50 PRODUCTS THAT SHOULD BE PROTECTED WITH CHECKPOINT LABELS – PT 8
Let’s take a stroll down to the sporting goods section for a minute. Whether you have just a sporting goods section in your store, or your entire footprint is in the game, you know just how many high priced, high theft items there are in this area. There are plenty of items where an EAS label can make the difference between profit and shrink. Here’s some often overlooked items that can benefit from a little extra protection.
31. Tool Sets
From socket wrenches, to screwdriver sets and everything in between, tools are big business. They also attract shoplifters like a moth to a flame. Sometimes, it is difficult to secure bigger sets due the bulky nature of the packaging and retailers will often not secure the item at all because of it. Checkpoint Labels are a great solution for this problem. The label should be affixed to the inside of the tools set. This will let you know if someone walks out the doors without paying for those ratchets.
32. Fishing Line
Fishing line is always overlooked, even the ones that have price points over $50. Spools are incredibly easy to conceal and a thief can easily steal multiple units at once. Not only does the average shoplifter target this merchandise, I see this constantly in return fraud cases. Checkpoint Labels can make a direct impact. We tested this out recently and saw shrink and returns drop to almost nothing nearly overnight.
33. Camp Stoves
I’ll be honest. I’ve never had anyone conceal a camp stove on me. What I’ve had, with regularity, are price switching incidents. Quite often, I will see where a $150 stove was sold for $25. Customers want the best item, but often, they are not willing to pay for the best. Most thieves I’ve caught doing this don’t seem to consider price switching a form of theft; they are in fact paying for (at least partially) the item. Applying a Checkpoint Label can help educate your cashiers on the high priced items, in addition to helping catch the crook as they exit if it is not caught at the point of sale.
34. Hammocks
I love my hammock. I could easily spend my entire Sunday perched under my two palm trees with a cold beverage in my hand and steaks on the grill. Your everyday hammock isn’t that pricey, but there is a specialty niche for the more adventurous folks. These are designed for hanging from a cliff, or perched upon a mountain top. Obviously, you need a high quality material for the added safety, which of course will come with a much higher price tag. EAS labels can make a great deterrent to any would-be shoplifter. I’ve used them personally in my stores with great success.
35. Sleeping Bags
What camping trip through the great outdoors wouldn’t be complete without a couple of sleeping bags? This is another category that is often overlooked in terms of EAS Labels and other product protection strategies. The mindset is always the same; “where can someone conceal a big sleeping bag?” I’ve heard that every time I bring this up within our department. Just like camp stoves, you can’t conceal these very easily, but you can price-switch the heck out of them. An in-attentive, or ill-trained cashier won’t know the difference between a $20 sleeping bag and the $120 model that will keep you warm through a blizzard. Using a Checkpoint Label can help reduce shrink by giving your cashier team a visual clue that the item in front of them should have a price-point over $100.
For more information about Checkpoint Labels contact us or call 1.770.426.0547.
Let’s take a stroll down to the sporting goods section for a minute. Whether you have just a sporting goods section in your store, or your entire footprint is in the game, you know just how many high priced, high theft items there are in this area. There are plenty of items where EAS labels can make the difference between profit and shrink. Here’s some often overlooked items that can benefit from a little extra protection.
31. Tool SetsFrom socket wrenches, to screwdriver sets and everything in between, tools are big business. They also attract shoplifters like a moth to a flame. Sometimes, it is difficult to secure bigger sets due the bulky nature of the packaging and retailers will often not secure the item at all because of it. Checkpoint Labels are a great solution for this problem. The label should be affixed to the inside of the tools set. This will let you know if someone walks out the doors without paying for those ratchets.
32. Fishing LineFishing line is always overlooked, even the ones that have price points over $50. Spools are incredibly easy to conceal and a thief can easily steal multiple units at once. Not only does the average shoplifter target this merchandise, I see this constantly in return fraud cases. Checkpoint Labels can make a direct impact. We tested this out recently and saw shrink and returns drop to almost nothing nearly overnight.
33. Camp StovesI’ll be honest. I’ve never had anyone conceal a camp stove on me. What I’ve had, with regularity, are price switching incidents. Quite often, I will see where a $150 stove was sold for $25. Customers want the best item, but often, they are not willing to pay for the best. Most thieves I’ve caught doing this don’t seem to consider price switching a form of theft; they are in fact paying for (at least partially) the item. Applying Checkpoint Labels can help educate your cashiers on the high priced items, in addition to helping catch the crook as they exit if it is not caught at the point of sale.
34. HammocksI love my hammock. I could easily spend my entire Sunday perched under my two palm trees with a cold beverage in my hand and steaks on the grill. Your everyday hammock isn’t that pricey, but there is a specialty niche for the more adventurous folks. These are designed for hanging from a cliff, or perched upon a mountain top. Obviously, you need a high quality material for the added safety, which of course will come with a much higher price tag. EAS labels can make a great deterrent to any would-be shoplifter. I’ve used them personally in my stores with great success.
35. Sleeping BagsWhat camping trip through the great outdoors wouldn’t be complete without a couple of sleeping bags? This is another category that is often overlooked in terms of EAS Labels and other product protection strategies. The mindset is always the same; “where can someone conceal a big sleeping bag?” I’ve heard that every time I bring this up within our department. Just like camp stoves, you can’t conceal these very easily, but you can price-switch the heck out of them. An in-attentive, or ill-trained cashier won’t know the difference between a $20 sleeping bag and the $120 model that will keep you warm through a blizzard. Using a Checkpoint Label can help reduce shrink by giving your cashier team a visual clue that the item in front of them should have a price-point over $100.
For more information about Checkpoint Labels, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547.
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Wardrobing IS Return Fraud-Prevent It With Alpha Shark Tags
In a Dec 17, 2015 report, The National Retail Federation states, “retailers estimate that 3.5% of their holiday returns this year will be fraudulent”. They estimate that this will translate to 2.2 billion dollars. I have not been able to locate the final numbers for this past season, but 2.2 billion is a lot of money by ANY definition. The report did go on to say that 72.6% of the retailers they interviewed said that they have experienced wardrobing in the last year. Of all the return fraud that takes place this is probably the one that creates the biggest headaches for retailers. Wardrobing is the practice of buying an item, wearing it and returning it. There are a few methods to stop the practice, one of the best being Alpha Shark Tags.
Alpha Shark Tags are pinned to clothing and only removed by the purchaser once they get out of the store or get home. These bright colored tags are placed in a prominent location on a piece of merchandise and may even have an optional hang tag warning the buyer about the store return policy. The warning tag lets customers know that once the tag is removed, the article of clothing cannot be returned to the retailer. Since they are one-time use devices, Shark Tags cannot be removed from a garment, and replaced at a later time.
Why is the one-time use feature of the tag so important? The people involved in wardrobing are in the market to get free use out of merchandise from retailers. Take for example, if your store sells sports coats and a customer comes in who has a job interview coming up. Rather than spend money for a jacket they will only wear once, the customer purchases a sports coat and hides the tags or carefully removes them. The jacket is worn to the interview, brought back home, tags reattached and with receipt in hand, the jacket is returned for a full refund. The retailer makes absolutely no money from the sale and while some major retailers may be able to absorb these types of returns as the price of doing business, the small business owner can’t do the same. With an Alpha Shark Tag attached to that jacket in a location such as a lapel, the customer is unable to wear the jacket with the tag in place. If the customer removes the tag to wear it to the interview the ability to return the jacket is voided.
Some people argue that wardrobing is not return fraud because they are staying within the return policies set by the stores themselves. If stores establish guidelines such as accepting returns within a set number of days as long as the patron has the receipt, and that is what they as the customer are doing, they see no issue. Often the merchandise returned has stains or odors on them from being worn. While I worked as a Loss Prevention Officer for a large department store I saw clothing returned with make-up stains, food stains, deodorant stains, perfume smells and cigarette odors. Because of the loose return policies, receipted returns were accepted, even with these blemishes. The store damaged the merchandise out and took the loss because the merchandise was not in a sellable condition. Because we tracked refund slips at that time, we knew that there were regular offenders, but we weren’t able to do anything about it.
Alpha Shark Tags are unobtrusive so they don’t interfere with trying on a garment. They allow a customer to purchase an item and take it home to try it on or give it as a gift. As long as the tag remains intact the merchandise can be returned with a receipt. Start using Alpha Shark Tags and boost profits by eliminating wardrobing and return fraud.
Return Fraud is important and we can help you with it. Call 1.770.426.0547 and let’s talk.
In a Dec 17, 2015 report, The National Retail Federation states, “retailers estimate that 3.5% of their holiday returns this year will be fraudulent”. They estimate that this will translate to 2.2 billion dollars. I have not been able to locate the final numbers for this past season, but 2.2 billion is a lot of money by ANY definition. The report did go on to say that 72.6% of the retailers they interviewed said that they have experienced wardrobing in the last year. Of all the return fraud that takes place this is probably the one that creates the biggest headaches for retailers. Wardrobing is the practice of buying an item, wearing it and returning it. There are a few methods to stop the practice, one of the best being Alpha Shark Tags.
Alpha Shark Tags are pinned to clothing and only removed by the purchaser once they get out of the store or get home. These bright colored tags are placed in a prominent location on a piece of merchandise and may even have an optional hang tag warning the buyer about the store return policy. The warning tag lets customers know that once the tag is removed, the article of clothing cannot be returned to the retailer. Since they are one-time use devices, Shark Tags cannot be removed from a garment, and replaced at a later time.
Why is the one-time use feature of the tag so important? The people involved in wardrobing are in the market to get free use out of merchandise from retailers.Take for example, if your store sells sports coats and a customer comes in who has a job interview coming up. Rather than spend money for a jacket they will only wear once, the customer purchases a sports coat and hides the tags or carefully removes them. The jacket is worn to the interview, brought back home, tags reattached and with receipt in hand, the jacket is returned for a full refund. The retailer makes absolutely no money from the sale and while some major retailers may be able to absorb these types of returns as the price of doing business, the small business owner can’t do the same. With an Alpha Shark Tag attached to that jacket in a location such as a lapel, the customer is unable to wear the jacket with the tag in place. If the customer removes the tag to wear it to the interview the ability to return the jacket is voided.
Some people argue that wardrobing is not return fraud because they are staying within the return policies set by the stores themselves. If stores establish guidelines such as accepting returns within a set number of days as long as the patron has the receipt, and that is what they as the customer are doing, they see no issue. Often the merchandise returned has stains or odors on them from being worn. While I worked as a Loss Prevention Officer for a large department store I saw clothing returned with make-up stains, food stains, deodorant stains, perfume smells and cigarette odors. Because of the loose return policies, receipted returns were accepted, even with these blemishes. The store damaged the merchandise out and took the loss because the merchandise was not in a sellable condition. Because we tracked refund slips at that time, we knew that there were regular offenders, but we weren’t able to do anything about it.
Alpha Shark Tags are unobtrusive so they don’t interfere with trying on a garment. They allow a customer to purchase an item and take it home to try it on or give it as a gift. As long as the tag remains intact the merchandise can be returned with a receipt. Start using Alpha Shark Tags and boost profits by eliminating wardrobing and return fraud.
Return Fraud is important and we can help you with it. Call 1.770.426.0547 and let’s talk.
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Don’t Be Intimidated By Wardrobers; Use Alpha Shark Tags To Enforce Return Policies
I have a daughter who works in clothing retail, often at the customer service counter taking returns. Because of our similar backgrounds, I like to ask her about her experiences with attempted return fraud. She recently told me about a customer attempting to return an inexpensive lingerie item that had a shirt tag on it for $32.99. The ticket was from a shirt their store carries, but she said the lingerie piece was not one of their brands. While this is one return she was able to prevent, she did say that she has had a number of items returned that had obviously been worn. She described an incident of a man returning a pair of work pants that had a foul smell and had obviously been worn. Because the customer had the receipt and the tags, the manager on duty accepted the return. Since I have retail management experience, I knew the answer to my own question, but I asked my daughter if they were supposed to take items in this condition back. I also asked her why the managers would do this. The answer: No, they aren’t supposed to take the items back, but some do it to avoid the threat of a call to corporate.
Return fraud situations like this could easily be avoided if clothing retailers would use Alpha Shark Tags on the garments they sell. What is so special about Alpha Shark Tags? These tags are attached to clothing in a location that will ensure they are visible and can’t be concealed. For example, on a pair of slacks a Shark Tag would be applied on a seam near the knee so an untucked shirt cannot be used to cover it up. On a shirt the tag could be applied near the collar so there is no concealing it with a sweater. Wardrobing tags have to be removed once the purchaser gets home and decides they are going to keep the item and wear it. Once removed wardrobing tags can’t be reattached and store policy should dictate that under no circumstance will an item be accepted for a return without tag attached, except in the case of a defect in the merchandise.
It is an unfortunate reality that many people involved in wardrobing know that it is not difficult to return merchandise they have worn. They are aware that many retail managers at store level don’t like to have an upset customer and they don’t like confrontation. Part of this I blame on the culture that has developed around the concept that “the customer is always right”. No, the customer is not always right, especially when they are trying to commit return fraud. It is important to do the right thing for the customer who is making a legitimate purchase and return, but the people wardrobing are using stores as their personal clothing closet, buying new clothes, wearing them and returning them for full refunds. Too often I have seen managers tell a customer no to a return and the customer demand the number to a district manager or a corporate phone number. The dreaded threat of a “call to corporate” often ends up with a manager “allowing the return just this once, even though I’m not supposed to”.
Excellence in customer service starts with making your patrons feel welcome when they enter your store and making sure you find out what they are looking for and helping them make the choices that will fit them. Offering suggestions for accessorizing can also make a shopping experience enjoyable, especially for a shopper who may not know quite what will go with an outfit. Finally, ensure that the checkout process is easy and the customer knows exactly what the store return policies are. Customers who are honest will abide by return policies and won’t abuse them as long as a store is upfront about their policies and makes good faith efforts to correct a problem with defective merchandise.
If you use Alpha Shark Tags and explain the return policy to customers, you can stand by your policy with confidence. Even if YOU are the “District Manager” and “Corporate Office”, you can rest assured your good customers will continue to shop with you and those committing return fraud will find somewhere else to go where they can intimidate managers.
For more information on Return Fraud contact us or call 1.770.426.0547
I have a daughter who works in clothing retail, often at the customer service counter taking returns. Because of our similar backgrounds, I like to ask her about her experiences with attempted return fraud. She recently told me about a customer attempting to return an inexpensive lingerie item that had a shirt tag on it for $32.99. The ticket was from a shirt their store carries, but she said the lingerie piece was not one of their brands. While this is one return she was able to prevent, she did say that she has had a number of items returned that had obviously been worn. She described an incident of a man returning a pair of work pants that had a foul smell and had obviously been worn. Because the customer had the receipt and the tags, the manager on duty accepted the return. Since I have retail management experience, I knew the answer to my own question, but I asked my daughter if they were supposed to take items in this condition back. I also asked her why the managers would do this. The answer: No, they aren’t supposed to take the items back, but some do it to avoid the threat of a call to corporate.
Return fraud situations like this could easily be avoided if clothing retailers would use Alpha Shark Tags on the garments they sell. What is so special about Alpha Shark Tags? These tags are attached to clothing in a location that will ensure they are visible and can’t be concealed. For example, on a pair of slacks a Shark Tag would be applied on a seam near the knee so an untucked shirt cannot be used to cover it up. On a shirt the tag could be applied near the collar so there is no concealing it with a sweater. Wardrobing tags have to be removed once the purchaser gets home and decides they are going to keep the item and wear it. Once removed wardrobing tags can’t be reattached and store policy should dictate that under no circumstance will an item be accepted for a return without tag attached, except in the case of a defect in the merchandise.
It is an unfortunate reality that many people involved in wardrobing know that it is not difficult to return merchandise they have worn. They are aware that many retail managers at store level don’t like to have an upset customer and they don’t like confrontation. Part of this I blame on the culture that has developed around the concept that “the customer is always right”. No, the customer is not always right, especially when they are trying to commit return fraud. It is important to do the right thing for the customer who is making a legitimate purchase and return, but the people wardrobing are using stores as their personal clothing closet, buying new clothes, wearing them and returning them for full refunds. Too often I have seen managers tell a customer no to a return and the customer demand the number to a district manager or a corporate phone number. The dreaded threat of a “call to corporate” often ends up with a manager “allowing the return just this once, even though I’m not supposed to”.
Excellence in customer service starts with making your patrons feel welcome when they enter your store and making sure you find out what they are looking for and helping them make the choices that will fit them. Offering suggestions for accessorizing can also make a shopping experience enjoyable, especially for a shopper who may not know quite what will go with an outfit. Finally, ensure that the checkout process is easy and the customer knows exactly what the store return policies are. Customers who are honest will abide by return policies and won’t abuse them as long as a store is upfront about their policies and makes good faith efforts to correct a problem with defective merchandise.
If you use Alpha Shark Tags and explain the return policy to customers, you can stand by your policy with confidence. Even if YOU are the “District Manager” and “Corporate Office”, you can rest assured your good customers will continue to shop with you and those committing return fraud will find somewhere else to go where they can intimidate managers.
For more information on Return Fraud, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547
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Are You Loaning Clothes Due To Return Fraud? Alpha Shark Tags Strengthen Return Policies
Do you own a clothing store and worry about return fraud? Perhaps you don’t worry about it because you don’t ever take back any clothing items that don’t have the tags on them. Maybe you don’t take back any clothes without a receipt. It may be that you have a two week return policy and you are strict in adhering to the policy, no exceptions will be tolerated. I would like to suggest that while you may believe you have some good policies in place, there are ways for those who want to commit return fraud to sneak stuff past you. There are also things you as a retailer can do to prevent return fraud, the best option being the use of Alpha Shark Tags.
What is an Alpha Shark Tag? It is a plastic, brightly colored tag that is pinned to a garment by clipping it together. Once it is snapped shut it can’t be removed without cutting it off. It can only be used once, and the customer discards the tag when they get home and decide they want to keep the merchandise. How does this help you, the business owner? You put in place a return policy that clearly states the merchandise cannot be returned if the Alpha Shark Tag is removed. The company that makes the tags also has a small hang label that may be attached with the tag that explains this policy for you.
One of the more difficult forms of return fraud for retailers to prevent is wardrobing fraud. This occurs when the customer purchases clothing and wears it then returns it for a full refund. The person who is wardrobing is removing the clothing tags from the garment or possibly hiding the tags, then wearing the clothing out that night or day. After wearing the item the tags are reattached and the item goes back to the merchant. In most instances, since the tags are in place and the customer has a receipt, the item is refunded.
Now as fantastic as this may sound, you are probably asking how a customer can reattach their own clothing tags and price labels. A little internet shopping and I found I can purchase a tag attachment gun from Amazon for as little as $10.79! The plastic “hangers” that the gun uses can be purchased at any office supply store. What a great scam! I could come to your store, purchase a new suit, tie and shirt and leave. I get home, remove the tags from the clothing and wear it for a night out with my wife. When I am done with the suit, I reattach the tags with my $10.79 attachment gun and return it to your store with my receipt. My reason for the return? I just wasn’t satisfied and no, nothing is wrong with it, thank you very much. You may just credit it back to my credit card. Now consider the same situation, but this time you had Alpha Shark Tags on the garments I purchased. If I were to cut off the Shark Tag, you aren’t going to take back the return and if I leave them on, I would look really silly wearing the suit out to dinner.
Does this really happen? You bet it does. There are people who do this for a living. They like the image of wearing new clothes to work, or for a night out and never having to be seen in the same outfit twice. Why bother with a clothing rental store when they can get their clothes for free and return them within the limits set by the store? Do the clothes ever have odors or stains from food or make-up on them? Yes, they do occasionally and some of the bigger retailers will still return the items and take the loss when they defect the clothes or mark them out of stock.
Don’t allow yourself to be the victim of return fraud. Begin using Alpha Shark Tags on ALL your clothing items and stop being an unwitting target of those involved in wardrobing. Your good customers will appreciate buying new, unused merchandise and the ones who are defrauding you will take their business elsewhere.
For more information on Alpha Shark Tags, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547
Do you own a clothing store and worry about return fraud? Perhaps you don’t worry about it because you don’t ever take back any clothing items that don’t have the tags on them. Maybe you don’t take back any clothes without a receipt. It may be that you have a two week return policy and you are strict in adhering to the policy, no exceptions will be tolerated. I would like to suggest that while you may believe you have some good policies in place, there are ways for those who want to commit return fraud to sneak stuff past you. There are also things you as a retailer can do to prevent return fraud, the best option being the use of Alpha Shark Tags.
What is an Alpha Shark Tag? It is a plastic, brightly colored tag that is pinned to a garment by clipping it together. Once it is snapped shut it can’t be removed without cutting it off. It can only be used once, and the customer discards the tag when they get home and decide they want to keep the merchandise. How does this help you, the business owner? You put in place a return policy that clearly states the merchandise cannot be returned if the Alpha Shark Tag is removed.
One of the more difficult forms of return fraud for retailers to prevent is wardrobing fraud. This occurs when the customer purchases clothing and wears it then returns it for a full refund. The person who is wardrobing is removing the clothing tags from the garment or possibly hiding the tags, then wearing the clothing out that night or day. After wearing the item the tags are reattached and the item goes back to the merchant. In most instances, since the tags are in place and the customer has a receipt, the item is refunded.
Now as fantastic as this may sound, you are probably asking how a customer can reattach their own clothing tags and price labels. A little internet shopping and I found I can purchase a tag attachment gun from Amazon for as little as $10.79! The plastic “hangers” that the gun uses can be purchased at any office supply store. What a great scam! I could come to your store, purchase a new suit, tie and shirt and leave. I get home, remove the tags from the clothing and wear it for a night out with my wife. When I am done with the suit, I reattach the tags with my $10.79 attachment gun and return it to your store with my receipt. My reason for the return? I just wasn’t satisfied and no, nothing is wrong with it, thank you very much. You may just credit it back to my credit card. Now consider the same situation, but this time you had Alpha Shark Tags on the garments I purchased. If I were to cut off the Shark Tag, you aren’t going to take back the return and if I leave them on, I would look really silly wearing the suit out to dinner.
Does this really happen? You bet it does. There are people who do this for a living. They like the image of wearing new clothes to work, or for a night out and never having to be seen in the same outfit twice. Why bother with a clothing rental store when they can get their clothes for free and return them within the limits set by the store? Do the clothes ever have odors or stains from food or make-up on them? Yes, they do occasionally and some of the bigger retailers will still return the items and take the loss when they defect the clothes or mark them out of stock.
Don’t allow yourself to be the victim of return fraud. Begin using Alpha Shark Tags on ALL your clothing items and stop being an unwitting target of those involved in wardrobing. Your good customers will appreciate buying new, unused merchandise and the ones who are defrauding you will take their business elsewhere.
For more information on Alpha Shark Tags, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547
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Curtail Return Fraud – Clip Clothes With Alpha Shark Tags
Often return fraud is easy to identify. Someone comes in with a receipt and they present a piece of merchandise that doesn’t match any information on the receipt and they want money back. It may be a case of not paying attention and getting the wrong receipt from home, but if they are insistent on getting cash, not a merchandise card or a credit on a credit card, it is probably a fraudulent return. Merchandise being returned with the wrong tags is another fairly easy method to detect. There are thieves who have tag attachment guns at home and can change out tags on garments. These fraud attempts can be prevented by sales associates paying attention to the merchandise returned and ensuring all the appropriate information matches. On the other hand, there is also return fraud which can be a little more difficult to prevent. There are people who will pick up receipts from outside the store, and if they know how to read the information, they go into the store, find a matching item and take it to the return desk for a refund. There are also those people who will enter a store, walk past an unoccupied check lane, pick up a store shopping bag and then proceed to fill it up while posing as a customer. These people then “return” the merchandise, in most cases without a receipt. Often they don’t mind receiving a gift card or merchandise card because they turn around and try to sell it to another customer. The most difficult fraud to deter is wardrobing. This is the customer who buys an item, wears it a time or two and returns it for a refund. They ALWAYS keep the receipt and the tags so there a fewer chances that a refund will be denied. There is only one good method to prevent this type of return fraud and that is to use Alpha Shark Tags on your clothing.
Alpha Shark Tags prevent wardrobing because they are pinned onto a piece of clothing and cannot be removed and re-attached when the clothing is done being worn. These are one-time use only devices and have to be removed by the customer. They are to be pinned in a highly visible area of a shirt, slacks, skirt or any other garment and the customer cuts the tag off at home when they are ready to wear it out. The purpose is so that if someone attempts to wear the item out with friends or even to work as a “New Outfit” the tag makes it clear that the item is intended to be returned. Imagine the embarrassment of wearing a new suit into a job interview and a bright orange tag is hanging from the tie, from the seam along the edge of the knee on a pair of slacks and one from the collar of a suit coat. The interview is probably going to be somewhat awkward when the applicant has to explain what the tags are for.
If your store is using Alpha Shark Tags and you have made your store return policy very clear, there will be no cause for your store to take back an item that has had the tags removed. The use of these tags will reduce the shortage you incur each time you refund and a garment that has been worn and may have odors or makeup on it. Those items are often marked way down and the loss is in your gross margin.
Don’t become a victim of wardrobing and other types of return fraud. Use Alpha Shark Tags on your clothing and see how much your profits will increase when you don’t have to mark items out of stock or take excessive markdowns.
For more information on Alpha Shark Tags, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547
Often return fraud is easy to identify. Someone comes in with a receipt and they present a piece of merchandise that doesn’t match any information on the receipt and they want money back. It may be a case of not paying attention and getting the wrong receipt from home, but if they are insistent on getting cash, not a merchandise card or a credit on a credit card, it is probably a fraudulent return. Merchandise being returned with the wrong tags is another fairly easy method to detect. There are thieves who have tag attachment guns at home and can change out tags on garments. These fraud attempts can be prevented by sales associates paying attention to the merchandise returned and ensuring all the appropriate information matches. On the other hand, there is also return fraud which can be a little more difficult to prevent. There are people who will pick up receipts from outside the store, and if they know how to read the information, they go into the store, find a matching item and take it to the return desk for a refund. There are also those people who will enter a store, walk past an unoccupied check lane, pick up a store shopping bag and then proceed to fill it up while posing as a customer. These people then “return” the merchandise, in most cases without a receipt. Often they don’t mind receiving a gift card or merchandise card because they turn around and try to sell it to another customer. The most difficult fraud to deter is wardrobing. This is the customer who buys an item, wears it a time or two and returns it for a refund. They ALWAYS keep the receipt and the tags so there a fewer chances that a refund will be denied. There is only one good method to prevent this type of return fraud and that is to use Alpha Shark Tags on your clothing.
Alpha Shark Tags prevent wardrobing because they are pinned onto a piece of clothing and cannot be removed and re-attached when the clothing is done being worn. These are one-time use only devices and have to be removed by the customer. They are to be pinned in a highly visible area of a shirt, slacks, skirt or any other garment and the customer cuts the tag off at home when they are ready to wear it out. The purpose is so that if someone attempts to wear the item out with friends or even to work as a “New Outfit” the tag makes it clear that the item is intended to be returned. Imagine the embarrassment of wearing a new suit into a job interview and a bright orange tag is hanging from the tie, from the seam along the edge of the knee on a pair of slacks and one from the collar of a suit coat. The interview is probably going to be somewhat awkward when the applicant has to explain what the tags are for.
If your store is using Alpha Shark Tags and you have made your store return policy very clear, there will be no cause for your store to take back an item that has had the tags removed. The use of these tags will reduce the shortage you incur each time you refund and a garment that has been worn and may have odors or makeup on it. Those items are often marked way down and the loss is in your gross margin.
Don’t become a victim of wardrobing and other types of return fraud. Use Alpha Shark Tags on your clothing and see how much your profits will increase when you don’t have to mark items out of stock or take excessive markdowns.
For more information on Alpha Shark Tags, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.
