Checkpoint Tags-5 WC blog 94
Clothing Security Tags-4
Clothing Security Tags Could Have Prevented A Theft – Don’t Be A Victim Too
If you operate a small to medium size store and sell clothing what do you do for clothing security? Do you know where your stock shortage is coming from? Are you focused on shoplifting theft or employee theft or is it something you have even thought about? As a business owner you may be aware that theft is taking place in your stores but don’t know what tools are available to prevent theft. Certainly cameras and emphasis on customer service are helpful, but they only go so far to prevent theft. Checkpoint tags on clothes offer round the clock protection of merchandise. If a store has an electronic article surveillance (EAS) system, as soon as items with clothing alarm tags on them pass through an EAS antenna the alarm sounds and staff can respond to retrieve merchandise.
Clothing security tags can come in different styles. They may be sleek, disk styles that compliment suits, dresses or expensive designer clothes. They also come in bulkier, rectangular styles that stand out more on heavier materials such as denim. They can be ordered in radio frequency (rf) or acoustic magnetic (am) depending on the type of electronic article surveillance system a store has in place. Most clothing security tags, such as Checkpoint tags are reusable. Once detached at a point of sale the two pieces can be kept in two separate containers and then placed on new product that arrives to the store. Regardless of the style of tag or the system being used, clothing security tags can prevent shoplifting or employee theft.
When I worked as a Loss Prevention Officer for a department store my supervisor and I were suspicious of one of the presentation employees. This employee would arrive to work and rather than place her purse in an employee locker she would take it to the presentation room with all of the mannequins and display items. We placed a covert camera in the room and began to see activity. The employee would take clothing from the sales floor to the presentation room and leave it in the room until the end of her shift. When she was done for the day she would fill her handbag with clothing, clock out and leave. Because the store did not use clothing security tags on a lot of merchandise, the employee never set off any alarms as she would exit the building. During the final incident of theft we observed before she was interviewed for stealing, we accounted for over $500.00 in merchandise being hidden in her handbag. It was never determined how much loss she caused before she was finally stopped. One has to wonder though, if Checkpoint tags were used on more items in the store, how much more theft could have been prevented?
While your store may not be large enough to have a presentation department or office areas for various departments, you are certainly going to have some off-stage areas. These may be breakrooms, or restrooms or perhaps a computer/training room. Anywhere there is an area that offers some privacy, there is opportunity for theft. You can place cameras in most areas of the store, but who is going to monitor them or take the time to review all of your video footage every day? Customer service will prevent some of the shoplifting in the store, but what about stopping a dishonest employee? You can’t hover all of your employees every minute of the day, nor would you want to try. By using Checkpoint tags you take away opportunity for theft and opportunity is one of the essentials for a thief.
Place Checkpoint tags on all of the clothes you carry and watch the theft in your store drastically diminish. Best of all, as the theft decreases the profitability of the store will rise and isn’t that why you are in business?
For more information on Checkpoint Tags contact us or call 1.770.426.0547
If you operate a small to medium size store and sell clothing what do you do for clothing security? Do you know where your stock shortage is coming from? Are you focused on shoplifting theft or employee theft or is it something you have even thought about? As a business owner you may be aware that theft is taking place in your stores but don’t know what tools are available to prevent theft. Certainly cameras and emphasis on customer service are helpful, but they only go so far to prevent theft. Checkpoint tags on clothes offer round the clock protection of merchandise. If a store has an electronic article surveillance (EAS) system, as soon as items with clothing alarm tags on them pass through an EAS antenna the alarm sounds and staff can respond to retrieve merchandise.
Clothing security tags can come in different styles. They may be sleek, disk styles that compliment suits, dresses or expensive designer clothes. They also come in bulkier, rectangular styles that stand out more on heavier materials such as denim. They can be ordered in radio frequency (rf) or acoustic magnetic (am) depending on the type of electronic article surveillance system a store has in place. Most clothing security tags, such as Checkpoint tags are reusable. Once detached at a point of sale the two pieces can be kept in two separate containers and then placed on new product that arrives to the store. Regardless of the style of tag or the system being used, clothing security tags can prevent shoplifting or employee theft.
When I worked as a Loss Prevention Officer for a department store my supervisor and I were suspicious of one of the presentation employees. This employee would arrive to work and rather than place her purse in an employee locker she would take it to the presentation room with all of the mannequins and display items. We placed a covert camera in the room and began to see activity. The employee would take clothing from the sales floor to the presentation room and leave it in the room until the end of her shift. When she was done for the day she would fill her handbag with clothing, clock out and leave. Because the store did not use clothing security tags on a lot of merchandise, the employee never set off any alarms as she would exit the building. During the final incident of theft we observed before she was interviewed for stealing, we accounted for over $500.00 in merchandise being hidden in her handbag. It was never determined how much loss she caused before she was finally stopped. One has to wonder though, if Checkpoint tags were used on more items in the store, how much more theft could have been prevented?
While your store may not be large enough to have a presentation department or office areas for various departments, you are certainly going to have some off-stage areas. These may be breakrooms, or restrooms or perhaps a computer/training room. Anywhere there is an area that offers some privacy, there is opportunity for theft. You can place cameras in most areas of the store, but who is going to monitor them or take the time to review all of your video footage every day? Customer service will prevent some of the shoplifting in the store, but what about stopping a dishonest employee? You can’t hover all of your employees every minute of the day, nor would you want to try. By using Checkpoint tags you take away opportunity for theft and opportunity is one of the essentials for a thief.
Place Checkpoint tags on all of the clothes you carry and watch the theft in your store drastically diminish. Best of all, as the theft decreases the profitability of the store will rise and isn’t that why you are in business?
For more information on Checkpoint Tags contact us or call 1.770.426.0547
Clothing Security-5 WC blog 89
Checkpoint Tags-5
Clothing security tags-3
Clothing Shortage Can Be An Easy Fix With Checkpoint Tags
According to the 2015 Global Retail Theft Report Apparel Specialist retailers in North America experienced the second highest shrinkage rate of all the respondent categories, second only to pharmacies and drugstores. The sad part is, in my opinion, this is unnecessary. Clothing security does not have to be complicated and with the right steps any clothing store can bring shortage down. Using Checkpoint tags to deter theft is a step in the right direction.
Checkpoint tags for clothing are designed to be a visual deterrent and a physical prevention measure. Attached to a garment these devices are nearly impossible to remove without a detachment key available to retailers from Checkpoint. Attempts to pry or forcibly remove clothing security tags generally results in damaged merchandise. Most criminals are already aware of the problems they will encounter if they steal merchandise with Checkpoint tags and avoid them for other merchandise which is not tagged. This is the visual deterrence effect. Seeing the devices sends the crook to other merchandise and preferably other stores. Aside from being difficult to remove, clothing security tags are also acoustic magnetic or radio frequency compatible meaning they will activate the electronic article surveillance (EAS) antennas at the front doors. This is my hint: if your store(s) does not have an EAS system I highly recommend investing in one.
Along with Checkpoint tags, other steps you can implement for clothing security include having a trained employee at your fitting room. I worked in Loss Prevention for one particular big box retailer that had fitting rooms and occasionally they had a fitting room attendant, but not consistently. When the fitting room attendant was present it was a hit or miss proposition on how well they would do their job. I will only add that we had a lot of empty hangers and clothing tickets on the stall floors. An effective fitting room strategy means limiting the number of items someone may take into a fitting room and keeping it to a reasonable number. Too many items and it becomes difficult for an employee to monitor everyone. Require a number system that hands a patron a number that corresponds to the number of garments they are taking in a fitting room. Do not permit a patron to carry more in unless they exchange an item they already tried on.
Fitting room attendants must also be trained to be firm and physically handle all clothing items being taken into the fitting room. Shoplifters will layer clothes on a hanger, hide merchandise between clothes and partially lift an item to show there is nothing underneath. Clothing security is only going to work if the attendant is aware of the tricks thieves will attempt to play on them. The employee must also count all of the merchandise coming out of the room and if there is something missing, the customer must be required to go back in and retrieve the item. Shoplifters like to tell the employee they left an item in the room and when the employee goes back to check, the shoplifter has left the area.
When an EAS system is installed, clothing security will also require a trained cashier team. They need to understand the importance of removing clothing security tags from all merchandise. Failing to remove tags causes alarms and eventually results in complacency on the part of staff who responds to alarms. Thieves understand that in stores where alarms occur frequently people stop being thorough in their efforts to resolve alarms and simply wave people out the door. Minimizing cashier errors and training people to follow up properly on EAS alarms will result in recovered clothing and when shoplifters understand this, they will take their business elsewhere.
A focus on clothing security will pay big dividends. Use Checkpoint tags and install an EAS antenna system in your store. This, along with attention at the fitting room and you will be well on the way to dramatically reducing shortage and increasing profitability.
For more information on Checkpoint tags, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547
According to the 2015 Global Retail Theft Report Apparel Specialist retailers in North America experienced the second highest shrinkage rate of all the respondent categories, second only to pharmacies and drugstores. The sad part is, in my opinion, this is unnecessary. Clothing security does not have to be complicated and with the right steps any clothing store can bring shortage down. Using Checkpoint tags to deter theft is a step in the right direction.
Checkpoint tags for clothing are designed to be a visual deterrent and a physical prevention measure. Attached to a garment these devices are nearly impossible to remove without a detachment key available to retailers from Checkpoint. Attempts to pry or forcibly remove clothing security tags generally results in damaged merchandise. Most criminals are already aware of the problems they will encounter if they steal merchandise with Checkpoint tags and avoid them for other merchandise which is not tagged. This is the visual deterrence effect. Seeing the devices sends the crook to other merchandise and preferably other stores. Aside from being difficult to remove, clothing security tags are also acoustic magnetic or radio frequency compatible meaning they will activate the electronic article surveillance (EAS) antennas at the front doors. This is my hint: if your store(s) does not have an EAS system I highly recommend investing in one.
Along with Checkpoint tags, other steps you can implement for clothing security include having a trained employee at your fitting room. I worked in Loss Prevention for one particular big box retailer that had fitting rooms and occasionally they had a fitting room attendant, but not consistently. When the fitting room attendant was present it was a hit or miss proposition on how well they would do their job. I will only add that we had a lot of empty hangers and clothing tickets on the stall floors. An effective fitting room strategy means limiting the number of items someone may take into a fitting room and keeping it to a reasonable number. Too many items and it becomes difficult for an employee to monitor everyone. Require a number system that hands a patron a number that corresponds to the number of garments they are taking in a fitting room. Do not permit a patron to carry more in unless they exchange an item they already tried on.
Fitting room attendants must also be trained to be firm and physically handle all clothing items being taken into the fitting room. Shoplifters will layer clothes on a hanger, hide merchandise between clothes and partially lift an item to show there is nothing underneath. Clothing security is only going to work if the attendant is aware of the tricks thieves will attempt to play on them. The employee must also count all of the merchandise coming out of the room and if there is something missing, the customer must be required to go back in and retrieve the item. Shoplifters like to tell the employee they left an item in the room and when the employee goes back to check, the shoplifter has left the area.
When an EAS system is installed, clothing security will also require a trained cashier team. They need to understand the importance of removing clothing security tags from all merchandise. Failing to remove tags causes alarms and eventually results in complacency on the part of staff who responds to alarms. Thieves understand that in stores where alarms occur frequently people stop being thorough in their efforts to resolve alarms and simply wave people out the door. Minimizing cashier errors and training people to follow up properly on EAS alarms will result in recovered clothing and when shoplifters understand this, they will take their business elsewhere.
A focus on clothing security will pay big dividends. Use Checkpoint tags and install an EAS antenna system in your store. This, along with attention at the fitting room and you will be well on the way to dramatically reducing shortage and increasing profitability.
For more information on Checkpoint tags, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547
CP Tags-3 , Clothing Security-2 , Security Tags On Clothes-2
Protect What Is Really Being Stolen
Most small business owner sell a specific category of products. You have stores that specialize in electronics, collectibles, sporting goods, cosmetics and more. But your electronics stores may also sell trending or seasonal items like radio controlled toys and hard to find batteries. It is a great business strategy to sell cross merchandised items that can add sales to your bottom line. I think it would be interesting to see which items these stores are considering when they make their plans to prevent shoplifting though. It wouldn’t be very smart to just adhere Checkpoint Tags to the cell phones in a wireless store, but leave all the high retail accessories unprotected. The cases, chargers and ear buds are just as vulnerable as the devices themselves.
I just saw this problem in a small sporting goods store I visited over the weekend. They sell guns, ammunition, fishing gear, archery supplies, and much more. All the rifles and pistols had some form of Checkpoint Tags attached to them. I saw them on metal detectors, fishing rods, and more. They also had some very popular clothing items on display, but while I was browsing around, I never saw any type of clothing security in place. It seemed that the store management was so caught up in their flagship items they forgot about the extras they sell. I was browsing through the hoodies and other cold weather gear and could not believe the complete absence of security tags on clothes. The restrooms and fitting rooms were both in the back corner of the store and there did not appear to be anyone monitoring the entrance to either. There was also only one cashier at the front register area. All the other employees were concentrated in the back around the gun sales counter. What I saw was a perfect equation for a major theft issue in this particular store. Clothing security should be a key component of any product protection plan. It would be a lot easier to conceal some clothing in the fitting room and get out the door undetected than it would be to try to get out with a big metal detector box.
Store owners and managers need to take a look at what would actually be targeted for theft. I know the retail price has to be a factor in deciding what inventory needs Checkpoint Tags, but it can’t be the only piece of the puzzle. Simply putting security tags on clothes in this store could have the potential to save this store a lot of shrink issues. They can be attached very quickly by the receiving staff as the inventory arrives at the store. There are hard tags attached with pins, or labels that you adhere to the back of the price label. They will be easily deactivated or detached by the clerk at the checkout counter. If there is an attempt to remove the item from the store, the alarm will be prompted to sound when it detects those Checkpoint Tags are still actively attached. Just remember: it’s not always the most expensive item in the store that gets stolen; sometimes it’s the easiest item to conceal and get away with.
For more information on Clothing Security, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.
Most small business owner sell a specific category of products. You have stores that specialize in electronics, collectibles, sporting goods, cosmetics and more.But your electronics stores may also sell trending or seasonal items like radio controlled toys and hard to find batteries. It is a great business strategy to sell cross merchandised items that can add sales to your bottom line. I think it would be interesting to see which items these stores are considering when they make their plans to prevent shoplifting though. It wouldn’t be very smart to just adhere Checkpoint Tags to the cell phones in a wireless store, but leave all the high retail accessories unprotected. The cases, chargers and ear buds are just as vulnerable as the devices themselves.
I just saw this problem in a small sporting goods store I visited over the weekend. They sell guns, ammunition, fishing gear, archery supplies, and much more. All the rifles and pistols had some form of Checkpoint Tags attached to them. I saw them on metal detectors, fishing rods, and more. They also had some very popular clothing items on display, but while I was browsing around, I never saw any type of clothing security in place. It seemed that the store management was so caught up in their flagship items they forgot about the extras they sell. I was browsing through the hoodies and other cold weather gear and could not believe the complete absence of security tags on clothes. The restrooms and fitting rooms were both in the back corner of the store and there did not appear to be anyone monitoring the entrance to either. There was also only one cashier at the front register area. All the other employees were concentrated in the back around the gun sales counter. What I saw was a perfect equation for a major theft issue in this particular store. Clothing security should be a key component of any product protection plan. It would be a lot easier to conceal some clothing in the fitting room and get out the door undetected than it would be to try to get out with a big metal detector box.
Store owners and managers need to take a look at what would actually be targeted for theft. I know the retail price has to be a factor in deciding what inventory needs Checkpoint Tags, but it can’t be the only piece of the puzzle. Simply putting security tags on clothes in this store could have the potential to save this store a lot of shrink issues. They can be attached very quickly by the receiving staff as the inventory arrives at the store. There are hard tags attached with pins, or labels that you adhere to the back of the price label. They will be easily deactivated or detached by the clerk at the checkout counter. If there is an attempt to remove the item from the store, the alarm will be prompted to sound when it detects those Checkpoint Tags are still actively attached. Just remember: it’s not always the most expensive item in the store that gets stolen; sometimes it’s the easiest item to conceal and get away with.
For more information on Clothing Security, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.
Checkpoint Hard Tags-5 WC blog 78
Electronic Article Surveillance-5
EAS tags-3
Checkpoint Hard Tags – A Profitable Investment
According to the 2014-2015 Global Retail Theft Barometer report, total retail shortage globally was approximately 123.39 billion dollars. North American reported shortage for the year was approximately 36.79 billion dollars. For stores that specialize in clothing and accessories the shrinkage percent was the second highest category, at 1.98% following only behind pharmacies/drugstores at a whopping 2.25% shrinkage rate. Within the Apparel and Fashion Accessories category, the most stolen items were footwear, sports-related clothing and fashion accessories. Employee theft and shoplifting are estimated to have been the cause of 85% of the shrinkage for Apparel Specialist Retailers and of this amount it was almost evenly divided between shoplifting and dishonest employees. There are steps apparel retailers can take to stop shoplifting and prevent some employee theft from draining profits from their business. One of the most effective steps is to install an electronic article surveillance system and then use the Checkpoint mini hard tag on merchandise.
The electronic article surveillance system (EAS) will include an antenna system that alarms when merchandise protected with EAS tags or Checkpoint hard tags is carried within the range of the antennas. The system also includes deactivation pads that deactivate EAS tags and removal devices to take Checkpoint hard tags off of merchandise when it is purchased. Training is also provided so store managers and personnel know how to test the system and respond to EAS alarms appropriately in order to prevent a theft.
Why do I suggest using the Checkpoint mini hard tag, especially if a clothing retailer is just starting to use an electronic article surveillance system? There are a number of Checkpoint hard tags a retailer can choose from to protect softlines products, but the mini tag provides flexibility to tag not only clothing but accessories too. The mini hard tag can be pinned directly to a piece of clothing providing both a visual deterrent to prevent shoplifting and alarm protection if someone tried to exit with a garment that still had the tag on it. This Checkpoint tag can be pinned to clothing accessories, such as ties, scarves, gloves, hats and even belts so the store is not limited in what it can protect. The same can be done with purses and handbags. The Checkpoint mini hard tag makes it simple to select one protective device to secure a wide range of products and eliminates the need to have multiple checkpoint hard tags being used in one store.
For a clothing store that is already using electronic article surveillance products, but has reduced the amount of items being tagged due to cost reduction efforts, let me point out another fact from the Global Retail Theft Barometer. In 2014-2015, for stores that participated in the prior year survey, clothing retailers reduced spending on loss prevention measures, including EAS technology, by .15 percentage points. Shrinkage rates in these stores increased 1.68 percentage points! It may be possible that in some instances stores were using too many different EAS tags, or they may have been attempting to save payroll by reducing the number of sku’s being tagged so tagging did not take as long. I have two suggestions that can help achieve either objective. First, using the mini tag would eliminate some of the need for employing a variety of Checkpoint tags, while still being able to tag nearly all clothing lines carried in the store. The alternative to save payroll would be to look into apparel source tagging options offered by Checkpoint. These options give the store the protection of EAS tagging but the actual tagging of merchandise is done elsewhere, no additional payroll is spent in the store!
Don’t allow theft to shrink your profits. Invest in electronic article surveillance and Checkpoint hard tags to keep your merchandise in the store and available for sale. If you have an EAS system and are looking for new ways to save payroll without degrading clothing security, find out more about source tagging from Checkpoint.
Get more information on Checkpoint hard tags, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.
According to the 2014-2015 Global Retail Theft Barometer report, total retail shortage globally was approximately 123.39 billion dollars. North American reported shortage for the year was approximately 36.79 billion dollars. For stores that specialize in clothing and accessories the shrinkage percent was the second highest category, at 1.98% following only behind pharmacies/drugstores at a whopping 2.25% shrinkage rate. Within the Apparel and Fashion Accessories category, the most stolen items were footwear, sports-related clothing and fashion accessories. Employee theft and shoplifting are estimated to have been the cause of 85% of the shrinkage for Apparel Specialist Retailers and of this amount it was almost evenly divided between shoplifting and dishonest employees. There are steps apparel retailers can take to stop shoplifting and prevent some employee theft from draining profits from their business. One of the most effective steps is to install an electronic article surveillance system and then use the Checkpoint mini hard tag on merchandise.
The electronic article surveillance system (EAS) will include an antenna system that alarms when merchandise protected with EAS tags or Checkpoint hard tags is carried within the range of the antennas. The system also includes deactivation pads that deactivate EAS tags and removal devices to take Checkpoint hard tags off of merchandise when it is purchased. Training is also provided so store managers and personnel know how to test the system and respond to EAS alarms appropriately in order to prevent a theft.
Why do I suggest using the Checkpoint mini hard tag, especially if a clothing retailer is just starting to use an electronic article surveillance system? There are a number of Checkpoint hard tags a retailer can choose from to protect softlines products, but the mini tag provides flexibility to tag not only clothing but accessories too. The mini hard tag can be pinned directly to a piece of clothing providing both a visual deterrent to prevent shoplifting and alarm protection if someone tried to exit with a garment that still had the tag on it. This Checkpoint tag can be pinned to clothing accessories, such as ties, scarves, gloves, hats and even belts so the store is not limited in what it can protect. The same can be done with purses and handbags. The Checkpoint mini hard tag makes it simple to select one protective device to secure a wide range of products and eliminates the need to have multiple checkpoint hard tags being used in one store.
For a clothing store that is already using electronic article surveillance products, but has reduced the amount of items being tagged due to cost reduction efforts, let me point out another fact from the Global Retail Theft Barometer. In 2014-2015, for stores that participated in the prior year survey, clothing retailers reduced spending on loss prevention measures, including EAS technology, by .15 percentage points. Shrinkage rates in these stores increased 1.68 percentage points! It may be possible that in some instances stores were using too many different EAS tags, or they may have been attempting to save payroll by reducing the number of sku’s being tagged so tagging did not take as long. I have two suggestions that can help achieve either objective. First, using the mini tag would eliminate some of the need for employing a variety of Checkpoint tags, while still being able to tag nearly all clothing lines carried in the store. The alternative to save payroll would be to look into apparel source tagging options offered by Checkpoint. These options give the store the protection of EAS tagging but the actual tagging of merchandise is done elsewhere, no additional payroll is spent in the store!
Don’t allow theft to shrink your profits. Invest in electronic article surveillance and Checkpoint hard tags to keep your merchandise in the store and available for sale. If you have an EAS system and are looking for new ways to save payroll without degrading clothing security, find out more about source tagging from Checkpoint.
Get more information on Checkpoint hard tags, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.
Checkpoint Tags-5 WC blog 72
Clothing Security Tags-4
Clothing Shortage Climbs When Stores Fail To Use Clothing Security Tags
Do you run or own a clothing store or sell clothing as part of your product line? When you complete your inventories, do you have shortage for which you can’t account? You may not be familiar with all the clever ways thieves are stealing from you. There are obvious methods of clothing theft such as wearing items out of the store or hiding them in purses and not paying. But there are other methods you may not be as familiar with when it comes to shortage and theft. Shortage may be the result of employee’s passing merchandise to friends, failing to ring it through the register. It may be theft by the employees themselves. It can be unintentional shortage as a result of not carefully looking at a shopping cart for stray items before the customer leaves the store. The merchandise is overlooked and once the customer is out the door, they may or may not realize the merchandise was not scanned at the register and so they simply take it with them. However it may happen, when merchandise is not paid for, it becomes shortage. Many small business owners do not feel clothing security tags are necessary for their stores. I would like to suggest that even small business owners can benefit by using Checkpoint tags on the products they sell.
How do I know that using Checkpoint tags on clothing make a difference for a store? According to the 2015 Global Retail Theft Barometer shrinkage rates for apparel specialist retailers (in North America) that spent 0.15 percentage points less on loss prevention strategies from 2014 to 2015 saw an increase of 1.68 percentage points in year on year shrinkage rates. Clothing security tags make up a significant part of apparel protection, in addition to other strategies. Checkpoint tags are the hard tags that are pinned to clothing and will activate electronic article surveillance (EAS) antennas at the store entrance or exit when someone attempts to leave the store with merchandise that is still tagged. The tags are reusable so they don’t have to be ordered over and over again. They are also large enough that they provide a visual deterrent to would-be thieves.
By using Checkpoint tags, even if a piece of clothing is put on under another garment, such as a swim suit worn under street clothes or a shirt being worn under a customer’s coat, the clothing security tag will still activate the store EAS antennas. Other methods I have seen shoplifters use to steal clothes are hiding them in a baby stroller, under the baby, under the baby blanket and I have even seen baby strollers brought in with only a doll and blanket. I have dealt with shoplifters who have taken items out of large boxes and stuffed them with hundreds of dollars of clothing. It makes no difference if the items are concealed, if protected with Checkpoint tags, the alarm will sound and alert store staff that something is going through the antenna that is activating the alarm. If an employee is attempting to leave with unpaid merchandise that has security tags on them, they too will trigger the alarm. Having the tags on clothing is often enough to discourage employees from even attempting to steal from their employer. In a situation where a customer forgets merchandise left in a buggy, or it may have fallen on the bottom of a shopping cart, the EAS alarm will still sound when the clothing is about to leave the store. A responding employee can verify it has not been paid for and either, return the item to the sales floor or the customer can choose to purchase the garment.
Don’t allow your store shrinkage rate to climb because you think you can do without protection. Remember that shortage has been shown to increase in stores that have cut back on clothing security expenditures. Reduce your shortage and increase profits with clothing security tags.
For more information on Checkpoint Tags, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547
Do you run or own a clothing store or sell clothing as part of your product line? When you complete your inventories, do you have shortage for which you can’t account? You may not be familiar with all the clever ways thieves are stealing from you. There are obvious methods of clothing theft such as wearing items out of the store or hiding them in purses and not paying. But there are other methods you may not be as familiar with when it comes to shortage and theft. Shortage may be the result of employee’s passing merchandise to friends, failing to ring it through the register. It may be theft by the employees themselves. It can be unintentional shortage as a result of not carefully looking at a shopping cart for stray items before the customer leaves the store. The merchandise is overlooked and once the customer is out the door, they may or may not realize the merchandise was not scanned at the register and so they simply take it with them. However it may happen, when merchandise is not paid for, it becomes shortage. Many small business owners do not feel clothing security tags are necessary for their stores. I would like to suggest that even small business owners can benefit by using Checkpoint tags on the products they sell.
How do I know that using Checkpoint tags on clothing make a difference for a store? According to the 2015 Global Retail Theft Barometer shrinkage rates for apparel specialist retailers (in North America) that spent 0.15 percentage points less on loss prevention strategies from 2014 to 2015 saw an increase of 1.68 percentage points in year on year shrinkage rates. Clothing security tags make up a significant part of apparel protection, in addition to other strategies. Checkpoint tags are the hard tags that are pinned to clothing and will activate electronic article surveillance (EAS) antennas at the store entrance or exit when someone attempts to leave the store with merchandise that is still tagged. The tags are reusable so they don’t have to be ordered over and over again. They are also large enough that they provide a visual deterrent to would-be thieves.
By using Checkpoint tags, even if a piece of clothing is put on under another garment, such as a swim suit worn under street clothes or a shirt being worn under a customer’s coat, the clothing security tag will still activate the store EAS antennas. Other methods I have seen shoplifters use to steal clothes are hiding them in a baby stroller, under the baby, under the baby blanket and I have even seen baby strollers brought in with only a doll and blanket. I have dealt with shoplifters who have taken items out of large boxes and stuffed them with hundreds of dollars of clothing. t makes no difference if the items are concealed, if protected with Checkpoint tags, the alarm will sound and alert store staff that something is going through the antenna that is activating the alarm. If an employee is attempting to leave with unpaid merchandise that has security tags on them, they too will trigger the alarm. Having the tags on clothing is often enough to discourage employees from even attempting to steal from their employer. In a situation where a customer forgets merchandise left in a buggy, or it may have fallen on the bottom of a shopping cart, the EAS alarm will still sound when the clothing is about to leave the store. A responding employee can verify it has not been paid for and either, return the item to the sales floor or the customer can choose to purchase the garment.
Don’t allow your store shrinkage rate to climb because you think you can do without protection. Remember that shortage has been shown to increase in stores that have cut back on clothing security expenditures. Reduce your shortage and increase profits with clothing security tags.
For more information on Checkpoint Tags, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547
