarantees that they will always be a target for shoplifters. I’ve found great success in deterring theft here with a two-step approach. I use Checkpoint Tags on the rear seam, at the waist line. In addition to that, I place a soft tag in one of the back pockets. This way, if they are able to cut the hard-tag off, I still have the protection of the hidden soft tag.
Don’t expose your detachers
File this one under “duh!” Something so simple, yet very often overlooked is the placement of the magnetic detachers that we use to remove our EAS devices. While the vast majority of stores keep these behind the cash register, I’ve run across a few stores that have opted to place them in some… strange locations around the store. Easily accessible areas such as fitting rooms are not the place for these tools. Your detachers are a part of your Clothing Security plan and should not be ignored!
One size does not fit all
You should not take a one size fits all approach to Clothing Security. You may have tons of success using a certain style and size hard-tag on one particular shirt, but the same tag may be in-effective on a different shirt, or pants. Try different Checkpoint Tags and experiment with placement in order to be most effective. Like any good plan, you’ll need to continually evolve and adapt over time to get the biggest return on your investment.
Need information on Clothing Security? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
