Clothing Security Tags Aren’t Simply For Clothing Retailers: Part 1

 have a question for you and it may be a little more difficult than you might think at first glance. What kind of stores should use be using clothing security tags? The obvious answer is clothing stores right? Well, the answer is really yes AND no. Clothing retail stores should be using security tags on clothes, but so should other retail businesses you may not necessarily think about on a regular basis. I was in a grocery store the other day and noticed they were selling T-shirts for a local university which had recently won a very big college sports championship. Loss Prevention folks are always thinking about shortage and theft and tend to think about what they might do differently if it was their store. I noticed the store already had a Checkpoint electronic article surveillance antenna at the doors, so why not use Checkpoint tags on the clothes as well as the foods?
     

For those readers who may not be familiar with Checkpoint tags, these are both soft tags and hard tags that can be attached to clothes or stuck on hang tags. The soft tags have adhesive backings, and can be stuck to any number of surfaces, but for clothes they are best applied to manufacturer hang tags. Because Checkpoint clothing security tags are designed to be radio frequency sensitive, they are tuned to be picked up by the EAS antennas if they come into the range of the antennas.  Hard tags differ from the soft tags because they are applied directly to the article of clothing. They are two-part devices that are pinned to the garment and clamp together. They are extremely strong and difficult to tamper with and remove with a detachment tool available from Checkpoint.  
     

Checkpoint tags can be applied to any article of clothing. If there is concern about delicate fabrics like silk or satin, soft tags may be used. Hard tags can be applied to all materials including leather and denim. Inserting the pin in the seam of a garment protects from concerns about pin holes, while providing proven protection of the merchandise. Hard tags are large enough to be visible to customers and simply the sight of them on clothing is often a deterrent to potential shoplifters.  
     

So what other stores may carry clothing that we may not traditionally think about for clothing security? I will discuss several types of retail businesses in this article and continue the discussion in part two of this series. As you read, think about any retail stores I may have missed that could also benefit from using security tags on clothes.              

Sporting Goods stores may come to you fairly quickly as you think about the items they carry, baseball caps, running shoes, warm-up attire, sweat shirts, t-shirts and socks. Even merchandise such as baseball gloves can be protected with Checkpoint tags. Pin one end through the hand strap that goes across the back of the hand and the second piece secures it inside the strap. 
     

Lingerie stores can decrease theft by using security tags on clothes.  As mentioned previously, some people may be concerned about delicate materials being pinned but if that is the case, soft tags can be placed on the manufacture labels fastened by the plastic hang tag attachment.  
     

One retail business you may not have thought of was an automotive parts store. Some of these stores sell t-shirts and ball caps advertising parts companies or their own business. Some are sponsors of race car teams and therefore carry team gear.  
     

Clothing security tags used with EAS antennas are a strong deterrent to theft and increase profits through reduced shortage. Any number of businesses, including clothing stores can improve profits by investing in Checkpoint tags. Consider whether you might be overlooking the benefits of using security tags on clothes in your business.

Need information on Checkpoint tags? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.

5 Things To Protect With Clothing Security Tools

I have a friend that works at a discount clothing retailer and her daily job is to attach security tags on clothes. She opens the deliveries, organizes everything by size, and gets busy figuring out the best places for the tags. I think this particular retailer has figured out that just because they sell designer clothing at discounted prices, they still have to take clothing security seriously. If a criminal will steal the stuff from their higher priced competitors, there is no reason they won’t come there too in order to get what they want. I asked her to give me some specifics on what items she was required to tag and here is what she told me:
           

1. Denim 

Bottom line, denim is the most commonly stolen clothing item. People will come in wearing baggy sweat pants and then go in the fitting room, put on the jeans, and then put the baggy pants back on over top of them. If there is no fitting room attendant, they could do this over and over until they have a closet full. Jeans are actually pretty easy to protect though. They have seams and pockets where you can hide Checkpoint Tags instead of relying on adhering them to the price tag only. And the uncertainty of where to find the tag is a great theft deterrent.  
         

2.  Bathing Suits

Bikinis and other items are really easy to conceal so adding some clothing security tools to these is important. I would suggest using the hard Checkpoint Tags with pins on these.This will deter the thief from attempting to just rip out the tag. Without the right tool to properly remove the tag, they know they will hurt the garment. Whether they were stealing the bathing suit for their own personal use or even to resell it for the money, it could be rendered useless depending on the damage they inflicted.  

3. Blouses

Unfortunately there are some women that have a hot date tonight or a job interview coming up and they just have nothing to wear. So they come to your store and they may even plan to pay for the item. Then they notice that your store does not put security tags on clothes and they decide the risk is worth the reward. As with the swimwear, using the right tag can make the biggest difference.  

4. Socks and Underwear

Have you ever went to this section of a department store and not found an open package of socks or underwear. You may assume someone wanted to just “try on” a pair of the socks to make sure they fit, but how do you explain a six pack of underwear being opened? My friend says they get stolen a lot more often than you may think. You can’t just put security tags on clothes you assume people steal on a regular basis. Think outside the box.  

5. Shoes

Have you ever opened a box and found an old pair of shoes inside instead? I have. One time I found a super icky pair of old sandals in what was supposed to be a box containing tennis shoes. Someone walked in with those nasty things on and walked out the store with a really nice pair of name brand kicks. If you are going to chance putting both shoes in the boxes on the sales floor, you really need to consider your options with Checkpoint Tags.  

You and your staff can’t take clothing security lightly.  There is a big profit margin in the soft lines and they have to be protected just like you would if you ran an electronics store.

Clothing security is important and we can help.  Contact us or call. 1.770.426.0547 

Clothing Security Is No Laughing Matter But Shoplifters Can Be

Early in my Loss Prevention career a lot of my work focused on clothing security. I worked in a department store so we were constantly catching shoplifters stealing clothes from all departments. While we did have bedding, housewares and accessories departments, clothing always seemed to occupy most of our time. Frequently this led to some very interesting stories, not so much due to the merchandise being stolen but the actions of the shoplifter when confronted. 

 One time a had a rather large woman who was in the Women’s department and she was doing all the things to that make Loss Prevention officers know that a theft is going to happen. The woman was looking at the ceiling for cameras, and she was selecting merchandise without regard to size. She did take the time to remove hang tags because in my opinion, she may have thought there were security tags on clothes or on the hang tags. This customer was carrying a large purse and began filling it up. After she was done she began walking towards a set of exit doors going into our parking lot. I stopped the woman, identified myself and began escorting her to our security office. As I was about halfway to our first floor security office walking through the Women’s department, the shoplifter pulled away from me. Rather than run out of the store as most shoplifters would do, this woman began knocking over clothing racks. I called on the radio for our operator to call the police. In the meantime I stood in the main aisle and watched as this shoplifter was flinging metal 4-way racks and round racks around the department, clothing flying. The store Operations Manager came up to me and was shocked as I was casually observing the scene. In an agitated tone of voice he asked me if I was going to do anything about it. I looked at him and I looked at her as she was tossing racks like toys and told him, “No”. I then explained that the police were on the way, and we would charge her with damage to property but she wasn’t going anywhere so I would let the police restrain her. Well, police arrived and the woman was arrested and no one was hurt, except perhaps, the Operation Manager’s pride. In this case, customer and employee safety took precedence over clothing security. Oh and the fixtures? Turns out they were fine, just a lot of clothes to pick up.

In another incident I had a shoplifter walk into our Polo department, pull a black garbage bag out of his pocket and then quickly load it with Polo shirts from a display table. The shoplifter threw the bag over his shoulder like Santa Claus and he walked towards the doors. In those days the electronic article surveillance antennas were not as good as they are today and merchandise could be lifted high enough that any security tags on clothes would not activate the alarm. I attempted to stop the shoplifter as he exited the building and he ran from me and no, he didn’t drop his bag. At that time we were allowed to chase shoplifters and I chased this thief several blocks and lost him. Police were on foot helping to try to locate him. I should also mention, we live in a tourist area and we have a number of small local restaurant/bars near this area, close to the beach. The search was becoming fruitless until a waitress on the patio/bar of one restaurant saw me at the front of their business and the police at the back. She asked if I was looking for a tall gentleman carrying a black trash bag. I confirmed I was and she had me follow her to the kitchen. My “friend” was peeking out the back door watching the police look for him. I snuck up behind him and tackled him and the police saw us both tumble out of the building. They finished the arrest and over $500.00 of Polo shirts were recovered. The arrest was fun, but the looks on the restaurant customers and kitchen workers was priceless. 

Today clothing security has made vast improvements in both tags and EAS systems. Security tags on clothes come in a variety of styles and are nearly impossible to tamper with and defeat. EAS antenna fields have improved and have expanded the distance from which they can read tags.  Look into what clothing security tags can do for your company.

Clothing security is important and we can help you with it. Call 1.770.426.0547 and let’s talk.

Urgent! Checkpoint Tags Increase Profits But Lead To Reduction Of Funny Shoplifting Stories

I remember one of my favorite funny shoplifting stories was from my days working as a department store Loss Prevention Officer. It was a time when silk jackets were very popular and we were experiencing some theft of these items in our men’s department. The jackets cost around $90 each, but they were not one of the categories we had any type of security tags on. Due to the theft trend, my boss and I were closely monitoring the area on closed circuit television. This one particular day, a young man and his girlfriend were in the area and the guy started looking at the silk jackets while his girlfriend acted as his lookout. He selected a jacket, wrapped it around the hanger and stuffed it down his pants. I met him at the door as he started to exit and identified myself. He asked me why I had stopped him and I couldn’t help but start laughing and pointed to his side. The end of the hanger was pushing through his shirt making it obvious he had something underneath. I told the young man he either needed some serious medical attention for a broken rib and we needed to call an ambulance, or he had one of our silk jackets concealed under his clothes.  He admitted to the theft and the jacket was recovered, no ambulance was necessary for the extraction. He did get a ride, but it was not to the hospital. The incident was humorous, but if we had been using Checkpoint tags it may not have ever taken place.

What difference would Checkpoint tags have made? Checkpoint clothing security tags act first as a visual deterrent to a shoplifter. Most shoplifters will see security tags on clothes and leave that merchandise alone. The everyday shoplifter doesn’t want to try to remove a security device. The second reason Checkpoints tags would have worked is because the store had electronic article surveillance antennas and we used tags on a very limited number of items at the time. If the jackets had been protected with clothing security tags and the young man tried to exit, the alarm would have activated. In many cases, shoplifters will drop merchandise if they set off an alarm. Or if trained store personnel can tactfully recover merchandise because the customer “did not realize an item in their possession had not been paid for”. There are many excuses you can help a potential shoplifter use to return merchandise and leave a store without accusing them of theft.

You may be thinking to yourself, “Wait a minute I thought you said the jackets were made of silk, wouldn’t the Checkpoint Tags have damaged the fabric?” My response is, not necessarily. The Checkpoint Gen 3 Hard Tag series is designed to be used on merchandise without damaging fabric. Security tags on clothes used to be a concern some time ago, especially on delicate fabrics, but pins are not necessarily as thick as they used to be and the clothing security tags close much better today, making them almost impossible to defeat and pry apart.

There are two other benefits I would like to point out about using Checkpoint tags. First, they are reusable. The hard tags are removed at the point of sale and then re-applied to new merchandise when it is received at the store. There is no need to constantly be replenishing your supply of tags. Second, you can have the tags applied at the source. In other words, you don’t have to use your payroll to have employees tag merchandise.  Checkpoint can work with you to have the vendors place tags on from their locations, which ensures consistency in the placement of tags. This makes it easier for cashiers to know exactly where to look for clothing security tags on different products.

Funny shoplifter stories will always be out there, but using security tags on clothes can reduce these stories and improve stock shortage results.  This, in turn, increases profit. So, if you prefer dollars over stories, look into using Checkpoint Tags on ALL of your clothes and laugh all the way to the bank!

For more information on Checkpoint Tags contact us or call 1.770.426.0547