Pretty recently I was flipping through the television stations on a Friday evening. It had been a long week at work and I felt like staying in. As I’m flipping through the 400 channels that I pay for and don’t use, I stumbled across an older sitcom that I hadn’t seen in a while. It was another rerun, but I didn’t care. To my surprise, the main plot of the show was based on the main characters wife wardrobing. It was funny to watch, since the show was filmed about 15 years ago and they didn’t have all the cool LP advancements like we have today. Sure, they had EAS systems and Checkpoint tags, but retailers didn’t have a way of spotting fraudulent refunds like they do today.
The basic plot was the main characters wife was buying high end clothing since she worked for a very reputable law firm. Since she felt that she needed to make an impression on her bosses and clients, she had to wear designer names daily. She was only a paralegal, so her salary couldn’t keep up, so she realized that she could wear the product once, then return it, just as long as the tags were still on the clothes.
Her argument, like so many people today when it comes to wardrobing, is that it really doesn’t hurt anyone. She was not stealing the merchandise, nor was she damaging it, so what’s the big deal? He husband though, saw the problem. Just like in today’s world, it is ethically wrong and detrimental to a store’s business to conduct this act. So much so that there are tags, like the Alpha Shark Tag, that are designed to specifically combat this scheme.
The tags can be affixed to any garment, and they are then removed by the customer at home. If you are a small boutique store, or high end retailer, you can then clearly state in your return policy that if the tag is tampered with, or removed, returns cannot be accepted. Placement of the tag is also key. You want to have it in an open and obvious place that can’t be covered with an accessory like a scarf, or belt. By placing the tag in this manner, you assure that the customer cannot simply cover the tag for their night on the town and bring it back to you the next day. After all, you’re in the business to sell clothing, not rent it!
For more information, contact us: Clothing Security, or call 1.770.426.0547
Pretty recently I was flipping through the television stations on a Friday evening. It had been a long week at work and I felt like staying in. As I’m flipping through the 400 channels that I pay for and don’t use, I stumbled across an older sitcom that I hadn’t seen in a while. It was another rerun, but I didn’t care. To my surprise, the main plot of the show was based on the main characters wife wardrobing. It was funny to watch, since the show was filmed about 15 years ago and they didn’t have all the cool LP advancements like we have today. Sure, they had EAS systems and Checkpoint Tags, but retailers didn’t have a way of spotting fraudulent refunds like they do today.
The basic plot was the main characters wife was buying high end clothing since she worked for a very reputable law firm. Since she felt that she needed to make an impression on her bosses and clients, she had to wear designer names daily. She was only a paralegal, so her salary couldn’t keep up, she realized that she could wear the product once, then return it, just as long as the tags were still on the clothes.
Her argument, like so many people today when it comes to wardrobing, is that it really doesn’t hurt anyone. She was not stealing the merchandise, nor was she damaging it, so what’s the big deal? He husband though, saw the problem. Just like in today’s world, it is ethically wrong and detrimental to a store’s business to conduct this act. So much so that there are tags, like the Alpha Shark Tag, that are designed to specifically combat this scheme.
The tags can be affixed to any garment, and they are then removed by the customer at home. If you are a small boutique store, or high end retailer, you can then clearly state in your return policy that if the tag is tampered with, or removed, returns cannot be accepted. Placement of the tag is also key. You want to have it in an open and obvious place that can’t be covered with an accessory like a scarf, or belt. By placing the tag in this manner, you assure that the customer cannot simply cover the tag for their night on the town and bring it back to you the next day. After all, you’re in the business to sell clothing, not rent it!
For more information, contact us: Clothing Security, or call 1.770.426.0547
