Clothing security tags – 3 WC Blog 838
Sensormatic Tags – 3
Sizing Up The Uses For Clothing Security Tags
Why in the world would a non-clothing retailer ever want to use Sensormatic clothing security tags, it doesn’t make sense…or does it? What kind of stores can and should use these tags? On the surface it seems that only clothing retail stores should. But some stores that are not necessarily considered clothing stores sell articles of clothing. For example I have walked into car part stores and have noticed that they sell baseball caps. I have been in a college bookstore that sells more than books. They sell all types of apparel from athletic shorts to college logo button down style shirts. Clothing theft happens wherever garments are sold.
Perhaps you are of the mindset that none of this matters because your store only sells bedding and bathroom accessories. You never ever sell clothing of any sort. You might have a point except that shoplifters will steal bedding and bath merchandise just as quickly as they would steal a pair of shoes. The good news for you is that Sensormatic clothing security tags are versatile enough to be used on all sorts of products made of material. I worked as a Loss Prevention Officer for a big box retailer and we protected high dollar comforters with Sensormatic tags. I have also seen them used on more expensive brands of sheet sets and bath towels.
Then there are the stores that sell groceries. Ahhh, I know you think you are immune to clothing theft so you don’t need to worry about using Sensormatic tags on clothes. Now wait a minute before you stop reading. Let me ask you a question. Do you have a Sensormatic security system in place already? Are you using food-safe Sensormatic labels to protect meats? If you already have an electronic article surveillance system in place, why are you limiting what you are using it for? Why not carry some gift t-shirts or ballcaps to increase sales? Do you carry aprons for your customers? We live near a beach and a lot of grocery stores sell t-shirts with the area’s name on it for souvenirs. They also sell beach towels, baseball hats and visors to drive sales. You could do the same but you should also protect them with anti-theft tags.
There is a well-known computer/electronics store I like to shop at. They carry computers, video gaming systems, stereo systems, smart phones, etc. Guess what else they sell? You got it they sell licensed clothing and backpacks. Now this particular store does have merchandise protection systems in place but I cannot tell you if they use Sensormatic tags on clothing or not. If they don’t they should. As with the grocery store, the system is in place why not maximize it to the fullest?
Clothing security tags are not solely for clothing merchandise retailers. They have multiple uses on a wide range of products. I have used them on golfing gloves and baseball mitts. I have seen them used on curtains and sofa covers. I have also seen them pinned through blister packages in hardware departments. From drill bits to power screw drivers the tags are sturdy enough to pierce tough plastic deterring crooks from trying to shoplift even these items.
If you have a Sensormatic security system but you are only tagging those products you believe your store specializes in like a grocery store tagging meats only you are missing the boat. There are labels and tags available for all kinds of things you may carry and have not thought about. If you don’t have an electronic article surveillance system you are missing out on an opportunity to decrease shortage and improve sales. Sensormatic systems are more affordable than you might realize. I recommend you get one installed now and learn how many items you really CAN protect in your store.
Need information on Sensormatic tags? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
Why in the world would a non-clothing retailer ever want to use Sensormatic clothing security tags, it doesn’t make sense…or does it? What kind of stores can and should use these tags? On the surface it seems that only clothing retail stores should. But some stores that are not necessarily considered clothing stores sell articles of clothing. For example I have walked into car part stores and have noticed that they sell baseball caps. I have been in a college bookstore that sells more than books. They sell all types of apparel from athletic shorts to college logo button down style shirts. Clothing theft happens wherever garments are sold.
Perhaps you are of the mindset that none of this matters because your store only sells bedding and bathroom accessories. You never ever sell clothing of any sort. You might have a point except that shoplifters will steal bedding and bath merchandise just as quickly as they would steal a pair of shoes. The good news for you is that Sensormatic clothing security tags are versatile enough to be used on all sorts of products made of material. I worked as a Loss Prevention Officer for a big box retailer and we protected high dollar comforters with Sensormatic tags. I have also seen them used on more expensive brands of sheet sets and bath towels.
Then there are the stores that sell groceries. Ahhh, I know you think you are immune to clothing theft so you don’t need to worry about using Sensormatic tags on clothes. Now wait a minute before you stop reading. Let me ask you a question. Do you have a Sensormatic security system in place already? Are you using food-safe Sensormatic labels to protect meats? If you already have an electronic article surveillance system in place, why are you limiting what you are using it for? Why not carry some gift t-shirts or ballcaps to increase sales? Do you carry aprons for your customers? We live near a beach and a lot of grocery stores sell t-shirts with the area’s name on it for souvenirs. They also sell beach towels, baseball hats and visors to drive sales. You could do the same but you should also protect them with anti-theft tags.
There is a well-known computer/electronics store I like to shop at. They carry computers, video gaming systems, stereo systems, smart phones, etc. Guess what else they sell? You got it they sell licensed clothing and backpacks. Now this particular store does have merchandise protection systems in place but I cannot tell you if they use Sensormatic tags on clothing or not. If they don’t they should. As with the grocery store, the system is in place why not maximize it to the fullest?
Clothing security tags are not solely for clothing merchandise retailers. They have multiple uses on a wide range of products. I have used them on golfing gloves and baseball mitts. I have seen them used on curtains and sofa covers. I have also seen them pinned through blister packages in hardware departments. From drill bits to power screw drivers the tags are sturdy enough to pierce tough plastic deterring crooks from trying to shoplift even these items.
If you have a Sensormatic security system but you are only tagging those products you believe your store specializes in like a grocery store tagging meats only you are missing the boat. There are labels and tags available for all kinds of things you may carry and have not thought about. If you don’t have an electronic article surveillance system you are missing out on an opportunity to decrease shortage and improve sales. Sensormatic systems are more affordable than you might realize. I recommend you get one installed now and learn how many items you really CAN protect in your store.
Need information on Sensormatic tags? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
Liquor store theft is a problem and if a store owner fails to use Sensormatic hard tags on products they could end up with situations like these:
- “Foursome sought in theft of liquor at a Cape Coral Publix”, WFTX Digital Team, May 09,2019. This group was believed to have stolen, “…six bottles of Jonnie Walker Black Label, five bottles of Belvedere Vodka, and two bottles of Hennessey.” I did some research and it appears that a total value of $500 would be a middle of the road estimate for the stolen merchandise.
- “Man walks out of Costco with 24 bottles of Hennessey liquor, police say”, May, 06, 2019 wisn.com. According to this story the suspect took the alcohol and “Officers said he also took a Lorex brand home security system. The goods were worth about $1,500.” The Lorex system could be as much as $999. If this is the unit stolen that means the alcohol was valued at approximately $500.
Interestingly enough while reviewing news articles I also happened upon one titled, “23% drop in thefts show strategy to curb shoplifting working: Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries”, cbc.ca, May 30, 2019. I was curious as to what strategies this business has employed to make such an impact. According to the article several strategies are now being used which include adding new Loss Prevention Officers, “checking customers’ ID at the doors of Liquor Marts, using bottle locks (added emphasis mine) and lockable shelf cases, and requiring customers to ask sales staff for high-value bottles.” While I am not a fan of locking showcases or making merchandise inaccessible I AM in favor of using the Sensormatic systems Bottle Cap Tag to prevent theft.
In my opinion it only makes sense to use alternatives to locking showcases whenever possible. Showcases require too much attention on the part of store employees to assist patrons who want to get something out of lock-up. Employees could be ringing up other transactions, upselling or suggestive selling merchandise to new customers or even be completing tasks. To stop what you are doing simply to unlock merchandise you have locked up to stop shoplifting is poor use of resources. Sensormatic hard tags are an alternative to locking showcases. Shoppers can select what they want and continue to browse a store (which often leads to more sales) without waiting on an employee who may not be able to assist for several minutes. Not only does the patron begin to look at their watch as the minutes tick by they may feel pressured to hurry up and leave. The risk of losing the sales increases and the more time that goes by the less inclined they will be to look around and perhaps add to their shopping basket.
Locking up merchandise may stop shoplifting but it also hinders sales. Those stores that use a Sensormatic systems and Sensormatic hard tags have nearly the same level of security as stores that use the display cases but also have better opportunities to increase sales. But you may be wondering how a Bottle Cap Tag on a bottle of Hennessey can be better protection than that lock-up case. The Bottle Cap Tag has electronic article surveillance built in so if a crook attempts to walk out with a stolen bottle the alarm pedestals will alert store employees to the criminal activity. The vast majority of shoplifters are not anxious to set off alarms and be seen. They know that most stores have security cameras and will review them and then contact police. The other thing is the bottle tag covers the top of the bottle. The cap of the bottle cannot be removed without breaking the bottle defeating the purpose of stealing in the first place.
In my Loss Prevention experiences I have worked extensively with Sensormatic systems so I am keenly familiar with how much of a deterrent effect they have on shoplifters. I have recovered merchandise dropped by shoplifters when they have set off alarm pedestals. I have also observed potential thieves look at merchandise and then put it back on a shelf when they find it has an anti-shoplifting tag on it. Tagging merchandise is a tactic proven over time to stop shoplifting where it is implemented.
Alcohol theft continues to be a major concern for grocery and alcohol and beverage stores. Failing to protect merchandise only leads to more theft as criminals learn which businesses are easiest to target. That in turn can lead to more serious criminal activity such as robberies and assaults. Using Sensormatic hard tags is the optimum solution for addressing theft and improving sales in the long term.
For more information about Sensormatic hard tags contact us or call 1.770.426.0547
Free Loss Prevention Calculator – 3 WC Blog 840
Loss Prevention ROI Calculator -3
The Loss Prevention Calculator Can’t Calculate Negative ROI Due To Poor Customer Service
A free Loss Prevention Calculator can show you the positive return on investment should you purchase a new Sensormatic security system. After an experience I recently went through helping both of my sons purchase cars I realized there can also be a negative return on investment if you do business the wrong way. This article is about how our interactions in a customer service environment can impact the ROI of a product we sell or equipment we use in retail.
Here is what I mean. If I purchase a Sensormatic security system for my store to prevent shoplifting I expect it is going to result in some kind of financial return. I know this because the Loss Prevention ROI Calculator available from Loss Prevention Systems, Inc. (LPSI) shows me. The result I get is a close estimate of how much that system would save me in merchandise shortage each year and how long it would take for those savings to pay for the new system. That is fantastic. But there can be a catch. If I purchase that system but do not train my employees on how to properly use it or respond to alarm activations I can alienate customers. If an alarm activates because my cashier did not remove a clothing security tag from a shirt a customer will be upset. THAT would be a negative return on my Sensormatic investment.
What does this have to do with my car shopping experience? After doing some research on vehicles and looking at reviews of cars I took my son to a used car dealer. We were greeted and told we could look at any of the cars and the salesman said if we wanted to take a test drive it would not be a problem. We got keys to several and my son test drove one he was interested in. Interestingly, as opposed to other dealers I have been to in the past no one was hovering over me like a vulture. We were able to take our time and could find the salesman if we had a question. It was a great experience and my son made a purchase.
The next day I took my younger son to a dealership. They had some used cars online we were interested in looking at. We were definitely not in the market for a new car. I know there was no free Loss Prevention Calculator to help us in the decision process but there was a free car check report to use on their website and these cars looked clean. We got to the dealership and immediately a salesman came to the car and greeted us. I told him exactly what we were there for and had my list. He asked if I knew where the cars were on the lot!? He was the salesman why was he asking me? We looked at the three or four cars on my list and he had an excuse for each why it would be a bad choice. He took us to a car outside the price range I told him we were interested in. I allowed him to take my son for a test drive (he rode along unlike the dealer the day before). He tried to convince my son to buy this car and I told him no, we were only looking. To cut a longer story short we left and I did not go back. He and the dealership lost a sale. The inventory was there and had any effort been made on his part we could have walked out with a car. Two different dealers with two different results.
The Loss Prevention ROI calculator can give good information on how a system can help your business but your people can make it a negative return without proper training. The good news is if you purchase a Sensormatic system with LPSI you get that training for free! That is an incredible deal. Think about it for a moment. The Free Loss Prevention Calculator is free to use. The system can pay for itself over a relatively short period of time making it virtually a free system and you get free training from experienced Loss Prevention trainers. I don’t know how an offer can get any better. I suppose it can if I tell you that when you use the Loss Prevention ROI Calculator no one knows you are using it and no car salesman is hovering over you pushing you into something you don’t need or want.
People can make or break your business or the effectiveness of equipment or products. Training them on proper customer service techniques will enhance your reputation with your shoppers. By the way, my younger son did end up getting his car the following day…at the place where my elder son bought his.
Need information on the Free Loss Prevention Calculator? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
A free Loss Prevention Calculator can show you the positive return on investment should you purchase a new Sensormatic security system. After an experience I recently went through helping both of my sons purchase cars I realized there can also be a negative return on investment if you do business the wrong way. This article is about how our interactions in a customer service environment can impact the ROI of a product we sell or equipment we use in retail.
Here is what I mean. If I purchase a Sensormatic security system for my store to prevent shoplifting I expect it is going to result in some kind of financial return. I know this because the Loss Prevention ROI Calculator available from Loss Prevention Systems, Inc. (LPSI) shows me. The result I get is a close estimate of how much that system would save me in merchandise shortage each year and how long it would take for those savings to pay for the new system. That is fantastic. But there can be a catch. If I purchase that system but do not train my employees on how to properly use it or respond to alarm activations I can alienate customers. If an alarm activates because my cashier did not remove a clothing security tag from a shirt a customer will be upset. THAT would be a negative return on my Sensormatic investment.
What does this have to do with my car shopping experience? After doing some research on vehicles and looking at reviews of cars I took my son to a used car dealer. We were greeted and told we could look at any of the cars and the salesman said if we wanted to take a test drive it would not be a problem. We got keys to several and my son test drove one he was interested in. Interestingly, as opposed to other dealers I have been to in the past no one was hovering over me like a vulture. We were able to take our time and could find the salesman if we had a question. It was a great experience and my son made a purchase.
The next day I took my younger son to a dealership. They had some used cars online we were interested in looking at. We were definitely not in the market for a new car. I know there was no free Loss Prevention Calculator to help us in the decision process but there was a free car check report to use on their website and these cars looked clean. We got to the dealership and immediately a salesman came to the car and greeted us. I told him exactly what we were there for and had my list. He asked if I knew where the cars were on the lot!? He was the salesman why was he asking me? We looked at the three or four cars on my list and he had an excuse for each why it would be a bad choice. He took us to a car outside the price range I told him we were interested in. I allowed him to take my son for a test drive (he rode along unlike the dealer the day before). He tried to convince my son to buy this car and I told him no, we were only looking. To cut a longer story short we left and I did not go back. He and the dealership lost a sale. The inventory was there and had any effort been made on his part we could have walked out with a car. Two different dealers with two different results.
The Loss Prevention ROI calculator can give good information on how a system can help your business but your people can make it a negative return without proper training. The good news is if you purchase a Sensormatic system with LPSI you get that training for free! That is an incredible deal. Think about it for a moment. The Free Loss Prevention Calculator is free to use. The system can pay for itself over a relatively short period of time making it virtually a free system and you get free training from experienced Loss Prevention trainers. I don’t know how an offer can get any better. I suppose it can if I tell you that when you use the Loss Prevention ROI Calculator no one knows you are using it and no car salesman is hovering over you pushing you into something you don’t need or want.
People can make or break your business or the effectiveness of equipment or products. Training them on proper customer service techniques will enhance your reputation with your shoppers. By the way, my younger son did end up getting his car the following day…at the place where my elder son bought his.
Need information on the Free Loss Prevention Calculator? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
Can Loss Prevention Be Free? – 3 WC Blog 815
Loss Prevention ROI Calculator – 3
The Loss Prevention ROI Calculator Shows You The One Investment That Ultimately Costs You Nothing
Use a Loss Prevention ROI Calculator and you get to see what a Sensormatic Sensor will save you in reduced shrinkage. Can I tell you what a cool concept that is? When do you have an opportunity to do this with any other purchase you make for your store? Come to think of it I can’t think of too many times this can apply to any purchase. If I decide to purchase a new suit for a job interview I can’t pull out a suit calculator and tap in a few numbers and say this is going to increase my chances of getting that job by sixty percent. Now I will say if you are car shopping the dealer information will give you an estimated gallons per mile the car will get in the city and on the highway. It isn’t a true help in the sense that it won’t tell you what you will save over your current vehicle. You may drive more than you currently do and you spending may increase. Fuel prices may go up and you will spend more for a gallon of gas than you are spending today.
Thinking about purchases you make for your business what other system or store fixture will you buy that will pay for itself over time. I would never say can a point of sale system be free? or can a new display fixture be free? No, I would not ask these questions but I would ask can Loss Prevention be free? A point of sale system may improve speed at the register or it may offer more functionality and those may help improve customer satisfaction but they don’t pay for your system over time. A new focal point fixture for a display may help to draw in some customers or drive some sales depending on what that is featured on that fixture but how do you measure that??? I have a clue that might surprise you…you actually can measure the impact of a new display, especially if it is set up as a window display for customers to see from outside your store. That display might pay for itself IF you can measure the impact it is having. You measure that impact with guess what…A SENSORMATIC LOSS PREVENTION SYSTEM! Go ahead, call me crazy but I am about to knock your socks off here. A Loss Prevention System can do more than prevent shoplifting and reduce shrinkage. Purchase a Sensormatic System and equip it with the people counting device. You start tracking the number of people entering and leaving your store. Set up you brand new window display fixture. Now look at your foot traffic data. Is there an improvement in the number of customers visiting? You wouldn’t have known that just from sales receipts, you can than your Sensormatic system for the confirmation. That is not the primary way to answer the question, “Can Loss Prevention be free?” but it does help pay for a system in a sense.
Your Loss Prevention ROI Calculator is going to demonstrate how the installation of a Sensormatic System is going to pay for itself through shortage reduction. Type in your sales data, how much you want to spend on a system, submit and you get a result that shows how much you will save in reduced shortage and an estimate of how long it will take for your brand new Sensormatic System to pay for itself. Can Loss Prevention be free? You better believe it can be, I have seen more recovered merchandise from an electronic surveillance system than I can recall.
Remember that the Loss Prevention ROI Calculator is going to only show you how much it is going to save you in terms of money saved due to decreased theft. It is now going to show you that your instocks will improve and your customers will have more purchase options as a result. It isn’t going to tell you how much your customer traffic will increase with the new displays but the Sensormatic customer counting device will. It also won’t measure the increased safety that comes with a Sensormatic system. As the shoplifting decreases so does the other crime that often accompanies it. You can’t measure EVERY benefit a Loss Prevention System will provide but it will pay for itself and the rest is icing on the cake.
The Loss Prevention ROI Calculator is important and we can help you with it. Call 1.770.426.0547 and let’s talk.
Use a Loss Prevention ROI Calculator and you get to see what a Sensormatic Sensor will save you in reduced shrinkage. Can I tell you what a cool concept that is? When do you have an opportunity to do this with any other purchase you make for your store? Come to think of it I can’t think of too many times this can apply to any purchase. If I decide to purchase a new suit for a job interview I can’t pull out a suit calculator and tap in a few numbers and say this is going to increase my chances of getting that job by sixty percent. Now I will say if you are car shopping the dealer information will give you an estimated gallons per mile the car will get in the city and on the highway. It isn’t a true help in the sense that it won’t tell you what you will save over your current vehicle. You may drive more than you currently do and you spending may increase. Fuel prices may go up and you will spend more for a gallon of gas than you are spending today.
Thinking about purchases you make for your business what other system or store fixture will you buy that will pay for itself over time. I would never say can a point of sale system be free? or can a new display fixture be free? No, I would not ask these questions but I would ask can Loss Prevention be free? A point of sale system may improve speed at the register or it may offer more functionality and those may help improve customer satisfaction but they don’t pay for your system over time. A new focal point fixture for a display may help to draw in some customers or drive some sales depending on what that is featured on that fixture but how do you measure that??? I have a clue that might surprise you…you actually can measure the impact of a new display, especially if it is set up as a window display for customers to see from outside your store. That display might pay for itself IF you can measure the impact it is having. You measure that impact with guess what…A SENSORMATIC LOSS PREVENTION SYSTEM! Go ahead, call me crazy but I am about to knock your socks off here. A Loss Prevention System can do more than prevent shoplifting and reduce shrinkage. Purchase a Sensormatic System and equip it with the people counting device. You start tracking the number of people entering and leaving your store. Set up you brand new window display fixture. Now look at your foot traffic data. Is there an improvement in the number of customers visiting? You wouldn’t have known that just from sales receipts, you can than your Sensormatic system for the confirmation. That is not the primary way to answer the question, “Can Loss Prevention be free?” but it does help pay for a system in a sense.
Your Loss Prevention ROI Calculator is going to demonstrate how the installation of a Sensormatic System is going to pay for itself through shortage reduction. Type in your sales data, how much you want to spend on a system, submit and you get a result that shows how much you will save in reduced shortage and an estimate of how long it will take for your brand new Sensormatic System to pay for itself. Can Loss Prevention be free? You better believe it can be, I have seen more recovered merchandise from an electronic surveillance system than I can recall.
Remember that the Loss Prevention ROI Calculator is going to only show you how much it is going to save you in terms of money saved due to decreased theft. It is now going to show you that your instocks will improve and your customers will have more purchase options as a result. It isn’t going to tell you how much your customer traffic will increase with the new displays but the Sensormatic customer counting device will. It also won’t measure the increased safety that comes with a Sensormatic system. As the shoplifting decreases so does the other crime that often accompanies it. You can’t measure EVERY benefit a Loss Prevention System will provide but it will pay for itself and the rest is icing on the cake.
The Loss Prevention ROI Calculator is important and we can help you with it. Call 1.770.426.0547 and let’s talk.
Sensormatic Safers – 4 WC Blog 819
Retail Anti-Theft Devices – 3
Security And Storage Space Solutions With Sensormatic Safers
Sometimes I wonder why big retail stores make some of the merchandise protection decisions they do when they could use a Sensormatic Safer and just be done with the waffling. A perfect example of this is observed in a national retail chain with which I am very familiar. This company sells jump drives (thumb drives for some of you) and they used to protect all of them with electronic article surveillance retail anti-theft devices. Not long ago, they started changing up their strategy and had some of the lower price point jump drives displayed on peghooks with no protection. To a certain extent I understand the move. Is it worthwhile to protect everything? Are payroll dollars being wasted tagging/protecting merchandise that is not being stolen? It seems that it must be worthwhile in hindsight because now all jump drives are protected again regardless of the price point. Maybe I am a bit critical but there are a couple of points that jump out at me with the current strategy.
First, the company could have gone with the Sensormatic Safers for all of the merchandise in this category and it would have avoided the confusion of whether to protect or not. The current retail anti-theft devices in use are bulky and greatly reduce the amount of merchandise that can be displayed on a peghook. That means store personnel have to replenish this merchandise from stockrooms much more frequently than if more was on the floor in the first place (maybe I should tell Sensormatic that could be the logo for their Safers, “More on the Floor”, but I digress). The problem that goes hand in hand with a limited amount of stock and the need for more frequent replenishment is that someone has to stay on top of empty peghooks and shelf spaces. Failing to have a manager monitor this means you are relying on store personnel to take the initiative to check to see if there is more in stock. If there is more in stock then the merchandise has to be pulled from the stockroom and filled and that means more reliance on employee initiative. That is not always the best method of filling a floor.
Second, unlike some retail anti-theft devices, Flexible Safers are not unwieldy to use. I have employed many different styles of electronic article surveillance protection tags and labels. Some can be a bit difficult to apply to merchandise. Some have latches that can occasionally get stuck and are then terribly stiff to open. Trying to fight with them to put merchandise inside or worse open them at the register to get the merchandise out for a customer to buy is annoying. Sensormatic Safers are easy to use and still provide the electronic article surveillance protection that other protective containers offer.
An advantage of using Safers over the bulkier security devices is that that they require less room to store. I know how much space can be taken up when an adequate supply of security boxes is on hand. Now if you own a building with an immense stockroom with space to spare then this is not a concern for you. If on the other hand you are like many small and even medium size retail store owners space is a premium. You might even share an employee breakroom with part of your stockroom. Owning a small store means it is more important to fit as much merchandise as possible on the salesfloor. Use the wrong security devices and you could be forcing merchandise to the backroom than is necessary. Stockroom space filled with protection boxes and merchandise that would not otherwise have to be in the back is a waste of space and productivity.
You can decide if you need to protect all of the products your store carries. It may or may not be necessary. What is important is that you use Sensormatic Safers and tags for the best electronic article surveillance protection available. From detection range to space management the value of Sensormatic systems has a positive impact on nearly every aspect of your store operation.
Sensormatic Safers are important and we can help you with them. Call 1.770.426.0547and let’s talk.
Sometimes I wonder why big retail stores make some of the merchandise protection decisions they do when they could use a Sensormatic Safer and just be done with the waffling. A perfect example of this is observed in a national retail chain with which I am very familiar. This company sells jump drives (thumb drives for some of you) and they used to protect all of them with electronic article surveillance retail anti-theft devices. Not long ago, they started changing up their strategy and had some of the lower price point jump drives displayed on peghooks with no protection. To a certain extent I understand the move. Is it worthwhile to protect everything? Are payroll dollars being wasted tagging/protecting merchandise that is not being stolen? It seems that it must be worthwhile in hindsight because now all jump drives are protected again regardless of the price point. Maybe I am a bit critical but there are a couple of points that jump out at me with the current strategy.
First, the company could have gone with the Sensormatic Safers for all of the merchandise in this category and it would have avoided the confusion of whether to protect or not. The current retail anti-theft devices in use are bulky and greatly reduce the amount of merchandise that can be displayed on a peghook. That means store personnel have to replenish this merchandise from stockrooms much more frequently than if more was on the floor in the first place (maybe I should tell Sensormatic that could be the logo for their Safers, “More on the Floor”, but I digress). The problem that goes hand in hand with a limited amount of stock and the need for more frequent replenishment is that someone has to stay on top of empty peghooks and shelf spaces. Failing to have a manager monitor this means you are relying on store personnel to take the initiative to check to see if there is more in stock. If there is more in stock then the merchandise has to be pulled from the stockroom and filled and that means more reliance on employee initiative. That is not always the best method of filling a floor.
Second, unlike some retail anti-theft devices, Flexible Safers are not unwieldy to use. I have employed many different styles of electronic article surveillance protection tags and labels. Some can be a bit difficult to apply to merchandise. Some have latches that can occasionally get stuck and are then terribly stiff to open. Trying to fight with them to put merchandise inside or worse open them at the register to get the merchandise out for a customer to buy is annoying. Sensormatic Safers are easy to use and still provide the electronic article surveillance protection that other protective containers offer.
An advantage of using Safers over the bulkier security devices is that that they require less room to store. I know how much space can be taken up when an adequate supply of security boxes is on hand. Now if you own a building with an immense stockroom with space to spare then this is not a concern for you. If on the other hand you are like many small and even medium size retail store owners space is a premium. You might even share an employee breakroom with part of your stockroom. Owning a small store means it is more important to fit as much merchandise as possible on the salesfloor. Use the wrong security devices and you could be forcing merchandise to the backroom than is necessary. Stockroom space filled with protection boxes and merchandise that would not otherwise have to be in the back is a waste of space and productivity.
You can decide if you need to protect all of the products your store carries. It may or may not be necessary. What is important is that you use Sensormatic Safers and tags for the best electronic article surveillance protection available. From detection range to space management the value of Sensormatic systems has a positive impact on nearly every aspect of your store operation.
Sensormatic Safers are important and we can help you with them. Call 1.770.426.0547and let’s talk.
