Security Tags On Clothes –3 WC Blog 716
Sensormatic Tags – 3
Don’t Be Detached From Clothing Theft – Use Sensormatic Tags
Do you use security tags on clothes in your store? Are they effective at stopping theft? I ask these questions after reading an article on pjstar.com, “Three suspected shoplifters arrested at J.C. Penney Wednesday” by Leslie Renken, Nov. 15, 2018. She reports that three men were accused of stealing $1,420 worth of athletic clothing. That is no small amount of theft. While that kind of loss by itself may not be a huge blow to a retail chain like Penney’s, it could be a huge blow to a small or medium sized store. Now I have shopped at this chain before and I do know that they use some type of electronic article surveillance tags on some merchandise but I do not know if they are Sensormatic tags or another brand. I also do not know if the items the men were attempting to steal were tagged or not though the article mentions that one of the men appeared to be, “trying to remove the security tab on the bag”. I have no idea what this was in reference to or what the story meant by security tab. What I do know from my many years in Loss Prevention is that the use of anti-theft tags does work. What is not helpful is when shoplifters get a hold of handheld detachers from stores and use them at other locations.
When a retail store arms itself with an electronic article surveillance system (EAS) that business will place security tags on clothes or other merchandise to prevent theft. Tagging may take place in a stockroom or on the salesfloor. The employees doing the tagging should have handheld tag detachers with them while working. There are times when tagging you don’t place a tag on properly or in the wrong location and it needs to be removed and reattached. Having put tags on merchandise myself, I know that errors happen. I have pinned a tag through both sides of a shirt sleeve that would have prevented a customer from trying it on. We used Sensormatic tags on clothing and on comforters to keep people from unzipping a comforter and hiding products inside of them. I would occasionally find a zipper that could be pulled open because another employee did not know how to tag it properly. One way to remove these tags was to gather up all the problem items, take them to the register and detach the tags then attach them properly. The other method was to use a portable detacher and take off the tag where you are working and reattach it. Just from a productivity standpoint this makes more sense than the former. Think about the time it would take to gather up all of those items, go through the steps and then have to restock that merchandise. Portable detachers just make sense to carry when you are protecting goods with an EAS system.
I have found that not all stores do a great job accounting for their security devices. The store may not have a system in place to sign in or out portable detachers and so when a device is misplaced or lost no one realizes it. One feature that makes Sensormatic portable detachers a better choice than some others is that they have internal EAS protection to make them sound the EAS towers if someone tries to steal one. That said let’s face it not all stores do an equally good job at responding to system alarms. Those stores that have not trained their personnel to quickly respond to alarms are the same ones that will probably not be as careful about controlling their detachers. That means there are instances when detachment devices are stolen and may be sold over the internet or used by those persons to shoplift in other stores. This is why even stores that use security tags on clothes need to still train employees on customer service. You never know who is in your store and when customer service is a focus your team will improve sales but also remove opportunity for theft, as we saw in the case above even if the perpetrator has a detachment device.
Sensormatic tags along with a strong customer service culture are a sure means to dramatically reduce shortage. That is why Loss Prevention Systems, Inc. encourages retailers of ALL sizes stop theft through a multi-pronged approach. They support the installation of an EAS system but they also offer manager training to prevent theft, pre-employment drug and background screening and even an Applicant Management Center all of which can aid in improved profits. Find out more about how you can protect your store from clothing theft and other shoplifting and make your business more profitable.
Get more information on Sensormatic tags, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.
Do you use security tags on clothes in your store? Are they effective at stopping theft? I ask these questions after reading an article on pjstar.com, “Three suspected shoplifters arrested at J.C. Penney Wednesday” by Leslie Renken, Nov. 15, 2018. She reports that three men were accused of stealing $1,420 worth of athletic clothing. That is no small amount of theft. While that kind of loss by itself may not be a huge blow to a retail chain like Penney’s, it could be a huge blow to a small or medium sized store. Now I have shopped at this chain before and I do know that they use some type of electronic article surveillance tags on some merchandise but I do not know if they are Sensormatic tags or another brand. I also do not know if the items the men were attempting to steal were tagged or not though the article mentions that one of the men appeared to be, “trying to remove the security tab on the bag”. I have no idea what this was in reference to or what the story meant by security tab. What I do know from my many years in Loss Prevention is that the use of anti-theft tags does work. What is not helpful is when shoplifters get a hold of handheld detachers from stores and use them at other locations.
When a retail store arms itself with an electronic article surveillance system (EAS) that business will place security tags on clothes or other merchandise to prevent theft. Tagging may take place in a stockroom or on the salesfloor. The employees doing the tagging should have handheld tag detachers with them while working. There are times when tagging you don’t place a tag on properly or in the wrong location and it needs to be removed and reattached. Having put tags on merchandise myself, I know that errors happen. I have pinned a tag through both sides of a shirt sleeve that would have prevented a customer from trying it on. We used Sensormatic tags on clothing and on comforters to keep people from unzipping a comforter and hiding products inside of them. I would occasionally find a zipper that could be pulled open because another employee did not know how to tag it properly. One way to remove these tags was to gather up all the problem items, take them to the register and detach the tags then attach them properly. The other method was to use a portable detacher and take off the tag where you are working and reattach it. Just from a productivity standpoint this makes more sense than the former. Think about the time it would take to gather up all of those items, go through the steps and then have to restock that merchandise. Portable detachers just make sense to carry when you are protecting goods with an EAS system.
I have found that not all stores do a great job accounting for their security devices. The store may not have a system in place to sign in or out portable detachers and so when a device is misplaced or lost no one realizes it. Let’s face it not all stores do an equally good job at responding to system alarms. Those stores that have not trained their personnel to quickly respond to alarms are the same ones that will probably not be as careful about controlling their detachers. That means there are instances when detachment devices are stolen and may be sold over the internet or used by those persons to shoplift in other stores. This is why even stores that use security tags on clothes need to still train employees on customer service. You never know who is in your store and when customer service is a focus your team will improve sales but also remove opportunity for theft, as we saw in the case above even if the perpetrator has a detachment device.
Sensormatic tags along with a strong customer service culture are a sure means to dramatically reduce shortage. That is why Loss Prevention Systems, Inc. encourages retailers of ALL sizes stop theft through a multi-pronged approach. They support the installation of an EAS system but they also offer manager training to prevent theft, pre-employment drug and background screening and even an Applicant Management Center all of which can aid in improved profits. Find out more about how you can protect your store from clothing theft and other shoplifting and make your business more profitable.
Get more information on Sensormatic tags, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.
Loss Prevention Calculator – 4 WC Blog 772
Loss Prevention Pays for Itself – how fast? -3
Loss Prevention Pays For Itself – How Fast? The Loss Prevention Calculator Can Give You The Answer
I can tell you what the return on investment would be if you were to purchase a Sensormatic System by using the Loss Prevention Calculator. I can tell you that you will probably trim your shortage by almost half and quite possibly more. I can tell you that an electronic article system is probably a lot more affordable than you ever imagined. I can tell you that with a Sensormatic system Loss Prevention pays for itself – how fast? Well the how fast is answered when you use the Loss Prevention Calculator on the Loss Prevention Systems, Inc. website. Can I tell you everything you might want to know about how a Loss Prevention System will work in your store or how effective it will be? Unfortunately the answer to THAT question is no.
The reason I can’t answer how a Loss Prevention System will work in your store or how effective it will be is because there are multiple factors to take into consideration. Here are a couple of things that I would have to consider in the equation:
• How much merchandise are you planning to protect? Are you going to use Sensormatic labels and tags in a limited fashion? Are you only going to attach tags to some items or only merchandise over a certain price point? It does make a difference. The more merchandise that is protected the lower the chances that theft will take place.
• Are you only going to rely on the protection of electronic article surveillance alarms sounding or are you going to take advantage of the training opportunities offered by Loss Prevention Systems, Inc.? Trained personnel who know how to identify crooks, tag merchandise properly and the function customer service plays in deterring theft all make a difference in the effectiveness of a Loss Prevention System.
• Are you willing to consider installing Sensormatic towers that will allow interchangeable advertising panels to be placed in them? Increasing sales can lower shortage as a percentage to sales and advertising is a great way to appeal to your customers.
• Will you include a people counting device in your Sensormatic tower to track your customer traffic? Tracking foot traffic can help retailers increase sales through improved employee scheduling. Schedule employees when patterns indicate customers are in the store to help improve checkout wait times and customer service on the floor.
• Will you add in the Sensormatic Shrink Management as a Service feature? An electronic article surveillance alarm reporting tool that can help you improve alarm responses and identify trends in alarm occurrences. Used in conjunction with a Sensormatic camera attached to your towers and you can identify shoplifters and put a stop to future theft activity.
A Sensormatic security system can include much more than the towers and the tags to protect a store. That is why when I say Loss Prevention pays for itself – how fast? I am hesitant to give a firm answer.
Think about it in this way. If you purchase a house and add deadbolts to the doors you have increased the safety of your home by a certain margin. Add an alarm and monitoring service to your home and you have increased the security by another factor. Toss in a camera or two and you have multiplied the safety of your home once more. A Sensormatic system is much the same. You get great protection with alarm pedestals and tags but amplify the impact of that system with other features. The initial cost will be a bit more but ultimately the returns are greater too. You also cannot easily figure how much growth will result from people counting devices and advertising panels. Loss Prevention Systems, Inc.’s Loss Prevention Calculator CAN show you how you will reduce your shortage by almost half with a Loss Prevention system and give a good indicator of how fast it will pay for itself through savings in shortage reduction based on how much you are willing to invest.
Loss Prevention pays for itself – how fast? That is a question that you can explore more in depth with the folks at Loss Prevention Systems, Inc. after you give their Free Loss Prevention Calculator a try. Once you see how impactful a basic system can be, you can ask them about other ways they can help you grow your business through shortage reduction and profit growth. A word of warning, you won’t get a call from them after using their calculator you will have to reach out to them because there is no obligation or tracking when you access this feature. So what are you waiting for? Try out the calculator and learn how fast you can start saving money, today!
Need information on the Loss Prevention Calculator? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
I can tell you what the return on investment would be if you were to purchase a Sensormatic System by using the Loss Prevention Calculator. I can tell you that you will probably trim your shortage by almost half and quite possibly more. I can tell you that an electronic article system is probably a lot more affordable than you ever imagined. I can tell you that with a Sensormatic system Loss Prevention pays for itself – how fast? Well the how fast is answered when you use the Loss Prevention Calculator on the Loss Prevention Systems, Inc. website. Can I tell you everything you might want to know about how a Loss Prevention System will work in your store or how effective it will be? Unfortunately the answer to THAT question is no.
The reason I can’t answer how a Loss Prevention System will work in your store or how effective it will be is because there are multiple factors to take into consideration. Here are a couple of things that I would have to consider in the equation:
• How much merchandise are you planning to protect? Are you going to use Sensormatic labels and tags in a limited fashion? Are you only going to attach tags to some items or only merchandise over a certain price point? It does make a difference. The more merchandise that is protected the lower the chances that theft will take place.
• Are you only going to rely on the protection of electronic article surveillance alarms sounding or are you going to take advantage of the training opportunities offered by Loss Prevention Systems, Inc.? Trained personnel who know how to identify crooks, tag merchandise properly and the function customer service plays in deterring theft all make a difference in the effectiveness of a Loss Prevention System.
• Are you willing to consider installing Sensormatic towers that will allow interchangeable advertising panels to be placed in them? Increasing sales can lower shortage as a percentage to sales and advertising is a great way to appeal to your customers.
• Will you include a people counting device in your Sensormatic tower to track your customer traffic? Tracking foot traffic can help retailers increase sales through improved employee scheduling. Schedule employees when patterns indicate customers are in the store to help improve checkout wait times and customer service on the floor.
• Will you add in the Sensormatic Shrink Management as a Service feature? An electronic article surveillance alarm reporting tool that can help you improve alarm responses and identify trends in alarm occurrences. Used in conjunction with a Sensormatic camera attached to your towers and you can identify shoplifters and put a stop to future theft activity.
A Sensormatic security system can include much more than the towers and the tags to protect a store. That is why when I say Loss Prevention pays for itself – how fast? I am hesitant to give a firm answer.
Think about it in this way. If you purchase a house and add deadbolts to the doors you have increased the safety of your home by a certain margin. Add an alarm and monitoring service to your home and you have increased the security by another factor. Toss in a camera or two and you have multiplied the safety of your home once more. A Sensormatic system is much the same. You get great protection with alarm pedestals and tags but amplify the impact of that system with other features. The initial cost will be a bit more but ultimately the returns are greater too. You also cannot easily figure how much growth will result from people counting devices and advertising panels. Loss Prevention Systems, Inc.’s Loss Prevention Calculator CAN show you how you will reduce your shortage by almost half with a Loss Prevention system and give a good indicator of how fast it will pay for itself through savings in shortage reduction based on how much you are willing to invest.
Loss Prevention pays for itself – how fast? That is a question that you can explore more in depth with the folks at Loss Prevention Systems, Inc. after you give their Free Loss Prevention Calculator a try. Once you see how impactful a basic system can be, you can ask them about other ways they can help you grow your business through shortage reduction and profit growth. A word of warning, you won’t get a call from them after using their calculator you will have to reach out to them because there is no obligation or tracking when you access this feature. So what are you waiting for? Try out the calculator and learn how fast you can start saving money, today!
Need information on the Loss Prevention Calculator? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
sensormatic labels – 4 WC Blog 781
Stop Shoplifting – 3
‘Cents’less Acts Of Violence Can Be Averted With Sensormatic Labels
As I read the news stories on Loss Prevention, retail and even Google searches I find I want to see retailers stop shoplifting more than I ever did in the past. While I have always detested the crime of shoplifting and have had more than my own share of violent encounters, it seems the problem of violence has grown exponentially. I just saw a video on abc7chicago.com of a security guard fighting with a shoplifter in a 99 cent store! You read that correctly a fight in a 99 cent store. I don’t know if it is more shocking that a store selling merchandise valued at less than a dollar has a security guard in it or that a fight broke out in that store. Added to that was the video showed the shoplifter removing something from a bag and then throwing it at the security guard and then tipping over a sunglass fixture. I don’t want to paint the security guard as a totally helpless victim because according to the report he aimed pepper spray at the suspect and it appears he punched her (although it took place after she threw the item at him). Do a Google search of shoplifter fights and things get even uglier. What are store owners to do? Do you just give up and let people steal and hope it isn’t enough to put you out of business? Do you hire security guards (if you can afford them) and risk fights? There is an alternate solution and that is the use of Sensormatic labels and tags to prevent people from trying to steal in the first place.
Before I continue let me make it clear that I am not telling you that the use of electronic article surveillance will stop shoplifting completely. I promise what it will do is reduce your store shrinkage significantly. The installation of Sensormatic pedestals and application of Sensormatic labels to your merchandise have been proven to have a dramatic impact on the amount of shoplifting taking place in a store. It is such a powerful tool that Loss Prevention Systems, Inc. has created a free to use ROI (return on investment) calculator. The calculator assumes a store will reduce shrinkage by about half a percent by installing a complete Sensormatic security system. Ponder the advantages that means for a business. Not only does a store reduce losses which is a victory in and of itself the store also becomes safer.
How do I come to that conclusion? If you reduce the number of shoplifters coming to your location because you have put up obstacles in the form of electronic article surveillance tags and towers you reduce the chances of violent activity by these same people. Shoplifters have a tendency to go to the stores they deem are easy pickings. When the risk of getting caught increases because of anti-theft devices they prefer to go where there is no system in place. Yes, I detest the shoplifters and have a special revulsion towards the violent sort of thief. I would prefer they were all in jail but obviously that is not going to happen. In light of this, I am telling retailers to install a Sensormatic system to drive out this element and shoo them elsewhere.
I watched the video from the 99 cent store several times. I paused and looked carefully at the entrance doorways in the frames that were clear to see. There was no sign of any type of electronic article surveillance tower in the any of those pictures. So let’s recap for clarity’s sake, No Sensormatic labels or pedestals, one belligerent shoplifting suspect throwing merchandise with other customers nearby and one security guard using pepper spray and punching at a shoplifting suspect. To this seasoned Loss Prevention professional it is a recipe for disaster.
Would the store stop shoplifting in this case had they used Sensormatic labels on the merchandise they were selling? At a 99 cent store I would imagine they could have used labels on at least the items that are found to be high shortage for this type of business. Training of employees on how to handle a suspected shoplifter situation would have also been helpful and could have diffused this incident or helped address it in a different manner. Loss Prevention Systems, Inc. can help you with training too because employee safety is just as important to them as their client’s financial success.
Whether your store deals in dollars or cents you need to stop shoplifting from taking place. It can cost you a lot of money and it can create a dangerous environment for your customers and employees by encouraging violent crooks to take advantage of your business. Improve your store all around with a Sensormatic system.
Get more information on Sensormatic labels, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.
As I read the news stories on Loss Prevention, retail and even Google searches I find I want to see retailers stop shoplifting more than I ever did in the past. While I have always detested the crime of shoplifting and have had more than my own share of violent encounters, it seems the problem of violence has grown exponentially. I just saw a video on abc7chicago.com of a security guard fighting with a shoplifter in a 99 cent store! You read that correctly a fight in a 99 cent store. I don’t know if it is more shocking that a store selling merchandise valued at less than a dollar has a security guard in it or that a fight broke out in that store. Added to that was the video showed the shoplifter removing something from a bag and then throwing it at the security guard and then tipping over a sunglass fixture. I don’t want to paint the security guard as a totally helpless victim because according to the report he aimed pepper spray at the suspect and it appears he punched her (although it took place after she threw the item at him). Do a Google search of shoplifter fights and things get even uglier. What are store owners to do? Do you just give up and let people steal and hope it isn’t enough to put you out of business? Do you hire security guards (if you can afford them) and risk fights? There is an alternate solution and that is the use of Sensormatic labels and tags to prevent people from trying to steal in the first place.
Before I continue let me make it clear that I am not telling you that the use of electronic article surveillance will stop shoplifting completely. I promise what it will do is reduce your store shrinkage significantly. The installation of Sensormatic pedestals and application of Sensormatic labels to your merchandise have been proven to have a dramatic impact on the amount of shoplifting taking place in a store. It is such a powerful tool that Loss Prevention Systems, Inc. has created a free to use ROI (return on investment) calculator. The calculator assumes a store will reduce shrinkage by about half a percent by installing a complete Sensormatic security system. Ponder the advantages that means for a business. Not only does a store reduce losses which is a victory in and of itself the store also becomes safer.
How do I come to that conclusion? If you reduce the number of shoplifters coming to your location because you have put up obstacles in the form of electronic article surveillance tags and towers you reduce the chances of violent activity by these same people. Shoplifters have a tendency to go to the stores they deem are easy pickings. When the risk of getting caught increases because of anti-theft devices they prefer to go where there is no system in place. Yes, I detest the shoplifters and have a special revulsion towards the violent sort of thief. I would prefer they were all in jail but obviously that is not going to happen. In light of this, I am telling retailers to install a Sensormatic system to drive out this element and shoo them elsewhere.
I watched the video from the 99 cent store several times. I paused and looked carefully at the entrance doorways in the frames that were clear to see. There was no sign of any type of electronic article surveillance tower in the any of those pictures. So let’s recap for clarity’s sake, No Sensormatic labels or pedestals, one belligerent shoplifting suspect throwing merchandise with other customers nearby and one security guard using pepper spray and punching at a shoplifting suspect. To this seasoned Loss Prevention professional it is a recipe for disaster.
Would the store stop shoplifting in this case had they used Sensormatic labels on the merchandise they were selling? At a 99 cent store I would imagine they could have used labels on at least the items that are found to be high shortage for this type of business. Training of employees on how to handle a suspected shoplifter situation would have also been helpful and could have diffused this incident or helped address it in a different manner. Loss Prevention Systems, Inc. can help you with training too because employee safety is just as important to them as their client’s financial success.
Whether your store deals in dollars or cents you need to stop shoplifting from taking place. It can cost you a lot of money and it can create a dangerous environment for your customers and employees by encouraging violent crooks to take advantage of your business. Improve your store all around with a Sensormatic system.
Get more information on Sensormatic labels, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.
