Gaming Keepers Take The Fun Out Of Video Game Theft

Sometimes there are things that just don’t make sense. When I worked in Loss Prevention for one big box retailer, one of those items the store was locking up were video games while at the same time other games were kept on open shelves or in a bargain bin. The games that were loose were protected with only an electronic article surveillance soft tag. I suppose the idea behind this was that they were cheaper so that was why people wouldn’t steal them? IF that was the train of thought someone should have informed our shoplifters. I am not belittling the use of soft tags, they do prevent shoplifting and are appropriate in many instances, especially when applied directly to a box or source tagged. However, I had enough experience with cellophane wrappers being removed and the electronic article surveillance (EAS) tag with it that I recognized gaming keepers would be the more logical retail anti-theft device for protecting video game software. 

If you are not familiar with them, gaming keepers are clear, hard, plastic, locking boxes that are EAS compatible. The video game is placed in the box, the hinged bottom is locked and the merchandise cannot be taken out without a detachment key. Customers have the ability to look at the game, read the contents, warnings and ratings, and even carry it around the store. The merchant can prevent shoplifting by using these retail anti-theft devices because there is little chance a shoplifter will get the merchandise out without making a significant racket. Should a shoplifter attempt to walk out with merchandise, the keeper will set off an EAS alarm if the store has an EAS system Sales can also be increased when gaming keepers are used because customers don’t have to wait for someone to unlock a showcase just so they can browse games. People don’t like to wait because, if they wait too long, they leave and a sale is lost.

I mentioned previously I worked for a particular big box retailer and we had these open display games protected only with the soft tags.  I had one shoplifting case that could have been avoided had the store used gaming keepers for the “value” games. In this situation, a woman was in the store “shopping” and stopped at the value games. She selected a number of games and slipped them into her purse and went to the restroom. Restroom stops were not permitted by this company, but neither were stops at the time of concealment. To be clear, most stores do not allow either type of stop. The woman exited the restroom, and immediately exited the store, and no EAS alarm was activated. I inspected the restroom and indeed, found the cellophane wrappers and the EAS tags in the trash.  

Being well aware that shoplifters tend to return when they feel they have found an easy target, I made my supervisor and a co-worker aware of the suspect and what she had done. Sure enough, a few days later the woman returned, this time with her daughter in tow. I had a partner with me and we watched the woman on camera as she did the same thing. This time we were able to prevent her from entering the restroom and she headed for the exit. We stopped her and she began to toss the merchandise from her purse onto the floor. The woman fled the store and left her child behind, the little girl obviously crying and screaming for her mother. Eventually the woman was caught and the child was turned over to a guardian by the police. Had we used retail anti-theft devices, such as gaming keepers, we may have avoided this ugly episode in the first place. Ease of access and perceived lack of security provided the shoplifter with what she believed was the opportunity to get away with her theft. 

Prevent shoplifting of video games in your store. Use the right retail anti-theft devices and you will remove the opportunity for theft and, at the same time, improve sales with better in-stocks!

For more information on Gaming Keepers, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547