It’s that time of year again. The temperatures are getting cooler (or so my friends up North tell me), the days are getting shorter and there’s that clock ticking down to the start of the holiday shopping season. For most people, it’s a joyous time. Friends and family gathering are on the horizon, shopping for the perfect gifts for loved ones and doing what you can to spread a little cheer to your fellow man. If you run a retail store, it’s really about how you make the most sales in a very short time, with minimal loss, to end the year in the black. It probably also means using anti-shoplifting tools to secure the new, coolest products you are selling this year.
Every year it seems like my company invests more and more into the electronics category this time of year. These are not items we normally carry during the year, so item placement is scarce and our buying teams never really give any consideration to how easy they can be stolen. The store would be loaded with digital music players, GPS units, wireless speakers…etc, and they would be positioned throughout the store in a haphazard way, with no anti-shoplifting device installed. It was basically open season and thieves new it. This will be my 9th holiday season in retail and I can tell you that more of your “average Joes” steal during this time of year. These are people who would never consider stealing at any other time of the year, but with crowded stores and long lines (and in some cases, screaming little kids), you can see how one can quickly resort to shoplifting. This is also a time of year when parents feel they need to give their children an amazing experience, buy maybe financially, it would be impossible.
Every year for the past 9, I have worked on Christmas Eve. We close at 6pm, so I never really had a problem with it. 8 of those 9 years I have caught a shoplifter on this day. One that sticks out happened about two years ago. A lady came into the store and quickly began filling a basket with what, anyone would assume was her shopping list. When I walked past her bull buggy of toys, I noticed that the anti-shoplifting device on a pair of speakers had been removed. I let my team know and they began surveillance. It wasn’t long before she walked right out of the front door with her fully buggy, never once stopping to pay for the toys. It was Christmas Eve, but I still had a job to do. When we got to the security office she told us why she had did it. Her husband had just been killed overseas and she was without an income. The government was dragging its feet with her benefits and she had three children to look after. I couldn’t send this woman to jail, she wasn’t a bad person. Just a parent, lost and trying to make her children a little happier. When the police arrived, we declined to pursue any charges and explained to the officer why. He didn’t seem to care and our store actually donated some toys to her family.
For more information, contact us: KW, or call 1.770.426.0547
It’s that time of year again. The temperatures are getting cooler (or so my friends up North tell me), the days are getting shorter and there’s that clock ticking down to the start of the holiday shopping season. For most people, it’s a joyous time. Friends and family gatherings are on the horizon, shopping for the perfect gifts for loved ones and doing what you can to spread a little cheer to your fellow man. If you run a retail store, it’s really about how you make the most sales in a very short time, with minimal loss, to end the year in the black. It probably also means using anti-shoplifting tools to secure the new, coolest products you are selling this year.
Every year it seems like my company invests more and more into the electronics category this time of year. These are not items we normally carry during the year, so item placement is scarce and our buying teams never really give any consideration to how easy they can be stolen. The store would be loaded with digital music players, GPS units, wireless speakers…etc, and they would be positioned throughout the store in a haphazard way, with no anti-shoplifting device installed. It was basically open season and thieves new it. This will be my 9th holiday season in retail and I can tell you that more of your “average Joes” steal during this time of year. These are people who would never consider stealing at any other time of the year, but with crowded stores and long lines (and in some cases, screaming little kids), you can see how one can quickly resort to shoplifting. This is also a time of year when parents feel they need to give their children an amazing experience, buy maybe financially, it would be impossible.
Every year for the past 9, I have worked on Christmas Eve. We close at 6pm, so I never really had a problem with it. 8 of those 9 years I have caught a shoplifter on this day. One that sticks out happened about two years ago. A lady came into the store and quickly began filling a basket with what, anyone would assume was her shopping list. When I walked past her full buggy of toys, I noticed that the anti-shoplifting device on a pair of speakers had been removed. I let my team know and they began surveillance. It wasn’t long before she walked right out of the front door with her full buggy, never once stopping to pay for the toys. It was Christmas Eve, but I still had a job to do. When we got her to the security office she told us why she had did it. Her husband had just been killed overseas and she was without an income. The government was dragging its feet with her benefits and she had three children to look after. I couldn’t send this woman to jail, she wasn’t a bad person. Just a parent, lost and trying to make her children a little happier. When the police arrived, we declined to pursue any charges and explained to the officer why. He didn’t seem to care and our store actually donated some toys to her family.
For more information, contact us at Anti Shoplifting, or call 1.770.426.0547
I’ve been in the Loss Prevention Industry for quite a while now, and it seems like at least once per year, my bosses send me a loss prevention seminar hosted somewhere around the country. My first couple of years on the job, I really thought these trips were a waste of my time. While I didn’t mind the idea of traveling to a new city, or having a little fun on the company’s dime, I really didn’t see the benefit in my rookie years.
It seemed like most seminars were focused on all the new security systems and anti-theft devices. Every booth I stopped into, I was trying to be sold a product. I didn’t make purchasing decisions, nor did I even have a small part in that process. Why was I there? I thought there were 500 other things, more productive things, I could be doing with my time. I look back at my first years and think of the opportunities I probably missed out on because I was so focused on the sales part of the seminar. I learned, as time went on, that there were so much more I could get out of them.
In the Loss Prevention field, I found that networking was incredibly useful in performing my job effectively. Every time I was in charge of a large external investigation, I always saw my suspect targeting the same merchandise at various other retailers. Knowing who your LP contacts are other retailers can make a big impact when you’re trying to close a case… or even just finding the identity of an unknown shoplifter. While out on these trips, I began talking with, and getting to know my industry peers. Even some of my company’s competitor were, and still are some of my best friends that I also constantly work with and collaborate ideas with.
Later on I also discovered that during most of these Loss Prevention seminars, I could sign up to hear experts, or law enforcement agencies talk about different crime gangs, or new theft trends they were seeing. One of the first times I sat in one on of these discussions, I listened to a Secret Service Agent give a presentation on counterfeit traveler’s checks. He passed around some literature and really went into detail about a married couple who had been traveling across the country passing counterfeit $500 checks to any retailer who would accept them. During his presentation, he stated that they had yet to be caught. This caught my attention because I had just recently been involved in a case where two suspects were apprehended at one of my stores for trying to pass the same counterfeit bills as this agent was describing. He closed by passing around some still images taken off a CCTV at a store and wouldn’t you know it… it was the same couple. After the presentation was over, I introduced myself and told the agent I had the identities of his suspects. For the next 2 days, I don’t think I bought my own drink. Next time you have the option to check out a seminar, even if you have to put in a little travel, I would highly recommend doing so; your next case may depend on it.
For more information, contact us: Loss Prevention Seminar, or call 1.770.426.0547
I’ve been in the Loss Prevention Industry for quite a while now, and it seems like at least once per year, my bosses send me a loss prevention seminar hosted somewhere around the country. My first couple of years on the job, I really thought these trips were a waste of my time. While I didn’t mind the idea of traveling to a new city, or having a little fun on the company’s dime, I really didn’t see the benefit in my rookie years.
It seemed like most seminars were focused on all the new security systems and anti-theft devices. Every booth I stopped into, I was trying to be sold a product. I didn’t make purchasing decisions, nor did I even have a small part in that process. Why was I there? I thought there were 500 other things, more productive things, I could be doing with my time. I look back at my first years and think of the opportunities I probably missed out on because I was so focused on the sales part of the seminar. I learned, as time went on, that there were so much more I could get out of them.
In the Loss Prevention field, I found that networking was incredibly useful in performing my job effectively. Every time I was in charge of a large external investigation, I always saw my suspect targeting the same merchandise at various other retailers. Knowing who your LP contacts are other retailers can make a big impact when you’re trying to close a case… or even just finding the identity of an unknown shoplifter. While out on these trips, I began talking with, and getting to know my industry peers. Even some of my company’s competitors were, and still are some of my best friends that I also constantly work with and collaborate ideas with.
Later on I also discovered that during most of these Loss Prevention seminars, I could sign up to hear experts, or law enforcement agencies talk about different crime gangs, or new theft trends they were seeing. One of the first times I sat in one on of these discussions, I listened to a Secret Service Agent give a presentation on counterfeit traveler’s checks. He passed around some literature and really went into detail about a married couple who had been traveling across the country passing counterfeit $500 checks to any retailer who would accept them. During his presentation, he stated that they had yet to be caught. This caught my attention because I had just recently been involved in a case where two suspects were apprehended at one of my stores for trying to pass the same counterfeit bills as this agent was describing. He closed by passing around some still images taken off a CCTV at a store and wouldn’t you know it… it was the same couple. After the presentation was over, I introduced myself and told the agent I had the identities of his suspects. For the next 2 days, I don’t think I bought my own drink. Next time you have the option to check out a seminar, even if you have to put in a little travel, I would highly recommend doing so; your next case may depend on it.
For more information, contact us at Loss Prevention Seminar, or call 1.770.426.0547
Would you believe that one single shoplifter caused over $15,000 in loss between just 3 of my stores? It’s true. Two years ago I was running some audits of inventory data for a group of stores all located in the same metropolitan area. I noticed that all 3 were reporting heavy losses on a particular NFL jersey. These retail for $150 each, so I immediately suspected we had a theft problem. I paid a visit to those stores the next week and realized that we had these jerseys in a secluded section of the store. Furthermore, they were unprotected for such a high dollar item. We needed to make some changes and that included utilizing different types of clothing security products.
I had a budget, like most people do. I knew exactly how much profit each jersey gave the store, so I had to find a product that was inexpensive, but was also effective. Spending too much would start to erode my profits, spending too little would not give me the security I felt we needed. At the time, I figured that anyone who wanted one of these jerseys were just helping themselves. Boy, was I way off. I quickly learned that there were hundreds of products out there and each one promised to stop my losses. I went with a simple, inexpensive ink tag. This particular brand matched the de-activation equipment already in use in my stores and the ink wouldn’t really explode… it was a deterrent. I wanted to get the most for my budget dollars and only purchased enough to cover the stock at store that reported the highest loss. I thought this would also give me a better idea of where the loss was stemming from.
A month went by after the tags were installed and I asked for an inventory to be conducted on the jerseys. As I expected, the store with the clothing security devices installed reported $0 loss on those jerseys. I was elated. Elated until I saw the other two store’s inventory data. It seemed like I just pushed the loss to the two unprotected stores. I immediately had tags shipped to those other two locations. At least I knew my investment was effective. I also began to investigate the losses. I knew I was in those stores on a certain date, and I knew when the losses had occurred by (the inventory date). I went back and reviewed the store’s camera system and after a couple of hours of review, I saw the same shoplifter come into the store anywhere between 2 and 3 times a day. Everyday. Each time, he would take one jersey into the fitting room. I assume he concealed in on his person in the stall, since he would exit the fitting room and head straight to the front door. I looked at the store that had the tags deployed and again saw the same shoplifter. The difference? He was deterred by the clothing security device.
We were able to make a case and found that this one individual was responsible for over $15,000 in loss. What could my stores have done with those extra sales? What could your stores do with that much in extra sales? Shoplifters will take advantage of any business, no matter the size. Don’t fall victim to someone who doesn’t want to work for a living.
For more information, contact us: Clothing Security, or call 1.770.426.0547
Would you believe that one single shoplifter caused over $15,000 in loss between just 3 of my stores? It’s true. Two years ago I was running some audits of inventory data for a group of stores all located in the same metropolitan area. I noticed that all 3 were reporting heavy losses on a particular NFL jersey. These retail for $150 each, so I immediately suspected we had a theft problem. I paid a visit to those stores the next week and realized that we had these jerseys in a secluded section of the store. Furthermore, they were unprotected for such a high dollar item. We needed to make some changes and that included utilizing different types of clothing security products.
I had a budget, like most people do. I knew exactly how much profit each jersey gave the store, so I had to find a product that was inexpensive, but was also effective. Spending too much would start to erode my profits, spending too little would not give me the security I felt we needed. At the time, I figured that anyone who wanted one of these jerseys were just helping themselves. Boy, was I way off. I quickly learned that there were hundreds of products out there and each one promised to stop my losses. I went with a simple, inexpensive ink tag. This particular brand matched the de-activation equipment already in use in my stores and the ink wouldn’t really explode… it was a deterrent. I wanted to get the most for my budget dollars and only purchased enough to cover the stock at store that reported the highest loss. I thought this would also give me a better idea of where the loss was stemming from.
A month went by after the tags were installed and I asked for an inventory to be conducted on the jerseys. As I expected, the store with the clothing security devices installed reported $0 loss on those jerseys. I was elated. Elated until I saw the other two store’s inventory data. It seemed like I just pushed the loss to the two unprotected stores. I immediately had tags shipped to those other two locations. At least I knew my investment was effective. I also began to investigate the losses. I knew I was in those stores on a certain date, and I knew when the losses had occurred by (the inventory date). I went back and reviewed the store’s camera system and after a couple of hours of review, I saw the same shoplifter come into the store anywhere between 2 and 3 times a day. Everyday. Each time, he would take one jersey into the fitting room. I assume he concealed in on his person in the stall, since he would exit the fitting room and head straight to the front door. I looked at the store that had the tags deployed and again saw the same shoplifter. The difference? He was deterred by the clothing security device.
We were able to make a case and found that this one individual was responsible for over $15,000 in loss. What could my stores have done with those extra sales? What could your stores do with that much in extra sales? Shoplifters will take advantage of any business, no matter the size. Don’t fall victim to someone who doesn’t want to work for a living.
For more information, contact us at Clothing Security, or call 1.770.426.0547
