RETAIL THEFT PREVENTION THAT EVERY STORE CAN AFFORD
I see this in my stores (large big box) and I see it when I shop at smaller chains and even the mom and pop shops around town. We, the retailer, invest in a Checkpoint security system, but we don’t remain consistent with tag and label placement on merchandise. How can we expect to stop shoplifting if we are making it so easy for a thief to steal from us?
Just this past week, I was in a store taking care of an internal theft case. After I wrapped up, I walked the store with the General Manager, and a team member approached us and informed us of a theft that had just occurred. A female suspect came into the store and stole several hundred dollars’ worth of a particular style of shirt. Each of these shirts retail for $39.99 a piece. The thief simply grabbed an entire stack, placed them in her purse and walked right on out.
We went over to the area and immediately identified an inconsistency in the store’s process. It seems that only one or two of the shirts had been tagged with an EAS device, leaving the rest open to anyone. This particular shoplifter did in fact leave behind the 3 shirts that were protected; proving that the Checkpoint security system would have worked to prevent this loss, had the store been consistent on tagging. It’s often not enough for you, as the manager, to tell your team what needs to be done; you have to inspect what you expect from them and continually share the importance of remaining compliant. If you set a standard to secure a product, then your team needs to adhere to that standard; or find another job.
In order to effectively stop shoplifting, you have to use your Checkpoint security system to its full potential. Just installing the towers and slapping a few labels here and there won’t stop shoplifting. You need to have a solid plan in place. What I challenge my store teams to do is walk there store each week in the eyes of a thief. If something looks appealing and easy to steal, be proactive and protect that item before the real thief takes it from you.
I have one store that really stands out. The management team incorporates LP strategy into their daily routine and they don’t see it as something extra they have to do. By having this mentality and working hard each day to do their very best to secure their products and utilize their Checkpoint security system to the fullest; they are one of a handful of stores that are crushing not only their sales plans, but also their profitability targets.
One example I like to use from this store comes from some fishing reels that were being stolen across the market. The 4 other stores did not take any pro-active measures to combat the losses, but this particular store ordered additional tags to secure the product. I even heard a General Manager say that she refused to order more tags, as it would put her over her supply budget for the month; but then she lost $2,500 in fishing reels for not placing that $75 supply order. Are you that manager?
Need information on Checkpoint Security Systems? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
I see this in my stores (large big box) and I see it when I shop at smaller chains and even the mom and pop shops around town. We, the retailer, invest in a Checkpoint security system, but we don’t remain consistent with tag and label placement on merchandise. How can we expect to stop shoplifting if we are making it so easy for a thief to steal from us?
Just this past week, I was in a store taking care of an internal theft case. After I wrapped up, I walked the store with the General Manager, and a team member approached us and informed us of a theft that had just occurred. A female suspect came into the store and stole several hundred dollars’ worth of a particular style of shirt. Each of these shirts retail for $39.99 a piece. The thief simply grabbed an entire stack, placed them in her purse and walked right on out.
We went over to the area and immediately identified an inconsistency in the store’s process. It seems that only one or two of the shirts had been tagged with an EAS device, leaving the rest open to anyone. This particular shoplifter did in fact leave behind the 3 shirts that were protected; proving that the Checkpoint security system would have worked to prevent this loss, had the store been consistent on tagging. It’s often not enough for you, as the manager, to tell your team what needs to be done; you have to inspect what you expect from them and continually share the importance of remaining compliant. If you set a standard to secure a product, then your team needs to adhere to that standard; or find another job.
In order to effectively stop shoplifting, you have to use your Checkpoint security system to its full potential. Just installing the towers and slapping a few labels here and there won’t stop shoplifting. You need to have a solid plan in place. What I challenge my store teams to do is walk there store each week in the eyes of a thief. If something looks appealing and easy to steal, be proactive and protect that item before the real thief takes it from you.
I have one store that really stands out. The management team incorporates LP strategy into their daily routine and they don’t see it as something extra they have to do. By having this mentality and working hard each day to do their very best to secure their products and utilize their Checkpoint security system to the fullest; they are one of a handful of stores that are crushing not only their sales plans, but also their profitability targets.
One example I like to use from this store comes from some fishing reels that were being stolen across the market. The 4 other stores did not take any pro-active measures to combat the losses, but this particular store ordered additional tags to secure the product. I even heard a General Manager say that she refused to order more tags, as it would put her over her supply budget for the month; but then she lost $2,500 in fishing reels for not placing that $75 supply order. Are you that manager?
Need information on Checkpoint Security Systems? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
Alpha Security-2 , Bottle Security-4 , Bottle Locks-4
It’s 4:00 PM-Do You Know Where Your Wine Bottles Are?
Many stores have their wine and beer sections in the back aisles of their buildings. I understand this is for the benefit of the vendors to make it easier for them when they make their deliveries. Plus, it doesn’t look very family friendly to merchandise those products right at the front door either. As a retail manager and a mom, I can appreciate both of those reasons. But, if that inventory is in the back of the store, and your checkout counter is at the front of the store, how do you provide bottle security? You get what I mean, right? If the clerk is at the front counter in the middle of the afternoon, who is watching that section? Alcohol is one the highest theft categories in the nation. From the cheap rot-the-gut stuff to the premium top shelf bottles, there is someone willing to steal whatever they can get.
Teenagers, moms, business men, homeless folks… you name it. All sorts of people have been caught stealing wine and liquor. Whether it be just for the thrill of getting away with it to the sadness of an addiction, your store has to have some plan for bottle security for those products. Small businesses don’t have the space or the financial means to install giant locking cases, but there is another even better solution anyway. Take a look into bottle locks, an offering by the folks at Alpha Security. Bottle locks are the ultimate solution to the ever growing problem of wine and liquor thefts. They easily fit over the tops of almost any size bottle you could want to sell. Bottle locks are quick and easy to apply to all of your valuable inventory. Studies show that customers buy much less when they are required to ask for items to be unlocked. They want to be able to shop freely, touch the items, and pick them up to compare so they can make their choice. With bottle locks, they can pick up and inspect every bottle they want to, and never have to ask anyone for permission. They can then bring their selections to the font checkout and the clerk can quickly remove the caps at the point of sale.
Bottle locks offer a strong visual deterrent to every customer considering just stealing a bottle rather than paying for it. You may be asking what if I get that one guy that decides to go rogue and run out with a bottle? The people at Alpha Security thought about that too. They figure he will only do it one time and then he will tell all his friends that there is no need to attempt to steal from your store anymore. Because once he gets outside and safely down the road, he’s going to be awful disappointed when he figures out that it is near impossible to remove that bottle security cap. Without the key to properly remove it, the bottle will break, ruin his clothes and his day before that cap will come off.
I’ve had to deal with people stealing a single beer out of a six pack occasionally, but that’s nothing compared to losing several bottles of premium wines and liquors. That kind of loss can set your profit margin way back. That’s not to mention all the paperwork and hassle you would have to go through to report the loss as well. Save yourself and your staff the trouble of dealing with alcohol thefts, and check out these and other tools for bottle security.
Bottle Security is important and we can help you with it. Contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.
Many stores have their wine and beer sections in the back aisles of their buildings. I understand this is for the benefit of the vendors to make it easier for them when they make their deliveries. Plus, it doesn’t look very family friendly to merchandise those products right at the front door either. As a retail manager and a mom, I can appreciate both of those reasons. But, if that inventory is in the back of the store, and your checkout counter is at the front of the store, how do you provide bottle security? You get what I mean, right? If the clerk is at the front counter in the middle of the afternoon, who is watching that section? Alcohol is one the highest theft categories in the nation. From the cheap rot-the-gut stuff to the premium top shelf bottles, there is someone willing to steal whatever they can get.
Teenagers, moms, business men, homeless folks… you name it. All sorts of people have been caught stealing wine and liquor. Whether it be just for the thrill of getting away with it to the sadness of an addiction, your store has to have some plan for bottle security for those products. Small businesses don’t have the space or the financial means to install giant locking cases, but there is another even better solution anyway. Take a look into bottle locks, an offering by the folks at Alpha Security. Bottle locks are the ultimate solution to the ever growing problem of wine and liquor thefts. They easily fit over the tops of almost any size bottle you could want to sell. Bottle locks are quick and easy to apply to all of your valuable inventory. Studies show that customers buy much less when they are required to ask for items to be unlocked. They want to be able to shop freely, touch the items, and pick them up to compare so they can make their choice. With bottle locks, they can pick up and inspect every bottle they want to, and never have to ask anyone for permission. They can then bring their selections to the font checkout and the clerk can quickly remove the caps at the point of sale.
Bottle locks offer a strong visual deterrent to every customer considering just stealing a bottle rather than paying for it. You may be asking what if I get that one guy that decides to go rogue and run out with a bottle? The people at Alpha Security thought about that too. They figure he will only do it one time and then he will tell all his friends that there is no need to attempt to steal from your store anymore. Because once he gets outside and safely down the road, he’s going to be awful disappointed when he figures out that it is near impossible to remove that bottle security cap. Without the key to properly remove it, the bottle will break, ruin his clothes and his day before that cap will come off.
I’ve had to deal with people stealing a single beer out of a six pack occasionally, but that’s nothing compared to losing several bottles of premium wines and liquors. That kind of loss can set your profit margin way back. That’s not to mention all the paperwork and hassle you would have to go through to report the loss as well. Save yourself and your staff the trouble of dealing with alcohol thefts, and check out these and other tools for bottle security.
Bottle Security is important and we can help you with it. Contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.
You own clothing stores and are considering how to best protect your investment. You know that shoplifters and even employees are going to try to steal from you and you want to find the most effective clothing security protection available. As a former Loss Prevention associate and Assets Protection Manager with over 25 years of retail experience under my belt, I would like to share some of my thoughts on the subject. First, if you do not have an electronic article surveillance (EAS) system in place, invest in one. If you don’t know where to look for an EAS system, I would suggest Checkpoint Systems as a starting point. Next, you will want to purchase clothing security tags for your merchandise.
Clothing security tags are clipped to the garments and require a special detachment tool to remove them. Without the proper tool, any attempt by a shoplifter or even a dishonest employee, to remove the tag will result in damaged clothing. A thief is not going to go to the trouble of stealing merchandise if it will result in damage since they want to either wear it or re-sell it. Also, devices such as Checkpoint tags are reusable meaning that when a purchase is made the device is removed and retained at the store. They can then be applied to new product as it arrives.
As you are deciding which security tags on clothes you will use that you consider Checkpoint tags for their source tagging program. Working with Checkpoint your merchandise can be shipped to your store(s) from the vendor already protected with clothing security tags. Why is this important? There are two reasons I really like this program. First, consistency in tagging benefits you at the point of sale. When the clothing comes to you tagged, the tags are placed in the same location on like merchandise. When it gets to the register, cashiers know where to find the tag every time. This speeds up the checkout process and minimizes the chance for a false alarm at the doors caused by cashier error. The second reason I believe source tagging is the smart choice is that you spend little payroll on tagging merchandise. I know how tight payroll budgets can be and if I had the choice to spend it on tagging merchandise or driving sales through excellent customer service, I would pick customer service.
In addition to using clothing security tags on clothes for protection, I would recommend a camera system, partly for theft prevention and partially as a safety measure. A public view monitor at the entry way to a store and at the exit is good for making shoppers aware that they are on camera. The downside is cameras have become commonplace and do not have the deterrent value they once did in the retail world. You must be sure if you install a camera you have it positioned to in such a way as to capture face shots. Be aware that many criminals are on to this so they will enter the store with sunglasses on and hats pulled down to obscure their face. I also recommend cameras at the point of sale that can be used to record transactions. This can help to identify employees who may be stealing or criminals who are using fraudulent means to make purchases. Cameras on the sales floor may be usefull, but unless you have someone to monitor them and review video, they will not be extremely helpful in preventing shoplifting.
Finally, spend time training employees. Train on how to effectively provide outstanding customer service, and how it drives sales and reduces shortage. Also, spend time training on the importance of properly removing Checkpoint tags at the point of sales and response to EAS alarm activations. Training must be an ongoing process. If treated as a once and done, training loses its value because people tend to retain information better and practice it when it is reinforced.
Take a multi-pronged approach to protect merchandise. Use cameras, customer service, EAS and Checkpoint tags to defend against theft. A smart investment will pay significant dividends in the future.
For more information on Clothing Security Tags contact us or call 1.770.426.0547
