Bottle locks-5 WC blog 87
Bottle Security-4
Who’s Sneaking What Out The Back Door? Bottle Security Protects Against Vendor Shortage
Vendor theft and fraud is an easily overlooked source of store shortage. According to the 2015 Global Retail Theft Barometer vendor shortage and fraud resulted in 2.21 billion dollars of shortage for North American retailers. Approximately 10 percent of supermarket shortage was the result of vendor shortage and 5 percent of convenience store shortage was due to vendor shortage. I was unable to determine which vendor items were the largest cause of shortage however, when we take a look at the report we find that in the category of food and beverages the number one most stolen items fell under wine and spirits. I believe the data should at least alert beverage and grocery store owners and managers to the possibility that alcohol vendors may be the source of some amount of store shortage. If this is the case, would it not make sense to employ bottle security measures in your stockroom as well as on your sales floor? Using bottle locks prevent shoplifting but they can also prevent vendor theft in your store.
Bottle locks are designed to fit over the top of a wine or liquor bottle and prevent it from being opened. They are compatible with electronic article surveillance systems so any attempt to remove a bottle with a bottle lock on it will cause an electronic article surveillance antenna to alarm when the protected item passes through the antenna. Any attempt to remove a bottle lock without the proper detachment key can cause a tamper alarm to activate. It is possible that vendors could be working in the store and concealing bottles and exiting through a front entrance and reentering to go back to work. Many grocery stores and convenience stores have electronic article surveillance systems at the front of the store so bottle locks would be effective at this point of entry/exit.
Thinking about your backroom however, what controls do you have in place here? I worked as a Logistics Manager for a period of time and with my experience in Loss Prevention as well, I know that the vendor entrance can be an area of vulnerability for a store. It is easy for your receiving employees to become complacent with vendors they get to know over time. As they become acquaintances with each other, the receiver may not check “empty cases” as thoroughly as they once did for merchandise. Many vendors break down their boxes, stack them on a hand truck and wheel the boxes out the back door. How thoroughly is anyone looking between these stacks for merchandise? Potentially, vendors could be sneaking merchandise back out of the store through an unprotected vendor door and you would not know it. Installing an electronic article surveillance antenna on the vendor door would be the first step in reducing alcohol and wine vendor shortage.
Liquor and wine bottle security should also occur as soon as a vendor delivery takes place. Store employees should add locks to the merchandise as it is checked in and receiving is complete. Once the sales floor is filled, overstock returned to the stockroom already has bottle security in place protecting the merchandise in an area not usually frequented by staff. If you have dishonest vendors or employees for that matter, the locks will act as a deterrent to someone who may want to try to steal and resell bottles or just have their own little party. If you have the additional protection of electronic article surveillance antennas on the vendor entrance you will have the benefit of alarm protection. And one more thing to consider, and EAS antenna on the vendor door won’t just sound for bottle locks, they will alarm for any EAS protected merchandise!
As much as we would like to think we have honest vendors and employees, the fact remains there are dishonest people in our stores. Are you willing to trust your profits and losses on an assumption that none of your vendors would steal from you? What if you could reduce up to ten percent of your shortage simply by adding a bottle security strategy to your vendor program? Use bottle locks and see your shortage results decline and profits rise.
For more information on bottle security, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.
Vendor theft and fraud is an easily overlooked source of store shortage. According to the 2015 Global Retail Theft Barometer vendor shortage and fraud resulted in 2.21 billion dollars of shortage for North American retailers. Approximately 10 percent of supermarket shortage was the result of vendor shortage and 5 percent of convenience store shortage was due to vendor shortage. I was unable to determine which vendor items were the largest cause of shortage however, when we take a look at the report we find that in the category of food and beverages the number one most stolen items fell under wine and spirits. I believe the data should at least alert beverage and grocery store owners and managers to the possibility that alcohol vendors may be the source of some amount of store shortage. If this is the case, would it not make sense to employ bottle security measures in your stockroom as well as on your sales floor? Using bottle locks prevent shoplifting but they can also prevent vendor theft in your store.
Bottle locks are designed to fit over the top of a wine or liquor bottle and prevent it from being opened. They are compatible with electronic article surveillance systems so any attempt to remove a bottle with a bottle lock on it will cause an electronic article surveillance antenna to alarm when the protected item passes through the antenna. Any attempt to remove a bottle lock without the proper detachment key can cause a tamper alarm to activate. It is possible that vendors could be working in the store and concealing bottles and exiting through a front entrance and reentering to go back to work. Many grocery stores and convenience stores have electronic article surveillance systems at the front of the store so bottle locks would be effective at this point of entry/exit.
Thinking about your backroom however, what controls do you have in place here? I worked as a Logistics Manager for a period of time and with my experience in Loss Prevention as well, I know that the vendor entrance can be an area of vulnerability for a store. It is easy for your receiving employees to become complacent with vendors they get to know over time. As they become acquaintances with each other, the receiver may not check “empty cases” as thoroughly as they once did for merchandise. Many vendors break down their boxes, stack them on a hand truck and wheel the boxes out the back door. How thoroughly is anyone looking between these stacks for merchandise? Potentially, vendors could be sneaking merchandise back out of the store through an unprotected vendor door and you would not know it. Installing an electronic article surveillance antenna on the vendor door would be the first step in reducing alcohol and wine vendor shortage.
Liquor and wine bottle security should also occur as soon as a vendor delivery takes place. Store employees should add locks to the merchandise as it is checked in and receiving is complete. Once the sales floor is filled, overstock returned to the stockroom already has bottle security in place protecting the merchandise in an area not usually frequented by staff. If you have dishonest vendors or employees for that matter, the locks will act as a deterrent to someone who may want to try to steal and resell bottles or just have their own little party. If you have the additional protection of electronic article surveillance antennas on the vendor entrance you will have the benefit of alarm protection. And one more thing to consider, and EAS antenna on the vendor door won’t just sound for bottle locks, they will alarm for any EAS protected merchandise!
As much as we would like to think we have honest vendors and employees, the fact remains there are dishonest people in our stores. Are you willing to trust your profits and losses on an assumption that none of your vendors would steal from you? What if you could reduce up to ten percent of your shortage simply by adding a bottle security strategy to your vendor program? Use bottle locks and see your shortage results decline and profits rise.
For more information on bottle security, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.
Bottle Locks-3 , Bottle Security-1 , Liquor Bottle Security-2, Bottle Lock-1
It Was The Bartender In The Storage Room
Bar managers and owners have to keep a tight control on their liquor bottle security and inventory. There are a lot of state laws about keeping up with the invoices and purchasing. Shortages and thefts have to be reported and that can be an astounding amount of paperwork to file. For the most part, bars are like pharmacies: patrons can’t come behind the counter and help themselves, so shortages are generally the fault of the staff. Some loss can be attributed to paperwork and vendor errors, but for the most part, it can be chalked up to mishandling or just outright theft.
Bottle security starts with training. There should be a daily inventory of all bottles, open and sealed. This should not be done by the same person that orders or it defeats the purpose. That would give a dishonest person the means to adjust the numbers and “cook the books.” There should also be a detailed log for any bottles removed from storage. This is an added step in the liquor bottle security plan, but you should be able to track every bottle. The list of employees that are authorized to remove sealed bottles from storage should be a short one, to minimize any chances for theft opportunities. If the dishwasher was pocketing the forks and knives, you would look at that as theft and send them out the door. If the hostess was stealing tips from the tables, you wouldn’t hesitate to fire her. So, if the liquor bottle numbers are not adding up, investigate and find out where the loss is occurring.
Liquor bottle security is more than pour spouts too. Over-pouring is a problem so they are necessary. However, pour spouts are not bottle locks. They don’t secure the bottle against theft. When I say bottle locks, I mean these things lock the bottle up tight and there is no getting it open without the appropriate tool. Bottle locks are the answer to keeping your valuable inventory where it should be. These caps fit right over the top of almost any size or type of bottle. You can choose to protect every single item, or just the top shelf stuff. Just remember, it’s not always about the good stuff. Cheap booze is worth stealing to somebody. If it was my bar and my name on the line, every bottle sitting on the shelf in the storage area would be protected with one of these. If someone tries to tamper with them or remove them without the Alpha S3 key, some types can actually self-alarm. What makes them even better is that if someone does manage to get out the door with a bottle that is still alarmed, the bottle will shatter before the bottle lock will come off. If some poor soul that works for you does decide to tempt fate, and take a bottle, they will just end up disappointed and sober. And, they’ll probably need some bandages.
You will probably take precautions to hire the right people and you want to think that your employees will never steal from you. But, like in the pharmacy, you can’t take your flagship product for granted. I should know. I’ve fired a lot of good people for stealing drugs.
Get more information on Bottle Locks, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.
Bar managers and owners have to keep a tight control on their liquor bottle security and inventory. There are a lot of state laws about keeping up with the invoices and purchasing. Shortages and thefts have to be reported and that can be an astounding amount of paperwork to file. For the most part, bars are like pharmacies: patrons can’t come behind the counter and help themselves, so shortages are generally the fault of the staff. Some loss can be attributed to paperwork and vendor errors, but for the most part, it can be chalked up to mishandling or just outright theft.
Bottle security starts with training. There should be a daily inventory of all bottles, open and sealed. This should not be done by the same person that orders or it defeats the purpose. That would give a dishonest person the means to adjust the numbers and “cook the books.” There should also be a detailed log for any bottles removed from storage. This is an added step in the liquor bottle security plan, but you should be able to track every bottle. The list of employees that are authorized to remove sealed bottles from storage should be a short one, to minimize any chances for theft opportunities. If the dishwasher was pocketing the forks and knives, you would look at that as theft and send them out the door. If the hostess was stealing tips from the tables, you wouldn’t hesitate to fire her. So, if the liquor bottle numbers are not adding up, investigate and find out where the loss is occurring.
Liquor bottle security is more than pour spouts too. Over-pouring is a problem so they are necessary. However, pour spouts are not bottle locks. They don’t secure the bottle against theft. When I say bottle locks, I mean these things lock the bottle up tight and there is no getting it open without the appropriate tool. Bottle locks are the answer to keeping your valuable inventory where it should be. These caps fit right over the top of almost any size or type of bottle. You can choose to protect every single item, or just the top shelf stuff. Just remember, it’s not always about the good stuff. Cheap booze is worth stealing to somebody. If it was my bar and my name on the line, every bottle sitting on the shelf in the storage area would be protected with one of these. If someone tries to tamper with them or remove them without the Alpha S3 key, some types can actually self-alarm. What makes them even better is that if someone does manage to get out the door with a bottle that is still alarmed, the bottle will shatter before the bottle lock will come off. If some poor soul that works for you does decide to tempt fate, and take a bottle, they will just end up disappointed and sober. And, they’ll probably need some bandages.
You will probably take precautions to hire the right people and you want to think that your employees will never steal from you. But, like in the pharmacy, you can’t take your flagship product for granted. I should know. I’ve fired a lot of good people for stealing drugs.
Get more information on Bottle Locks, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.
Bottle Locks-4 , Liquor Bottle Security-2 , Alpha Security-1
The High Cost Of Liquor Theft
It’s hard to hire the right people. Even when you do choose the best and most qualified person for the job, a bad personal situation can turn a great employee into a nightmare you can’t get rid of fast enough. I’ve lost a number of employees over the years, and it never gets easier to fire a part of your team. In the retail pharmacy business, I have dealt with employees stealing cash, merchandise, and even prescription drugs. We just have to look at what is being targeted and choose our best anti theft devices. Bar owners and managers have to face another equally large dilemma: the best choice for liquor bottle security.
There are many ways a bartender can steal from their employer. Some will over-pour drinks and exceed the legal amounts of liquor per drink. Some have been documented for pouring expensive drinks, hitting the “no sale” key, but actually putting the money in the tip jar instead. Then you have the ones that dare to steal whole bottles of liquors. Sometimes they take them directly from behind the bar area, but sometimes they take them from the overstock storage room. There is money to be made with the renewed interest in high priced and handcrafted products that are on the market right now. Stealing bottles of liquor is much more serious than just handing out free drinks. If you don’t have bottle locks on your inventory, you are taking a big chance. These are tools offered by Alpha Security that secure your extra bottles and they cannot be opened without the S3 key provided. Of course, access to that key must be restricted, but bottle locks are a proven solution.
Why would a bartender steal your liquor? They may have been approached by another bar owner that cannot purchase from a reputable dealer. They could sell it and make a serious profit for themselves. The demand for high end liquors, like some brands of rare single malt scotch, exceeds the supply. With the increased consumer knowledge, the illegal resale of these products will just rise. If your bartender is having a rough financial time at home, they are going to be more susceptible to fall for the temptation to make a buck off of your valuable inventory. Let’s say they are approached by a big event planner. They are putting together a big wedding on a budget, and they know they can make more money if they can save on the liquor for the open bar. The easiest way to do that is to make an illegal deal with an impressionable bartender to buy some of your booze instead. If those excess bottles in storage are not being monitored properly, they could soon start disappearing. That’s why it’s so important to make them impenetrable with bottle locks. It’s like adding a tiny Fort Knox to each bottle. They can pry and pull all they want, but the bottle will shatter before those bottle locks will come off. The main thing is not to dangle the opportunity in front of someone that may fall victim to a money making scheme. Liquor bottle security should be near the top of your priority list, and an investment in bottle locks will pay you back.
For more information on Bottle Locks, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.
It’s hard to hire the right people. Even when you do choose the best and most qualified person for the job, a bad personal situation can turn a great employee into a nightmare you can’t get rid of fast enough. I’ve lost a number of employees over the years, and it never gets easier to fire a part of your team. In the retail pharmacy business, I have dealt with employees stealing cash, merchandise, and even prescription drugs. We just have to look at what is being targeted and choose our best anti theft devices. Bar owners and managers have to face another equally large dilemma: the best choice for liquor bottle security.
There are many ways a bartender can steal from their employer. Some will over-pour drinks and exceed the legal amounts of liquor per drink. Some have been documented for pouring expensive drinks, hitting the “no sale” key, but actually putting the money in the tip jar instead. Then you have the ones that dare to steal whole bottles of liquors. Sometimes they take them directly from behind the bar area, but sometimes they take them from the overstock storage room. There is money to be made with the renewed interest in high priced and handcrafted products that are on the market right now. Stealing bottles of liquor is much more serious than just handing out free drinks. If you don’t have bottle locks on your inventory, you are taking a big chance. These are tools offered by Alpha Security that secure your extra bottles and they cannot be opened without the S3 key provided. Of course, access to that key must be restricted, but bottle locks are a proven solution.
Why would a bartender steal your liquor? They may have been approached by another bar owner that cannot purchase from a reputable dealer. They could sell it and make a serious profit for themselves. The demand for high end liquors, like some brands of rare single malt scotch, exceeds the supply. With the increased consumer knowledge, the illegal resale of these products will just rise. If your bartender is having a rough financial time at home, they are going to be more susceptible to fall for the temptation to make a buck off of your valuable inventory. Let’s say they are approached by a big event planner. They are putting together a big wedding on a budget, and they know they can make more money if they can save on the liquor for the open bar. The easiest way to do that is to make an illegal deal with an impressionable bartender to buy some of your booze instead. If those excess bottles in storage are not being monitored properly, they could soon start disappearing. That’s why it’s so important to make them impenetrable with bottle locks. It’s like adding a tiny Fort Knox to each bottle. They can pry and pull all they want, but the bottle will shatter before those bottle locks will come off. The main thing is not to dangle the opportunity in front of someone that may fall victim to a money making scheme. Liquor bottle security should be near the top of your priority list, and an investment in bottle locks will pay you back.
For more information on Bottle Locks, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.
Bottle service-5 WC blog 63
Nightclub-5
Bottle Lock-5
Revel In More Revenue By Adding Bottle Service
If you already own a nightclub or bar, I’m probably not going to be able to tell you much about how lucrative the club industry can be. I’m also not going to be able to tell you how many staff to hire, or what to charge for a drink. But, what I may be able to offer you is a suggestion that can make your business more profitable than it already is. Before I let you in on my suggestion, I would like to share some statistics from nciaa.com (Nightlife and Club Association of America). According to their website: “ A study conducted by Optimize Atlanta with participating Atlanta nightclubs and lounges, reveals interesting information about nightclubs, VIP, Bottle Service, and Group Dynamics. We learned that the average overall bottle price is $239; the overall average drink price is $10.50; 67% consume two or more drinks, shots or cocktails; and spend $55 on average.” Now, consider this information from howmuchisit.org: “…the most common way to charge for bottle service is per bottle. On average, depending on the type of alcohol served, plan on spending anywhere from $200 to as much as $800 per bottle.” They go on to say, “If you want to break it down per person, it is best to estimate $150 – $300 PER person.” So, according to the information from the two websites, the average club patron will spend $55 versus the bottle service patron who may spend as much as $300. The numbers are not guaranteed, part of what needs to be taken into consideration is what a nightclub is offering for their particular packages. No matter how you slice it though, this service can significantly increase a club owner’s profits.
So now you are wondering what a bottle service entails. It is a special offer to groups who are looking for a club that will treat them like VIP’s. This might be for a reunion, a birthday party, or perhaps an after- hours office party. The group pays a price based on the level of service they are seeking. The more amenities requested or the larger the party the more bottles are required to be ordered by the group. For example, a party of four seated in a booth by the dance floor might be charged a price that includes a single bottle of champagne or other top shelf spirit. The alcohol they order should come with a bottle lock and the package price includes a waiter or waitress dedicated to serving the party during the night. The server has a bottle lock key that will permit only the dedicated server to open the bottle and pour drinks. The bottle lock keeps anyone not affiliated with the group from pilfering drinks from the bottle. It also allows the server to control the serving sizes to ensure alcohol measurements are proper. The bottle lock is tamper proof so if someone were to pick up the bottle and take it somewhere to open it, chances are they will break the bottle rather than get it open.
Clubs also benefit with the service because the dedicated server can be more committed to building rapport with the group they are assigned to and will be able to identify if a member of the party might be having too much to drink. If the server believes the customer is too intoxicated a ride home with a designated driver or a cab can be arranged. The bottle lock gives staff the ability to cut off that patron’s alcohol consumption.
Customers will love the opportunity to receive VIP treatment and to be the center of attention. Nightclub owners will enjoy the increased profits that a bottle service will provide.
For more information on bottle service, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547
If you already own a nightclub or bar, I’m probably not going to be able to tell you much about how lucrative the club industry can be. I’m also not going to be able to tell you how many staff to hire, or what to charge for a drink. But, what I may be able to offer you is a suggestion that can make your business more profitable than it already is. Before I let you in on my suggestion, I would like to share some statistics from nciaa.com (Nightlife and Club Association of America). According to their website: “ A study conducted by Optimize Atlanta with participating Atlanta nightclubs and lounges, reveals interesting information about nightclubs, VIP, Bottle Service, and Group Dynamics. We learned that the average overall bottle price is $239; the overall average drink price is $10.50; 67% consume two or more drinks, shots or cocktails; and spend $55 on average.” Now, consider this information from howmuchisit.org: “…the most common way to charge for bottle service is per bottle. On average, depending on the type of alcohol served, plan on spending anywhere from $200 to as much as $800 per bottle.” They go on to say, “If you want to break it down per person, it is best to estimate $150 – $300 PER person.” So, according to the information from the two websites, the average club patron will spend $55 versus the bottle service patron who may spend as much as $300. The numbers are not guaranteed, part of what needs to be taken into consideration is what a nightclub is offering for their particular packages. No matter how you slice it though, this service can significantly increase a club owner’s profits.
So now you are wondering what a bottle service entails. It is a special offer to groups who are looking for a club that will treat them like VIP’s. This might be for a reunion, a birthday party, or perhaps an after- hours office party. The group pays a price based on the level of service they are seeking. The more amenities requested or the larger the party the more bottles are required to be ordered by the group. For example, a party of four seated in a booth by the dance floor might be charged a price that includes a single bottle of champagne or other top shelf spirit. The alcohol they order should come with a bottle lock and the package price includes a waiter or waitress dedicated to serving the party during the night. The server has a bottle lock key that will permit only the dedicated server to open the bottle and pour drinks. The bottle lock keeps anyone not affiliated with the group from pilfering drinks from the bottle. It also allows the server to control the serving sizes to ensure alcohol measurements are proper. The bottle lock is tamper proof so if someone were to pick up the bottle and take it somewhere to open it, chances are they will break the bottle rather than get it open.
Clubs also benefit with the service because the dedicated server can be more committed to building rapport with the group they are assigned to and will be able to identify if a member of the party might be having too much to drink. If the server believes the customer is too intoxicated a ride home with a designated driver or a cab can be arranged. The bottle lock gives staff the ability to cut off that patron’s alcohol consumption.
Customers will love the opportunity to receive VIP treatment and to be the center of attention. Nightclub owners will enjoy the increased profits that a bottle service will provide.
For more information on bottle service, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547
Bottle Locks -5 WC blog 83
Liquor bottle security -4
Lack of Locks Lead To Looted Bottles- Bottle Locks Stump Shoplifters
I am reading reports on recent wine thefts from grocery stores and some I find rather amusing for example one headline reads, “Police: Man guzzles stolen wine in grocery store bathroom, steals sushi in pants”; another headline reads, “Woman stole wine to follow boyfriend to jail”. On the other hand there are some headlines that make me nearly choke as I read them, “More than $250,000 worth of wine stolen from Branford distributer” and “Thief steals $2k-worth of rare wine from N.J. store, cops say”. As I continued to look at videos of shoplifters stealing wine and liquor, I noticed that where I could see clear images of the bottles I did not notice bottle locks on the merchandise! One video from November 2015, was from a news team interviewing a liquor store owner about a shoplifter who has been stealing from his store. The store owner points to a $119.99 bottle of Patron liquor (the shelf label was clearly visible) and describes how the shoplifters are stealing from his store. Absolutely no liquor bottle security measures, aside from cameras, were visible from what I was seeing.
Though these are not my stores, and I am no longer actively in the Loss Prevention field, I get frustrated when I see these types of reports and I know that there are steps these owners could be taking to prevent these types of thefts. The simple addition of bottle locks would prevent a large amount of the theft these stores are experiencing. Bottle locks are placed over the bottle cap and lock in place so a thief can’t open the bottle. These locks are secure enough that if someone were to attempt to pry one off of a bottle they are likely to break the bottle. If a liquor store owner installs an electronic article surveillance system (EAS) at all store entrances, bottles with locks on them passing through the antenna will activate the EAS alarm system. Liquor bottle security doesn’t have to be a complicated endeavor and it can save big bucks in shortage.
Store owners who rely on closed circuit television for security fail to realize that these are passive tools unless monitored by security personnel or store staff. When looking through videos posted online, most of them refer to shoplifters caught on camera. This is because someone noticed, after the fact that merchandise was missing and they went back and reviewed video to look for footage of possible suspects. The downside is the shoplifters are usually long gone and police are seeking assistance from the community to identify suspects. Using bottle locks does two things for the store owner/manager, first if an alarm is triggered when a locked bottle gets to the door, someone can respond to the alarm immediately and possibly recover merchandise. Second, if a shoplifter were to activate the alarm and run, even if they get away police can be called right away and video review can take place immediately, not hours or days later. The ability to respond as soon as a theft or attempted theft takes place gives police a much better chance of catching a thief.
The question arises, why bother with liquor bottle security and locks if someone can still steal a bottle or bottles? From my own experience and from reviewing these online incidents, I can tell you that many of the high dollar shoplifting cases are the result of repeat shoplifters. These thieves hit the same stores over and over because the opportunity is available to them. Merchandise is readily available, no measures are in place to deter them and I would speculate that there are not enough employees available to give the level of service needed to remove the opportunity to steal. The bad guys don’t want attention, so as long as nothing will set off an alarm or alert employees that a theft is taking place, they are comfortable returning to the same stores.
Bottle Locks and an EAS system as part of a security system that incorporates EAS antennas and closed circuit television will drive theft down. Don’t be an easy target for shoplifters, invest in liquor bottle security, and see your profits grow.
For more information on Bottle Locks, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547
I am reading reports on recent wine thefts from grocery stores and some I find rather amusing for example one headline reads, “Police: Man guzzles stolen wine in grocery store bathroom, steals sushi in pants”; another headline reads, “Woman stole wine to follow boyfriend to jail”. On the other hand there are some headlines that make me nearly choke as I read them, “More than $250,000 worth of wine stolen from Branford distributer” and “Thief steals $2k-worth of rare wine from N.J. store, cops say”. As I continued to look at videos of shoplifters stealing wine and liquor, I noticed that where I could see clear images of the bottles I did not notice bottle locks on the merchandise! One video from November 2015, was from a news team interviewing a liquor store owner about a shoplifter who has been stealing from his store. The store owner points to a $119.99 bottle of Patron liquor (the shelf label was clearly visible) and describes how the shoplifters are stealing from his store. Absolutely no liquor bottle security measures, aside from cameras, were visible from what I was seeing.
Though these are not my stores, and I am no longer actively in the Loss Prevention field, I get frustrated when I see these types of reports and I know that there are steps these owners could be taking to prevent these types of thefts. The simple addition of bottle locks would prevent a large amount of the theft these stores are experiencing. Bottle locks are placed over the bottle cap and lock in place so a thief can’t open the bottle. These locks are secure enough that if someone were to attempt to pry one off of a bottle they are likely to break the bottle. If a liquor store owner installs an electronic article surveillance system (EAS) at all store entrances, bottles with locks on them passing through the antenna will activate the EAS alarm system. Liquor bottle security doesn’t have to be a complicated endeavor and it can save big bucks in shortage.
Store owners who rely on closed circuit television for security fail to realize that these are passive tools unless monitored by security personnel or store staff. When looking through videos posted online, most of them refer to shoplifters caught on camera. This is because someone noticed, after the fact that merchandise was missing and they went back and reviewed video to look for footage of possible suspects. he downside is the shoplifters are usually long gone and police are seeking assistance from the community to identify suspects. Using bottle locks does two things for the store owner/manager, first if an alarm is triggered when a locked bottle gets to the door, someone can respond to the alarm immediately and possibly recover merchandise. Second, if a shoplifter were to activate the alarm and run, even if they get away police can be called right away and video review can take place immediately, not hours or days later. The ability to respond as soon as a theft or attempted theft takes place gives police a much better chance of catching a thief.
The question arises, why bother with liquor bottle security and locks if someone can still steal a bottle or bottles? From my own experience and from reviewing these online incidents, I can tell you that many of the high dollar shoplifting cases are the result of repeat shoplifters. These thieves hit the same stores over and over because the opportunity is available to them. Merchandise is readily available, no measures are in place to deter them and I would speculate that there are not enough employees available to give the level of service needed to remove the opportunity to steal. The bad guys don’t want attention, so as long as nothing will set off an alarm or alert employees that a theft is taking place, they are comfortable returning to the same stores.
Bottle Locks, EAS system and closed circuit televisions will drive theft down. Don’t be an easy target for shoplifters, invest in liquor bottle security, and see your profits grow.
For more information on Bottle Locks, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547
