If you’ve ever shopped for clothing in a department store, you have probably found discarded tags, hangers, old clothing left behind, and other signs of theft, especially in the fitting rooms. There are so many different ways to steal anyway, and there are websites devoted to instructing would be shoplifters on the best ways to get around clothing security measures. They tell them to double up items in one another to conceal the actual number they have. One site said if you intend to steal a shirt, the shirt you wear in should have a high collar so the stolen article is harder to detect. There are instructions on where to look for hidden tags, and how to deactivate them if possible. Baby strollers, big purses, and even umbrellas are the most recommended vehicles to get things out the door.
There are several different ideas for signs posted in the vicinity of the fitting rooms. One I saw in particular stated “Please don’t use the bathroom in here”. *shudders* More typical ones simply tell the customer what they are permitted to take in with them, and limit the number of items that are allowed to be taken in. Those can be effective for your honest, cash paying customer, but they don’t really do a great job of deterring thefts.
I have seen a wide spectrum of actual clothing security for fitting rooms. Some stores have associates working in and around the departments only. Customers are free to try things on at will, coming and going, and don’t appear to be monitored. Some stores have people assigned solely to the task of unlocking the doors to the fitting rooms for people, but they seldom stay around to see them exit and verify what they come out with. One store I know of has two employees stationed there to count your items, give you a card with that number on it, and verify that it matches what you exit with. This approach works well and has the potential to be a great monitoring system. Unfortunately there are times the two employees are so busy chatting with one another, they barely notice when someone comes out.
Customer service and attention from an associate is one of the best ways I have seen to really have an effect on clothing security. I went to a small store recently to get a new outfit for a job interview. The clerk came to offer assistance immediately. She stayed close by, but did not hover. I made my choices and then asked to try them on. She unlocked the door to the fitting room, and granted me access. The mirrors are on the outside of the door, so I had to come out to see how it looked. (I thought that was a great idea because the lighting was better out there, however, if I intended to conceal items under my own clothing that would have made it harder for me to check every angle to be sure they couldn’t be seen!) She came over again and checked on me. I know we all get busy and sidetracked sometimes, but the excellent customer service this woman provided was some of the best clothing security I have witnessed. Clothing is all they sell, and they do a great job of protecting their merchandise with the simplest of measures.
For more information contact us: Clothing Security or call 1.770.426.0547
