Clothing Security And Late Night Clothing Tasks




Clothing Security –3                                                                                                 WC Blog 806
Sensormatic Tags-3

Clothing Security And Late Night Clothing Tasks

     It can be difficult to make clothing security a priority or stop any shoplifting when it is late at night and you are ready to close the store. The other night our store was in the process of getting ready to close and I noticed a car pull into the parking lot. It was about five minutes until time to lock the doors and the customer entered and proceeded to a specific department. He wanted something that he indicated would only take a few minutes. A few minutes turned into fifty minutes until the store manager finally had enough and “helped” hurry the process along. Fortunately, this was a situation where the customer was by himself and needed a specific service. I have seen similar situations as a Loss Prevention Manager where two people would enter close to closing time and split up in a store. If a store is operating without a Sensormatic system and not using Sensormatic tags it can be a prime opportunity for crooks to get away with gobs of goods. How could this be? Because the truth is, once a store gets close to closing time employees focus on tasks not people.

     You know what I am talking about. You might be trying to save payroll so the quicker you can close the store and get workers out the more money you save. You may be trying to get the store straightened up and a customer late in the evening is just in the way. Rather than a seeing them as a potential sale (or theft) they are a hindrance. We have all been in that situation and it happens. Holidays are even worse when we want to close up and get home to our families or to a party somewhere. Patrons take a backseat to the necessity of cleaning up and getting out in a timely manner. As a Loss Prevention Manager Associate and then a Manager I began to take note of these late night criminals. These folks can be slick and they know the places to hit and the times to hit. They don’t care for trying to steal from stores that use Sensormatic tags and they don’t like to frequent stores that focus on customers up to the time doors are locked.

     Managing the store closing process and keeping an eye out for late night or last minute customers can be difficult. The use of clothing security devices and electronic article surveillance tags can play an important part in helping managers get tasks done. With merchandise protected against theft a team can spend a little less energy on giving “extra” customer service to the last minute patron. Note that I did not say ignore the customer but if the shopper is not giving obvious indications they are intending to steal your team can periodically check on the person. Sensormatic tags alleviate some of that extra unnecessary focus that allows your team to focus on closing tasks.

     Let me add one last thought on the late night customer. Be cautious of anyone coming in last minute. Where did they park their car? Is it by the curb outside the doors? Is the vehicle running? Is the customer in line but allowing other customers to go ahead of them? These could be indicators of a much more serious crime that is about to happen than shoplifting and that is a robbery. Preparing for and responding to a robbery is another issue to address in another article. The main thing is to know that the night time is the right time…for crime (to paraphrase one of my all-time favorite rock groups, Credence Clearwater Revival). Always have employee and customer safety in mind especially at the end of the day.

     Clothing security and merchandise protection in general is an important part of keeping a store profitable. Without it goods are stolen, shelves are empty and sales lag or die off as customers stop coming to a store. Safety also becomes an issue as criminals recognize the vulnerabilities of a store and more of them frequent that location. Install a Sensormatic system and get more tasks done at the end of the evening while still protecting merchandise. You can still greet customers but there will be fewer thieves to focus on in the end.
For more information about Sensormatic tags contact us or call 1.770.426.0547. 

     
     

     

It can be difficult to make clothing security a priority or stop any shoplifting when it is late at night and you are ready to close the store. The other night our store was in the process of getting ready to close and I noticed a car pull into the parking lot. It was about five minutes until time to lock the doors and the customer entered and proceeded to a specific department. He wanted something that he indicated would only take a few minutes. A few minutes turned into fifty minutes until the store manager finally had enough and “helped” hurry the process along. Fortunately, this was a situation where the customer was by himself and needed a specific service. I have seen similar situations as a Loss Prevention Manager where two people would enter close to closing time and split up in a store. If a store is operating without a Sensormatic system and not using Sensormatic tags it can be a prime opportunity for crooks to get away with gobs of goods. How could this be? Because the truth is, once a store gets close to closing time employees’ focus on tasks not people.
     

You know what I am talking about. You might be trying to save payroll so the quicker you can close the store and get workers out the more money you save. You may be trying to get the store straightened up and a customer late in the evening is just in the way. Rather than a seeing them as a potential sale (or theft) they are a hindrance. We have all been in that situation and it happens. Holidays are even worse when we want to close up and get home to our families or to a party somewhere. Patrons take a backseat to the necessity of cleaning up and getting out in a timely manner. As a Loss Prevention Manager Associate and then a Manager I began to take note of these late night criminals. These folks can be slick and they know the places to hit and the times to hit. They don’t care for trying to steal from stores that use Sensormatic tags and they don’t like to frequent stores that focus on customers up to the time doors are locked.
     

Managing the store closing process and keeping an eye out for late night or last minute customers can be difficult. The use of clothing security devices and electronic article surveillance tags can play an important part in helping managers get tasks done. With merchandise protected against theft a team can spend a little less energy on giving “extra” customer service to the last minute patron. Note that I did not say ignore the customer but if the shopper is not giving obvious indications they are intending to steal your team can periodically check on the person. Sensormatic tags alleviate some of that extra unnecessary focus that allows your team to focus on closing tasks.
     

Let me add one last thought on the late night customer. Be cautious of anyone coming in last minute. Where did they park their car? Is it by the curb outside the doors? Is the vehicle running? Is the customer in line but allowing other customers to go ahead of them? These could be indicators of a much more serious crime that is about to happen than shoplifting and that is a robbery. Preparing for and responding to a robbery is another issue to address in another article. The main thing is to know that the night time is the right time…for crime (to paraphrase one of my all-time favorite rock groups, Credence Clearwater Revival). Always have employee and customer safety in mind especially at the end of the day.
     

Clothing security and merchandise protection in general is an important part of keeping a store profitable. Without it goods are stolen, shelves are empty and sales lag or die off as customers stop coming to a store. Safety also becomes an issue as criminals recognize the vulnerabilities of a store and more of them frequent that location. Install a Sensormatic system and get more tasks done at the end of the evening while still protecting merchandise. You can still greet customers but there will be fewer thieves to focus on in the end.

 

For more information about Sensormatic tags contact us or call 1.770.426.0547. 
          
     

 

The Free Loss Prevention Calculator And The Hidden ROI OF A Sensormatic System



Free Loss Prevention Calculator – 3                                                                            WC Blog 802
Loss Prevention ROI Calculator – 3

The Free Loss Prevention Calculator And The Hidden ROI OF A Sensormatic System

    When writing about the Free Loss Prevention Calculator I am usually focused on the return on investment (ROI) a retail owner gets from purchasing a Sensormatic system. As I was preparing to write this article and thinking about ROI I also thought about other areas where we see a return on investment. Then I thought about it more and realized our investments don’t necessarily reap a ROI only for us, it can also impact others. The downside is we often don’t see those returns although when we are fortunate when we do get to glimpse them. For example, as a Loss Prevention Manager I made a few early hiring flubs but as I worked those out and improved on what I was looking for in an Associate I also started listening to them more. I had one candidate who wanted to go into Law Enforcement and saw the job as a stepping stone. I saw him as someone who I could train and would be a hard worker. The ROI was for me a very effective Loss Prevention Associate who was effective at stopping theft and dependable. I trained him, invested time in coaching him on report writing, interviewing and investigating. The ROI for HIM was he went on to join the county police department and was top graduate of his State Law Enforcement Academy class. I acknowledge the fact his own hard work earned him his results but I did help prepare him. There is no Loss Prevention ROI calculator that could have assisted me in seeing the potential benefits I would derive from adding this employee to my team or how it would help him. 

     I am happy to say not knowing potential ROI does not have to be a secret if a retail owner is trying to find a way to reduce theft and shortage. The fact is a Sensormatic system is the answer to your shortage situation. With a wide selection of pedestals for every store style and protective tags and labels for every kind of product Sensormatic is the top of the line in the retail anti-theft industry. I know because I have personally used Sensormatic products. Over 80% of the world’s top 200 hundred retailers agree with me and that should convince you! If you are like me you want more information before making an investment. You want to know what the ROI for you will be. That is where the Free Loss Prevention Calculator comes in. It is a tool that shows you how much you can conservatively reduce your stock shortage by if you invest in a Sensormatic system. Not only that but the Loss Prevention ROI Calculator also shows you how much your system would cost on a monthly basis and the best part, how long it takes before the savings from an anti-theft investment pay for the system. Basically, a Sensormatic system pays for itself and that is a BIG ROI.

     I get it, I mentioned earlier how ROI impacts others and we don’t always see it. What is the return on investment for others if you decide to put in an anti-theft system? Remember, you won’t see this on the Free Loss Prevention Calculator but I can tell you that your customers get a return on your investment. When the criminal activity in your store slows down the merchandise that is no longer stolen is available to your clients. Shoppers don’t like to see empty shelves, especially emptiness where their favorite products are supposed to be. The other beneficiaries are your employees. Let’s be honest when shortage takes place and it becomes so pervasive that it is impacting profits a store manager must make hard decisions. Often that can result in payroll cuts and employees start losing hours. Not only is it creating a hardship on the employees but also on families they are supporting.

     There is no Loss Prevention ROI Calculator that is going to show you the pain caused when theft is taking place. It will show you how much you can save in theft prevention and while you may not see the secondary results they will be there as an ROI for others. Install a Sensormatic system and you, your customers and your employees all benefit from the savings. Better yet, you might even decide to grow your business and that is always a good thing!

The Free Loss Prevention Calculator is important and we can help you with it. Call 1.770.426.0547 and let’s talk.

When writing about the Free Loss Prevention Calculator I am usually focused on the return on investment (ROI) a retail owner gets from purchasing a Sensormatic system. As I was preparing to write this article and thinking about ROI I also thought about other areas where we see a return on investment. Then I thought about it more and realized our investments don’t necessarily reap a ROI only for us, it can also impact others. The downside is we often don’t see those returns although when we are fortunate when we do get to glimpse them. For example, as a Loss Prevention Manager I made a few early hiring flubs but as I worked those out and improved on what I was looking for in an Associate I also started listening to them more. I had one candidate who wanted to go into Law Enforcement and saw the job as a stepping stone. I saw him as someone who I could train and would be a hard worker. The ROI was for me a very effective Loss Prevention Associate who was effective at stopping theft and dependable. I trained him, invested time in coaching him on report writing, interviewing and investigating. The ROI for HIM was he went on to join the county police department and was top graduate of his State Law Enforcement Academy class. I acknowledge the fact his own hard work earned him his results but I did help prepare him. There is no Loss Prevention ROI calculator that could have assisted me in seeing the potential benefits I would derive from adding this employee to my team or how it would help him. 
     

I am happy to say not knowing potential ROI does not have to be a secret if a retail owner is trying to find a way to reduce theft and shortage. The fact is a Sensormatic system is the answer to your shortage situation. With a wide selection of pedestals for every store style and protective tags and labels for every kind of product Sensormatic is the top of the line in the retail anti-theft industry. I know because I have personally used Sensormatic products. Over 80% of the world’s top 200 hundred retailers agree with me and that should convince you! If you are like me you want more information before making an investment. You want to know what the ROI for you will be. That is where the Free Loss Prevention Calculator comes in. It is a tool that shows you how much you can conservatively reduce your stock shortage by if you invest in a Sensormatic system. Not only that but the Loss Prevention ROI Calculator also shows you how much your system would cost on a monthly basis and the best part, how long it takes before the savings from an anti-theft investment pay for the system. Basically, a Sensormatic system pays for itself and that is a BIG ROI.
     

I get it, I mentioned earlier how ROI impacts others and we don’t always see it. What is the return on investment for others if you decide to put in an anti-theft system? Remember, you won’t see this on the Free Loss Prevention Calculator but I can tell you that your customers get a return on your investment. When the criminal activity in your store slows down the merchandise that is no longer stolen is available to your clients. Shoppers don’t like to see empty shelves, especially emptiness where their favorite products are supposed to be. The other beneficiaries are your employees. Let’s be honest when shortage takes place and it becomes so pervasive that it is impacting profits a store manager must make hard decisions. Often that can result in payroll cuts and employees start losing hours. Not only is it creating a hardship on the employees but also on families they are supporting.
     

There is no Loss Prevention ROI Calculator that is going to show you the pain caused when theft is taking place. It will show you how much you can save in theft prevention and while you may not see the secondary results they will be there as an ROI for others. Install a Sensormatic system and you, your customers and your employees all benefit from the savings. Better yet, you might even decide to grow your business and that is always a good thing!

 

The Free Loss Prevention Calculator is important and we can help you with it. Call 1.770.426.0547 and let’s talk.

 

Electronic Article Surveillance Impacts More Than Theft

I remember my time as a Loss Prevention Manager when I had to go through log sheets to decipher electronic article surveillance alarm events. What a headache that could be. Employees were supposed to write down dates, times and what set off the alarm towers. For example, if a security label had not been properly deactivated and the alarm sounded the responding employee was supposed to write that information down for Loss Prevention. My job was to see if there was a training problem, an equipment failure a label issue or perhaps even a recovery from a shoplifter. We all know that despite our best efforts rarely does anything happen exactly the way we want it to happen. In this case alarm testing wasn’t always recorded, alarm activity was not always noted or alarms were not notated properly. It was difficult to get actionable data from the information collected when it was inconsistent. When I would make a fuss about it to the front end manager he/she would address the situation. The employees would get back on the program briefly and the logs would be useful again for a period of time. It was an important part of my job to know when Sensormatic labels were setting off the alarm towers and when. When done correctly I could review corresponding video to see who caused the alarm and if the responder thoroughly tried to resolve the problem. This was useful for training and efforts to stop shoplifting.

 

 A lot has improved in Retail Loss Prevention since my days as a Loss Prevention Manager. Electronic article surveillance towers have become more advanced, Sensormatic labels have gotten much smaller and hard tags and wraps are continually evolving. In fact the use of Sesnormatic systems has expanded far beyond the reduction of theft they now are used to drive sales. Adding a customer counting device to a pedestal can enable a retail owner to understand shopper traffic patterns. That knowledge can be used to adjust work schedules to better serve clients. It can also help determine if a new product or display is having an impact on sales. Some pedestals have the ability to have signage added to them. Advertising as we all know can directly drive customer shopping habits and it is free marketing space. With all of these advances the necessity of paper record keeping has also become obsolete. Logs can still be used but they don’t have to be, electronic article surveillance has come that far in recent years.

 

 Now retail owners have the ability to use Sensormatic’s Shrink Management as a Service cloud based electronic article surveillance management system. This system enables retail managers to see reporting that includes retail traffic, electronic article surveillance alarm activity by date, and the alarm rate. Other information that can aid in controlling shortage is metal foil detection, jammer detections and potential dollar losses due to theft. By reviewing this data you can see the potential theft activity that is taking place and take steps to prevent it. Think about it if alarms are trending to be more frequent on a given day of the week according to reporting managers can position a “greeter” at the front doors. This person can be right at the doors ready to respond to pedestal alarms. The presence of this employee will also be a deterrent to someone who enters with the intention of trying to shoplift and changes their mind when they see a greeter. Couple the reports with a Sensormatic Synergy camera and owners/managers can capture pictures and video of alarm events and the suspects causing those alarms. And one other thing to keep in mind about your greeter they may be a deterrent to theft but the right person can also be an ambassador for your store. They can provide directions, store information and greet customers which gives a personal touch shoppers desire.

 

 Sensormatic labels and systems have made incredible progress over the years. The effectiveness in deterring and preventing crime has improved as the equipment has evolved. The multi-functionality of these systems has made them even more attractive to shop owners. Managing the systems through cloud based services makes sure reporting is accurate and easy to access. When you think about it there is nothing to lose by investing in a Sensormatic system so my question to you is, why aren’t you picking up your phone to get your own system now?

 

Get more information on electronic article surveillance, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.

 

Trying To Stop Shoplifting Built Remarkable Friendships


Stop shoplifting – 3
Sensormatic System -3                                                                                                                         wc blog 813
Trying To Stop Shoplifting Built Remarkable Friendships

     I have spent much of my life trying to stop shoplifting and other crime and in the course of doing so I have built some fantastic friendships. I thought my most memorable shoplifters were my own memories and would not be shared by anyone else. Apparently I was wrong. I happened to run into a police officer I had not seen in years while I was at my current retail job a few nights ago. I knew I recognized him but could not recall from where but he recognized me and we started talking about “the good ol’ days” when we worked on the same cases together. He brought up a shoplifting case that I share from time to time with my friends (or in an article) but I was shocked that he still remembered it. As a police officer he worked hundreds of cases so why would one particular shoplifting case stand out to him?  He asked me if I remembered the shoplifter we caught hiding in a trash can! This was a LONG time ago, like early 1990’s, but he had not forgotten about it. 

     The case involved a clothing security problem we were experiencing in the department store where I was a Loss Prevention Officer. Baseball caps were becoming a high theft issue for our store so we began focusing closed circuit television on the area. Our store had an anti-theft system to stop shoplifting, similar to a Sensormatic system but we had not started tagging hats at that point. I was focused on watching the ballcaps this day and observed a suspect walk up to the display. He picked up a small stack of hats and tucked them under his shirt and walked towards the exit. To prevent the theft of the hats I had to run to the exit, meet him at the door, recover the merchandise and escort him back to the doors. I successfully stopped the suspect… for about 5 seconds then he dropped the merchandise and ran from me. I chased the suspect to an apartment complex (we were allowed to chase in those days) and he lost me. Local police arrived but we were unable to find the would-be shoplifter. I stayed in the area after the police left and kept surveillance of the area. Eventually I saw the suspect peek out of a trash can and I called the police back through our store operator. The apartment owner also called the police when they heard movement on their porch. Police returned and lifted the lid from the trash can and the suspect tipped over then tried to flee. The suspect was captured, cuffed and transported to the city jail. 

     My police officer friend recalled the story since he responded to this call he laughed because he remembered how much our thief stank from hiding in the trash bin. I should mention it was not long after that incident that we started tagging our ballcaps with clothing security dye tags. The tags looked like the Sensormatic system Benefit Denial Tags that also have electronic article surveillance technology in them. I guess it goes to show you that you can’t take friendships for granted. Even when I only thought I was doing my job trying to stop shoplifting in the process I built partnerships and friendships that would last for a long time.

     The interesting thing is my trip down memory lane did not stop here. I have also been going through old paperwork cleaning out my briefcase and came across a certificate of recognition from the former Chief of Police for my work with the police department on a Police/Community event. By that time I had moved into a Loss Prevention Manager position with another company. There were photos of a Christmas shopping event I assisted the police and fire department to hold in our store for local underprivileged children. I came across more pictures of police/store events over the years that brought back more memories and some of the officers I have remained in contact with. 

     A Sensormatic system will help deter shoplifters from stealing from your store. Building partnerships with your local police department can help too. Offering a designated parking space for police vehicles, inviting officers to visit and have a cup of coffee and even providing a small percentage discount to police and first responders can increase their presence in your building. As you do this you will find you too can build friendships that may last longer than you imagined they would.
For more information on a Sensormatic System contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 and let’s talk.

I have spent much of my life trying to stop shoplifting and other crime and in the course of doing so I have built some fantastic friendships. I thought my most memorable shoplifters were my own memories and would not be shared by anyone else. Apparently I was wrong. I happened to run into a police officer I had not seen in years while I was at my current retail job a few nights ago. I knew I recognized him but could not recall from where but he recognized me and we started talking about “the good ol’ days” when we worked on the same cases together. He brought up a shoplifting case that I share from time to time with my friends (or in an article) but I was shocked that he still remembered it. As a police officer he worked hundreds of cases so why would one particular shoplifting case stand out to him?  He asked me if I remembered the shoplifter we caught hiding in a trash can! This was a LONG time ago, like early 1990’s, but he had not forgotten about it. 
     

The case involved a clothing security problem we were experiencing in the department store where I was a Loss Prevention Officer. Baseball caps were becoming a high theft issue for our store so we began focusing closed circuit television on the area. Our store had an anti-theft system to stop shoplifting, similar to a Sensormatic system but we had not started tagging hats at that point. I was focused on watching the ballcaps this day and observed a suspect walk up to the display. He picked up a small stack of hats and tucked them under his shirt and walked towards the exit. To prevent the theft of the hats I had to run to the exit, meet him at the door, recover the merchandise and escort him back to the doors. I successfully stopped the suspect… for about 5 seconds then he dropped the merchandise and ran from me. I chased the suspect to an apartment complex (we were allowed to chase in those days) and he lost me. Local police arrived but we were unable to find the would-be shoplifter. I stayed in the area after the police left and kept surveillance of the area. Eventually I saw the suspect peek out of a trash can and I called the police back through our store operator. The apartment owner also called the police when they heard movement on their porch. Police returned and lifted the lid from the trash can and the suspect tipped over then tried to flee. The suspect was captured, cuffed and transported to the city jail. 
     

My police officer friend recalled the story since he responded to this call he laughed because he remembered how much our thief stank from hiding in the trash bin. I should mention it was not long after that incident that we started tagging our ballcaps with clothing security dye tags. The tags looked like the Sensormatic system Benefit Denial Tags that also have electronic article surveillance technology in them. I guess it goes to show you that you can’t take friendships for granted. Even when I only thought I was doing my job trying to stop shoplifting in the process I built partnerships and friendships that would last for a long time.
     

The interesting thing is my trip down memory lane did not stop here. I have also been going through old paperwork cleaning out my briefcase and came across a certificate of recognition from the former Chief of Police for my work with the police department on a Police/Community event. By that time I had moved into a Loss Prevention Manager position with another company. There were photos of a Christmas shopping event I assisted the police and fire department to hold in our store for local underprivileged children. I came across more pictures of police/store events over the years that brought back more memories and some of the officers I have remained in contact with. 
     

A Sensormatic system will help deter shoplifters from stealing from your store. Building partnerships with your local police department can help too. Offering a designated parking space for police vehicles, inviting officers to visit and have a cup of coffee and even providing a small percentage discount to police and first responders can increase their presence in your building. As you do this you will find you too can build friendships that may last longer than you imagined they would.

 

For more information on a Sensormatic System contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 and let’s talk.

 

Prevent Fitting Room Failures With Sensormatic Tags



Sensormatic Tags – 3                                                                                                     WC Blog 805
Clothing Security -3


Prevent Fitting Room Failures With Sensormatic Tags

     If you sell clothing you have fitting rooms and if you have fitting rooms it can be tough to prevent theft especially if your store does not use Sensormatic tags on clothing. As is often the case this thought came to me as I was on a shopping excursion. This time I was with one of my sons who was purchasing clothes for a job interview. It just so happened that he wanted my assistance in selecting appropriate attire (yeah, dad can still be useful from time to time especially when mom isn’t home). We went to a department store and looked at suits, shirts, sports jackets and ties. The funny thing is I had worked for this particular business, though not this store, when I started out in my Loss Prevention career. I know the protection we used to use for merchandise including fitting room controls. As we looked at the apparel I was somewhat taken aback at the lack of clothing security tags on merchandise. $35.00 slacks on the low end, suits in the hundreds of dollars, even the sports coat he settled on was on sale from $110.00 to $85.00. Hmmm…I was surprised but times change and I could not see any use of anti-theft devices. We selected several pair of pants, and the sports coat and he went to the fitting room. No one was present to check what he was carrying into the rooms. I found another item I wanted him to try on and took it to him and to be honest I was shocked at the condition of the fitting room stalls. All were empty of people but there were empty hangers, and loose clothing in every one of them. I even saw a large plastic shopping bag from another store in one room. I could not help but wonder how much theft had taken place and when the last fitting room inspection had taken place. 

     Fitting rooms are notorious for being a favorite location for shoplifters. Due to payroll constraints many stores have stopped assigning workers as fitting room attendants. Other stores have opted for a hybrid whereby the sales associate assigned to a department also controls fitting rooms. This may be done by keeping fitting room doors locked or by placing a point of sale near the fitting room entrance. There are drawbacks to each of these strategies. Locking doors requires a sales associate to be available with a key when a customer wants to try something on. Delay that shopper and you anger them and potentially lose sales. Putting a cashier near a fitting room entrance may give the appearance of control but if that cashier is busy they won’t be able to control activity in or out of a fitting room. Using Sensormatic tags is the only sensible solution to preventing theft of clothing in a fitting room.
 
     Hopefully every store owner and manager takes clothing security as seriously as I do. I understand that stores and especially small stores have limited budgets. It is rarely practical for these stores to staff a fitting room especially when some major retailers have had to move away from that model. Sensormatic tags can take care of many of the problems posed by fitting room theft. Thieves want rewards with minimal risk. Tags present risk because they will set off the towers at the front doors. When shoplifters attempt to force tags off of garments it damages the merchandise rendering them useless to the would-be crook. Stores may not be able to put an employee at the fitting room but they can afford to purchase a Loss Prevention System that can be almost as effective. One reminder though, even if you opt to buy a Sensormatic system and tags you can’t totally neglect your fitting rooms. Regular inspections for empty hangers, old clothing and re-shop merchandise must be made. Cluttered fitting rooms tend to attract criminals. 

     Clothing security can be difficult when it comes to fitting rooms. Patrons want to try on clothes but unfettered access to fitting rooms can lead to financial loss for store owners. Protect your merchandise with Sensormatic anti-theft systems and let your customers enjoy trying on merchandise while you relax in the knowledge your inventory is safe and secure.

Get more information on Sensormatic tags, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.

If you sell clothing you have fitting rooms and if you have fitting rooms it can be tough to prevent theft especially if your store does not use Sensormatic tags on clothing. As is often the case this thought came to me as I was on a shopping excursion. This time I was with one of my sons who was purchasing clothes for a job interview. It just so happened that he wanted my assistance in selecting appropriate attire (yeah, dad can still be useful from time to time especially when mom isn’t home). We went to a department store and looked at suits, shirts, sports jackets and ties. The funny thing is I had worked for this particular business, though not this store, when I started out in my Loss Prevention career. I know the protection we used to use for merchandise including fitting room controls. As we looked at the apparel I was somewhat taken aback at the lack of clothing security tags on merchandise. $35.00 slacks on the low end, suits in the hundreds of dollars, even the sports coat he settled on was on sale from $110.00 to $85.00. Hmmm…I was surprised but times change and I could not see any use of anti-theft devices. We selected several pair of pants, and the sports coat and he went to the fitting room. No one was present to check what he was carrying into the rooms. I found another item I wanted him to try on and took it to him and to be honest I was shocked at the condition of the fitting room stalls. All were empty of people but there were empty hangers, and loose clothing in every one of them. I even saw a large plastic shopping bag from another store in one room. I could not help but wonder how much theft had taken place and when the last fitting room inspection had taken place. 
     

Fitting rooms are notorious for being a favorite location for shoplifters. Due to payroll constraints many stores have stopped assigning workers as fitting room attendants. Other stores have opted for a hybrid whereby the sales associate assigned to a department also controls fitting rooms. This may be done by keeping fitting room doors locked or by placing a point of sale near the fitting room entrance. There are drawbacks to each of these strategies. Locking doors requires a sales associate to be available with a key when a customer wants to try something on. Delay that shopper and you anger them and potentially lose sales. Putting a cashier near a fitting room entrance may give the appearance of control but if that cashier is busy they won’t be able to control activity in or out of a fitting room. Using Sensormatic tags is the only sensible solution to preventing theft of clothing in a fitting room.      

 

Hopefully every store owner and manager takes clothing security as seriously as I do. I understand that stores and especially small stores have limited budgets. It is rarely practical for these stores to staff a fitting room especially when some major retailers have had to move away from that model. Sensormatic tags can take care of many of the problems posed by fitting room theft. Thieves want rewards with minimal risk. Tags present risk because they will set off the towers at the front doors. When shoplifters attempt to force tags off of garments it damages the merchandise rendering them useless to the would-be crook. Stores may not be able to put an employee at the fitting room but they can afford to purchase a Loss Prevention System that can be almost as effective. One reminder though, even if you opt to buy a Sensormatic system and tags you can’t totally neglect your fitting rooms. Regular inspections for empty hangers, old clothing and re-shop merchandise must be made. Cluttered fitting rooms tend to attract criminals. 
     

 Clothing security can be difficult when it comes to fitting rooms. Patrons want to try on clothes but unfettered access to fitting rooms can lead to financial loss for store owners. Protect your merchandise with Sensormatic anti-theft systems and let your customers enjoy trying on merchandise while you relax in the knowledge your inventory is safe and secure.

 

Get more information on Sensormatic tags, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.