Did you know that within food and grocery categories, coffee ranked fifth for most stolen items in North America, according to the 2014-2015 Global Retail Theft Barometer Report? I admit I was somewhat surprised by this. I expected meat and wine to be on the list, but coffee would not have been on my radar. When I saw this statistic I began to question what would be driving this category to be such a hot commodity (yes, pun is intended). Coffee prices swing up and down based on crop production and this is influenced greatly by rainfall or drought in coffee producing regions. Yet, it seems that regardless of the price of coffee it is always in demand and consumers are willing to pay for the bean or the beverage. Consider that just a couple of years ago coffee prices went up significantly due to drought in coffee growing countries like Brazil but the popularity of coffee houses continued to rise despite price increases. While there are those who are willing to pay more, there are also those who still want their beverage but aren’t willing to pay for it. The use of EAS labels is one way to stop shoplifting of specialty bags of coffee.
EAS labels (electronic article surveillance) are small adhesive tags that can be applied to products you want to prevent from being stolen. The labels have a circuit built into them and when brought into the detection field of an EAS antenna, activate the antenna’s alarm and lights. This alarm serves to alert store personnel to respond to and address the cause of the alarm. There is also the potential that the alarm may startle a shoplifter enough to cause them to drop the merchandise they were carrying and run from the store. The tag adhesive is strong enough that trying to remove it usually results in the paper being torn off, but the circuit remains attached.
With the increased popularity of coffee shops such as Starbuck’s and house coffee’s offered by restaurants like Dunkin Donuts, specialty coffee has found a niche in grocery stores. Customers can purchase favorite brands and blends of coffee bagged and ready to go directly off the shelf. A 12 ounce bag of Dunkin’ Donuts coffee at one big box retailer can be purchased for about $7.00 a bag and a 12 ounce bag of Starbucks coffee at the same place is roughly a dollar more. Another Grocery store chain sells Caribou Coffees at $8.99 for a 12 ounce bag. Add to this the rise in popularity of K cup coffee that can be up to $14 a box and the shortage ranking of coffee makes more sense.Thieves will steal because they want something and can’t afford it or it is stolen by organized theft rings and resold in “mom and pop shops” or alternatives such as online sites. It is also stolen because it is easy to steal. This is simply a category of product that is often overlooked in merchandise protection strategies. Applying EAS labels to your bags and boxes of coffee can significantly reduce the theft in your store.
Having worked in retail loss prevention I have seen the effectiveness of EAS labels to stop shoplifting. They are economical, coming in rolls of 2000 tags and they are easy to apply to merchandise by simply peeling them from the roll and sticking them to the merchandise. Dishonest customers generally shy away from merchandise that has anti-theft protection on it. I have made numerous recoveries of merchandise dropped at the doors when an alarm sounds during an attempted theft. I also learned how to give people an excuse for “forgetting” they had unpaid merchandise when an antenna sounded and frequently made recoveries that way.
If your bean counters (another intended pun) notice that coffee shortage is a problem for your store, take action to stop shoplifting. Use EAS labels to make shoplifters wake up and take their activity elsewhere.
Get more information on EAS labels, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.
Alpha Keepers-5 WC Blog 173
Prevent Shoplifting-3
Using Alpha Keepers To Their Fullest Potential Promotes Sales And Customer Service
I admire business owners who take a risk and open a small retail store or a small chain of stores. Having spent twenty-six years in retail I have a love for the business and a desire to see people succeed. Much of the advice I can give is from first-hand experience working with retail anti-theft devices to prevent shoplifting. As I former retail Security Officer, Retail Loss Prevention Manager and Logistics Manager, I have seen the things that are successful to grow a business. One of those things is the use of Alpha Keepers to protect merchandise and still make them available to customers.
Alpha Keepers are hard, solid, clear plastic boxes that allow retailers to secure product while keeping it available for customers to handle. The boxes are built to activate Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS) alarms if carried through an EAS antenna. Merchandise is placed in the box and the hinged door of the box is locked and can only be opened by a detachment key at a point of sale or a handheld key carried by an associate.
Sometimes the cases are not used to their fullest advantage. Take for example the retail store I currently work for. We carry products that we do place in Alpha Keepers, such as some ink cartridges, most jump drives, and the majority of SD cards. On the other hand we also carry external computer hard drives we do not place in keepers. Instead, the store has cardboard pictures of the hard drives in the box, but no actual units. The hard drives are maintained in a locked stockroom, and can only be retrieved by someone with a key. Frequently customers want to purchase a hard drive and if the associate providing assistance does not have the set of keys for the stockroom, a call has to be made for further assistance.
We pride ourselves on providing great customer service, but it could be improved if we allowed the Alpha Keepers to work as intended. The purpose of the anti-theft devices is to prevent shoplifting while still giving customers access to merchandise. The Keepers allow the customers to read details on the item to be purchases, see actual size and also read warning labels. I have assisted a number of patrons who had very specific questions about a hard drive they were looking at and the only way to answer the question was to read the information printed on the box. For example, one question I am asked is, “Does this come with a USB cable?” I have to look for the information on the box. The problem is that the information is not on the card inside the Keeper and my handheld portable scanner does not give me all the information on the item needed to answer the question. I have to get into the stockroom, find the merchandise and then look at the box for the information. If the merchandise were in the Keepers there would be no need for the extra trip to the stockroom and further delay for the customer.
One of the things we strive to do in our store is close a sale by getting merchandise into the hands of the customer. This helps to overcome any objections customers may have to making a purchase. Getting merchandise out of lock-up cases and into Alpha Keepers is a great way to put the merchandise in the customer’s hands while promoting customer service and preventing shoplifting. This is a win for retailers all the way around.
Need information on Alpha Keepers? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
I admire business owners who take a risk and open a small retail store or a small chain of stores. Having spent twenty-six years in retail I have a love for the business and a desire to see people succeed. Much of the advice I can give is from first-hand experience working with retail anti-theft devices to prevent shoplifting. As I former retail Security Officer, Retail Loss Prevention Manager and Logistics Manager, I have seen the things that are successful to grow a business. One of those things is the use of Alpha Keepers to protect merchandise and still make them available to customers.
Alpha Keepers are hard, solid, clear plastic boxes that allow retailers to secure product while keeping it available for customers to handle. The boxes are built to activate Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS) alarms if carried through an EAS antenna. Merchandise is placed in the box and the hinged door of the box is locked and can only be opened by a detachment key at a point of sale or a handheld key carried by an associate.
Sometimes the cases are not used to their fullest advantage. Take for example the retail store I currently work for. We carry products that we do place in Alpha Keepers, such as some ink cartridges, most jump drives, and the majority of SD cards. On the other hand we also carry external computer hard drives we do not place in keepers. Instead, the store has cardboard pictures of the hard drives in the box, but no actual units. The hard drives are maintained in a locked stockroom, and can only be retrieved by someone with a key. Frequently customers want to purchase a hard drive and if the associate providing assistance does not have the set of keys for the stockroom, a call has to be made for further assistance.
We pride ourselves on providing great customer service, but it could be improved if we allowed the Alpha Keepers to work as intended. The purpose of the anti-theft devices is to prevent shoplifting while still giving customers access to merchandise. The Keepers allow the customers to read details on the item to be purchases, see actual size and also read warning labels. I have assisted a number of patrons who had very specific questions about a hard drive they were looking at and the only way to answer the question was to read the information printed on the box. For example, one question I am asked is, “Does this come with a USB cable?” I have to look for the information on the box. The problem is that the information is not on the card inside the Keeper and my handheld portable scanner does not give me all the information on the item needed to answer the question. I have to get into the stockroom, find the merchandise and then look at the box for the information. If the merchandise were in the Keepers there would be no need for the extra trip to the stockroom and further delay for the customer.
One of the things we strive to do in our store is close a sale by getting merchandise into the hands of the customer. This helps to overcome any objections customers may have to making a purchase. Getting merchandise out of lock-up cases and into Alpha Keepers is a great way to put the merchandise in the customer’s hands while promoting customer service and preventing shoplifting. This is a win for retailers all the way around.
Need information on Alpha Keepers? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
Bottle Service-5 WC Blog 201
Bottle Services-3
Nightclub-5
Bottle Locks-5
Is Your Nightclub Dying? Breathe New Life Into It By Adding A Bottle Service
I live in a tourist area popular for the golf courses, shopping, beaches and nightlife. I have been noticing over the years that many of the clubs that used to be “The Place to Go” have quietly closed their doors in recent years. In their place, new clubs have opened and then shut their doors as well. It made me put on my investigator hat as I wondered what it is that is causing these businesses to close, aside from the obvious answer that not enough people are going there. Something has changed that is resulting in this trend and I couldn’t put my finger on it. As I pondered this I also wondered if a nightclub could do something different that would enhance the club experience and bring customers back. The answer I came up with may be that a club establishes a bottle service.
I will visit some of the reasons nightclubs are closing up in a moment, but first I want to explain how bottle services function and how it can help draw in customers. Bottle services can take on many different forms, tailored to meet the style of the individual club owner/manager. The basic service should include group reservations for parties as small as two people and as large as a club can handle. For small groups the club should arrange for prime seating near the dance floor or the band. To cater to larger groups, the club may want to set aside a room with a view to the dance floor, perhaps a bar and bartender for personalized service. If the club has a cover charge at the door, a group that has purchased the bottle service would have the cover charge waived and would be met by a host or hostess and escorted past the line of customers to go to their table/booth or room.
A bottle service will include a bottle(s) of top shelf wine or liquor and mixers of the purchaser’s choice. Once seated, the group will have a dedicated bottle server who will pour and mix drinks for the group and control the drink flow with bottle locks on each bottle. The server has a detachment key that is used to remove the bottle locks when drinks are to be poured and then the lock is replaced. This prevents someone from pouring their own servings from the bottle. The servers are instrumental in making sure the experience is successful. They MUST be well trained in providing customer service, engaging their customers and creating an enjoyable evening. An added benefit of using bottle locks is that the server can monitor whether a member of the group is becoming too intoxicated and can control the amount of alcohol being mixed into that person’s glass.
So back to my original question, “What is causing nightclubs to close?” According to nightclub.com, in an article by Bernadette Hasson, September 29, 2015, “Millennial Impact: The Evolution of Nightclubs”, “Studies show millennials aren’t frequenting nightclubs the way the preceding Gen Y did. Slightly more than 60% of millennials go out to clubs, and among those who do, only 25% do so more than once a month (ULI and Lachman Associates).” The writer goes on to list some of the reasons given by millennials including; throwing more house parties that cost less money, they pick venues they can post on social media, and they won’t accept watered down drinks in clubs. Some of the reasons for not going were based on their perceptions of what clubs used to be for and how they are not needed for that purpose any longer such as, “…they see a club as a place to hook up and instead use a dating app…” If millennials have these perceptions, then there must be new strategies to address those concerns.
Making a night out a good time, and emphasizing the music and entertainment along with a fun bottle server could remove the perception of trying to “meet or hook-up”. A waiter or waitress controlling the drinks and bottle locks can ensure drinks are properly measured and not “watered down”. Any number of décor or lighting changes can make better optics for social media posts. Other concerns such as long lines to get into a club, cover charges and rude service can all be rectified by adding a bottle service to a club.
Clubs don’t have to close because they lack appeal to a new generation. Adding bottle services and using bottle locks, along with a focus on customer service can appeal to the new clientele who may have different ideas of what they are looking for in terms of entertainment. Start a bottle service now and watch your business grow.
Get more information on bottle service, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.
I live in a tourist area popular for the golf courses, shopping, beaches and nightlife. I have been noticing over the years that many of the clubs that used to be “The Place to Go” have quietly closed their doors in recent years. In their place, new clubs have opened and then shut their doors as well. It made me put on my investigator hat as I wondered what it is that is causing these businesses to close, aside from the obvious answer that not enough people are going there. Something has changed that is resulting in this trend and I couldn’t put my finger on it. As I pondered thisI also wondered if a nightclub could do something different that would enhance the club experience and bring customers back. The answer I came up with may be that a club establishes a bottle service.
I will visit some of the reasons nightclubs are closing up in a moment, but first I want to explain how bottle services function and how it can help draw in customers. Bottle services can take on many different forms, tailored to meet the style of the individual club owner/manager. The basic service should include group reservations for parties as small as two people and as large as a club can handle. For small groups the club should arrange for prime seating near the dance floor or the band. To cater to larger groups, the club may want to set aside a room with a view to the dance floor, perhaps a bar and bartender for personalized service. If the club has a cover charge at the door, a group that has purchased the bottle service would have the cover charge waived and would be met by a host or hostess and escorted past the line of customers to go to their table/booth or room.
A bottle service will include a bottle(s) of top shelf wine or liquor and mixers of the purchaser’s choice. Once seated, the group will have a dedicated bottle server who will pour and mix drinks for the group and control the drink flow with bottle locks on each bottle. The server has a detachment key that is used to remove the bottle locks when drinks are to be poured and then the lock is replaced. This prevents someone from pouring their own servings from the bottle. The servers are instrumental in making sure the experience is successful. They MUST be well trained in providing customer service, engaging their customers and creating an enjoyable evening. An added benefit of using bottle locks is that the server can monitor whether a member of the group is becoming too intoxicated and can control the amount of alcohol being mixed into that person’s glass.
So back to my original question, “What is causing nightclubs to close?” According to nightclub.com, in an article by Bernadette Hasson, September 29, 2015, “Millennial Impact: The Evolution of Nightclubs”, “Studies show millennials aren’t frequenting nightclubs the way the preceding Gen Y did. Slightly more than 60% of millennials go out to clubs, and among those who do, only 25% do so more than once a month (ULI and Lachman Associates).” The writer goes on to list some of the reasons given by millennials including; throwing more house parties that cost less money, they pick venues they can post on social media, and they won’t accept watered down drinks in clubs. Some of the reasons for not going were based on their perceptions of what clubs used to be for and how they are not needed for that purpose any longer such as, “…they see a club as a place to hook up and instead use a dating app…” If millennials have these perceptions, then there must be new strategies to address those concerns.
Making a night out a good time, and emphasizing the music and entertainment along with a fun bottle server could remove the perception of trying to “meet or hook-up”. A waiter or waitress controlling the drinks and bottle locks can ensure drinks are properly measured and not “watered down”. Any number of décor or lighting changes can make better optics for social media posts. Other concerns such as long lines to get into a club, cover charges and rude service can all be rectified by adding a bottle service to a club.
Clubs don’t have to close because they lack appeal to a new generation. Adding bottle services and using bottle locks, along with a focus on customer service can appeal to the new clientele who may have different ideas of what they are looking for in terms of entertainment. Start a bottle service now and watch your business grow.
Get more information on bottle service, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.
