Alpha Jewel Lok -5
Retail Anti-Theft Devices- 3 WC blog 84
Control Costume Jewelry Theft – Use Alpha Jewel Loks
Walk into a department store and take a look at all of the loose jewelry on counter top displays versus the amount of merchandise locked up in showcases. Of course it is the higher end jewelry that is kept locked up while the lower price point merchandise is on open display for customers. The concern that I have is a lot of those so-called lower price point pieces of jewelry are still above $30 a piece. It doesn’t take long for enough of this merchandise to be stolen in order for a store to feel the pain from its losses. Trying to prevent the theft of these items is terribly difficult. With the amount of open sell displays and fixtures in many department stores it is nearly impossible to monitor everything. I spent time working Loss Prevention in a department store and I can relate to the frustrations of trying to prevent theft and not make bad apprehensions because merchandise is so small. There was not a good option for placing retail anti-theft devices on many of the jewelry pieces. EAS tags were on the earring holders and possibly an EAS tag in a watch box, but nothing could be done for necklaces or bracelets. Today there IS a product on the market that can be used to prevent the shoplifting of jewelry, the Alpha Jewel Lok.
Alpha Jewel Loks are small EAS retail anti-theft devices that have a steel hook that can be inserted through the clasp of a necklace, bracelet or watch. Where in the past shoplifters would fill pockets or purses with merchandise without concern for activating an electronic article surveillance antenna, now the shoplifter has to make this a consideration before stealing merchandise. Another factor shoplifters will have to take into account is that with the Alpha Jewel Lok, any attempt to remove it without a detachment key will damage the item and make it useless.
I can think of one specific case from my department store Loss Prevention days when I had a couple shoplifting in our costume jewelry department. The male was acting as the lookout while the female was “trying on” gold chain bracelets. I watched on camera as the female found a bracelet and then dropped it into her pants pocket. The couple walked to the exit and I stopped them and with the assistance of a sales floor manager, escorted them back to the security office. I made the mistake of walking in front of the couple as the manager walked behind them. Well, we got to the office I asked for the merchandise in the woman’s pocket and she pulled out her pockets and no merchandise was there. Feeling sheepish, I let the couple go. After they left I reviewed video of the couple since the camera had remained on the doors as I escorted them back in the store. Much to my dismay, I saw the woman pull the bracelet from her pocket and drop it down her shirt. Being in front of the couple I did not see the movement and the manager was not trained to watch for this type of act. Had we had the benefit of Alpha Jewel Loks at the time, it would not have mattered whether the merchandise was moved to another location on her person, the EAS alarm would have activated. And yes, I did learn my lesson that day and never made THAT mistake again.
It may not be possible to prevent shoplifting of every piece of jewelry, but you can certainly take steps to stop a significant amount of it with the right retail anti-theft devices. Alpha Jewel Loks can give you the flexibility needed to keep some of your costume jewelry on open display fixtures. Protect your merchandise and increase sales.
For more information on Alpha Jewel Loks, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547
Walk into a department store and take a look at all of the loose jewelry on counter top displays versus the amount of merchandise locked up in showcases. Of course it is the higher end jewelry that is kept locked up while the lower price point merchandise is on open display for customers. The concern that I have is a lot of those so-called lower price point pieces of jewelry are still above $30 a piece. It doesn’t take long for enough of this merchandise to be stolen in order for a store to feel the pain from its losses. Trying to prevent the theft of these items is terribly difficult. With the amount of open sell displays and fixtures in many department stores it is nearly impossible to monitor everything. I spent time working Loss Prevention in a department store and I can relate to the frustrations of trying to prevent theft and not make bad apprehensions because merchandise is so small. There was not a good option for placing retail anti-theft devices on many of the jewelry pieces. EAS tags were on the earring holders and possibly an EAS tag in a watch box, but nothing could be done for necklaces or bracelets. Today there IS a product on the market that can be used to prevent the shoplifting of jewelry, the Alpha Jewel Lok.
Alpha Jewel Loks are small EAS retail anti-theft devices that have a steel hook that can be inserted through the clasp of a necklace, bracelet or watch. Where in the past shoplifters would fill pockets or purses with merchandise without concern for activating an electronic article surveillance antenna, now the shoplifter has to make this a consideration before stealing merchandise. Another factor shoplifters will have to take into account is that with the Alpha Jewel Lok, any attempt to remove it without a detachment key will damage the item and make it useless.
I can think of one specific case from my department store Loss Prevention days when I had a couple shoplifting in our costume jewelry department. The male was acting as the lookout while the female was “trying on” gold chain bracelets. I watched on camera as the female found a bracelet and then dropped it into her pants pocket. The couple walked to the exit and I stopped them and with the assistance of a sales floor manager, escorted them back to the security office. I made the mistake of walking in front of the couple as the manager walked behind them. Well, we got to the office I asked for the merchandise in the woman’s pocket and she pulled out her pockets and no merchandise was there. Feeling sheepish, I let the couple go. After they left I reviewed video of the couple since the camera had remained on the doors as I escorted them back in the store. Much to my dismay, I saw the woman pull the bracelet from her pocket and drop it down her shirt. Being in front of the couple I did not see the movement and the manager was not trained to watch for this type of act. Had we had the benefit of Alpha Jewel Loks at the time, it would not have mattered whether the merchandise was moved to another location on her person, the EAS alarm would have activated. And yes, I did learn my lesson that day and never made THAT mistake again.
It may not be possible to prevent shoplifting of every piece of jewelry, but you can certainly take steps to stop a significant amount of it with the right retail anti-theft devices. Alpha Jewel Loks can give you the flexibility needed to keep some of your costume jewelry on open display fixtures. Protect your merchandise and increase sales.
For more information on Alpha Jewel Loks, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547
Alpha Thunder Tags-5 WC blog 88
I-pad Theft – 3
Tablet Theft-3
Busy Offices Can Lead To Medical Device Theft; Unless Alpha Thunder Tags Are A Part Of Your Practice
What distracts you during your busy day? I ask this because as I was preparing to write this article, I started thinking about what my days look like and what impact it has on what I may be doing at any given time. Both of my jobs are customer service focused. I work in an academic library as an overnight shift supervisor and in my job I assist students with research questions, finding materials and sometimes even help someone who is stressed out in the wee hours of the morning. In my second job I work in retail on the sales floor providing customer service, as well as completing other assigned tasks. In both cases, I have been in situations where I was working on paperwork or using some type of device and put it down momentarily to assist someone and when I returned, I could not immediately recall what I did with the item. Now, imagine working in a clinic or doctor’s office and you are using mobile medical devices to help patients. How easy would it be in a hectic situation, to put down a mobile medical device and experience an i-pad theft or tablet theft because a thief took advantage of a situation and grabbed a device and walked out of the building without anyone’s knowledge?
How can you protect your mobile devices against theft in a busy, customer service oriented situation? What if your mobile devices were protected with Alpha Thunder Tags? An Alpha Thunder Tag is an anti-theft device that is attached to mobile devices and protects against tablet theft and i-pad theft by working with an electronic article surveillance system. If a device has a Thunder Tag on it and someone walks out a door protected by an electronic article surveillance antenna the alarm on the antenna will sound and flashing lights alert staff that a device is being removed. The device itself has an alarm built into it that activates if a thief continues through the antenna and out the door. Even if multiple people are exiting at roughly the same time, the alarming device will identify the offending party.
I reflect on watching the activity in an emergency room when I have had the need to be in one. Medical staff checking on patients, people trying to get checked in, everyone wanting immediate assistance, and suddenly an ambulance pulls up and a gurney is being wheeled past, it can appear to be controlled chaos. How susceptible to theft is a medical facility in a situation like this? I can easily picture a situation where a nurse or physician is entering information on a mobile device and unexpectedly an emergency situation requires their attention and the device is put down so they can address the crisis. In that moment the device becomes secondary and is forgotten. Someone in the room spies the device and picks it up and leaves the building. The device and all patient information contained on it is stolen. The potential ramification of patient data compromise becomes a real threat. Not only could patient information be stolen and create problems for the clients who had information stored on the device, the fines and penalties for a medical data breach can be in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Installation of an electronic article surveillance system and using Alpha Thunder Tags will prevent medical i-pad theft and tablet theft. Electronic article surveillance antennas can be installed at all facility entrances, including employee doors. By doing so, even if a staff member were to forget they had a protected device in their pocket when they leave for the day the alarm will sound and they will be reminded to return the device before going home. While it is not a pleasant thought, it would also protect the facility from a dishonest employee who may attempt to steal a device. And I failed to mention, should someone attempt to remove an Alpha Thunder Tag, a tamper alarm would sound alerting staff of a potential theft attempt.
Protect your patient’s information from data breaches and protect your practice from potential lawsuits and onerous fines. Use Alpha Thunder Tags on your mobile medical devices and install electronic article surveillance antennas at your doorways.
For more information on Alpha Thunder Tags, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547
What distracts you during your busy day? I ask this because as I was preparing to write this article, I started thinking about what my days look like and what impact it has on what I may be doing at any given time. Both of my jobs are customer service focused. I work in an academic library as an overnight shift supervisor and in my job I assist students with research questions, finding materials and sometimes even help someone who is stressed out in the wee hours of the morning. In my second job I work in retail on the sales floor providing customer service, as well as completing other assigned tasks. In both cases, I have been in situations where I was working on paperwork or using some type of device and put it down momentarily to assist someone and when I returned, I could not immediately recall what I did with the item. Now, imagine working in a clinic or doctor’s office and you are using mobile medical devices to help patients. How easy would it be in a hectic situation, to put down a mobile medical device and experience an i-pad theft or tablet theft because a thief took advantage of a situation and grabbed a device and walked out of the building without anyone’s knowledge?
How can you protect your mobile devices against theft in a busy, customer service oriented situation? What if your mobile devices were protected with Alpha Thunder Tags? An Alpha Thunder Tag is an anti-theft device that is attached to mobile devices and protects against tablet theft and i-pad theft by working with an electronic article surveillance system. If a device has a Thunder Tag on it and someone walks out a door protected by an electronic article surveillance antenna the alarm on the antenna will sound and flashing lights alert staff that a device is being removed. The device itself has an alarm built into it that activates if a thief continues through the antenna and out the door. Even if multiple people are exiting at roughly the same time, the alarming device will identify the offending party.
I reflect on watching the activity in an emergency room when I have had the need to be in one. Medical staff checking on patients, people trying to get checked in, everyone wanting immediate assistance, and suddenly an ambulance pulls up and a gurney is being wheeled past, it can appear to be controlled chaos. How susceptible to theft is a medical facility in a situation like this? I can easily picture a situation where a nurse or physician is entering information on a mobile device and unexpectedly an emergency situation requires their attention and the device is put down so they can address the crisis. In that moment the device becomes secondary and is forgotten. Someone in the room spies the device and picks it up and leaves the building. The device and all patient information contained on it is stolen. The potential ramification of patient data compromise becomes a real threat. Not only could patient information be stolen and create problems for the clients who had information stored on the device, the fines and penalties for a medical data breach can be in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Installation of an electronic article surveillance system and using Alpha Thunder Tags will prevent medical i-pad theft and tablet theft. Electronic article surveillance antennas can be installed at all facility entrances, including employee doors. By doing so, even if a staff member were to forget they had a protected device in their pocket when they leave for the day the alarm will sound and they will be reminded to return the device before going home. While it is not a pleasant thought, it would also protect the facility from a dishonest employee who may attempt to steal a device. And I failed to mention, should someone attempt to remove an Alpha Thunder Tag, a tamper alarm would sound alerting staff of a potential theft attempt.
Protect your patient’s information from data breaches and protect your practice from potential lawsuits and onerous fines. Use Alpha Thunder Tags on your mobile medical devices and install electronic article surveillance antennas at your doorways.
For more information on Alpha Thunder Tags, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547
Auto Peg Tag – 4 WC Blog 113
EAS tags-3
Lock Up Cases Are Crazy When You Can Use The Auto Peg Tag!
I have noticed in a number of stores, especially drug store chains, there is a tendency to lock up items that are high theft and also high dollar (or high dollar for the item being secured). I am thinking specifically of razor blade boxes in these businesses. Go into the local store and you will be likely to find that the razor blade aisle has security lock-ups that prevent you from accessing the merchandise or make it difficult to remove a box. I am not against limited access to merchandise, as long as the customer has access. From the perspective of someone who believes in driving profitable sales, I want customers to have the ability to grab onto a piece of merchandise and take it to a checkout lane. Using a locking display case, especially in a smaller retailer, often results in lost sales. A compromise to the locking display case for some peg hook items is the use of the Auto Peg Tag.
There are a number of benefits to using the Auto Peg Tag to protect merchandise from shoplifting. First, the tags are easy to apply and snap over the peg hole of the packaging. This allows the merchandise to be protected without interfering with the branding of the packaging. It also allows the shopper to read package information that might be important for their purchase. For example, a customer may need to be able to read all of the model numbers a particular brand of razor blades will fit. Soft EAS tags (Electronic Article Surveillance) placed on the package may cover up important information or even cautions or warnings to consumers, such as may be found on lithium battery packages. These Checkpoint tags, like the soft tags are EAS compatible and will activate EAS antennas if someone were to try to walk out without paying.
Other benefits to using the Auto Peg Tag are the ease of removal at the point of sale, as well as the re-usability of the devices. From a sustainability perspective, it is always beneficial if something does not have to be one-time use. The tags are also very visible. I recently visited a big box retailer which has started to use the tags on their razor blades. They popped out immediately to me, and I am constantly assessing the security measures in a store. I know that the tags were not in use a few months ago. If I noticed it, I am certain the bad guys who frequent the store did as well. Finally, by using these tags there is accessibility to patrons, there is no need to wait around looking for a store associate with a key to unlock a security case in order to buy the package of $19.99 razor blades.
There is concern about the boosters, the professional shoplifters who clean peg hooks off and then resell the merchandise? My years of experience in retail loss prevention convinced me that there is a threat from boosters, BUT they tend not to want to steal merchandise that is clearly protected with anti-theft devices such as EAS tags. Additionally, consider what is your store is selling. If you are selling $19.99 razor blades then you are probably selling other items, like health and beauty aids that sell for a significantly higher price point. Are you locking up all of these items too? When merchandise is available for a shopper to pick up and examine without the hassle of waiting for someone to unlock a case they are more inclined to make a purchase. Access leads to increased sales.
You can stop shoplifting by deterring it in the first place with EAS tags. Using the Auto Peg Tag on your peg hook merchandise will allow you to get rid of those pesky lock up cases and increase sales. Boosters will find somewhere else to go.
Need information on Auto Peg Tag? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
I have noticed in a number of stores, especially drug store chains, there is a tendency to lock up items that are high theft and also high dollar (or high dollar for the item being secured). I am thinking specifically of razor blade boxes in these businesses. Go into the local store and you will be likely to find that the razor blade aisle has security lock-ups that prevent you from accessing the merchandise or make it difficult to remove a box. I am not against limited access to merchandise, as long as the customer has access. From the perspective of someone who believes in driving profitable sales, I want customers to have the ability to grab onto a piece of merchandise and take it to a checkout lane. Using a locking display case, especially in a smaller retailer, often results in lost sales. A compromise to the locking display case for some peg hook items is the use of the Auto Peg Tag.
There are a number of benefits to using the Auto Peg Tag to protect merchandise from shoplifting. First, the tags are easy to apply and snap over the peg hole of the packaging. This allows the merchandise to be protected without interfering with the branding of the packaging. It also allows the shopper to read package information that might be important for their purchase. For example, a customer may need to be able to read all of the model numbers a particular brand of razor blades will fit. Soft EAS tags (Electronic Article Surveillance) placed on the package may cover up important information or even cautions or warnings to consumers, such as may be found on lithium battery packages. These Checkpoint tags, like the soft tags are EAS compatible and will activate EAS antennas if someone were to try to walk out without paying.
Other benefits to using the Auto Peg Tag are the ease of removal at the point of sale, as well as the re-usability of the devices. From a sustainability perspective, it is always beneficial if something does not have to be one-time use. The tags are also very visible. I recently visited a big box retailer which has started to use the tags on their razor blades. They popped out immediately to me, and I am constantly assessing the security measures in a store. I know that the tags were not in use a few months ago. If I noticed it, I am certain the bad guys who frequent the store did as well. Finally, by using these tags there is accessibility to patrons, there is no need to wait around looking for a store associate with a key to unlock a security case in order to buy the package of $19.99 razor blades.
There is concern about the boosters, the professional shoplifters who clean peg hooks off and then resell the merchandise? My years of experience in retail loss prevention convinced me that there is a threat from boosters, BUT they tend not to want to steal merchandise that is clearly protected with anti-theft devices such as EAS tags. Additionally, consider what is your store is selling. If you are selling $19.99 razor blades then you are probably selling other items, like health and beauty aids that sell for a significantly higher price point. Are you locking up all of these items too? When merchandise is available for a shopper to pick up and examine without the hassle of waiting for someone to unlock a case they are more inclined to make a purchase. Access leads to increased sales.
You can stop shoplifting by deterring it in the first place with EAS tags. Using the Auto Peg Tag on your peg hook merchandise will allow you to get rid of those pesky lock up cases and increase sales. Boosters will find somewhere else to go.
Need information on Auto Peg Tag? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
