When you get some time, I want you to do some online research on how to prevent shoplifting. I did, and I was pretty amused by what I found. It seemed like every link I came across was the same, tired list of “top 10” ways you can prevent a shoplifter from hitting your store. They all said something similar to “have employees wander the store, or use an Alpha Spider Wrap on all items over $X”. I found them all to be, not only very generic, but also not very useful to a small business owner who is perhaps, plagued with this very problem. I thought about what I’ve seen over the years and decided that I could probably do a better job at a list so to speak.
Hire the right person. In order to prevent shoplifting and employee theft you have to start from the very beginning. Look at your hiring process. Are you filtering applicants, or are you hiring the first warm body that comes through the doors? There was a store manager I knew a while back that probably had the best system for hiring I’ve ever seen. After an initial screening, a manager would conduct an interview. If the candidate passed through that, the store manager would conduct the final interview and offer the job. Not a single employee was brought into the store without the final approval of the store manager. This was also one of the lowest shrink stores in the company.
Live, eat and breathe customer service. I’m serious here. Don’t just say you are all about the customer. Prove it. From the minute a customer walks through your doors, make them feel like they are welcomed and appreciated. This will not only do wonders to prevent shoplifting, but it will boost sales as your employees will be more engaged and more willing and able to get more product into the hands of your customers. Likewise, you will build a following. I know personally, I shop at the local stores where I know someone will be able to assist me, and appreciate my business. Even if it’s a few dollars more than the chain down the road.
Know your store. You want to prevent shoplifting? Then know what’s in your store. If you know you have a hot item, then do something about it. That new electronic item… use an alpha spider wrap. Keep finding empty packages in a certain area of the store? Make sure your employees are aware of that, and ensure that they (and you) constantly monitor that area.
Physical security measures. Customer service won’t stop every thief. Some are just plain determined to steal from you. Here’s where you have to step up and fight back. Use hard tags, soft tags or Alpha Spider Wraps. Install a CCTV system and make sure you have an EAS system in place that will help you battle these thieves.
Prosecute the thieves that you do catch. If someone steals from you, send them to jail. No one should get a break. This is your money. If someone broke into your home and stole your TV or jewelry, would you just let them go with a warning? Absolutely not. You should treat your store the same way. This sends a strong message to the dishonest community. It shows that you’re not a soft target and you will take steps to protect yourself and your business against theft.
For more information, contact us: Prevent Shoplifting, or call 1.770.426.0547
When you get some time, I want you to do some online research on how to prevent shoplifting. I did, and I was pretty amused by what I found. It seemed like every link I came across was the same, tired list of “top 10” ways you can prevent a shoplifter from hitting your store. They all said something similar to “have employees wander the store, or use an Alpha Spider Wrap on all items over $X”. I found them all to be, not only very generic, but also not very useful to a small business owner who is perhaps, plagued with this very problem. I thought about what I’ve seen over the years and decided that I could probably do a better job at a list so to speak.
- Hire the right person. In order to prevent shoplifting and employee theft you have to start from the very beginning. Look at your hiring process. Are you filtering applicants, or are you hiring the first warm body that comes through the doors? There was a store manager I knew a while back that probably had the best system for hiring I’ve ever seen. After an initial screening, a manager would conduct an interview. If the candidate passed through that, the store manager would conduct the final interview and offer the job. Not a single employee was brought into the store without the final approval of the store manager. This was also one of the lowest shrink stores in the company.
- Live, eat and breathe customer service. I’m serious here. Don’t just say you are all about the customer. Prove it. From the minute a customer walks through your doors, make them feel like they are welcomed and appreciated. This will not only do wonders to prevent shoplifting, but it will boost sales as your employees will be more engaged and more willing and able to get more product into the hands of your customers. Likewise, you will build a following. I know personally, I shop at the local stores where I know someone will be able to assist me, and appreciate my business. Even if it’s a few dollars more than the chain down the road.
- Know your store. You want to prevent shoplifting? Then know what’s in your store. If you know you have a hot item, then do something about it. That new electronic item… use an Alpha Spider Wrap. Keep finding empty packages in a certain area of the store? Make sure your employees are aware of that, and ensure that they (and you) constantly monitor that area.
- Physical security measures. Customer service won’t stop every thief. Some are just plain determined to steal from you. Here’s where you have to step up and fight back. Use hard tags, soft tags or Alpha Spider Wraps. Install a CCTV system and make sure you have an EAS system in place that will help you battle these thieves.
- Prosecute the thieves that you do catch. If someone steals from you, send them to jail. No one should get a break. This is your money. If someone broke into your home and stole your TV or jewelry, would you just let them go with a warning? Absolutely not. You should treat your store the same way. This sends a strong message to the dishonest community. It shows that you’re not a soft target and you will take steps to protect yourself and your business against theft.
For more information, contact us at Prevent Shoplifting, or call 1.770.426.0547
WHAT IS WARDROBING?
I’ve written and talked about some very common forms of return fraud in the past, but I still get tons of questions and side-ways looks when I talk about wardrobing. Most merchants are very unfamiliar with this term and the associated fraud scheme, but more often than not, those very same merchants have been a victim of this fraud.
Wardrobing is a name given to a very specific fraud scheme, usually associated with higher end apparel boutiques. In simplest terms, it’s the purchase of an apparel item, such as a higher end evening gown, or perhaps a prom dress. Wearing the item for that one occasion, then returning it to the store for a full refund. It all appears very legitimate, and without a stringent return policy, your store could become a rental agency. While returns are a part of business, if every customer partook in this behavior, your doors wouldn’t remain open for very long. How can you stop it?
Wardrobing’s natural predator is the Alpha Shark Tag. I’ve talked about these tags before and for good reason; they work! There aren’t many products on the market that do exactly what they say they do, but these are one of those products. Now, don’t think that sticking an Alpha Shark Tag on your designer clothes will solve all the world’s problems now. If you’re going to combat wardrobing, it takes a multi-pronged approach.
First of all, you need to update your store’s return policy. Usually this can be communicated to your customers with in store signage, printed on the receipt or in speaking with your customers. I recommend all three if you can. You need to make sure that your return policy clearly states that merchandise can only be returned if the Alpha Shark Tag is still in place and there is no evidence that it was tampered with.
Second, you need to apply the tags. Make sure when applying the tags, you are putting them in a very conspicuous place that would be very visible if the garment were worn. If the tag can be hidden, or covered with an accessory such as a scarf, you’re not doing yourself any good here. This makes it impossible for someone to wear the item out in public, thus forcing them to cut the tag from the garment. Of course, this doesn’t prevent them from trying it on for size, so be sure to keep that in mind when placing the tags.
Lastly, stick to your policy. No matter what story someone may give you, stick to your guns. At first, those customers who are used to renting from you may put up a huge fight. After all, aren’t’ they entitled to steal your profits? As long as you stick with your policy and remain consistent, you will see a dramatic decrease in the volume of returns, ultimately keeping more profit in your pockets.
For more information, contact us: Alpha Shark Tags, or call 1.770.426.0547
I’ve written and talked about some very common forms of return fraud in the past, but I still get tons of questions and side-ways looks when I talk about wardrobing. Most merchants are very unfamiliar with this term and the associated fraud scheme, but more often than not, those very same merchants have been a victim of this fraud.
Wardrobing is a name given to a very specific fraud scheme, usually associated with higher end apparel boutiques. In simplest terms, it’s the purchase of an apparel item, such as a higher end evening gown, or perhaps a prom dress. Wearing the item for that one occasion, then returning it to the store for a full refund. It all appears very legitimate, and without a stringent return policy, your store could become a rental agency. While returns are a part of business, if every customer partook in this behavior, your doors wouldn’t remain open for very long. How can you stop it?
Wardrobing’s natural predator is the Alpha Shark Tag. I’ve talked about these tags before and for good reason; they work! There aren’t many products on the market that do exactly what they say they do, but these are one of those products. Now, don’t think that sticking an Alpha Shark Tag on your designer clothes will solve all the world’s problems now. If you’re going to combat wardrobing, it takes a multi-pronged approach.
First of all, you need to update your store’s return policy. Usually this can be communicated to your customers with in store signage, printed on the receipt or in speaking with your customers. I recommend all three if you can. You need to make sure that your return policy clearly states that merchandise can only be returned if the Alpha Shark Tag is still in place and there is no evidence that it was tampered with.
Second, you need to apply the tags. Make sure when applying the tags, you are putting them in a very conspicuous place that would be very visible if the garment were worn. If the tag can be hidden, or covered with an accessory such as a scarf, you’re not doing yourself any good here. This makes it impossible for someone to wear the item out in public, thus forcing them to cut the tag from the garment. Of course, this doesn’t prevent them from trying it on for size, so be sure to keep that in mind when placing the tags.
Lastly, stick to your policy. No matter what story someone may give you, stick to your guns. At first, those customers who are used to renting from you may put up a huge fight. After all, aren’t’ they entitled to steal your profits? As long as you stick with your policy and remain consistent, you will see a dramatic decrease in the volume of returns, ultimately keeping more profit in your pockets.
For more information, contact us: Alpha Shark Tags, or call 1.770.426.0547
Well, here we are. The final installment of my ultimate guide series. If you recall, we’ve discussed some clever ways to prevent shoplifters from stealing your merchandise in a variety of effective ways, that don’t necessarily mean using clothing alarms. We’ve talked about merchandising high end articles up a little higher, having tight fitting room controls and how to handle organized thieves. What I want to end this series with it one of my favorite checkpoint tags that I’ve used throughout my career. It’s often overlooked in the apparel industry, but It’s one heck of an effective solution.
If you’re in the apparel business, you know that bulky clothing alarms just don’t cut the mustard. It turns off your high profile clients and it can really be detrimental to your store’s merchandising goals. Pretty much every checkpoint tag on the market is meant to not only protect the clothing it’s attached to, but to be a pretty visible deterrent to the theft. Chances are a normal shoplifter isn’t going to steal a jacket that has a big red ink tag on the front of it. If you have your own private label line, or have the ability to get this tagged applied at the source, you should absolutely look into the sew-in EAS labels. They are exactly what the name implies. It’s a clothing alarm device that sews into the garment. It’s practically invisible and most companies overlook this gem.
A few years ago one of my stores were having issues with a certain line of dresses. For whatever reason, they were being shoplifted at double the rate of anything else in the store. It seemed like every day, we were making inventory adjustments to just stay in stock. In stock long enough for the next shoplifter. We tried every conceivable checkpoint tag there was from a simple pencil tag, to ink tags and nothing seemed to slow the thieves down. They were able to sneak in tools and simply defeat the devices, so the door alarms would never alert me or my store employees.
After some discussions with the suppler, we testing a batch of these dresses with a sew-in tag. I’ve never deployed a clothing alarm that got me results as quick as these did. Within the first week of their use, an older gentleman exited the store one afternoon. The EAS system alerted and I just happened to be at the front doors. Seeing that nothing was in his hands, I stated that he may have stepped on a tag (boiler plate stuff really… I knew he was a thief, I just couldn’t act solely on the EAS activation). I could see he was nervous and before I could say another word, he began throwing several of those dressed out from his waistband! After he was arrested, he told me that he thought he removed all the sensor tags, and he figured he forgot one. I shook my head and walked away. There was no way I was telling him about those sew-in tags!!!! It’ll be my little secret.
I hope you’ve been able to pick up some helpful information over the last four segments. Whether you’re a manager at a big box, or you own a small boutique in the center of town, we all face shoplifters pretty often. Just remember that these losses don’t have to be just another loss associated with the retail business, but something that you can reduce with the right strategies. So get out there and take your profits back!
For more information, contact us: Clothing Security, or call 1.770.426.0547
Well, here we are. The final installment of my ultimate guide series. If you recall, we’ve discussed some clever ways to prevent shoplifters from stealing your merchandise in a variety of effective ways, that don’t necessarily mean using clothing alarms. We’ve talked about merchandising high end articles up a little higher, having tight fitting room controls and how to handle organized thieves. What I want to end this series with it one of my favorite Checkpoint Tags that I’ve used throughout my career. It’s often overlooked in the apparel industry, but It’s one heck of an effective solution.
If you’re in the apparel business, you know that bulky clothing alarms just don’t cut the mustard. It turns off your high profile clients and it can really be detrimental to your store’s merchandising goals. Pretty much every Checkpoint Tag on the market is meant to not only protect the clothing it’s attached to, but to be a pretty visible deterrent to the theft. Chances are a normal shoplifter isn’t going to steal a jacket that has a big red ink tag on the front of it. If you have your own private label line, or have the ability to get this tagged applied at the source, you should absolutely look into the Sew-in EAS Labels. They are exactly what the name implies. It’s a clothing alarm device that sews into the garment. It’s practically invisible and most companies overlook this gem.
A few years ago one of my stores were having issues with a certain line of dresses. For whatever reason, they were being shoplifted at double the rate of anything else in the store. It seemed like every day, we were making inventory adjustments to just stay in stock. In stock long enough for the next shoplifter. We tried every conceivable Checkpoint Tag there was from a simple pencil tag, to ink tags and nothing seemed to slow the thieves down. They were able to sneak in tools and simply defeat the devices, so the door alarms would never alert me or my store employees.
After some discussions with the supplier, we tested a batch of these dresses with a Sew-in Tag. I’ve never deployed a clothing alarm that got me results as quick as these did. Within the first week of their use, an older gentleman exited the store one afternoon. The EAS system alerted and I just happened to be at the front doors. Seeing that nothing was in his hands, I stated that he may have stepped on a tag (boiler plate stuff really… I knew he was a thief, I just couldn’t act solely on the EAS activation). I could see he was nervous and before I could say another word, he began throwing several of those dresses out from his waistband! After he was arrested, he told me that he thought he removed all the sensor tags, and he figured he forgot one. I shook my head and walked away. There was no way I was telling him about those Sew-in Tags!!!! It’ll be my little secret.
I hope you’ve been able to pick up some helpful information over the last four segments. Whether you’re a manager at a big box, or you own a small boutique in the center of town, we all face shoplifters pretty often. Just remember that these losses don’t have to be just another loss associated with the retail business, but something that you can reduce with the right strategies. So get out there and take your profits back!
For more information, contact us: Clothing Security, or call 1.770.426.0547
