CP Systems-3 , CP Tags-2 , Retail Theft Prevention-3 , Stop Shoplifting-2
Stop Shoplifting With EAS 2.0
I read an article from Checkpoint recently that was very informative and also made me think about all the amazing advances made over the last twenty years. The article is titled: It’s EAS, But Not As You Know It. As you know, current retail theft prevention tools are leaps and bounds beyond the original pedestal system. (I’ve been with my current company for almost fifteen years, and I’ve seen many of these changes first hand.) Back when it was first introduced, the detection rate was about 50%, and that could even be determined by the day’s weather. Thieves learned which stores were equipped with EAS and simply targeted stores that were not. Over time, retail loss prevention departments and the makers of Checkpoint Systems alike, have been able to watch and learn. They’ve looked at what worked and what did not, and they’ve been able to work together and make the necessary improvements.
The article referred to the importance of employees using the retail theft prevention tools that are available. One factor of employee compliance pointed out in the article was ensuring the use of Alpha Keepers and the adherence of Checkpoint tags to the predetermined merchandise. (I always walk the sales floor after our weekly delivery to validate my standards have been met.)
Are they deactivating Checkpoint tags and removing the hard tags to prevent false alarms? Those are both imperative to maintain the integrity of the system. It’s much harder to get all your employees to buy in to the importance of the system if it keeps going off when it’s not supposed to. That could also be a big turn-off to your honest cash paying customer.
Another key item reported in this piece was the many advances made in EAS. It’s not just about detection and deterrence now; It’s about selling more and losing less. Checkpoint Systems now have the capabilities to count the people coming in the door. We as retailers can see the days and even the times of the day when we have the most shoppers in the store, and then we can compare that to our sales. If there was a big advertising campaign launched, we can now see the effects with the data provided. For example, specific items can be tracked with the Checkpoint tags. Their movement throughout the store can be seen in real time. Store staff can step in and help make a sale or they could be alerted to the fact they need to step in to prevent a theft. How many times have you discovered a theft has occurred and not one employee can even say they knew the person or group was in the store? EAS is the answer to the reactive retailer. It can show them how to actually proactively manage their inventory and make the most of their retail theft prevention investment.
I definitely encourage you to take a look at this Checkpoint Systems article and read more about all the advances and improvements made over the years. This could be the perfect time to make that change from the sign that says “No Large Bags” to a real detection and deterrence system. Track your inventory, monitor your merchandise, and stop shoplifting.
For more information on the advances of Checkpoint Systems, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547.
I read an article from Checkpoint recently that was very informative and also made me think about all the amazing advances made over the last twenty years. The article is titled: It’s EAS, But Not As You Know It. As you know, current retail theft prevention tools are leaps and bounds beyond the original pedestal system. (I’ve been with my current company for almost fifteen years, and I’ve seen many of these changes first hand.) Back when it was first introduced, the detection rate was about 50%, and that could even be determined by the day’s weather. Thieves learned which stores were equipped with EAS and simply targeted stores that were not. Over time, retail loss prevention departments and the makers of Checkpoint Systems alike, have been able to watch and learn. They’ve looked at what worked and what did not, and they’ve been able to work together and make the necessary improvements.
The article referred to the importance of employees using the retail theft prevention tools that are available. One factor of employee compliance pointed out in the article was ensuring the use of Alpha Keepers and the adherence of Checkpoint tags to the predetermined merchandise. (I always walk the sales floor after our weekly delivery to validate my standards have been met.) Are they deactivating Checkpoint tags and removing the hard tags to prevent false alarms? Those are both imperative to maintain the integrity of the system. It’s much harder to get all your employees to buy in to the importance of the system if it keeps going off when it’s not supposed to. That could also be a big turn-off to your honest cash paying customer.
Another key item reported in this piece was the many advances made in EAS. It’s not just about detection and deterrence now; It’s about selling more and losing less. Checkpoint Systems now have the capabilities to count the people coming in the door. We as retailers can see the days and even the times of the day when we have the most shoppers in the store, and then we can compare that to our sales. If there was a big advertising campaign launched, we can now see the effects with the data provided. For example, specific items can be tracked with the Checkpoint tags. Their movement throughout the store can be seen in real time. Store staff can step in and help make a sale or they could be alerted to the fact they need to step in to prevent a theft. How many times have you discovered a theft has occurred and not one employee can even say they knew the person or group was in the store? EAS is the answer to the reactive retailer. It can show them how to actually proactively manage their inventory and make the most of their retail theft prevention investment.
I definitely encourage you to take a look at this Checkpoint Systems article and read more about all the advances and improvements made over the years. This could be the perfect time to make that change from the sign that says “No Large Bags” to a real detection and deterrence system. Track your inventory, monitor your merchandise, and stop shoplifting.
For more information on the advances of Checkpoint Systems, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547.
Alpha Keepers – 4 WC blog 01
Prevent Shoplifting – 4
I Can See Clearly Now…With Alpha Keepers
One of the challenging aspects of shortage prevention is maintaining a balance between merchandise control and access to products. The loss prevention professional desires to keep high theft merchandise out of the hands of the criminals and prevent shoplifting. Store owners and managers generally want to allow access to products. Alpha Keepers provides that happy medium that makes for a harmonious relationship between loss prevention’s efforts to minimize accessibility and limit opportunity for theft and operation’s efforts to drive sales through ease of access for the customer.
Alpha Keepers are strong, clear cases that come in a variety of shapes and sizes that can fit a wide range of products. Whether a store specializes in fragrances, or sells a bit of everything, I have seen Alpha Keepers used to protect all types of merchandise. USB Jump Drives, videogames, razor blades and even baby formula can all be protected. If tampered with, these boxes will sound a high pitched audible alarm that will alert store associates that something is not right. There is no question that these devices will prevent shoplifting and decrease shortage. Since it is a clear box, the customer can see the packaging, read the product information and get the information they need to make a purchasing decision. Because they are not secured to a shelf, or locked behind glass, customers can carry the item with them in the store. They are only restricted in gaining access to the actual product. For the majority of customers, this is sufficient for meeting their needs.
My experience and background may give me a slightly different perspective in the arena of retail theft prevention from some others in the profession. I spent many years working in Loss Prevention, both as a store security officer and as an Asset Protection Executive. I also spent some time as a store Logistics Executive. I learned over time that profitable sales are not the result of a single strategy. In order to prevent shoplifting of high theft merchandise often the first response of a Loss Prevention team is to find a way to remove the product from the reach of would be shoplifters. Think about it, from a loss prevention perspective, if they can’t touch it they can’t steal it…right? A locking security fixture was a reasonable solution, let the consumer look through the glass in wonder at the video games in the case…Awesome (not)! The store manager wants the customer to pick up product, get it in their hands, and take it to a checkout counter, the more they pick up, the more they buy right? And doesn’t everyone know that more sales equates to a lower shortage percentage? When a store uses Alpha Keepers it gets the benefit of a locking showcase with the flexibility of putting merchandise in customer’s hands.
Certainly there is a case to be made for each school of thought. In their own ways, the loss prevention team and the store manager are both right, and they are both wrong. Customers want to be able to touch the product, to read packaging, to have a good idea of what they are buying. Let’s be honest, companies spend millions of dollars to strategize on what packaging to use to draw in new buyers. In a like manner, experts in retail theft prevention understand that shoplifters, whether professional boosters or casual opportunists, look for the easily targeted products that are not protected by some type of anti-shoplifting system or device.
Alpha Keepers provides that solution that can bridge the divide between the need to protect products and prevent shoplifting while allowing the honest customer to view and carry a product. Security and sales no longer need to be exclusive. Working together, loss prevention and store management can increase sales and decrease shortage at the same time.
For more information about Alpha Keepers contact us or call 1.770.426.0547.
One of the challenging aspects of shortage prevention is maintaining a balance between merchandise control and access to products. The loss prevention professional desires to keep high theft merchandise out of the hands of the criminals and prevent shoplifting. Store owners and managers generally want to allow access to products. Alpha Keepers provides that happy medium that makes for a harmonious relationship between loss prevention’s efforts to minimize accessibility and limit opportunity for theft and operation’s efforts to drive sales through ease of access for the customer.
Alpha Keepers are strong, clear cases that come in a variety of shapes and sizes that can fit a wide range of products. Whether a store specializes in fragrances, or sells a bit of everything, I have seen Alpha Keepers used to protect all types of merchandise. USB Jump Drives, videogames, razor blades and even baby formula can all be protected. If tampered with, these boxes will sound a high pitched audible alarm that will alert store associates that something is not right. There is no question that these devices will prevent shoplifting and decrease shortage. Since it is a clear box, the customer can see the packaging, read the product information and get the information they need to make a purchasing decision. Because they are not secured to a shelf, or locked behind glass, customers can carry the item with them in the store. They are only restricted in gaining access to the actual product. For the majority of customers, this is sufficient for meeting their needs.
My experience and background may give me a slightly different perspective in the arena of retail theft prevention from some others in the profession. I spent many years working in Loss Prevention, both as a store security officer and as an Asset Protection Executive. I also spent some time as a store Logistics Executive. I learned over time that profitable sales are not the result of a single strategy. In order to prevent shoplifting of high theft merchandise often the first response of a Loss Prevention team is to find a way to remove the product from the reach of would be shoplifters. Think about it, from a loss prevention perspective, if they can’t touch it they can’t steal it…right? A locking security fixture was a reasonable solution, let the consumer look through the glass in wonder at the video games in the case…Awesome (not)! The store manager wants the customer to pick up product, get it in their hands, and take it to a checkout counter, the more they pick up, the more they buy right? And doesn’t everyone know that more sales equates to a lower shortage percentage? When a store uses Alpha Keepers it gets the benefit of a locking showcase with the flexibility of putting merchandise in customer’s hands.
Certainly there is a case to be made for each school of thought. In their own ways, the loss prevention team and the store manager are both right, and they are both wrong. Customers want to be able to touch the product, to read packaging, to have a good idea of what they are buying. Let’s be honest, companies spend millions of dollars to strategize on what packaging to use to draw in new buyers. In a like manner, experts in retail theft prevention understand that shoplifters, whether professional boosters or casual opportunists, look for the easily targeted products that are not protected by some type of anti-shoplifting system or device.
Alpha Keepers provides that solution that can bridge the divide between the need to protect products and prevent shoplifting while allowing the honest customer to view and carry a product. Security and sales no longer need to be exclusive. Working together, loss prevention and store management can increase sales and decrease shortage at the same time.
For more information about Alpha Keepers, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547.
