Clothing Security -5 WC blog 485
Checkpoint Tags-4
Using Checkpoint Tags Can Reduce The Threat From ORC Groups
Clothing security should always be a concern for retailers who sell this type of merchandise. But having recently read an article in a trade publication about the rise of Organized Retail Crime (ORC) I am concerned that theft is not as much of a focus as it should be. In a recent article in LPM Insider titled “2017 Survey Reveals Organized Retail Crime’s Top Stolen Items”, by Jac Brittain, LPC, November 20, 2017, the author points out three disturbing facts. First, “According to the 2017 study, organized retail crime is again on the rise.” Second, “Resources (to fight ORC) are down as other areas of the business are demanding greater attention by retail executives.” And third, three of the top stolen products according to the survey are designer clothing, jeans and purses out of eleven named products types. http://losspreventionmedia.com/insider/shoplifting-organized-retail-crime/2017-survey-reveals-organized-retail-crimes-top-stolen-items/ I am left to wonder if the resources used to fight Organized Retail Theft are limited to a reduction in personnel or if it includes the use of Checkpoint tags. One clarification I want to make for readers who do not know what ORC Groups are. Organized Retail Crime groups are comprised of professional thieves who use a structured team to steal from retailers and they then resell those products. These organizations may even open legitimate looking stores as a front for moving stolen products.
If the reduction of resources includes Checkpoint Tags I am then forced to ask the question, “Why?” When it comes to clothing security these simple tags make a world of difference. They are large enough to be easily seen by criminals who know what they are and what they do. Shoplifters who choose to take a stab at trying to remove a tag forcefully usually rip and tear merchandise and render it useless. Then there are the thieves who are willing to try to steal and sneak tagged merchandise past electronic article surveillance pedestals. This leads to the pedestals alarms and lights sounding and flashing which, in turn, results in employees answering the alarm and getting the merchandise back. Occasionally the recovery is from a receipt check and other times it is due to the thief being scared and dropping the items in an effort to avoid prosecution or capture. All of this is in addition to the fact that the tags are reusable. Unlike a throw away device the Checkpoint tags are designed to be used over and over again with the same outstanding performance. There is no reason to reduce the use of this clothing security device since there is rarely a need for adding too many at one time to your inventory. That is unless you are adding more products to your sales floor because you are increasing your sales.
Back to the first concern the author raised, that Organized Retail Crime is on the rise again, I am not sure what is driving this. Is it a matter of criminals realizing that resources are not being dedicated to clothing security or retail loss prevention? Do they understand that many brick and mortar retail establishments are struggling to keep their doors open and trying to allocate the resources and time to do that? I am not advocating unlimited resources to stop theft that would be unrealistic. I recognize that sometimes there has to be some assessment of the business to ensure fiscal stability. What I DO think can happen is a strategic allocation of people based on the use of door counting systems and the tagging of all merchandise to deter theft. Rather than reducing the number of sku’s being tagged to prevent theft I say tag more.
The next two points in the article was the breakdown of what is primarily chosen by ORC groups and that included three clothing categories. ORC groups are targeting clothing and if the resource being reduced includes clothing security tags I don’t understand the reasoning. Tagging products is proven to reduce theft. Stores only need to maintain their Checkpoint electronic article surveillance tower and devote some payroll to keep products tagged. The return on investment is the increase in sales due to having merchandise in stock. It is also the savings the store has in the merchandise that stays in the store and doesn’t get stolen. How much focus on other operational issues do stores need to improve sales when the ability to save money is right under their noses?
A rise in ORC doesn’t have to scare you. Use Checkpoint tags on ALL of the clothes and clothing accessories you sell in the store. Tagging products and ensuring proper staffing to tag, provide customer service and respond to electronic article surveillance alarms will drive up sales.
For more information about Checkpoint tags contact us or call 1.770.426.0547.
Clothing security should always be a concern for retailers who sell this type of merchandise. But having recently read an article in a trade publication about the rise of Organized Retail Crime (ORC) I am concerned that theft is not as much of a focus as it should be. In a recent article in LPM Insider titled “2017 Survey Reveals Organized Retail Crime’s Top Stolen Items”, by Jac Brittain, LPC, November 20, 2017, the author points out three disturbing facts. First, “According to the 2017 study, organized retail crime is again on the rise.” Second, “Resources (to fight ORC) are down as other areas of the business are demanding greater attention by retail executives.” And third, three of the top stolen products according to the survey are designer clothing, jeans and purses out of eleven named products types. http://losspreventionmedia.com/insider/shoplifting-organized-retail-crime/2017-survey-reveals-organized-retail-crimes-top-stolen-items/ I am left to wonder if the resources used to fight Organized Retail Theft are limited to a reduction in personnel or if it includes the use of Checkpoint tags. One clarification I want to make for readers who do not know what ORC Groups are. Organized Retail Crime groups are comprised of professional thieves who use a structured team to steal from retailers and they then resell those products. These organizations may even open legitimate looking stores as a front for moving stolen products.
If the reduction of resources includes Checkpoint Tags I am then forced to ask the question, “Why?” When it comes to clothing security these simple tags make a world of difference. They are large enough to be easily seen by criminals who know what they are and what they do. Shoplifters who choose to take a stab at trying to remove a tag forcefully usually rip and tear merchandise and render it useless. Then there are the thieves who are willing to try to steal and sneak tagged merchandise past electronic article surveillance pedestals. This leads to the pedestals alarms and lights sounding and flashing which, in turn, results in employees answering the alarm and getting the merchandise back. Occasionally the recovery is from a receipt check and other times it is due to the thief being scared and dropping the items in an effort to avoid prosecution or capture. All of this is in addition to the fact that the tags are reusable. Unlike a throw away device the Checkpoint tags are designed to be used over and over again with the same outstanding performance. There is no reason to reduce the use of this clothing security device since there is rarely a need for adding too many at one time to your inventory. That is unless you are adding more products to your sales floor because you are increasing your sales.
Back to the first concern the author raised, that Organized Retail Crime is on the rise again, I am not sure what is driving this. Is it a matter of criminals realizing that resources are not being dedicated to clothing security or retail loss prevention? Do they understand that many brick and mortar retail establishments are struggling to keep their doors open and trying to allocate the resources and time to do that? I am not advocating unlimited resources to stop theft that would be unrealistic. I recognize that sometimes there has to be some assessment of the business to ensure fiscal stability. What I DO think can happen is a strategic allocation of people based on the use of door counting systems and the tagging of all merchandise to deter theft. Rather than reducing the number of sku’s being tagged to prevent theft I say tag more.
The next two points in the article was the breakdown of what is primarily chosen by ORC groups and that included three clothing categories. ORC groups are targeting clothing and if the resource being reduced includes clothing security tags I don’t understand the reasoning. Tagging products is proven to reduce theft. Stores only need to maintain their Checkpoint electronic article surveillance tower and devote some payroll to keep products tagged. The return on investment is the increase in sales due to having merchandise in stock. It is also the savings the store has in the merchandise that stays in the store and doesn’t get stolen. How much focus on other operational issues do stores need to improve sales when the ability to save money is right under their noses?
A rise in ORC doesn’t have to scare you. Use Checkpoint tags on ALL of the clothes and clothing accessories you sell in the store. Tagging products and ensuring proper staffing to tag, provide customer service and respond to electronic article surveillance alarms will drive up sales.
For more information about Checkpoint tags contact us or call 1.770.426.0547.
