I remember the days I worked for a big box retailer as a Loss Prevention Manager and the first LCD televisions came on the market. We put out our new displays and kept the sellable merchandise in the stockroom. That was fine with me there were fewer chances for an employee to sneak one out than for a shoplifter to roll one out if they had access to it on the salesfloor. Then the day came that all Loss Prevention Managers dread, someone up in “headquarters” sends down plans for an endcap of LCD televisions! I am sure I was wondering who it was that had lost their mind. We did put them out as required and I don’t recall whether that first display led to any theft attempts, I am sure it contributed to sales. Later, as more brands were carried and prices started to come down a little, more televisions were on open displays and we did start to experience roll-out attempts (and some known thefts). We did apply electronic article surveillance tags to deter shoplifting but we did not have any other retail anti-theft devices we could use, that is, until Alpha Spider Wrap became available to use through our company.
Alpha Security has quite a number of tools in their arsenal of retail anti-theft devices and Alpha Spider Wrap is one that I really like. It provides versatility to retailers in efforts to stop theft and improve stock shortage results. Spider wrap comes in 2 alarm and 3 alarm versions. The 2 alarm models have tamper alarms that sound if someone attempts to cut the aircraft grade cables and they cause electronic article surveillance alarms to activate if they are carried too close to the antennas at the exits. 3 alarm models have the same features with the additional benefit that if someone continues past the EAS antennas, the wrap has a built in alarm that is activated and sounds even as a thief tries to move away from the building. Alpha Security has improved the product since I first started using it when we only had 2 sizes to choose from, small and large. Today they range from lengths of only 32 inches all the way to 132 inches. It also used to be a little unwieldy to get an Alpha Spider Wrap loosened to apply to a new piece of merchandise, wires twisted and tangled and releasing the cable could be a bit difficult. Wraps today have no-tangle cables and push button releases. I use these in the store I currently work for and find it faster and easier to protect products than my first experiences with them.
With today’s versions of Alpha Spider Wrap I see big box retail stores protecting full pallet displays of televisions ranging from $130 to $600. Even the biggest televisions are on the floor as enterprising Loss Prevention staff have figured out that two Spider Wrap retail anti-theft devices can be connected together to provide protection. Customers can load their own merchandise, continue to shop and check out when they are ready to do so.
You may be thinking that this is great for the big box stores that have lots of employees to give customer service, but how does this help a smaller business owner? Consider this, a big box retailer actually has enough staff that they should be able to go to a stockroom and pull a television for a customer and not hinder their ability to provide service to their customers. Despite this advantage, they have found it improves sales to give customers direct access to the merchandise. The big box store is still protecting the merchandise even though it is not locked up. If you use Alpha Spider Wraps you protect your merchandise the same way and your limited staff does not have to leave the salesfloor to retrieve merchandise. The employees of your store can focus on customers who need information or other assistance thereby driving sales through great customer service.
The world of retail for brick and mortar stores is getting more challenging with many shoppers going to online retailers for their purchases. While it is important to stop theft and protect profit margin, it is also important to recognize that today’s shopper expects fast service and does not like to wait. Alpha retail anti-theft devices provide product protection you want and give customers the quick access to products they desire. Let Alpha Security products keep your business competitive and profitable now and in the future.
Alpha Spider Wrap is important and we can help you with it. Call 1.770.426.0547and let’s talk.
Clothing Security-5 WC Blog 297
Security Tags on Clothes-4
Checkpoint Tags-4
Clothing Security Audits Aid In Identifying Merchandise Protection Opportunities And Theft Prevention
In Loss Prevention we regularly talk about inventory and auditing of merchandise. We check on hand counts of high theft products to ensure we aren’t missing any. We participate in store inventories to help make sure counting is accurate and the best results possible are achieved. In my store we used to audit such things as i-pods, big ticket vacuums, video game consoles, certain cold medicines and when we started carrying them, leather coats and jackets. Auditing helped to identify theft issues quickly and correct deficiencies in our theft strategy. Areas that can be easily overlooked but are just as important to audit are clothing security measures. Management and Loss Prevention can count high dollar items all day long, but identifying that something is missing does not help the shortage that has been incurred. A regular audit of security tags on clothes is more helpful in preventing theft in the first place.
Checkpoint tags on clothing deter shoplifting since most thieves don’t want to chance activating electronic article surveillance (EAS) alarm antennas. Located at the front doors of a store as part of a Checkpoint system, the EAS antennas receive the radio frequency signals emitting from clothing security tags. This initiates an alarm and flashing LED lights built into the antenna, alerting store staff that someone is attempting to exit with unpaid merchandise. A thief doesn’t want that attention and often times avoids stores when they see EAS antennas as they walk in. The more daring shoplifter may try to walk out with security tags on clothes but as the alarm sounds these crooks frequently drop the merchandise and run. Finally, there are the shoplifters who will try to locate Checkpoint tags on garments. If they don’t find tags they will put on the clothing or conceal it in a bag, purse or on their person and walk out. If these folks do find tags they try to remove them and then exit the store to avoid alarms.
Some of those reading this article may be asking how a shoplifter knows if clothing is tagged. Security tags on clothes can be hard tags that are pinned to the item in a prominent location so it CAN be seen and deter theft. Then there are soft tags that come on a roll and can be peeled off and stuck to a manufacturer hang tag. Some companies have Checkpoint tags embedded in the hang tag so it can’t be seen. There are shoplifters who have become educated on this and will take off manufacturer labels just in case there might be clothing security tags hidden in them. In order to be one step ahead of the bad guys there are Loss Prevention teams that will put a hard tag on a piece of clothing, in addition to a soft tag that is embedded in the label. Another trick is to hide a second soft clothing security tag inside a coat or pants pocket. If one label is discovered it is unlikely the second one will be.
As I discussed at the beginning of my article, auditing of security tags on clothes can be a missed opportunity to be sure merchandise is protected against shoplifters. I recommend deciding how frequently you want to check for tagging accuracy and then divide the store in sections and audit a section a day. Checkpoint has two portable verifiers that are excellent for scanning merchandise and determining if it has an active tag on it, even an embedded or hidden tag. Auditing provides an opportunity to tag merchandise that is not protected or has been deactivated, say for instance when a customer rings up an item and changes their mind and the cashier has already run it over a deactivation pad. Auditing also helps to locate areas of the store that may not be getting tagged properly and can be an area of focus for a shortage reduction plan.
Checkpoint tags are an effective means of reducing clothing shortage and improving store profits. The flip side is they are only as effective as the tagging program is that you have in place. Be sure you are protecting all of your merchandise and enjoying the benefits of clothing security. Audit your merchandise on a regular basis and keep your store on track for fantastic inventory results.
Clothing security is important and we can help you with it. Call 1.770.426.0547 and let’s talk.
In Loss Prevention we regularly talk about inventory and auditing of merchandise. We check on hand counts of high theft products to ensure we aren’t missing any. We participate in store inventories to help make sure counting is accurate and the best results possible are achieved. In my store we used to audit such things as i-pods, big ticket vacuums, video game consoles, certain cold medicines and when we started carrying them, leather coats and jackets. Auditing helped to identify theft issues quickly and correct deficiencies in our theft strategy. Areas that can be easily overlooked but are just as important to audit are clothing security measures. Management and Loss Prevention can count high dollar items all day long, but identifying that something is missing does not help the shortage that has been incurred. A regular audit of security tags on clothes is more helpful in preventing theft in the first place.
Checkpoint tags on clothing deter shoplifting since most thieves don’t want to chance activating electronic article surveillance (EAS) alarm antennas. Located at the front doors of a store as part of a Checkpoint system, the EAS antennas receive the radio frequency signals emitting from clothing security tags. This initiates an alarm and flashing LED lights built into the antenna, alerting store staff that someone is attempting to exit with unpaid merchandise. A thief doesn’t want that attention and often times avoids stores when they see EAS antennas as they walk in. The more daring shoplifter may try to walk out with security tags on clothes but as the alarm sounds these crooks frequently drop the merchandise and run. Finally, there are the shoplifters who will try to locate Checkpoint tags on garments. If they don’t find tags they will put on the clothing or conceal it in a bag, purse or on their person and walk out. If these folks do find tags they try to remove them and then exit the store to avoid alarms.
Some of those reading this article may be asking how a shoplifter knows if clothing is tagged. Security tags on clothes can be hard tags that are pinned to the item in a prominent location so it CAN be seen and deter theft. Then there are soft tags that come on a roll and can be peeled off and stuck to a manufacturer hang tag. Some companies have Checkpoint tags embedded in the hang tag so it can’t be seen. There are shoplifters who have become educated on this and will take off manufacturer labels just in case there might be clothing security tags hidden in them. In order to be one step ahead of the bad guys there are Loss Prevention teams that will put a hard tag on a piece of clothing, in addition to a soft tag that is embedded in the label. Another trick is to hide a second soft clothing security tag inside a coat or pants pocket. If one label is discovered it is unlikely the second one will be.
As I discussed at the beginning of my article, auditing of security tags on clothes can be a missed opportunity to be sure merchandise is protected against shoplifters. I recommend deciding how frequently you want to check for tagging accuracy and then divide the store in sections and audit a section a day. Checkpoint has two portable verifiers that are excellent for scanning merchandise and determining if it has an active tag on it, even an embedded or hidden tag. Auditing provides an opportunity to tag merchandise that is not protected or has been deactivated, say for instance when a customer rings up an item and changes their mind and the cashier has already run it over a deactivation pad. Auditing also helps to locate areas of the store that may not be getting tagged properly and can be an area of focus for a shortage reduction plan.
Checkpoint tags are an effective means of reducing clothing shortage and improving store profits. The flip side is they are only as effective as the tagging program is that you have in place. Be sure you are protecting all of your merchandise and enjoying the benefits of clothing security. Audit your merchandise on a regular basis and keep your store on track for fantastic inventory results.
Clothing security is important and we can help you with it. Call 1.770.426.0547 and let’s talk.
Auto Peg Tag-5 WC Blog 259
Electronic Article Surveillance-3
Stop Shoplifting-4
Checkpoint Hard Tags-4
Battered By Battery Theft? Auto Peg Tags Help You Battle Back Against Bad Guys
For retailers, there are some items that get stolen and on the surface it seems the items are stolen at random. Having worked in Retail Loss Prevention for many years I learned that sometimes what appears to be random may actually have wider implications. For example, I once started to see an increase in the theft of certain high blood pressure cold medicines. Initially I thought the thefts were professionals boosting for resale on the black market. After partnering with police friends, I learned that the medicines were stolen by teenagers to get high. I also began learning about the dangers associated with the abuse of these medicines which was another scary prospect. I learned to start looking a little harder when theft trends appeared. While professional boosting may be part of a problem, there may be a darker motivation behind the theft of certain items. Unfortunately, many times retailers are reactive rather than proactive and try to protect merchandise after a theft trend has cost money and shortage. Rather than wait to stop shoplifting until a problem crops up, stores could use Checkpoint hard tags on products now to prevent a problem from starting. A good example of this would be to use the Auto Peg Tag on packages of batteries.
An Auto Peg Tag is an effective means to stop shoplifting while still keeping merchandise readily available for customers to pick up and carry to a checkout counter. These Checkpoint hard tags fit over the peg hole of a package and snap closed. It can only be removed with a detachment tool at a checkout counter. The tags are designed with electronic article surveillance technology built into them so they will cause an electronic article surveillance antenna to activate if a protected package is carried too close to the antenna. Few shoplifters want to risk setting off an alarm and draw attention to them. The bright color of the Auto Peg Tag alerts potential thieves that the package is protected and has EAS technology. Like other Checkpoint Hard Tags, the visual deterrence value alone helps to stop shoplifting of merchandise from a store.
What product is it that may be a target of thieves in your store and you aren’t even aware of it? For the purposes of this article, my concern is the need to protect packages of batteries, especially lithium batteries. Yes, batteries in general are expensive and can be profitable for simple resale, but you may not be aware that lithium batteries in particular are used as an ingredient in the manufacture of methamphetamine. According to the United States Department of Justice Archive, “The ingredients that are used in the process of making meth can include: …drain cleaner, battery acid and lithium (taken from inside batteries).” https://www.justice.gov/archive/olp/methawareness/ . If your store is seeing shortage in this area, the reason may be they are contributing to a major drug problem in the U.S.
So while most people are aware of the restrictions that have been placed on pseudoephedrine due to the use of it in making methamphetamine, many don’t realize lithium batteries are also key components. Because this is an important part of the process, lithium batteries are a high theft item. If you carry these batteries you may want to take another look at your peghooks to see just how instock you are. If you do not seem to have an issue, now would be the time to look at Checkpoint hard tags for protection. If you have already been impacted it is better to invest in the Auto Peg Tags now and stop shoplifting from continuing to hurt your business.
Use the protection of electronic article surveillance and Auto Peg Tags on all of your pegged merchandise, but I truly urge you to focus on your lithium batteries. You can improve your stock shortage results and possibly help to curb a drug epidemic.
Get more information on Auto Peg Tags. Contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.
For retailers, there are some items that get stolen and on the surface it seems the items are stolen at random. Having worked in Retail Loss Prevention for many years I learned that sometimes what appears to be random may actually have wider implications. For example, I once started to see an increase in the theft of certain high blood pressure cold medicines. Initially I thought the thefts were professionals boosting for resale on the black market. After partnering with police friends, I learned that the medicines were stolen by teenagers to get high. I also began learning about the dangers associated with the abuse of these medicines which was another scary prospect. I learned to start looking a little harder when theft trends appeared. While professional boosting may be part of a problem, there may be a darker motivation behind the theft of certain items. Unfortunately, many times retailers are reactive rather than proactive and try to protect merchandise after a theft trend has cost money and shortage. Rather than wait to stop shoplifting until a problem crops up, stores could use Checkpoint hard tags on products now to prevent a problem from starting. A good example of this would be to use the Auto Peg Tag on packages of batteries.
An Auto Peg Tag is an effective means to stop shoplifting while still keeping merchandise readily available for customers to pick up and carry to a checkout counter. These Checkpoint hard tags fit over the peg hole of a package and snap closed. It can only be removed with a detachment tool at a checkout counter. The tags are designed with electronic article surveillance technology built into them so they will cause an electronic article surveillance antenna to activate if a protected package is carried too close to the antenna. Few shoplifters want to risk setting off an alarm and draw attention to them. The bright color of the Auto Peg Tag alerts potential thieves that the package is protected and has EAS technology. Like other Checkpoint Hard Tags, the visual deterrence value alone helps to stop shoplifting of merchandise from a store.
What product is it that may be a target of thieves in your store and you aren’t even aware of it? For the purposes of this article, my concern is the need to protect packages of batteries, especially lithium batteries. Yes, batteries in general are expensive and can be profitable for simple resale, but you may not be aware that lithium batteries in particular are used as an ingredient in the manufacture of methamphetamine. According to the United States Department of Justice Archive, “The ingredients that are used in the process of making meth can include: …drain cleaner, battery acid and lithium (taken from inside batteries).” https://www.justice.gov/archive/olp/methawareness/ . If your store is seeing shortage in this area, the reason may be they are contributing to a major drug problem in the U.S.
So while most people are aware of the restrictions that have been placed on pseudoephedrine due to the use of it in making methamphetamine, many don’t realize lithium batteries are also key components. Because this is an important part of the process, lithium batteries are a high theft item. If you carry these batteries you may want to take another look at your peghooks to see just how instock you are. If you do not seem to have an issue, now would be the time to look at Checkpoint hard tags for protection. If you have already been impacted it is better to invest in the Auto Peg Tags now and stop shoplifting from continuing to hurt your business.
Use the protection of electronic article surveillance and Auto Peg Tags on all of your pegged merchandise, but I truly urge you to focus on your lithium batteries. You can improve your stock shortage results and possibly help to curb a drug epidemic.
Get more information on Auto Peg Tags, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.
