A few nights ago, I was flipping through the channels and I came across this show I’ve never seen before. The basic premise was this guy, who is a supposed expert in bar science, goes into failing bars and nightclubs, gives the owners some tough-love and turns them around to become more profitable. It was interesting, so I gave it a shot. I found it a bit over-acted but I enjoyed the basic idea behind the show. It let me see some of the inner workings of a bar that I had never really paid too much attention to before. 

On one episode, the expert was installing a new bottle service section and updating how the area was managed. According to the owner, the VIP area was losing money, when in fact, it should be one of the highest margin areas of the entire business. The flaw in this particular bar was attributed to theft, as we would eventually find out. Bottle service hosts were also working the normal bar, so there was not a dedicated host to each VIP table. The hosts would sell shots of the VIP bottles to normal bar patrons and pocket the cash. There were no controls in place to stop this. 

The fix was two part and pretty simple. Going forward, the hostess at the bottle service tables were only responsible for that table. They didn’t run the bar, they didn’t serve other tables and their attention was not solely focused on their VIP guests. The second part was the introduction of Bottle Locks for the premium liquor. Now, when the host needed to serve a VIP guest a drink, she would have to remove the security device and pour the drink, eliminating the possibility of her selling shots of the purchased liquor to other patrons and pocketing the cash. 

I thought this was pretty cool to watch. It’s not that often that I come across loss prevention tactics on cable television. It made me think that they guy might actually know what he’s talking about. Someone that puts that much emphasis on shrink and unnecessary loss is alright in my book. 

For more information, contact us: Bottle Service, or call 1.770.426.0547

Have you ever wondered why shoplifters pick your business and not your competitor?  You may think it is just your bad luck for that day, but they really consider several things.  Professional shoplifting groups have plans and you should too.  They get a list of desired products from their buyer and then they decide which stores are going to give them the best opportunity to get away with the most items.  Location and major roads nearby are both important.  They generally know how many employees you have working during certain times of the day.  Shoplifters know when you are likely to be the busiest, have the most inventory in stock, and have the most distractions.  

You can’t just pick up your business and move it from near the interstate to downtown beside the police station, and it’s not a good idea to stop selling what people are looking for.  One of the best ways to prevent shoplifting is to let the would be thief know you have a system in place that will make their “job” harder.  If you keep them out of your store, you don’t have to deal with them as often.

A few years ago, at a small business I worked for,  I walked right up on a young lady that was stealing.  I had noticed her acting suspiciously, looking around constantly, and of course she was carrying the tell tale giant purse that looked very flat when she walked in.  (Most women that carry those things regularly have them packed and they tend to bulge in places.)  She knocked some items off the top shelf onto the floor.  When she bent to get them instead of putting them back on the shelf, she dropped the items right into her bag.  I said “Can I help you with your bag, ma’am?” and she turned around and paled immediately.  She began stammering that this was her first time stealing, and pleaded with me to not have her arrested.  We walked up front and she quickly dumped the merchandise on the counter.  I told her I would not call the police if she would give me some information.  (In all honesty, she had not exited the store yet, plus what she had was not enough for me to bother going to court over)  I asked her who she was stealing for and I asked her why she had came to our store.  She was willing to tell me everything.  She gave the name of the woman that was going to buy the merchandise.  She said she chose our store because we did not have pedestals at the front doors that would detect tagged items.    Admittedly, the only thing we had in place to stop theft was a motion detector that would sound if someone walked past a certain section of high retail items, which could be easily defeated if you put something in front of it.  

I have since left this company, but I never forgot what she said.  The company I work for now has Checkpoint in use, with decals posted at the front door to warn those even thinking about stealing.  We also utilize Alpha Keepers for items we know are going to be targeted.  Instead of waiting and hoping to catch people, we try to stop them from taking the chance.  Prevent shoplifters from choosing your store by letting them clearly see you have a defense system in place, and they will more likely go down the street to that other store.  

For more information contact us at Preventshopliftingloss.net or call 1.770.426.0547

Grilling. It’s one of those past times that I enjoy the most. There is nothing like sitting back on a sunny Sunday afternoon, firing up the grill and cooking a few steaks. Unlike some folks, I actually pay for my meat though. I read not too recently that one of the most commonly shoplifted items in a grocery store were steaks. At first, I really didn’t believe it. After some thinking though, I quickly realized why. Most grocery stores have a checkpoint system set up, but how many are actually using the correct checkpoint labels to secure the steak? Also, have you bought a steak recently? It’s definitely upwards on the expense scale, and not something the average shopper can afford on a very regular basis. What if you’re down on your luck and just hungry? 

This got me really thinking. Every month, the Sheriff’s Office sends retailers a list of individuals that were arrested for shoplifting in my county, as part of their ongoing efforts to curb shoplifting. I asked the detective in charge of the program if he could break the thefts into categories (theft of ammo, theft of make-up, and theft of steaks). The results were very surprising. The range of person that was stealing steaks was amazing. Everyone from a young teen, all the way up to elderly couples and everyone in between. If this didn’t prove the need for checkpoint labels, I’m not sure what would.  

The way I look at this particular theft trend is a little different. If you are really and truly out of options and you’re going to starve to death, couldn’t you steal some cans of tuna? It has a high amount of protein, easily accessible and you don’t need to keep it cool. I think it has to do more with greed. Plain and simple. If I were a grocer, I would make sure that my high dollar cuts of me could benefit from my checkpoint system just as my razors and baby formula do. Believe it or not, there are checkpoint labels out there that are food grade quality, meaning you get the benefits of discouraging a greedy shoplifters, as well as protecting your customers from any type of contamination.  

Next time you’re in the grocery store, look around at what you would think would be a target for a thief. Chances are, you’ll come up with a list that will rival that long shopping list in your hand. As any retailer, you have to strike that balance between your checkpoint system and the battle against shoplifters with treating your customers with respect. You can’t very well lock everything behind a closed door, nor can you leave every item without some level of security. With a wealth of types and endless customizations, you can start by deploying checkpoint labels in your store. A little investment will save you thousands from greedy shoplifters. 

For more information, contact us: Checkpoint Labels, or call 1.770.426.0547