Did you know that within food and grocery categories, coffee ranked fifth for most stolen items in North America, according to the 2014-2015 Global Retail Theft Barometer Report? I admit I was somewhat surprised by this. I expected meat and wine to be on the list, but coffee would not have been on my radar. When I saw this statistic I began to question what would be driving this category to be such a hot commodity (yes, pun is intended). Coffee prices swing up and down based on crop production and this is influenced greatly by rainfall or drought in coffee producing regions. Yet, it seems that regardless of the price of coffee it is always in demand and consumers are willing to pay for the bean or the beverage. Consider that just a couple of years ago coffee prices went up significantly due to drought in coffee growing countries like Brazil but the popularity of coffee houses continued to rise despite price increases. While there are those who are willing to pay more, there are also those who still want their beverage but aren’t willing to pay for it. The use of EAS labels is one way to stop shoplifting of specialty bags of coffee.
EAS labels (electronic article surveillance) are small adhesive tags that can be applied to products you want to prevent from being stolen. The labels have a circuit built into them and when brought into the detection field of an EAS antenna, activate the antenna’s alarm and lights. This alarm serves to alert store personnel to respond to and address the cause of the alarm. There is also the potential that the alarm may startle a shoplifter enough to cause them to drop the merchandise they were carrying and run from the store. The tag adhesive is strong enough that trying to remove it usually results in the paper being torn off, but the circuit remains attached.
With the increased popularity of coffee shops such as Starbuck’s and house coffee’s offered by restaurants like Dunkin Donuts, specialty coffee has found a niche in grocery stores. Customers can purchase favorite brands and blends of coffee bagged and ready to go directly off the shelf. A 12 ounce bag of Dunkin’ Donuts coffee at one big box retailer can be purchased for about $7.00 a bag and a 12 ounce bag of Starbucks coffee at the same place is roughly a dollar more. Another Grocery store chain sells Caribou Coffees at $8.99 for a 12 ounce bag. Add to this the rise in popularity of K cup coffee that can be up to $14 a box and the shortage ranking of coffee makes more sense.Thieves will steal because they want something and can’t afford it or it is stolen by organized theft rings and resold in “mom and pop shops” or alternatives such as online sites. It is also stolen because it is easy to steal. This is simply a category of product that is often overlooked in merchandise protection strategies. Applying EAS labels to your bags and boxes of coffee can significantly reduce the theft in your store.
Having worked in retail loss prevention I have seen the effectiveness of EAS labels to stop shoplifting. They are economical, coming in rolls of 2000 tags and they are easy to apply to merchandise by simply peeling them from the roll and sticking them to the merchandise. Dishonest customers generally shy away from merchandise that has anti-theft protection on it. I have made numerous recoveries of merchandise dropped at the doors when an alarm sounds during an attempted theft. I also learned how to give people an excuse for “forgetting” they had unpaid merchandise when an antenna sounded and frequently made recoveries that way.
If your bean counters (another intended pun) notice that coffee shortage is a problem for your store, take action to stop shoplifting. Use EAS labels to make shoplifters wake up and take their activity elsewhere.
Get more information on EAS labels, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.
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Make It Clear Thieves Are Not Welcome – Use 3210 Clear Checkpoint Labels
I recall the days when I worked as a Loss Prevention Manager and part of my job responsibilities included ensuring our merchandise protection strategies were properly employed. This included the training of a Merchandise Protection Team Member and my Loss Prevention Team Members who would assist in tagging and securing product. We had a lot of product we tagged, compact discs, video game software, computer software, digital video discs, health and beauty products, and so on. At the time we were using EAS labels (electronic article surveillance) that were solid white and had corporate information printed on them. I had to make sure that as my team tagged merchandise, as much as possible, product information and warnings were not covered up. Certainly you could never cover up a barcode that just caused havoc at the register (and an uncomfortable conversation with the store manager for me). In many cases this was a challenging task, especially if you consider the size of some health and beauty products and the lengthy warnings and usage directions on those products. There were even items I would like to have tagged, but the tags we had were too large and simply would not fit. Other items we would tag were rounded, such as large vitamin bottles. We did tag them but trying to get those tags to curve to fit the bottles was tricky. Checkpoint labels have evolved over the years. There are now options available that make it an effective tool to stop shoplifting of almost any product.
One Checkpoint label now available is the 3210 Clear EP Label. This label offers the protections afforded by larger, more traditional EAS labels but they have a clear, see through window that other EAS labels don’t have. These tags are also extremely small and can be placed on some of the smallest cosmetic products, such as lipsticks and mascara bottles. The window of the tag can be placed over a barcode and the barcode can still be scanned (no more uncomfortable conversations with a store manager!). Often cosmetics were a high shortage department for our store because we could not protect the products adequately to stop shoplifting. The items tend to be very small so concealment is easy, dropping them into purses or shopping bags or simply slipping them into pants pockets. Many Loss Prevention teams don’t make apprehensions for cosmetic theft alone because the merchandise is so small and there is a significant chance to make a bad stop. Now with the 3210 Clear EP label, should a shoplifter attempt to steal a piece of merchandise they are going to set off the electronic article surveillance antennas as they try to exit the store.
Being small does not make this Checkpoint label any less effective than other EAS labels. In fact, should a store use Checkpoint’s Evolve Electronic Article Surveillance platform, the performance of the 3210 Clear EP Label is increased up to 60%. As I consider the benefits of these labels, I know from experience that professional shoplifters depend on speed and stealth to be able to hit stores multiple times. They don’t want to risk an EAS alarm as they exit a store so they either try to avoid merchandise tagged with EAS labels or they try to remove labels. If they are stealing cosmetics, they are not counting on having to try to remove multiple little labels before concealing the products. The deterrence value of the 3210 label is going to stop shoplifting, or at least a large amount of it.
Your business may carry small products from medicines to cosmetics and until now you may not have been able to do much to prevent shortage due to theft. Today you can stop theft shrinkage by tagging your products with 3210 Clear Checkpoint label. Make it “clear” to thieves they aren’t welcome in your store.
For more information on Checkpoint labels contact us or call 1.770.426.0547
I recall the days when I worked as a Loss Prevention Manager and part of my job responsibilities included ensuring our merchandise protection strategies were properly employed. This included the training of a Merchandise Protection Team Member and my Loss Prevention Team Members who would assist in tagging and securing product. We had a lot of product we tagged, compact discs, video game software, computer software, digital video discs, health and beauty products, and so on. At the time we were using EAS labels (electronic article surveillance) that were solid white and had corporate information printed on them. I had to make sure that as my team tagged merchandise, as much as possible, product information and warnings were not covered up. Certainly you could never cover up a barcode that just caused havoc at the register (and an uncomfortable conversation with the store manager for me). In many cases this was a challenging task, especially if you consider the size of some health and beauty products and the lengthy warnings and usage directions on those products. There were even items I would like to have tagged, but the tags we had were too large and simply would not fit. Other items we would tag were rounded, such as large vitamin bottles. We did tag them but trying to get those tags to curve to fit the bottles was tricky. Checkpoint labels have evolved over the years. There are now options available that make it an effective tool to stop shoplifting of almost any product.
One Checkpoint label now available is the 3210 Clear EP Label. This label offers the protections afforded by larger, more traditional EAS labels but they have a clear, see through window that other EAS labels don’t have. These tags are also extremely small and can be placed on some of the smallest cosmetic products, such as lipsticks and mascara bottles. The window of the tag can be placed over a barcode and the barcode can still be scanned (no more uncomfortable conversations with a store manager!). Often cosmetics were a high shortage department for our store because we could not protect the products adequately to stop shoplifting. The items tend to be very small so concealment is easy, dropping them into purses or shopping bags or simply slipping them into pants pockets. Many Loss Prevention teams don’t make apprehensions for cosmetic theft alone because the merchandise is so small and there is a significant chance to make a bad stop. Now with the 3210 Clear EP label, should a shoplifter attempt to steal a piece of merchandise they are going to set off the electronic article surveillance antennas as they try to exit the store.
Being small does not make this Checkpoint label any less effective than other EAS labels. In fact, should a store use Checkpoint’s Evolve Electronic Article Surveillance platform, the performance of the 3210 Clear EP Label is increased up to 60%. As I consider the benefits of these labels, I know from experience that professional shoplifters depend on speed and stealth to be able to hit stores multiple times. They don’t want to risk an EAS alarm as they exit a store so they either try to avoid merchandise tagged with EAS labels or they try to remove labels. If they are stealing cosmetics, they are not counting on having to try to remove multiple little labels before concealing the products. The deterrence value of the 3210 label is going to stop shoplifting, or at least a large amount of it.
Your business may carry small products from medicines to cosmetics and until now you may not have been able to do much to prevent shortage due to theft. Today you can stop theft shrinkage by tagging your products with 3210 Clear Checkpoint label. Make it “clear” to thieves they aren’t welcome in your store.
For more information on Checkpoint labels contact us or call 1.770.426.0547
50 PRODUCTS THAT SHOULD BE PROTECTED WITH CHECKPOINT LABELS – PT 11
This is it! We’ve made it to the final segment in my 50 items to secure with Checkpoint Labels. At this point, I hope that you’ve found at least one item in here and thought that it made sense to tag. Maybe it helped you to see just how many items were at risk in your store. Whatever the case, I’m glad you stuck around this long and without adieu; I give you the remaining 5 items on my list.
46. Pre-Paid Cell Phones
Popular amongst folks that don’t want to be tied to a monthly contact; and also criminals. Burner phones are the way to go if you’re dabbling in the crime syndicates. With a small percentage of the market catering to a criminal element, it would only make sense to protect these against theft. EAS labels are a fantastic alternative to big bulky cases or cable wraps.
47. Toys
More specifically, Legos. These are some of the hottest targets for ORC groups. They are expensive, small and easy to conceal and can be resold in a matter of minutes on any number of online retail sites. Having Checkpoint Labels on the box with your store name/number will cut down on ORC activity. The boosters don’t want any way for product to be traced back to a specific store and this is one way to make that happen.
48. Denim Jeans
Over my career, I’ve tried dozens of way to protect denim product. From bulky hard tags front and center, to sewn in labels in the rear. Nothing has been quite as effective as a Checkpoint Label dropped into the back pocket of the pants. Thieves never check there and I’ve had huge success using this method. Heck, I can remember one thief in particular who pleaded with me in my office one day to show him where the tag was, as he couldn’t figure out how he missed it. Of course I didn’t give away my secret, and it’s still working for me today.
49. Socks
Another great category that drives shrink and is often overlooked in terms of product protection. While placing the EAS label on the packaging can easily be defeated, I’ve found great success by simply dropping a checkpoint label into one of the socks.
50. Underwear
No one really understands that underwear is one of those hot targets for ORC activity. Next time you’re at a flea-market, pay attention to how many “vendors” are selling packs of undies. Do you really think that each of these people have an account with the major underwear brands? Of course not. Make it easy for law enforcement (and yourself) to identify your stolen goods by using an EAS label with your store name printed on it. Chances are, that alone will keep your product in the store to begin with.
For more information about Checkpoint Labels contact us or call 1.770.426.0547.
This is it! We’ve made it to the final segment in my 50 items to secure with Checkpoint Labels. At this point, I hope that you’ve found at least one item in here and thought that it made sense to tag. Maybe it helped you to see just how many items were at risk in your store. Whatever the case, I’m glad you stuck around this long and without adieu; I give you the remaining 5 items on my list.
46. Pre-Paid Cell PhonesPopular amongst folks that don’t want to be tied to a monthly contact; and also criminals. Burner phones are the way to go if you’re dabbling in the crime syndicates. With a small percentage of the market catering to a criminal element, it would only make sense to protect these against theft. EAS labels are a fantastic alternative to big bulky cases or cable wraps.
47. ToysMore specifically, Legos. These are some of the hottest targets for ORC groups. They are expensive, small and easy to conceal and can be resold in a matter of minutes on any number of online retail sites. Having Checkpoint Labels on the box with your store name/number will cut down on ORC activity. The boosters don’t want any way for product to be traced back to a specific store and this is one way to make that happen.
48. Denim JeansOver my career, I’ve tried dozens of way to protect denim product. From bulky hard tags front and center, to sewn in labels in the rear. Nothing has been quite as effective as a Checkpoint Label dropped into the back pocket of the pants. Thieves never check there and I’ve had huge success using this method. Heck, I can remember one thief in particular who pleaded with me in my office one day to show him where the tag was, as he couldn’t figure out how he missed it. Of course I didn’t give away my secret, and it’s still working for me today.
49. SocksAnother great category that drives shrink and is often overlooked in terms of product protection. While placing EAS labels on the packaging can easily be defeated, I’ve found great success by simply dropping a checkpoint label into one of the socks.
50. UnderwearNo one really understands that underwear is one of those hot targets for ORC activity. Next time you’re at a flea-market, pay attention to how many “vendors” are selling packs of undies. Do you really think that each of these people have an account with the major underwear brands? Of course not. Make it easy for law enforcement (and yourself) to identify your stolen goods by using an EAS label with your store name printed on it. Chances are, that alone will keep your product in the store to begin with.
For more information about Checkpoint Labels contact us or call 1.770.426.0547.
Office supply stores are not without their own headaches. I’m sure there are plenty of you out there reading this that either own, or manage a small business that specializes in this category. Just how many ink pens do you get stolen from every year? Well, it doesn’t have to be a lot, as long as you’re using EAS Labels to cut down on theft. The next 5 items on our list are some of the most commonly stolen office supplies.
41. Ink Pens
How easy is it to steal a pack of ink pens? While $4-$5 here and there may not sound like much, what if someone stole 4 packs of ink pens every single day? That’s nearly $10k in lost revenue. Those dollars add up and they add up quick. Protect your inventory with a Checkpoint Label. Even if you reduce theft by 50%, that’s 5K you’re adding right back to the bottom line with one simple solution.
42. Ink/Toner
There are some bigger tagging options out there for ink and toner, but if you’re looking for a minimalistic approach to security tagging, then an EAS Label may fit the bill. The best method of tagging is achieved by placing the Checkpoint Label inside of the packaging. Since the merchandise can still be removed from the packaging quite easily, you may need to look into other security measures if you find this doesn’t help solve your theft problem.
43. Padfolios/Planners
Ever go out and purchase a good planner? I enjoy my leather planner and I paid somewhere in the neighborhood of $50 for it. When I purchased it, I remarked to my girlfriend how I could have easily switched the tags on the folder for a lesser priced variety. Is this the case in your store? Checkpoint Labels, with the barcode printed on it, can really cut down on the amount of loss, all while not really having an outward appearance of a security device.
44. Calculators
No, I’m not talking about those $2 calculators you can buy at any gas station. I’m talking those $250+ graphing calculators that, even after taking calculus in college, I still have no idea how to use. These are marketed towards students. Students who, in all honesty, don’t have a job and may be struggling to pay for tuition. It’s the perfect first time product to shoplift. It can be easily rationalized and if the product isn’t protected with an EAS label, even easier to steal.
45. Lighters
Ok, well this one isn’t really an “office supply” but you find these things everywhere. Pocket lighters rank as one of the world’s most commonly shoplifted item. They’re small, inexpensive and most retailers don’t bother with any type of security tagging. If you find that you’re losing more than you’re selling, EAS labels may be a viable option to help protect your merchandise.
For more information about Checkpoint Labels contact us or call 1.770.426.0547.
50 PRODUCTS THAT SHOULD BE PROTECED WITH CHECKPOINT LABELS – PT9
It’s always good to have a plan when it comes to product protection strategies. Knowing what’s coming into your store and more importantly, what will be stolen, will keep you from losing untold thousands from shoplifting. I know there are quite a few sporting goods retailers out there reading this; and you’re also probably tired of dealing with theft. So as we continue on our list of 50 items to protect with Checkpoint Labels, I want to dedicate these next five to you specifically.
36. Golf Balls
I have seen so many ways that people will steal golf balls. From the straightforward concealment, to hiding those in larger boxes, to switching out the sleeves; if the demand is there, so will theft. One thing I’ve found that will really help cut down on shrink is the use of EAS labels inside the individual sleeves of golf balls, especially on your high end brands. This way, even if a thief does switch the sleeves, the alarm will still sound at the exit or at the point of purchase that should alert your staff to something amiss.
37. Golf Gloves
Depending on the brand, these can be quite pricey and are often overlooked in terms of EAS labels. These are prime targets for your average golfer and also hot targets for ORC activity. Sometimes a simple Checkpoint Label on the rear of the packaging will be enough of a deterrent.
38. Golf Hats
If you’re set up like a pro-shop, you’re going to have all the top brands. Nike, UA, Callaway, and the list goes on and on. Ever think about all those hats you have around the store. With a price point usually around $20-$25, having a few stolen each day can really add up to thousands of lost dollars each year. By placing a small Checkpoint Label under the brim of the hat, you can really make an impact in your bottom line. It’s in my experience that thieves will avoid the items that are security tagged and will follow the path of least resistance.
39. Baseball Gloves
Baseball season can bring in truck-loads of sales to your store, but it can also usher in a whole new set of items that, if left un-protected, will lead to loss. Baseball gloves are one of those areas. Think of all those mid-range gloves that mom and dad may not be able to afford, but little Johnny really wants. Without a solid EAS label, little Johnny might be showing up to practice wearing your lost profit.
40. Baseball Bats
This one gets me almost every year. No matter what I do, someone will try to steal a baseball bat from me at some point in the year. In my area, we rarely see someone conceal a bat, but rather they all tend to gravitate towards price switching. What I’ve found works the best is a Checkpoint Label on all my bats that are priced above $69.99. If someone brings a bat through my register with an EAS Label and it rings lower than $69.99, my cashiers are trained to immediately call for a manager. I catch about a dozen people a year doing this.
For more information about Checkpoint Labels contact us or call 1.770.426.0547.
It’s always good to have a plan when it comes to product protection strategies. Knowing what’s coming into your store and more importantly, what will be stolen, will keep you from losing untold thousands from shoplifting. I know there are quite a few sporting goods retailers out there reading this; and you’re also probably tired of dealing with theft. So as we continue on our list of 50 items to protect with Checkpoint Labels, I want to dedicate these next five to you specifically.
36. Golf Balls
I have seen so many ways that people will steal golf balls. From the straightforward concealment, to hiding those in larger boxes, to switching out the sleeves; if the demand is there, so will theft. One thing I’ve found that will really help cut down on shrink is the use of EAS labels inside the individual sleeves of golf balls, especially on your high end brands. This way, even if a thief does switch the sleeves, the alarm will still sound at the exit or at the point of purchase that should alert your staff to something amiss.
37. Golf Gloves
Depending on the brand, these can be quite pricey and are often overlooked in terms of EAS labels. These are prime targets for your average golfer and also hot targets for ORC activity. Sometimes a simple Checkpoint Label on the rear of the packaging will be enough of a deterrent.
38. Golf Hats
If you’re set up like a pro-shop, you’re going to have all the top brands. Nike, UA, Callaway, and the list goes on and on. Ever think about all those hats you have around the store. With a price point usually around $20-$25, having a few stolen each day can really add up to thousands of lost dollars each year. By placing a small Checkpoint Label under the brim of the hat, you can really make an impact in your bottom line. It’s in my experience that thieves will avoid the items that are security tagged and will follow the path of least resistance.
39. Baseball Gloves
Baseball season can bring in truck-loads of sales to your store, but it can also usher in a whole new set of items that, if left un-protected, will lead to loss. Baseball gloves are one of those areas. Think of all those mid-range gloves that mom and dad may not be able to afford, but little Johnny really wants. Without a solid EAS label, little Johnny might be showing up to practice wearing your lost profit.
40. Baseball Bats
This one gets me almost every year. No matter what I do, someone will try to steal a baseball bat from me at some point in the year. In my area, we rarely see someone conceal a bat, but rather they all tend to gravitate towards price switching. What I’ve found works the best is a Checkpoint Label on all my bats that are priced above $69.99. If someone brings a bat through my register with an EAS Label and it rings lower than $69.99, my cashiers are trained to immediately call for a manager. I catch about a dozen people a year doing this.
For more information about Checkpoint Labels contact us or call 1.770.426.0547.
