Electronic Article Surveillance-5 WC Blog 523
Checkpoint Hard Tags-4
Stop Shoplifting-3
Reduce Shortage With Checkpoint Hard Tags And Training
Electronic Article Surveillance tags are effective in stores to reduce internal theft and to stop shoplifting. Go to almost any national retail chain store and you will see them in use. It may be a soft adhesive tag attached to a package or Checkpoint hard tags attached to clothing and softlines goods. As a Loss Prevention Manager I was blessed with consistently low shortage results after my store inventory cycles. Out of 13 years of taking inventory, 11 of those were well under 1% shrinkage. Two years I had shortage results slightly over 1% and those both offset with the following year inventory and one of those was an overage. There were a number of factors that I credit to that success but one of the biggest was that our company required the use of Checkpoint tags on a LOT of merchandise. I found that they deterred many criminals who were intending to steal. When deterrence didn’t work and someone was determined to try to take tagged merchandise, the electronic article surveillance towers at the doors would alarm. In many cases our employees recovered merchandise that was dropped as the criminal was more concerned with running away and I can’t begin to tell you the number of recoveries made as a result of a detailed receipt check by a trained staff member. This brings me to the main point of this article. The other day I made a purchase and was leaving this store (a national big box retailer) and another customer was walking out at the same time. The alarm sounded and we both stopped but no one came to check our receipts. We looked at each other and continued on our way. As an experienced Loss Prevention Manager I know how effective tags can be but they will only be effective if store management makes them a security priority.
It is easy for me to get carried away on a topic and forget that not all of the readers are going to know exactly what Checkpoint hard tags are or how electronic article surveillance works. Hard tags are anti-theft devices that are pinned to softlines goods which can include clothing, bedding, towels, shower curtains, accessories such as purses, hats and belts. I have even seen creative Loss Prevention Managers use them on blister packages such as multi-tools, and small power tools. The tags are designed to close so tightly that they are almost seamless. This means they are nearly impossible to defeat through tampering. The great thing about the tags is that they come in several design such as the Gen 3 tag so that even a designer dress can have one attached and it will still have a sleek look. The Checkpoint hard tags are also built so that the pins won’t damage material. There is no excuse for a store owner or manager not to use them. The way the tags work is first through visual deterrence. They stop shoplifting because criminals see them and know what they are and usually don’t want to take the risk of getting caught when the alarm at the door sounds. The second way is that they activate the electronic article surveillance alarm towers positioned at the front doors. The alarm is meant to attract an immediate response from a store employee who conducts a receipt check and locates the cause of the alarm. The would-be thief either buys the merchandise or leaves empty handed and store employees now know who they are.
Retailers, Checkpoint tags work. I have provided evidence from my own experience but I want to stress that it required employees to respond to those alarms and they had to be properly trained. Installing an electronic article surveillance system and placing EAS tags on merchandise will deter some theft but if no one responds to alarms criminals catch on pretty quickly. In the same manner the customer and I left the big box store and noticed no one checked on the alarm as we exited, thieves will do the same to your business. Oh and as a side note, employees who are stealing will also get comfortable if they know that no one is going to check on them if they set off an alarm.
You can have great shortage results but it requires the right tools and training. Loss Prevention Systems Inc (LPSI). can help set you on the road to success with Checkpoint hard tags and EAS towers. LPSI founder Bill Bregar can provide you with the training you need to stop shoplifting and employee theft and the proper ways to handle EAS alarms. Check out LPSI and learn how you can make your store more profitable.
Checkpoint hard tags are important and we can help you with it. Call 1.770.426.0547 and let’s talk.
Electronic Article Surveillance tags are effective in stores to reduce internal theft and to stop shoplifting. Go to almost any national retail chain store and you will see them in use. It may be a soft adhesive tag attached to a package or Checkpoint hard tags attached to clothing and softlines goods. As a Loss Prevention Manager I was blessed with consistently low shortage results after my store inventory cycles. Out of 13 years of taking inventory, 11 of those were well under 1% shrinkage. Two years I had shortage results slightly over 1% and those both offset with the following year inventory and one of those was an overage. There were a number of factors that I credit to that success but one of the biggest was that our company required the use of Checkpoint tags on a LOT of merchandise. I found that they deterred many criminals who were intending to steal. When deterrence didn’t work and someone was determined to try to take tagged merchandise, the electronic article surveillance towers at the doors would alarm. In many cases our employees recovered merchandise that was dropped as the criminal was more concerned with running away and I can’t begin to tell you the number of recoveries made as a result of a detailed receipt check by a trained staff member. This brings me to the main point of this article. The other day I made a purchase and was leaving this store (a national big box retailer) and another customer was walking out at the same time. The alarm sounded and we both stopped but no one came to check our receipts. We looked at each other and continued on our way. As an experienced Loss Prevention Manager I know how effective tags can be but they will only be effective if store management makes them a security priority.
It is easy for me to get carried away on a topic and forget that not all of the readers are going to know exactly what Checkpoint hard tags are or how electronic article surveillance works. Hard tags are anti-theft devices that are pinned to softlines goods which can include clothing, bedding, towels, shower curtains, accessories such as purses, hats and belts. I have even seen creative Loss Prevention Managers use them on blister packages such as multi-tools, and small power tools. The tags are designed to close so tightly that they are almost seamless. This means they are nearly impossible to defeat through tampering. The great thing about the tags is that they come in several design such as the Gen 3 tag so that even a designer dress can have one attached and it will still have a sleek look. The Checkpoint hard tags are also built so that the pins won’t damage material. There is no excuse for a store owner or manager not to use them. The way the tags work is first through visual deterrence. They stop shoplifting because criminals see them and know what they are and usually don’t want to take the risk of getting caught when the alarm at the door sounds. The second way is that they activate the electronic article surveillance alarm towers positioned at the front doors. The alarm is meant to attract an immediate response from a store employee who conducts a receipt check and locates the cause of the alarm. The would-be thief either buys the merchandise or leaves empty handed and store employees now know who they are.
Retailers, Checkpoint tags work. I have provided evidence from my own experience but I want to stress that it required employees to respond to those alarms and they had to be properly trained. Installing an electronic article surveillance system and placing EAS tags on merchandise will deter some theft but if no one responds to alarms criminals catch on pretty quickly. In the same manner the customer and I left the big box store and noticed no one checked on the alarm as we exited, thieves will do the same to your business. Oh and as a side note, employees who are stealing will also get comfortable if they know that no one is going to check on them if they set off an alarm.
You can have great shortage results but it requires the right tools and training. Loss Prevention Systems Inc (LPSI). can help set you on the road to success with Checkpoint hard tags and EAS towers. LPSI founder Bill Bregar can provide you with the training you need to stop shoplifting and employee theft and the proper ways to handle EAS alarms. Check out LPSI and learn how you can make your store more profitable.
Checkpoint hard tags are important and we can help you with it. Call 1.770.426.0547 and let’s talk.
