Alpha Keepers -5 WC blog 24
Prevent Shoplifting – 3
Retail Anti Theft Devices-3
Alpha Keepers A Clear Choice For Customer Service
When I walk into a store, I am always evaluating what the store is doing in terms of merchandise protection. What do they have behind their customer service counters? How does that particular store arrange their products and does that arrangement affect staffing and also customer service. I look at retail anti-theft devices and how they are used and how consistent is the store in using those devices. I am also looking to see if Alpha Keepers are used in a store and if not, what do the out-of-stocks look like on their shelves?
Sometimes when I am doing my ‘studying’ I see items protected in protective boxes I had not considered previously. For example, when I started working in an office supply store, I had no idea that for them, printer ink could be such a high theft item. I took note of two strategies that are used by this retailer to prevent shoplifting of ink. First is a corral strategy, the use of gondola shelving and a point of sale counter to create an enclosed area with only one access point. This allows staff to monitor those who enter to select ink cartridges. The other strategy to prevent shoplifting is the use of Alpha Keepers to hold the higher priced cartridge boxes.
Because the protective boxes are designed so well, the customer can see all of the information they need on the cartridge box, the type of cartridge, the printer model it is used in, and other manufacturer information. The box itself is secure and requires the use of a detachment key to open it, allowing a customer the ability to continue shopping if they want to do so with the ink in their possession. I find that the corral effect tends to make customers feel like they have to leave products at the counter or they feel like they can’t go into the area without permission. There is a significant deterrence value in the corralling products as well as, using retail anti-theft devices to work together to keep product in the store. Should a thief attempt to walk out of the store with an Alpha Keeper box, the electronic article surveillance antenna will be set off, adding one more layer of protection to the product.
From an operations viewpoint, the concept being used to prevent shoplifting is beneficial because additional staffing is not required if only one cashier is scheduled to work and that person is stationed at the register where the ink is corralled. Sales and returns are all conducted at the single point of sale and if necessary a back-up cashier can always be requested to open another register. Customers are able to walk into the area and select their ink and if they require assistance, the cashier is right there. If Alpha Keepers were not being used, it would be incumbent on the cashier to not only ring up customers, they would also have to be the person to find and select ink for patrons and hold it until they were ready to complete their shopping.
This brings me back to my point on critiquing what I see in so many stores and consider ‘what if’ questions, for example; What if those items sold only from customer service counters were placed in protective boxes and made available for selection by the customer? How many customers leave a store angry because they had to wait for a cashier to retrieve an item only available behind a customer service counter (such as cartons of cigarettes)? How many customers abandon shopping carts because they get tired of waiting behind someone who has to have merchandise retrieved from behind another counter?
Alpha Keepers come in a wide range of sizes and styles offering a retail anti-theft solution to meet the needs of almost every retailer. Take a look at what is available in Alpha products and see if you might be able to improve sales by making merchandise more available to your customers.
For more information about Alpha Keepers, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547
.
When I walk into a store, I am always evaluating what the store is doing in terms of merchandise protection. What do they have behind their customer service counters? How does that particular store arrange their products and does that arrangement affect staffing and also customer service. I look at retail anti-theft devices and how they are used and how consistent is the store in using those devices. I am also looking to see if Alpha Keepers are used in a store and if not, what do the out-of-stocks look like on their shelves?
Sometimes when I am doing my ‘studying’ I see items protected in protective boxes I had not considered previously. For example, when I started working in an office supply store, I had no idea that for them, printer ink could be such a high theft item. I took note of two strategies that are used by this retailer to prevent shoplifting of ink. First is a corral strategy, the use of gondola shelving and a point of sale counter to create an enclosed area with only one access point. This allows staff to monitor those who enter to select ink cartridges. The other strategy to prevent shoplifting is the use of Alpha Keepers to hold the higher priced cartridge boxes.
Because the protective boxes are designed so well, the customer can see all of the information they need on the cartridge box, the type of cartridge, the printer model it is used in, and other manufacturer information. The box itself is secure and requires the use of a detachment key to open it, allowing a customer the ability to continue shopping if they want to do so with the ink in their possession. I find that the corral effect tends to make customers feel like they have to leave products at the counter or they feel like they can’t go into the area without permission. There is a significant deterrence value in the corralling products as well as, using retail anti-theft devices to work together to keep product in the store. Should a thief attempt to walk out of the store with an Alpha Keeper box, the electronic article surveillance antenna will be set off, adding one more layer of protection to the product.
From an operations viewpoint, the concept being used to prevent shoplifting is beneficial because additional staffing is not required if only one cashier is scheduled to work and that person is stationed at the register where the ink is corralled. Sales and returns are all conducted at the single point of sale and if necessary a back-up cashier can always be requested to open another register. Customers are able to walk into the area and select their ink and if they require assistance, the cashier is right there. If Alpha Keepers were not being used, it would be incumbent on the cashier to not only ring up customers, they would also have to be the person to find and select ink for patrons and hold it until they were ready to complete their shopping.
This brings me back to my point on critiquing what I see in so many stores and consider ‘what if’ questions, for example; What if those items sold only from customer service counters were placed in protective boxes and made available for selection by the customer? How many customers leave a store angry because they had to wait for a cashier to retrieve an item only available behind a customer service counter (such as cartons of cigarettes)? How many customers abandon shopping carts because they get tired of waiting behind someone who has to have merchandise retrieved from behind another counter?
Alpha Keepers come in a wide range of sizes and styles offering a retail anti-theft solution to meet the needs of almost every retailer. Take a look at what is available in Alpha products and see if you might be able to improve sales by making merchandise more available to your customers.
For more information about Alpha Keepers, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547
.
Alpha Thunder Tags- 4 WC blog 82
Retail Anti-Theft Device-3
Protect Store Devices AND Merchandise With Alpha Hard Tags
Retail mobile devices can be protected by the same retail anti-theft devices used to protect merchandise. In today’s retail environment, managers are using many different mobile devices to conduct daily operations. From tablets to handheld scanners, including i-pods and i-pads, devices are being used to track sales information, daily checklists, schedules, etc. I currently work part time in a retail store and we use mobile devices for a myriad of different tasks. I can scan to check store stock levels for merchandise, stockroom and sales floor locations for product that may appear to be out of stock and I can see if any of our nearby stores have the product if we are out of an item. We can even complete a credit card or debit card transaction sales transaction with our mobile devices to keep our customers from waiting in checkout lines. Interestingly, while the store uses Alpha Security products to prevent shoplifting, it does not use anything to protect these handheld devices that are so important to day to day operations. It would benefit not only my employer, but ANY retailer which uses mobile technology to protect these devices with Alpha Thunder Tags.
Alpha Thunder Tags work in conjunction with an electronic article surveillance system (EAS). When a piece of merchandise or equipment that has one of these retail anti-theft devices attached passes through an EAS antenna, the antenna alarm sounds and lights flash. These tags also have a built in alarm that activates if a device passes through an antenna and goes a certain distance away. In the event someone should attempt to remove a tag from a device, a tamper alarm activates and staff can respond to the alert, a loud, high pitched tone and prevent a theft.
You might be wondering how anyone would steal a store mobile device. Doing so is fairly straight forward. Although we wear holsters to carry our devices it is not uncommon to find scanners lying around the store. Sometimes they have been put down next to a register while a sales floor employee is helping a cashier with a customer carry-out. Other times they are put down after scanning a piece of merchandise and there is bending or reaching involved to get to the item. Once a device is left unattended, if there is no retail anti-theft device on the unit, it can be a target of opportunity for a thief. I recall one time when I was a Loss Prevention Manager for a store, I was monitoring one of our sales counters and noticed a store two-way radio had been left on the counter unattended. I watched it to see which associate would pick it back up so I could speak to them about their error. No employee came back to get the radio but a customer in the store DID pick it up and proceeded to walk into the parking lot with it. I stopped the would-be thief and retrieved the radio. When I asked him what he thought he was doing he said it was just sitting there so he was going to try to find the owner. I wasn’t convinced that was what he was going to do I was, however just glad to get the radio back. As I reflect on it now and I see how much more technology has grown in retail I have to wonder what would have happened had the radio been a Manager On Duty’s tablet instead! Using Alpha Thunder Tags on store owned devices can prevent these types of incidents and prevent the chance for data breaches, not to mention simply the expense of replacing a tablet or store mobile device.
Whether someone steals equipment from a retailer as a prank or they intend to try to resell it, the loss still negatively affects the business. Why not use retail anti-theft devices that are already on hand to protect your handheld devices along with your merchandise? Protect business PDA’s, tablets and mobile devices with Alpha Thunder Tags.
For more information on Alpha Thunder Tags, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547
Retail mobile devices can be protected by the same retail anti-theft devices used to protect merchandise. In today’s retail environment, managers are using many different mobile devices to conduct daily operations. From tablets to handheld scanners, including i-pods and i-pads, devices are being used to track sales information, daily checklists, schedules, etc. I currently work part time in a retail store and we use mobile devices for a myriad of different tasks. I can scan to check store stock levels for merchandise, stockroom and sales floor locations for product that may appear to be out of stock and I can see if any of our nearby stores have the product if we are out of an item. We can even complete a credit card or debit card transaction sales transaction with our mobile devices to keep our customers from waiting in checkout lines. Interestingly, while the store uses Alpha Security products to prevent shoplifting, it does not use anything to protect these handheld devices that are so important to day to day operations. It would benefit not only my employer, but ANY retailer which uses mobile technology to protect these devices with Alpha Thunder Tags.
Alpha Thunder Tags work in conjunction with an electronic article surveillance system (EAS). When a piece of merchandise or equipment that has one of these retail anti-theft devices attached passes through an EAS antenna, the antenna alarm sounds and lights flash. These tags also have a built in alarm that activates if a device passes through an antenna and goes a certain distance away. In the event someone should attempt to remove a tag from a device, a tamper alarm activates and staff can respond to the alert, a loud, high pitched tone and prevent a theft.
You might be wondering how anyone would steal a store mobile device. Doing so is fairly straight forward. Although we wear holsters to carry our devices it is not uncommon to find scanners lying around the store. Sometimes they have been put down next to a register while a sales floor employee is helping a cashier with a customer carry-out. Other times they are put down after scanning a piece of merchandise and there is bending or reaching involved to get to the item. Once a device is left unattended, if there is no retail anti-theft device on the unit, it can be a target of opportunity for a thief. I recall one time when I was a Loss Prevention Manager for a store, I was monitoring one of our sales counters and noticed a store two-way radio had been left on the counter unattended. I watched it to see which associate would pick it back up so I could speak to them about their error. No employee came back to get the radio but a customer in the store DID pick it up and proceeded to walk into the parking lot with it. I stopped the would-be thief and retrieved the radio. When I asked him what he thought he was doing he said it was just sitting there so he was going to try to find the owner. I wasn’t convinced that was what he was going to do I was, however just glad to get the radio back. As I reflect on it now and I see how much more technology has grown in retail I have to wonder what would have happened had the radio been a Manager On Duty’s tablet instead! Using Alpha Thunder Tags on store owned devices can prevent these types of incidents and prevent the chance for data breaches, not to mention simply the expense of replacing a tablet or store mobile device.
Whether someone steals equipment from a retailer as a prank or they intend to try to resell it, the loss still negatively affects the business. Why not use retail anti-theft devices that are already on hand to protect your handheld devices along with your merchandise? Protect business PDA’s, tablets and mobile devices with Alpha Thunder Tags.
For more information on Alpha Thunder Tags, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547
Checkpoint Hard Tags-5 WC blog 78
Electronic Article Surveillance-5
EAS tags-3
Checkpoint Hard Tags – A Profitable Investment
According to the 2014-2015 Global Retail Theft Barometer report, total retail shortage globally was approximately 123.39 billion dollars. North American reported shortage for the year was approximately 36.79 billion dollars. For stores that specialize in clothing and accessories the shrinkage percent was the second highest category, at 1.98% following only behind pharmacies/drugstores at a whopping 2.25% shrinkage rate. Within the Apparel and Fashion Accessories category, the most stolen items were footwear, sports-related clothing and fashion accessories. Employee theft and shoplifting are estimated to have been the cause of 85% of the shrinkage for Apparel Specialist Retailers and of this amount it was almost evenly divided between shoplifting and dishonest employees. There are steps apparel retailers can take to stop shoplifting and prevent some employee theft from draining profits from their business. One of the most effective steps is to install an electronic article surveillance system and then use the Checkpoint mini hard tag on merchandise.
The electronic article surveillance system (EAS) will include an antenna system that alarms when merchandise protected with EAS tags or Checkpoint hard tags is carried within the range of the antennas. The system also includes deactivation pads that deactivate EAS tags and removal devices to take Checkpoint hard tags off of merchandise when it is purchased. Training is also provided so store managers and personnel know how to test the system and respond to EAS alarms appropriately in order to prevent a theft.
Why do I suggest using the Checkpoint mini hard tag, especially if a clothing retailer is just starting to use an electronic article surveillance system? There are a number of Checkpoint hard tags a retailer can choose from to protect softlines products, but the mini tag provides flexibility to tag not only clothing but accessories too. The mini hard tag can be pinned directly to a piece of clothing providing both a visual deterrent to prevent shoplifting and alarm protection if someone tried to exit with a garment that still had the tag on it. This Checkpoint tag can be pinned to clothing accessories, such as ties, scarves, gloves, hats and even belts so the store is not limited in what it can protect. The same can be done with purses and handbags. The Checkpoint mini hard tag makes it simple to select one protective device to secure a wide range of products and eliminates the need to have multiple checkpoint hard tags being used in one store.
For a clothing store that is already using electronic article surveillance products, but has reduced the amount of items being tagged due to cost reduction efforts, let me point out another fact from the Global Retail Theft Barometer. In 2014-2015, for stores that participated in the prior year survey, clothing retailers reduced spending on loss prevention measures, including EAS technology, by .15 percentage points. Shrinkage rates in these stores increased 1.68 percentage points! It may be possible that in some instances stores were using too many different EAS tags, or they may have been attempting to save payroll by reducing the number of sku’s being tagged so tagging did not take as long. I have two suggestions that can help achieve either objective. First, using the mini tag would eliminate some of the need for employing a variety of Checkpoint tags, while still being able to tag nearly all clothing lines carried in the store. The alternative to save payroll would be to look into apparel source tagging options offered by Checkpoint. These options give the store the protection of EAS tagging but the actual tagging of merchandise is done elsewhere, no additional payroll is spent in the store!
Don’t allow theft to shrink your profits. Invest in electronic article surveillance and Checkpoint hard tags to keep your merchandise in the store and available for sale. If you have an EAS system and are looking for new ways to save payroll without degrading clothing security, find out more about source tagging from Checkpoint.
Get more information on Checkpoint hard tags, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.
According to the 2014-2015 Global Retail Theft Barometer report, total retail shortage globally was approximately 123.39 billion dollars. North American reported shortage for the year was approximately 36.79 billion dollars. For stores that specialize in clothing and accessories the shrinkage percent was the second highest category, at 1.98% following only behind pharmacies/drugstores at a whopping 2.25% shrinkage rate. Within the Apparel and Fashion Accessories category, the most stolen items were footwear, sports-related clothing and fashion accessories. Employee theft and shoplifting are estimated to have been the cause of 85% of the shrinkage for Apparel Specialist Retailers and of this amount it was almost evenly divided between shoplifting and dishonest employees. There are steps apparel retailers can take to stop shoplifting and prevent some employee theft from draining profits from their business. One of the most effective steps is to install an electronic article surveillance system and then use the Checkpoint mini hard tag on merchandise.
The electronic article surveillance system (EAS) will include an antenna system that alarms when merchandise protected with EAS tags or Checkpoint hard tags is carried within the range of the antennas. The system also includes deactivation pads that deactivate EAS tags and removal devices to take Checkpoint hard tags off of merchandise when it is purchased. Training is also provided so store managers and personnel know how to test the system and respond to EAS alarms appropriately in order to prevent a theft.
Why do I suggest using the Checkpoint mini hard tag, especially if a clothing retailer is just starting to use an electronic article surveillance system? There are a number of Checkpoint hard tags a retailer can choose from to protect softlines products, but the mini tag provides flexibility to tag not only clothing but accessories too. The mini hard tag can be pinned directly to a piece of clothing providing both a visual deterrent to prevent shoplifting and alarm protection if someone tried to exit with a garment that still had the tag on it. This Checkpoint tag can be pinned to clothing accessories, such as ties, scarves, gloves, hats and even belts so the store is not limited in what it can protect. The same can be done with purses and handbags. The Checkpoint mini hard tag makes it simple to select one protective device to secure a wide range of products and eliminates the need to have multiple checkpoint hard tags being used in one store.
For a clothing store that is already using electronic article surveillance products, but has reduced the amount of items being tagged due to cost reduction efforts, let me point out another fact from the Global Retail Theft Barometer. In 2014-2015, for stores that participated in the prior year survey, clothing retailers reduced spending on loss prevention measures, including EAS technology, by .15 percentage points. Shrinkage rates in these stores increased 1.68 percentage points! It may be possible that in some instances stores were using too many different EAS tags, or they may have been attempting to save payroll by reducing the number of sku’s being tagged so tagging did not take as long. I have two suggestions that can help achieve either objective. First, using the mini tag would eliminate some of the need for employing a variety of Checkpoint tags, while still being able to tag nearly all clothing lines carried in the store. The alternative to save payroll would be to look into apparel source tagging options offered by Checkpoint. These options give the store the protection of EAS tagging but the actual tagging of merchandise is done elsewhere, no additional payroll is spent in the store!
Don’t allow theft to shrink your profits. Invest in electronic article surveillance and Checkpoint hard tags to keep your merchandise in the store and available for sale. If you have an EAS system and are looking for new ways to save payroll without degrading clothing security, find out more about source tagging from Checkpoint.
Get more information on Checkpoint hard tags, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.
