Checkpoint Hard Tags Keep Softlines Secure From Shoplifters

Checkpoint Hard Tags-5                                                                                                             WC blog 126
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Checkpoint Hard Tags Keep Softlines Secure From Shoplifters
     There are a lot of ways to prevent clothing theft and in my experiences of more than 25 years working in retail I think I have seen most of them.  I have seen limits on how many of a certain item will be placed on a sales floor.  I have also seen shoes displayed as singles, with the matching shoe in the stockroom with all the other boxed shoes. Over the years I have also seen the evolution of clothing hard tags and the increased use of them in stores.  Of all the anti-theft strategies, with a few rare exceptions, the best option to stop shoplifting, in my opinion, has always been the use of Checkpoint hard tags.  I say this because there are several benefits of using Checkpoint tags over other strategies and I will discuss those benefits momentarily.  First, it would be best to tell you what Checkpoint Hard Tags are and how they work.
     Checkpoint hard tags are devices that are attached to clothing to stop shoplifting.  The tags, specifically the Gen 3 Hard Tags, are electronic article surveillance two-piece discs that are attached to garments.  The two pieces are pinned together almost seamlessly, making it nearly impossible for a shoplifter to pry them apart.  These discs are well over an inch in diameter, giving them a strong visual deterrence to would-be thieves.  And, for those retailers who may sell higher end clothing, the disc shape gives it a neat, clean visual effect that does not detract from the item it is attached to.
     So what is the benefit of using Gen 3 Checkpoint Hard Tags over limiting the number of items on a sales floor?  You may be thinking that limiting quantities means that shoplifters can’t get away with more than one or two items as opposed to a full fixture arm.  As a former Loss Prevention Manager, I saw shoplifters clean off entire 4-way fixtures of clothes, so I am familiar with the concern.  The issue is, those instances involved clothes that were not protected with Checkpoint Tags.  Because they are electronic article surveillance compatible, most shoplifters don’t want to take the risk of activating a store alarm so they leave tagged clothing alone.  Putting one or two items out that are not protected will simply lead to the eventual theft of those one or two items.  The other negative of limiting quantities is the replenishment of the item(s).  If the garment is sold and there are no more on the floor, how long does it take for someone to notice and fill the floor from the stockroom?  If it’s not on the floor, there is the chance you lose sales since customers can’t look at it to buy it. 
     As for shoes being displayed as a single and the remainder being kept in a stockroom, such a strategy will stop shoplifting, but when I have seen it used it always requires a salesperson to be available to find the size and style of shoe I need.  It also seems that inevitably there will be more customers that enter the department and therein lays the issue, there needs to be adequate staffing to be available to render immediate assistance to all the customers. Do you have the staff or payroll available to provide that level of service for one group of clothing?  Checkpoint Tags allow for merchandise to be protected without the need to constantly run to the stockroom to retrieve shoes, let the customer try them on and re-stock them, if the customer chooses not to purchase them.
     The combination of electronic article surveillance and Gen 3 Checkpoint Hard Tags are the best solution to stop shoplifting of your clothing lines.  The tags can be placed on almost any garment so the more items you protect, the better your chances will be to boost sales and reduce shortage due to theft.
Get more information on Checkpoint Hard Tags, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.       

There are a lot of ways to prevent clothing theft and in my experiences of more than 25 years working in retail I think I have seen most of them. I have seen limits on how many of a certain item will be placed on a sales floor. I have also seen shoes displayed as singles, with the matching shoe in the stockroom with all the other boxed shoes. Over the years I have also seen the evolution of clothing hard tags and the increased use of them in stores. Of all the anti-theft strategies, with a few rare exceptions, the best option to stop shoplifting, in my opinion, has always been the use of Checkpoint hard tags. I say this because there are several benefits of using Checkpoint tags over other strategies and I will discuss those benefits momentarily. First, it would be best to tell you what Checkpoint Hard Tags are and how they work.
     

Checkpoint hard tags are devices that are attached to clothing to stop shoplifting. The tags, specifically the Gen 3 Hard Tags, are electronic article surveillance two-piece discs that are attached to garments. The two pieces are pinned together almost seamlessly, making it nearly impossible for a shoplifter to pry them apart. These discs are well over an inch in diameter, giving them a strong visual deterrence to would-be thieves. And, for those retailers who may sell higher end clothing, the disc shape gives it a neat, clean visual effect that does not detract from the item it is attached to.

 

So what is the benefit of using Gen 3 Checkpoint Hard Tags over limiting the number of items on a sales floor? You may be thinking that limiting quantities means that shoplifters can’t get away with more than one or two items as opposed to a full fixture arm. As a former Loss Prevention Manager, I saw shoplifters clean off entire 4-way fixtures of clothes, so I am familiar with the concern. The issue is, those instances involved clothes that were not protected with Checkpoint Tags. Because they are electronic article surveillance compatible, most shoplifters don’t want to take the risk of activating a store alarm so they leave tagged clothing alone. Putting one or two items out that are not protected will simply lead to the eventual theft of those one or two items. The other negative of limiting quantities is the replenishment of the item(s). If the garment is sold and there are no more on the floor, how long does it take for someone to notice and fill the floor from the stockroom? If it’s not on the floor, there is the chance you lose sales since customers can’t look at it to buy it. 

     

As for shoes being displayed as a single and the remainder being kept in a stockroom, such a strategy will stop shoplifting, but when I have seen it used it always requires a salesperson to be available to find the size and style of shoe I need. It also seems that inevitably there will be more customers that enter the department and therein lays the issue, there needs to be adequate staffing to be available to render immediate assistance to all the customers. Do you have the staff or payroll available to provide that level of service for one group of clothing? Checkpoint Tags allow for merchandise to be protected without the need to constantly run to the stockroom to retrieve shoes, let the customer try them on and re-stock them, if the customer chooses not to purchase them.
     

The combination of electronic article surveillance and Gen 3 Checkpoint Hard Tags are the best solution to stop shoplifting of your clothing lines. The tags can be placed on almost any garment so the more items you protect, the better your chances will be to boost sales and reduce shortage due to theft.

 

Get more information on Checkpoint Hard Tags, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.