Can Loss Prevention Be Free? – 3 WC Blog 563
Loss Prevention ROI Calculator-3
Can You Get A Free Checkpoint System? Try The Loss Prevention ROI Calculator To Find Out
Can Loss Prevention be free? It is an odd question in an article on Return On Investment but hang tight and I think you will see where I am going with this. My son was recently asked to join an honor society for business majors at the college he attends (yes, this is a bit of bragging on my part). He has been reluctant to join for several reasons, one of which is the cost associated with membership. He is also concerned about the time he may be asked to devote to the organization. He is very conscientious of his time and recognizes the amount of time he has to devote to studies and his job. His fear is that joining the group could require more of his time than he is willing to invest. His argument is that he has kept his grades up through his college career by not getting too involved in outside activities. He has some valid points and since he does so much better in college than I ever did I don’t want to challenge him on this too much. I did discuss with him the potential return on investment should he choose to pursue becoming a member of this organization. Benefits would be invitations to attend presentations by major business firms, networking with people who could help direct him in career choices and meeting hiring managers in smaller career fair venues. The return on his investment of time and money could pay big dividends down the road. Your friends at Loss Prevention Systems Inc. know that a return on an investment is important for business owners and that is why they offer the Loss Prevention ROI Calculator.
To answer the question I posed at the beginning of the article, “Can Loss Prevention be free?” you have to understand what Loss Prevention entails. It can be security staff, the use of closed circuit television, a retail loss prevention consulting firm, merchandise protection (such as electronic article surveillance equipment) or any combination of those tools. It is all that is used to deter and prevent shoplifting and internal theft. Now on the surface it sounds like it would have to cost money, right? Loss Prevention Systems Inc. says that it is possible to have Loss Prevention that ends up costing nothing, helpful especially to small and medium sized retail stores. They offer the free use of their Loss Prevention ROI Calculator to anyone who wants to see for themselves how this can be the case. The calculator is free to use, requires no registration or sign up and it does not track users. The owner or manager enters two pieces of information, estimated annual sales and how much they would like to invest in a Checkpoint System the calculator does the rest of the work. The outcome is an estimation of how much the store would reduce inventory shrinkage and how long it would take for that savings to pay for a sytem. Store owners can change the numbers they enter to try different combinations, all at no cost.
The decision my son faced is similar to what a store owner would have to consider. There would be an initial cost associated with my son joining this association. The up-front membership fee, the potential for some group participation and a bit of demand on his time. These are short-term investments. The return on investment will yield tangible results when he graduates and starts looking for substantive employment opportunities. The store owner may pay for the equipment and set up of a Checkpoint System up front but the dividends will quickly follow. Shoplifters will be deterred and take their activity elsewhere. Merchandise that is tagged but missed due to being on the bottom of a shopping cart will activate Checkpoint tower alarms and allow employees to recover the items. In other words, the investment will begin to pay for itself immediately in shortage reduction and will continue to reap rewards as long as you tag merchandise and maintain your equipment.
Can Loss Prevention be free? It can be and the team at Loss Prevention Systems Inc. are happy to spend time with you explaining all of the benefits of a Checkpoint System. Try out the Loss Prevention ROI Calculator, see what you could save and how long for a system to pay for itself then give them a call (they won’t call you first). What have you got to lose? It’s FREE!
For more information about the Loss Prevention ROI Calculator contact us or call 1.770.426.0547
Can Loss Prevention be free? It is an odd question in an article on Return On Investment but hang tight and I think you will see where I am going with this. My son was recently asked to join an honor society for business majors at the college he attends (yes, this is a bit of bragging on my part). He has been reluctant to join for several reasons, one of which is the cost associated with membership. He is also concerned about the time he may be asked to devote to the organization. He is very conscientious of his time and recognizes the amount of time he has to devote to studies and his job. His fear is that joining the group could require more of his time than he is willing to invest. His argument is that he has kept his grades up through his college career by not getting too involved in outside activities. He has some valid points and since he does so much better in college than I ever did I don’t want to challenge him on this too much. I did discuss with him the potential return on investment should he choose to pursue becoming a member of this organization. Benefits would be invitations to attend presentations by major business firms, networking with people who could help direct him in career choices and meeting hiring managers in smaller career fair venues. The return on his investment of time and money could pay big dividends down the road. Your friends at Loss Prevention Systems Inc. know that a return on an investment is important for business owners and that is why they offer the Loss Prevention ROI Calculator.
To answer the question I posed at the beginning of the article, “Can Loss Prevention be free?” you have to understand what Loss Prevention entails. It can be security staff, the use of closed circuit television, a retail loss prevention consulting firm, merchandise protection (such as electronic article surveillance equipment) or any combination of those tools. It is all that is used to deter and prevent shoplifting and internal theft. Now on the surface it sounds like it would have to cost money, right? Loss Prevention Systems Inc. says that it is possible to have Loss Prevention that ends up costing nothing, helpful especially to small and medium sized retail stores. They offer the free use of their Loss Prevention ROI Calculator to anyone who wants to see for themselves how this can be the case. The calculator is free to use, requires no registration or sign up and it does not track users. The owner or manager enters two pieces of information, estimated annual sales and how much they would like to invest in a electronic article surveillance (EAS) System the calculator does the rest of the work. The outcome is an estimation of how much the store would reduce inventory shrinkage and how long it would take for that savings to pay for a sytem. Store owners can change the numbers they enter to try different combinations, all at no cost.
The decision my son faced is similar to what a store owner would have to consider. There would be an initial cost associated with my son joining this association. The up-front membership fee, the potential for some group participation and a bit of demand on his time. These are short-term investments. The return on investment will yield tangible results when he graduates and starts looking for substantive employment opportunities. The store owner may pay for the equipment and set up of a EAS System up front but the dividends will quickly follow. Shoplifters will be deterred and take their activity elsewhere. Merchandise that is tagged but missed due to being on the bottom of a shopping cart will activate EAS tower alarms and allow employees to recover the items. In other words, the investment will begin to pay for itself immediately in shortage reduction and will continue to reap rewards as long as you tag merchandise and maintain your equipment.
Can Loss Prevention be free? It can be and the team at Loss Prevention Systems Inc. are happy to spend time with you explaining all of the benefits of an EAS System. Try out the Loss Prevention ROI Calculator, see what you could save and how long for a system to pay for itself then give them a call (they won’t call you first). What have you got to lose?
It’s FREE! For more information about the Loss Prevention ROI Calculator, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547
Prevent shoplifting – 3 WC Blog 511
Retail Anti-Theft Devices-5
Alpha Security – 3
Keeping Stores Safe And Secure In The Midst Of An Opioid Crisis Part 1
How do you prevent shoplifting when there is a surge in opioid use in the U.S. that has become what some are calling an epidemic and a crisis? I have worked in the Retail Loss Prevention field for nearly 17 years and in retail in general for over 27 years. I have caught shoplifters who had drugs and drug paraphernalia on their person and that was scary enough. Today the problem has gotten worse and stories are now making news linking the opioid crisis and shoplifting:
• From Windsor Star, “Desperate to pay for opioids, addicts turn to crime” by Trevor Wilhelm, “Windsor police said break and enters, along with many other crimes including assaults, robberies, shopliftings and shootings are symptoms of the opioid crisis…” http://windsorstar.com/feature/chapter-2-3
• From WFMJ 21, “Officials: Opioid crisis leading to shoplifting surge”, Nov. 22, 2017 by Caroline Collins “Not only are pharmacies being targeted, but police in the valley are saying users are now shoplifting and selling the items for drug money.” http://www.wfmj.com/clip/13930175/officials-opioid-crisis-leading-to-shoplifting-surge
• From ABC 27 “Police see surge in shoplifting due to opioid crisis” October 20, 2017 by Dawn White, “Police throughout the Midstate say the opioid crisis is leading to another major issue. Users are shoplifting and reselling stolen items to buy more drugs.” http://abc27.com/2017/10/20/police-see-surge-in-shoplifting-due-to-opioid-crisis/
The issue is one that retailers have to address quickly. The drug problem only seems to be getting worse and that means addicts will be more desperate to get the money they need to feed the habit. Theft is one of the means addicts resort to in order to trade for drugs or resell for money to feed their behavior. Retail anti-theft devices are one of the best tools for stores to utilize to disrupt shoplifters from emptying their shelves.
Retail anti-theft devices come in a number of various designs which include cable locks, wraps, security boxes and many more. These devices provide protection for products by allowing the customer to pick up the item, handle it, look at the packaging and even carry the item around the store. If the customer is intent on stealing in most cases the devices are tamper-proof and prevent the removal of the protective device. Attempts to remove them activate built in alarms that warn employees someone is trying to steal merchandise and it is easy to track down where the alarm is sounding in a store. The other protection offered by retail anti-theft devices is that they will cause electronic article surveillance (EAS) towers to sound their alarms if a tagged or protected item is being carried out the doors. Tower alarms, such as the Checkpoint EAS towers you frequently see when you walk into a store can detect protective devices on merchandise even when the item is concealed in a bag, purse or under clothing. These towers have their own alarms and they are extremely loud, 95 decibels of loud to be exact. When the tower alarm sounds EVERYONE in a store hears it and trained store staff members respond and take appropriate steps to reconcile the cause of the alarm and retrieve merchandise that was going to be stolen or get the “customer” to pay for the item.
How sure am I that retail anti-theft devices such as those from Alpha Security will prevent shoplifting by opioid addicts or any other thief for that matter? As I mentioned I have an extensive background in Retail Loss Prevention and I know that the majority of shoplifters will do what they can to avoid detection. They don’t like to risk an alarm by trying to remove a security device and they certainly don’t want to attract attention walking through EAS towers and setting off those alarms. They will try to steal merchandise they don’t believe is tagged or secured. Bill Bregar the CEO of Loss Prevention Systems Inc. (LPSI) agrees with me and that is why LPSI promotes the use of Alpha Security and Checkpoint products. Bill’s experience in Retail Loss Prevention and Law Enforcement surpasses mine and he believes in the effectiveness of anti-theft devices in eliminating theft related shortage for stores. While we don’t want any store to be victimized by criminals we would rather see them go someplace else that refuses to use Alpha Security or other products to protect merchandise. THAT is exactly what retail anti-theft devices do prevent shoplifting by sending the criminals elsewhere, opioid addicts included.
In part 2 of this series I will discuss safety concerns associated with the opioid epidemic. In the meantime find out from LPSI how they can help you in reducing your risk of increased theft in the midst of this crisis.
Need information on Alpha Security? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
How do you prevent shoplifting when there is a surge in opioid use in the U.S. that has become what some are calling an epidemic and a crisis? I have worked in the Retail Loss Prevention field for nearly 17 years and in retail in general for over 27 years. I have caught shoplifters who had drugs and drug paraphernalia on their person and that was scary enough. Today the problem has gotten worse and stories are now making news linking the opioid crisis and shoplifting:
• From Windsor Star, “Desperate to pay for opioids, addicts turn to crime” by Trevor Wilhelm, “Windsor police said break and enters, along with many other crimes including assaults, robberies, shopliftings and shootings are symptoms of the opioid crisis…”
• From WFMJ 21, “Officials: Opioid crisis leading to shoplifting surge”, Nov. 22, 2017 by Caroline Collins “Not only are pharmacies being targeted, but police in the valley are saying users are now shoplifting and selling the items for drug money.”
• From ABC 27 “Police see surge in shoplifting due to opioid crisis” October 20, 2017 by Dawn White, “Police throughout the Midstate say the opioid crisis is leading to another major issue. Users are shoplifting and reselling stolen items to buy more drugs.”
The issue is one that retailers have to address quickly. The drug problem only seems to be getting worse and that means addicts will be more desperate to get the money they need to feed the habit. Theft is one of the means addicts resort to in order to trade for drugs or resell for money to feed their behavior. Retail anti-theft devices are one of the best tools for stores to utilize to disrupt shoplifters from emptying their shelves.
Retail anti-theft devices come in a number of various designs which include cable locks, wraps, security boxes and many more. These devices provide protection for products by allowing the customer to pick up the item, handle it, look at the packaging and even carry the item around the store. If the customer is intent on stealing in most cases the devices are tamper-proof and prevent the removal of the protective device. Attempts to remove them activate built in alarms that warn employees someone is trying to steal merchandise and it is easy to track down where the alarm is sounding in a store. The other protection offered by retail anti-theft devices is that they will cause electronic article surveillance (EAS) towers to sound their alarms if a tagged or protected item is being carried out the doors. Tower alarms, such as the electronic article surveillance towers you frequently see when you walk into a store can detect protective devices on merchandise even when the item is concealed in a bag, purse or under clothing. These towers have their own alarms and they are extremely loud, 95 decibels of loud to be exact. When the tower alarm sounds EVERYONE in a store hears it and trained store staff members respond and take appropriate steps to reconcile the cause of the alarm and retrieve merchandise that was going to be stolen or get the “customer” to pay for the item.
How sure am I that retail anti-theft devices such as those from Loss Prevention Systems Inc. (LPSI) will prevent shoplifting by opioid addicts or any other thief for that matter? As I mentioned I have an extensive background in Retail Loss Prevention and I know that the majority of shoplifters will do what they can to avoid detection. They don’t like to risk an alarm by trying to remove a security device and they certainly don’t want to attract attention walking through EAS towers and setting off those alarms. They will try to steal merchandise they don’t believe is tagged or secured. Bill Bregar the CEO of LPSI agrees with me and that is why LPSI promotes the use of retail anti-theft devices. Bill’s experience in Retail Loss Prevention and Law Enforcement surpasses mine and he believes in the effectiveness of anti-theft devices in eliminating theft related shortage for stores. While we don’t want any store to be victimized by criminals we would rather see them go someplace else that refuses to use retail anti-theft devices to protect merchandise. THAT is exactly what retail anti-theft devices do prevent shoplifting by sending the criminals elsewhere, opioid addicts included.
In part 2 of this series I will discuss safety concerns associated with the opioid epidemic. In the meantime find out from LPSI how they can help you in reducing your risk of increased theft in the midst of this crisis.
Need information on retail anti-theft devices? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
Prevent Shoplifting – 3 WC Blog 531
Gaming Keepers-4
Alpha Keepers-4
Showcases Slow Down Sales; Use Gaming Keepers Instead
I just had an experience at a big box retailer that made me turn to my wife and tell her I had to get home because I had to write about how to prevent shoplifting. No, it wasn’t what the store or the associate did right that got me into a ranting mood it was what they were doing wrong that got my attention. It also got me to thinking what the CEO of Loss Prevention Systems Inc. Bill Bregar would say to the employee if he had been in my shoes. My wife and I were shopping for a video game as a gift for one of our son’s upcoming birthday. Now this store uses lock-up display cases for many of their video games, mostly the newer games on the market. I don’t like display cases but I get it, many stores don’t know about the benefits of Alpha Keepers to protect electronics. HOWEVER, this store already uses gaming keepers to prevent shoplifting of…you guessed it, VIDEO GAMES!
I will continue with my rant momentarily but I want to be sure everyone knows what I am referencing when I talk about Alpha Keepers. They are see-through, tough, plastic cases that function using electronic article surveillance (EAS) technology. The boxes allow merchants to avoid the hassle of unlocking merchandise in a showcase. The showcase is supposed to require an employee to remove an item, allow one or two things to be looked at and the employee carries the item(s) to the register for the customer. A Keeper allows a customer like me to view the item, read labels and carry it around the store until I am ready to make a purchase. No assistance is required so staff members can help more customers in a store and drive sales. Should a customer turn out to be a shoplifter and try to walk out the door with merchandise protected in gaming keepers an EAS tower at the doors will detect the keeper and sound an alarm. Front end employees respond to the alarm and retrieve the merchandise from the would-be thief.
What could have possibly happened that would make me so insane? I located the game I wanted in the showcase. No employees were in the immediate vicinity so I walked to the cash stand and found an employee cleaning around the register. The employee said she would be with me in a minute. I walked back to the showcase and waited for a couple minutes and the employee finally came over. She unlocked the case with her key and removed the game, closed and locked the case and handed me the game. I asked if I had to pay for it at the cash stand where she had been. No, I could continue shopping and pay for it up front. I am not sure how a store can prevent shoplifting if they are locking merchandise up only to hand it over to a customer. My wife and I took the game and walked through the rest of the electronics department. I came to a dump bin filled with marked down video games and all of them were secured in gaming keepers! I just shook my head in disbelief.
I have to wonder how much money has been lost in markdowns for these games that did not sell when they were new and popular. Had the store trusted the protection of Alpha Keepers to put the games within the reach of customers when they were new releases there would not be as many on hand today. Customers do not want to wait for assistance to browse merchandise. The effort to locate a sales associate and get them to assist you at a display case can be frustrating and there is no way to measure the lost sales this causes. By offering gaming keepers to their clients, Loss Prevention Systems Inc. sees the potential for increasing profits through sales and still delivering merchandise protection that reduces shortage.
I bought the game and the store made their money but not all of their customers are me and neither are yours. Lost profit due to markdowns because of unnecessary showcases can be avoided. Get merchandise into the hands of your customers by using Alpha keepers for games and much more.
Need more information on gaming keepers? Contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today
I just had an experience at a big box retailer that made me turn to my wife and tell her I had to get home because I had to write about how to prevent shoplifting. No, it wasn’t what the store or the associate did right that got me into a ranting mood it was what they were doing wrong that got my attention. It also got me to thinking what the CEO of Loss Prevention Systems Inc. Bill Bregar would say to the employee if he had been in my shoes. My wife and I were shopping for a video game as a gift for one of our son’s upcoming birthday. Now this store uses lock-up display cases for many of their video games, mostly the newer games on the market. I don’t like display cases but I get it, many stores don’t know about the benefits of Keepers to protect electronics. HOWEVER, this store already uses gaming keepers to prevent shoplifting of…you guessed it, VIDEO GAMES!
I will continue with my rant momentarily but I want to be sure everyone knows what I am referencing when I talk about Keepers. They are see-through, tough, plastic cases that function using electronic article surveillance (EAS) technology. The boxes allow merchants to avoid the hassle of unlocking merchandise in a showcase. The showcase is supposed to require an employee to remove an item, allow one or two things to be looked at and the employee carries the item(s) to the register for the customer. A Keeper allows a customer like me to view the item, read labels and carry it around the store until I am ready to make a purchase. No assistance is required so staff members can help more customers in a store and drive sales. Should a customer turn out to be a shoplifter and try to walk out the door with merchandise protected in gaming keepers an EAS tower at the doors will detect the keeper and sound an alarm. Front end employees respond to the alarm and retrieve the merchandise from the would-be thief.
What could have possibly happened that would make me so insane? I located the game I wanted in the showcase. No employees were in the immediate vicinity so I walked to the cash stand and found an employee cleaning around the register. The employee said she would be with me in a minute. I walked back to the showcase and waited for a couple minutes and the employee finally came over. She unlocked the case with her key and removed the game, closed and locked the case and handed me the game. I asked if I had to pay for it at the cash stand where she had been. No, I could continue shopping and pay for it up front. I am not sure how a store can prevent shoplifting if they are locking merchandise up only to hand it over to a customer. My wife and I took the game and walked through the rest of the electronics department. I came to a dump bin filled with marked down video games and all of them were secured in gaming keepers! I just shook my head in disbelief.
I have to wonder how much money has been lost in markdowns for these games that did not sell when they were new and popular. Had the store trusted the protection of Keepers to put the games within the reach of customers when they were new releases there would not be as many on hand today. Customers do not want to wait for assistance to browse merchandise. The effort to locate a sales associate and get them to assist you at a display case can be frustrating and there is no way to measure the lost sales this causes. By offering gaming keepers to their clients, Loss Prevention Systems Inc. sees the potential for increasing profits through sales and still delivering merchandise protection that reduces shortage.
I bought the game and the store made their money but not all of their customers are me and neither are yours. Lost profit due to markdowns because of unnecessary showcases can be avoided. Get merchandise into the hands of your customers by using keepers for games and much more.
Need more information on gaming keepers? Contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today
SWING AWAY TO HIGHER PROFITS WITH AN O-TAG
The days are getting longer, the sun brighter and everyone seems to be outdoors more. That can only mean one thing… SUMMER is here! Outdoor grilling, fishing on the lake, and trips to the beach are all in store, and personally, I can’t wait to relax a bit and play a few rounds of golf. This just happens to be one category that seems to do very well this time of year. As with any hot item, as retailers, we have to figure out ways to Prevent Shoplifting, or we’ll be blinded by the shrink come inventory night.
Golf clubs can be tricky to keep secure. While, it’s very rare for a club to be outright stolen, what is most common is price-switching, where a lower price barcode is affixed to a higher priced club. It’s difficult for a cashier to spot the difference, so that’s where the O-Tag comes in. I’ve got two perfect examples of these tags in action from just this past year.
I was doing some audits on a cashier when I heard our EAS system activate. I looked up and noticed a taller gentlemen walking, with a funny limp, out the front door. I saw this guy earlier and he wasn’t walking like that. Finding it odd, I followed him outside to see where he went. When he saw me come out of the store, he attempted to run, however found it difficult to do so with a number of golf clubs wedged down his pants. As he started to flee, he just couldn’t bend his knees enough and he toppled over. It was hilarious to watch.
As he laid there, flailing on the ground, I noticed the golf clubs (and one of my O-Tags), running down the side of his let. There happened to be a police officer in the parking lot, so I waved him down and pointed the thief out to him. The shoplifter was still on the ground. He could not get enough of a bend in his leg to lift himself up. Later, I found that he had a harness style rig in his pants that allowed him to conceal the golf clubs. The police officer causally strolled over, cuffed the guy, brought him to his feet and recovered my merchandise. Had it not been for the O-Tag, I would’ve never realized this guy walked out of the door.
Now, that’s really loss reaction. You want to out-right Prevent Shoplifting before it ever happens. This is where a well-trained cashier team can put dollars back to your bottom line every day of the week. Like I said above, cashiers have a hard time discerning an expensive golf club from a cheaper one. I’d suggest you apply an O-Tag to any club valued at more than $100. Second part of this process is to train your cashier to recognize the tag and at what price-point it will be attached.
By utilizing the O-Tag and combining that with some training, your cashier should be able to immediately recognize when a price-switch is taking place. If a suspect customer presents a club, secured with a tag, but it rings for $12.99, the cashier should call a manager. With minimal effort and expense, it is that easy to Prevent Shoplifting.
Get more information on O-TAG, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.
The days are getting longer, the sun brighter and everyone seems to be outdoors more. That can only mean one thing… SUMMER is here! Outdoor grilling, fishing on the lake, and trips to the beach are all in store, and personally, I can’t wait to relax a bit and play a few rounds of golf. This just happens to be one category that seems to do very well this time of year. As with any hot item, as retailers, we have to figure out ways to Prevent Shoplifting, or we’ll be blinded by the shrink come inventory night.
Golf clubs can be tricky to keep secure. While, it’s very rare for a club to be outright stolen, what is most common is price-switching, where a lower price barcode is affixed to a higher priced club. It’s difficult for a cashier to spot the difference, so that’s where the golf club tag comes in. I’ve got two perfect examples of these tags in action from just this past year.
I was doing some audits on a cashier when I heard our EAS system activate. I looked up and noticed a taller gentlemen walking, with a funny limp, out the front door. I saw this guy earlier and he wasn’t walking like that. Finding it odd, I followed him outside to see where he went. When he saw me come out of the store, he attempted to run, however found it difficult to do so with a number of golf clubs wedged down his pants. As he started to flee, he just couldn’t bend his knees enough and he toppled over. It was hilarious to watch.
As he laid there, flailing on the ground, I noticed the golf clubs (and one of my golf club tags), running down the side of his let. There happened to be a police officer in the parking lot, so I waved him down and pointed the thief out to him. The shoplifter was still on the ground. He could not get enough of a bend in his leg to lift himself up. Later, I found that he had a harness style rig in his pants that allowed him to conceal the golf clubs. The police officer causally strolled over, cuffed the guy, brought him to his feet and recovered my merchandise. Had it not been for the golf club tag, I would’ve never realized this guy walked out of the door.
Now, that’s really loss reaction. You want to out-right Prevent Shoplifting before it ever happens. This is where a well-trained cashier team can put dollars back to your bottom line every day of the week. Like I said above, cashiers have a hard time discerning an expensive golf club from a cheaper one. I’d suggest you apply an golf club tag to any club valued at more than $100. Second part of this process is to train your cashier to recognize the tag and at what price-point it will be attached.
By utilizing the golf club tag and combining that with some training, your cashier should be able to immediately recognize when a price-switch is taking place. If a suspect customer presents a club, secured with a tag, but it rings for $12.99, the cashier should call a manager. With minimal effort and expense, it is that easy to Prevent Shoplifting.
Get more information on golf club tag, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.
Door Counting Sensor- 5 WC Blog 499
Retail Traffic Counting-4
Senseless Arguments Against A Door Counting Sensor
When you hear the mention of a door counting sensor in retail what comes to your mind? Do you think only in terms of measuring your foot traffic and that’s it? Are you dismissing the importance of retail traffic counting because you are concerned that it will just be more data you have to file away? I was surprised to learn that two objections some business owners have to counters are the appearance and that they count children who those owners don’t consider important because they don’t spend the money. If these are concerns you have had and it has discouraged you from investing in a door counting sensor for your business this article is for you.
I know that some readers are familiar with the concept of retail traffic counting but may not know how it is done so I am going to digress briefly for the uninitiated. The basic idea is that a store uses a door counting sensor to identify the number of people entering the business. We will discuss how that information may be used a bit later. The sensor itself can be a stand-alone unit or in stores that utilize electronic article surveillance pedestals to prevent shoplifting a sensor can be attached directly to the pedestals. It’s that simple!
As I said earlier, there are two major objections I found that are used as excuses not to invest in a retail traffic counting system. The first objection was that some units have the appearance of a cctv camera and owners and managers are afraid it will make customers uncomfortable. Hogwash! There are very few retailers in this day and age which do not employ some type of video surveillance. It may be a Public View monitor at the entrance to a store or in an area known to be vulnerable to theft. As a Loss Prevention Manager I have seen them used in high end department stores at the entrance to fitting rooms. I would argue that the extensive use of cctv has actually de-sensitized shoppers to cameras and video monitors to the point they have negligible effects on deterring shoplifters. The other rebuttal to this objection is that when the unit is tied in to an EAS pedestal it is barely noticeable. Shoppers hardly notice pedestals when they enter or leave (unless it alarms) so adding a small accessory to it won’t cause any distractions.
The other argument against a door counting sensor is that they count small children who won’t be spending money. That is to say the results are skewed and therefore irrelevant. Well, Mr. or Ms. Grocery Store Owner, don’t you think that those children are influencing their parents while the parents are shopping? Do you display children’s cereals on endcaps? Do you have gum, candy and soft drink coolers at your checkout stands? Why do you think food manufacturers spend so much money on advertising and packaging? In many cases it is to appeal to the children who will influence parents spending habits. Clothing retailers, the same goes for you. There is a reason commercials are made to make clothing for kids to look “cool” and popular. Toy store retailers, I don’t think I should even have to say anything to you. How many children are buying your merchandise? That’s right, very few. It is the parents and usually a response to what their children have asked for on birthdays, holidays and just pointed out while watching a television ad. If you are striving to get people to visit your store you are going to reach out to as many folks as possible and that includes families with children.
I mentioned I would discuss how information from a Retail Traffic Counting system could benefit your store. Let’s suppose you advertise a new line of product you are carrying. You may use a number of media venues and door and window signage to get out the message. You create a new product display in a prominent location. The success of the new product can’t be measured just in sales dollars. A traffic counter will tell you how many people entered your store. When you have previous information to compare to you can see whether your new product drew in more people. That measure of success is something you can build on to keep new customers coming back time after time.
A door counting sensor isn’t just another source of useless data. If employed properly and the information understood correctly it can be a powerful tool for measuring success of merchandising. It can also be used to improve your payroll allocation, but that is for another article.
For more information about a door counting sensor contact us or call 1.770.426.0547
When you hear the mention of a door counting sensor in retail what comes to your mind? Do you think only in terms of measuring your foot traffic and that’s it? Are you dismissing the importance of retail traffic counting because you are concerned that it will just be more data you have to file away? I was surprised to learn that two objections some business owners have to counters are the appearance and that they count children who those owners don’t consider important because they don’t spend the money. If these are concerns you have had and it has discouraged you from investing in a door counting sensor for your business this article is for you.
I know that some readers are familiar with the concept of retail traffic counting but may not know how it is done so I am going to digress briefly for the uninitiated. The basic idea is that a store uses a door counting sensor to identify the number of people entering the business. We will discuss how that information may be used a bit later. The sensor itself can be a stand-alone unit or in stores that utilize electronic article surveillance pedestals to prevent shoplifting a sensor can be attached directly to the pedestals. It’s that simple!
As I said earlier, there are two major objections I found that are used as excuses not to invest in a retail traffic counting system. The first objection was that some units have the appearance of a cctv camera and owners and managers are afraid it will make customers uncomfortable. Hogwash! There are very few retailers in this day and age which do not employ some type of video surveillance. It may be a Public View monitor at the entrance to a store or in an area known to be vulnerable to theft. As a Loss Prevention Manager I have seen them used in high end department stores at the entrance to fitting rooms. I would argue that the extensive use of cctv has actually de-sensitized shoppers to cameras and video monitors to the point they have negligible effects on deterring shoplifters. The other rebuttal to this objection is that when the unit is tied in to an EAS pedestal it is barely noticeable. Shoppers hardly notice pedestals when they enter or leave (unless it alarms) so adding a small accessory to it won’t cause any distractions.
The other argument against a door counting sensor is that they count small children who won’t be spending money. That is to say the results are skewed and therefore irrelevant. Well, Mr. or Ms. Grocery Store Owner, don’t you think that those children are influencing their parents while the parents are shopping? Do you display children’s cereals on endcaps? Do you have gum, candy and soft drink coolers at your checkout stands? Why do you think food manufacturers spend so much money on advertising and packaging? In many cases it is to appeal to the children who will influence parents spending habits. Clothing retailers, the same goes for you. There is a reason commercials are made to make clothing for kids to look “cool” and popular. Toy store retailers, I don’t think I should even have to say anything to you. How many children are buying your merchandise? That’s right, very few. It is the parents and usually a response to what their children have asked for on birthdays, holidays and just pointed out while watching a television ad. If you are striving to get people to visit your store you are going to reach out to as many folks as possible and that includes families with children.
I mentioned I would discuss how information from a Retail Traffic Counting system could benefit your store. Let’s suppose you advertise a new line of product you are carrying. You may use a number of media venues and door and window signage to get out the message. You create a new product display in a prominent location. The success of the new product can’t be measured just in sales dollars. A traffic counter will tell you how many people entered your store. When you have previous information to compare to you can see whether your new product drew in more people. That measure of success is something you can build on to keep new customers coming back time after time.
A door counting sensor isn’t just another source of useless data. If employed properly and the information understood correctly it can be a powerful tool for measuring success of merchandising. It can also be used to improve your payroll allocation, but that is for another article.
For more information about a door counting sensor contact us or call 1.770.426.0547
