Stop Shoplifting-4
Anti-Shoplifting-3 WC Blog 704
Can A Dumb Crook Be Stopped With Anti-Shoplifting Devices?
When you stop shoplifting and catch thieves you hear a lot of bizarre excuses for why a suspect tried to commit the crime. I think I just came across the strangest or oddest excuse I have heard yet. In a news report on whdh.com, September 12, 2018, by Frank O’Laughlin, “Police: Walmart shoplifters tried to steal clothes for upcoming court appearance”, a couple is reported to have been caught stealing clothing. The excuse they gave was that they needed the clothes for a court hearing she would be attending. Hmmm, I have a feeling she will be wearing basic orange when she makes that appearance. Sometimes you have to wonder what people are thinking. These two would-be shoplifters weren’t too bright but they aren’t the only ones to do something stupid. Take a look at these dumb shoplifters:
• Posted in mirror.com.uk, 1 Oct 15, by Martin Frick, “Stupid shoplifter caught after complaining to police about victim’s ‘wanted poster’ featuring the thief’s face”. The gist of this story is that the shoplifter complained to police that the owner of the store put his picture on a poster from a still camera image and even blacked used Photoshop to place lines over his face. The picture made it to Facebook. The shoplifter complained to police because he stated his boss fired him from his job after seeing the post.
• From wthr.com, “WATCH: Clueless shoplifting suspects run from police and right into jail”, by WTHR.com Staff, Feb 27, 2018. “Police in Peoria, Arizona were on their way to a call of a suspicious circumstance.” Police saw the suspect’s car at a gas station and the couple saw the police and ran. “Surveillance cameras caught them running along the building before jumping a fence to break into the jail!” Oh, I forgot to mention the report stated the couple had run right to the doors which were directly under a big sign that indicated what the building was.
I have no idea if the stores were using anti-shoplifting systems but I am not convinced that even if they had it would have been enough to stop shoplifting by these kooky crooks.
Now I want to be honest with you most shoplifters aren’t this dumb. I have been involved in efforts to stop shoplifting for many years. I have dealt with the professional shoplifters, the impulse shoplifters and yes, even the dumb shoplifters. I will tell you that most are not as stupid as the aforementioned. The criminal act is dumb and the excuses they come up with may be ridiculous once caught but as a whole these are not dumb people. In fact many are downright clever and the various methods they devise to steal are incredible. Thieves also go to great lengths to avoid being caught and that includes avoiding theft of merchandise they know is tagged or labeled with anti-shoplifting devices. Loss Prevention Systems, Inc. (LPSI) not only has the Sensormatic security systems and tags to protect against theft they offer other tools that can reduce your store shortage as a result of theft. Newsletters, blogs, videos, social media, theft investigators, risk assessment and training opportunities are all services offered by LPSI. They can even give you suggestions to deter those dumb criminals who may make the occasional stop at your store. With over 30 years of experience in retail theft prevention they are the company I would trust if I were a store owner seeking to improve my profit line.
Before concluding I will share two of my own personal dumb shoplifter stories only because I had several and I can’t choose my favorite. My first dumb shoplifter was an intoxicated golfer stealing underwear. Not necessarily dumb in itself except he had $300 cash in his wallet with which he could have purchased the underwear. The second has to take the cake for all dumb shoplifters. He was a man dressed as a woman stealing purses from our store. Nothing too unusual about that, the crook even ran from me and got away, except I grabbed his jacket and personal handbag. Once again, not too far outside the realm of what happens with a lot of shoplifters. What was dumb was this crook had his prison ID card in his purse…he was on probation! A warrant was signed and he was eventually picked up.
Anti-shoplifting devices such as Sensormatic labels are an effective means of preventing theft. There are rare instances you my get a visit from a dumb shoplifter who won’t think about what they are potentially getting themselves into if they choose to try to steal. Get great advice from a visit to LPSI website to learn how to stop shoplifting before these clods create a bit of chaos in your business.
Get more information on how to stop shoplifting, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.
When you stop shoplifting and catch thieves you hear a lot of bizarre excuses for why a suspect tried to commit the crime. I think I just came across the strangest or oddest excuse I have heard yet. In a news report on whdh.com, September 12, 2018, by Frank O’Laughlin, “Police: Walmart shoplifters tried to steal clothes for upcoming court appearance”, a couple is reported to have been caught stealing clothing. The excuse they gave was that they needed the clothes for a court hearing she would be attending. Hmmm, I have a feeling she will be wearing basic orange when she makes that appearance. Sometimes you have to wonder what people are thinking. These two would-be shoplifters weren’t too bright but they aren’t the only ones to do something stupid. Take a look at these dumb shoplifters:
• Posted in mirror.com.uk, 1 Oct 15, by Martin Frick, “Stupid shoplifter caught after complaining to police about victim’s ‘wanted poster’ featuring the thief’s face”. The gist of this story is that the shoplifter complained to police that the owner of the store put his picture on a poster from a still camera image and even blacked used Photoshop to place lines over his face. The picture made it to Facebook. The shoplifter complained to police because he stated his boss fired him from his job after seeing the post.
• From wthr.com, “WATCH: Clueless shoplifting suspects run from police and right into jail”, by WTHR.com Staff, Feb 27, 2018. “Police in Peoria, Arizona were on their way to a call of a suspicious circumstance.” Police saw the suspect’s car at a gas station and the couple saw the police and ran. “Surveillance cameras caught them running along the building before jumping a fence to break into the jail!” Oh, I forgot to mention the report stated the couple had run right to the doors which were directly under a big sign that indicated what the building was.
I have no idea if the stores were using anti-shoplifting systems but I am not convinced that even if they had it would have been enough to stop shoplifting by these kooky crooks.
Now I want to be honest with you most shoplifters aren’t this dumb. I have been involved in efforts to stop shoplifting for many years. I have dealt with the professional shoplifters, the impulse shoplifters and yes, even the dumb shoplifters. I will tell you that most are not as stupid as the aforementioned. The criminal act is dumb and the excuses they come up with may be ridiculous once caught but as a whole these are not dumb people. In fact many are downright clever and the various methods they devise to steal are incredible. Thieves also go to great lengths to avoid being caught and that includes avoiding theft of merchandise they know is tagged or labeled with anti-shoplifting devices. Loss Prevention Systems, Inc. (LPSI) not only has the Sensormatic security systems and tags to protect against theft they offer other tools that can reduce your store shortage as a result of theft. Newsletters, blogs, videos, social media, theft investigators, risk assessment and training opportunities are all services offered by LPSI. They can even give you suggestions to deter those dumb criminals who may make the occasional stop at your store. With over 30 years of experience in retail theft prevention they are the company I would trust if I were a store owner seeking to improve my profit line.
Before concluding I will share two of my own personal dumb shoplifter stories only because I had several and I can’t choose my favorite. My first dumb shoplifter was an intoxicated golfer stealing underwear. Not necessarily dumb in itself except he had $300 cash in his wallet with which he could have purchased the underwear. The second has to take the cake for all dumb shoplifters. He was a man dressed as a woman stealing purses from our store. Nothing too unusual about that, the crook even ran from me and got away, except I grabbed his jacket and personal handbag. Once again, not too far outside the realm of what happens with a lot of shoplifters. What was dumb was this crook had his prison ID card in his purse…he was on probation! A warrant was signed and he was eventually picked up.
Anti-shoplifting devices such as Sensormatic labels are an effective means of preventing theft. There are rare instances you my get a visit from a dumb shoplifter who won’t think about what they are potentially getting themselves into if they choose to try to steal. Get great advice from a visit to LPSI website to learn how to stop shoplifting before these clods create a bit of chaos in your business.
Get more information on how to stop shoplifting, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.
Loss Prevention ROI Calculator – 3 WC Blog 705
Loss Prevention Calculator -3
The Loss Prevention Calculator Shows How To Make Smart Investments
The Loss Prevention Calculator from Loss Prevention Systems, Inc. (LPSI) is a winning way to find out what the return on investment (ROI) would be for a Sensormatic security system. While the ROI for one thing may be great that doesn’t mean all investments will turn out the same. Here are a few examples where the ROI of investments were not only less than desirable, they were failures of epic proportion. From thinkadvisor.com – “8 Really Bad Investments That Lost a Bundle” by Dan Berman, May 07, 2013:
• Boo.com was an online apparel company that lost $188 million in a year and a half. “Almost one sixth of that money belonged to the wealthy Harari family…”
• Venture capitalists invested 35 million in Flooz.com an attempt at creating an online currency. “…despite retailers like Barnes and Noble and Starbucks agreeing to accept the currency, the idea flopped miserably.”
• In 1993 The New York Times spent 1.1 BILLION dollars to purchase the Boston Globe. The internet changed the news reporting industry and newspapers. “An attempt to sell the Globe in 2009 reportedly netted an offer of $59 million plus the assumption of pension obligations. Other newspapers that were part of the Globe chain were sold for $143 million in late 2011.”
Ouch, these investment choices certainly seem to have had a nasty sting to them. A Return On Investment should not be costly as these were. If you own a retail business you want to be careful on how you spend YOUR money. You have to have the assurance that there will be a positive return for your expenditures. One sure fire way to do this is to spend money on something that will pay back dividends. No, I’m not talking about buying stocks. Purchase a Loss Prevention system to prevent theft and reduce stock shortage. The Loss Prevention ROI Calculator is your safe way to see just how an investment will not only pay dividends but pay for itself as well.
Just how does the Loss Prevention Calculator work? You go to the LPSI website and find the link to their ROI Calculator. Once on the screen the user simply enters their estimated annual sales for their store and the amount they are considering spending on a Sensormatic security system. The Loss Prevention ROI Calculator tallies the figures and shows how much you would spend monthly to pay for a system. It also allows the user to see how long it would take for the investment to pay for itself through reduced shrink losses. THAT is an investment that makes sense!
There may be someone who is reading this and ready to reject it because they don’t want a sales person calling them or emailing to push a sale. I totally understand. That is why there is no registration, signing in, request for email or any other tracking used. When LPSI calls it a Free Loss Prevention Calculator they mean it. They are so sure of the effectiveness of electronic article surveillance systems they are confident you will make the right investment for your business. That is what LPSI is all about, helping retailers become more profitable through theft and shrinkage reduction.
Just to let you see that there have been other really bad investment choices that turned out poorly, here are a couple of more from franchisehelp.com, “20 Famous Athletes and Their Investment Blunders”:
• Rhagib Ismail a Notre Dame Football player and graduate, invested $300,000 in a “Hard Rock Café franchise/Planet Hollywood knockoff called Rock N’ Roll Café.” The venue was a failure.
• “(John) Elway and a co-investor committed $15 million to what turned out to be a ponzi scheme run by hedge fund manager Sean Mueller says the Denver Post”
• Scottie Pippin “(invested) in a private jet that took him under.” He is “…seeking restitution from a firm that he claims owes him at least $8 million after misguiding him on investments.”
There are so many more stories of investments that turned out badly for the investors. Some of the sports figures made considerable sums of money over the course of their careers and have gone bankrupt. You don’t have to make similar mistakes with your business.
Take some time looking at the Loss Prevention ROI Calculator and the LPSI website. Learn about the way a Sensormatic system can pay for itself over time. Also learn about the other ways LPSI can strengthen your company in ways you may never have considered previously. Let them help you start saving money today!
Need information on the Loss Prevention ROI Calculator? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 today.
The Loss Prevention Calculator from Loss Prevention Systems, Inc. (LPSI) is a winning way to find out what the return on investment (ROI) would be for a Sensormatic security system. While the ROI for one thing may be great that doesn’t mean all investments will turn out the same. Here are a few examples where the ROI of investments were not only less than desirable, they were failures of epic proportion. From thinkadvisor.com – “8 Really Bad Investments That Lost a Bundle” by Dan Berman, May 07, 2013:
• Boo.com was an online apparel company that lost $188 million in a year and a half. “Almost one sixth of that money belonged to the wealthy Harari family…”
• Venture capitalists invested 35 million in Flooz.com an attempt at creating an online currency. “…despite retailers like Barnes and Noble and Starbucks agreeing to accept the currency, the idea flopped miserably.”
• In 1993 The New York Times spent 1.1 BILLION dollars to purchase the Boston Globe. The internet changed the news reporting industry and newspapers. “An attempt to sell the Globe in 2009 reportedly netted an offer of $59 million plus the assumption of pension obligations. Other newspapers that were part of the Globe chain were sold for $143 million in late 2011.”
Ouch, these investment choices certainly seem to have had a nasty sting to them. A Return On Investment should not be costly as these were. If you own a retail business you want to be careful on how you spend YOUR money. You have to have the assurance that there will be a positive return for your expenditures. One sure fire way to do this is to spend money on something that will pay back dividends. No, I’m not talking about buying stocks. Purchase a Loss Prevention system to prevent theft and reduce stock shortage. The Loss Prevention ROI Calculator is your safe way to see just how an investment will not only pay dividends but pay for itself as well.
Just how does the Loss Prevention Calculator work? You go to the LPSI website and find the link to their ROI Calculator. Once on the screen the user simply enters their estimated annual sales for their store and the amount they are considering spending on a Sensormatic security system. The Loss Prevention ROI Calculator tallies the figures and shows how much you would spend monthly to pay for a system. It also allows the user to see how long it would take for the investment to pay for itself through reduced shrink losses. THAT is an investment that makes sense!
There may be someone who is reading this and ready to reject it because they don’t want a sales person calling them or emailing to push a sale. I totally understand. That is why there is no registration, signing in, request for email or any other tracking used. When LPSI calls it a Free Loss Prevention Calculator they mean it. They are so sure of the effectiveness of electronic article surveillance systems they are confident you will make the right investment for your business. That is what LPSI is all about, helping retailers become more profitable through theft and shrinkage reduction.
Just to let you see that there have been other really bad investment choices that turned out poorly, here are a couple of more from franchisehelp.com, “20 Famous Athletes and Their Investment Blunders”:
• Rhagib Ismail a Notre Dame Football player and graduate, invested $300,000 in a “Hard Rock Café franchise/Planet Hollywood knockoff called Rock N’ Roll Café.” The venue was a failure.
• “(John) Elway and a co-investor committed $15 million to what turned out to be a ponzi scheme run by hedge fund manager Sean Mueller says the Denver Post”
• Scottie Pippin “(invested) in a private jet that took him under.” He is “…seeking restitution from a firm that he claims owes him at least $8 million after misguiding him on investments.”There are so many more stories of investments that turned out badly for the investors. Some of the sports figures made considerable sums of money over the course of their careers and have gone bankrupt. You don’t have to make similar mistakes with your business.
Take some time looking at the Loss Prevention ROI Calculator and the LPSI website. Learn about the way a Sensormatic system can pay for itself over time. Also learn about the other ways LPSI can strengthen your company in ways you may never have considered previously. Let them help you start saving money today!
Need information on the Loss Prevention ROI Calculator? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 today.
Sensormatic Security Tags-4 WC Blog 703
Stop Shoplifting -3
Risky Business: Trying To Stop Shoplifting Can Be Dangerous!
Recently I read an article about a shooting during an attempt to stop shoplifting and afterwards wanted to ask why the Loss Prevention Associates continued with the apprehension. The story was posted in Loss Prevention Media Insider on Oct. 29, 2018, from the source ABC7 EYEWITNESS NEWS. According to the post a man and woman entered the grocery store with a 6-month old in a baby carrier. They reportedly put merchandise in the carrier and tried to exit. It was noted that L.P. personnel attempted to stop the suspects and the man pulled a gun and fired at them. I want to pause right here. I have been in Loss Prevention in stores for over 17 years. I have been threatened with a knife more than once. I have had one shoplifter lift his shirt and show me the butt of a gun in his waistband. He threatened to shoot if I tried to stop him. In those situations where I was threatened and a weapon was presented I backed off. I take no issue with stopping and apprehending shoplifters. In fact I think it is foolish to not prosecute them but that is another story. I also believe store owners minimize the risk of such incidents from ever happening when they use Sensormatic security tags on merchandise. I will finish my thoughts on this incident in a minute or two. But it is important to talk about the value of retail anti-theft devices in deterring the criminal activity in the first place.
I am a firm advocate of the use of Sensormatic security tags not only for the reduction of losses as stores use them to stop shoplifting. I am of the belief that retail anti-theft devices decrease the risk of violent criminal activity. I look at it from the perspective of someone who has had physical altercations with many shoplifters who were trying to steal merchandise that they did not think was tagged. After finally subduing a suspect and getting them to a point where they would talk to me rationally I would hear such things as, “I didn’t think there was security in the store” or “I didn’t think the cameras were real”. I also heard the excuse, “I didn’t see any security tags on it.” Excuses are just that, excuses but the fact remains if this is the way shoplifters think then it is important to ensure they know a store is using (hopefully) a variety of theft prevention measures. When criminals know that a store is equipped with security measures they tend to look for easier targets. This includes the dangerous segment of shoplifters who may be armed. While they may be more aggressive if confronted they aren’t actively looking for the police to be called due to their activity and try to avoid detection. A perfect example is the couple in the story above as they used an infant carrier to try to conceal their theft activity. Sensormatic security tags and other deterrent tools can help redirect these people to other stores, especially if signage indicates that the store uses theft prevention devices.
Getting back to the story I want to be clear I do not have all of the details and I did try to find several sources of information. I don’t know if the shoplifter was stopped and pulled out the gun immediately firing a shot or if he brandished the weapon and the L.P. staff chose to try to disarm him and a shot discharged. I do know that a baby and bystanders were at risk and certainly the L.P. Associates were endangered. If the assailant pulled his gun and immediately shot at the Associates I can understand if the first response they had was to try to disarm him to protect themselves from harm. When stopping a shoplifter training generally dictates keeping an arms-length distance from the suspect. It gives space to protect against a punch but remain close enough to prevent the suspect from running. If this was the scenario, the Associates would not have had enough distance to disengage if the suspect was shooting. They may have taken the only action available. If the suspect only showed the weapon and they chose to wrestle it away I would condemn that action. If a store chooses to stop shoplifting by apprehending and prosecuting shoplifters rule one must be safety and that includes disengaging when it becomes dangerous and call authorities.
Store owners you may decide you want to stop shoplifters. Before you make this decision get the proper training. Contact Loss Prevention Systems, Inc. and find out about the training programs they offer. They also consult on the benefits of using Sensormatic security tags to deter shoplifting and violent activity. Remember: Safety First, in all you do!
Need information on Sensormatic security tags? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
Recently I read an article about a shooting during an attempt to stop shoplifting and afterwards wanted to ask why the Loss Prevention Associates continued with the apprehension. The story was posted in Loss Prevention Media Insider on Oct. 29, 2018, from the source ABC7 EYEWITNESS NEWS. According to the post a man and woman entered the grocery store with a 6-month old in a baby carrier. They reportedly put merchandise in the carrier and tried to exit. It was noted that L.P. personnel attempted to stop the suspects and the man pulled a gun and fired at them. I want to pause right here. I have been in Loss Prevention in stores for over 17 years. I have been threatened with a knife more than once. I have had one shoplifter lift his shirt and show me the butt of a gun in his waistband. He threatened to shoot if I tried to stop him. In those situations where I was threatened and a weapon was presented I backed off. I take no issue with stopping and apprehending shoplifters. In fact I think it is foolish to not prosecute them but that is another story. I also believe store owners minimize the risk of such incidents from ever happening when they use Sensormatic security tags on merchandise. I will finish my thoughts on this incident in a minute or two. But it is important to talk about the value of retail anti-theft devices in deterring the criminal activity in the first place.
I am a firm advocate of the use of Sensormatic security tags not only for the reduction of losses as stores use them to stop shoplifting. I am of the belief that retail anti-theft devices decrease the risk of violent criminal activity. I look at it from the perspective of someone who has had physical altercations with many shoplifters who were trying to steal merchandise that they did not think was tagged. After finally subduing a suspect and getting them to a point where they would talk to me rationally I would hear such things as, “I didn’t think there was security in the store” or “I didn’t think the cameras were real”. I also heard the excuse, “I didn’t see any security tags on it.” Excuses are just that, excuses but the fact remains if this is the way shoplifters think then it is important to ensure they know a store is using (hopefully) a variety of theft prevention measures. When criminals know that a store is equipped with security measures they tend to look for easier targets. This includes the dangerous segment of shoplifters who may be armed. While they may be more aggressive if confronted they aren’t actively looking for the police to be called due to their activity and try to avoid detection. A perfect example is the couple in the story above as they used an infant carrier to try to conceal their theft activity. Sensormatic security tags and other deterrent tools can help redirect these people to other stores, especially if signage indicates that the store uses theft prevention devices.
Getting back to the story I want to be clear I do not have all of the details and I did try to find several sources of information. I don’t know if the shoplifter was stopped and pulled out the gun immediately firing a shot or if he brandished the weapon and the L.P. staff chose to try to disarm him and a shot discharged. I do know that a baby and bystanders were at risk and certainly the L.P. Associates were endangered. If the assailant pulled his gun and immediately shot at the Associates I can understand if the first response they had was to try to disarm him to protect themselves from harm. When stopping a shoplifter training generally dictates keeping an arms-length distance from the suspect. It gives space to protect against a punch but remain close enough to prevent the suspect from running. If this was the scenario, the Associates would not have had enough distance to disengage if the suspect was shooting. They may have taken the only action available. If the suspect only showed the weapon and they chose to wrestle it away I would condemn that action. If a store chooses to stop shoplifting by apprehending and prosecuting shoplifters rule one must be safety and that includes disengaging when it becomes dangerous and call authorities.
Store owners you may decide you want to stop shoplifters. Before you make this decision get the proper training. Contact Loss Prevention Systems, Inc. and find out about the training programs they offer. They also consult on the benefits of using Sensormatic security tags to deter shoplifting and violent activity. Remember: Safety First, in all you do!
Need information on Sensormatic security tags? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
Electronic Article Surveillance – 4 WC Blog 702
Sensormatic Labels -3
Failing To Deactivate Sensormatic Labels: An LP Manager’s Faux Pas
I recently wrote an article about problems electronic article surveillance labels can cause when stores go to an online order and pick-up system. Wouldn’t you know it? I end up being guilty of what I warned readers about. I don’t know if I should feel vindicated or just silly. Here is what happened; I was working at my retail job and a customer came in to pick up her online order, ink jet cartridges. The cartridges had been processed and were in a bag in the pick-up area. I retrieved the bag and rang up the order and since it was paid online the paperwork is just a formality to ensure the right person is getting the merchandise. I processed her paperwork and at the same time was getting other calls to assist customers on the salesfloor. I thanked her for making the purchase and hurried to ring the next customer so I could get to the patron needing my assistance on the floor as it was that kind of day. The next thing I knew the Sensormatic tower was alarming and it was the customer with the online order, I forgot to deactivate the concealed Sensormatic labels inside the box containing the ink cartridges that had already been bagged up. I had to sheepishly apologize as she stood there looking rather annoyed at me.
What was particularly frustrating for me in this case is I am a former Loss Prevention Manager and I know about source tagged merchandise. Sensormatic labels can be applied to merchandise in one of two methods. They can be placed inside of packaging by the manufacturer, built into Manufacture hang tags or into a store UPC code. They may also be placed on merchandise by store personnel. In most instances if the store is placing the electronic article surveillance labels on products the label will be in a visible location. There are two schools of thought on the placement of labels. One line of thinking is that visible labels are more of a deterrent because shoplifters will see the anti-theft device and leave the product alone. The other thought is that if labels are concealed it puts a question mark on every item in a store for a crook. Personally I see advantages to both. The biggest advantage of source tagging is that it removes that task from the store so payroll can be focused elsewhere. Whichever method of protecting merchandise a store manager chooses it is important to remember that every label or tag going through a point of sale must be deactivated or removed.
As illustrated in my story, failing to deactivate Sensormatic labels or remove hard tags can create a poor shopping experience for paying customers. They may have had a great time shopping and employees may have offered up exceptional service but if that patron walks out the door and that alarm sounds all of the positive experiences may be wiped out. This is true no matter how quickly an employee responds to the alarm or how profusely apologetic a manager may be for the error. If it happens too frequently to that customer they may stop visiting for a while or make negative comments to friends and family. That can impact sales on the store down the road.
Failure to regularly deactivate or remove electronic article surveillance labels can also cause cashiers and supervisors to become lackadaisical in responding to alarms. With alarms sounding all of the time due to cashier error or faulty equipment I have seen employees stop responding to towers as they signal alerts that a tag is going out the door. It is also noticed by shoplifters who decide that the store really doesn’t care about whether a person sets off the alarm. They believe (and are probably right more often than not) that they will get away with their criminal activity.
Don’t let the specter of false alarms keep you from tagging merchandise or worse, not invest in an electronic article surveillance system at all. Sensormatic security systems will reduce theft. When the equipment is tested regularly and your employees are properly trained on deactivating and removing labels and tags you will save money and chase away criminal elements. When a system is used properly the occasional error by a former Loss Prevention Manager isn’t going to harm your business, just don’t let him cashier too often.
Electronic Article Surveillance is important and we can help you with it. Call 1.770.426.0547 and let’s talk.
I recently wrote an article about problems electronic article surveillance labels can cause when stores go to an online order and pick-up system. Wouldn’t you know it? I end up being guilty of what I warned readers about. I don’t know if I should feel vindicated or just silly. Here is what happened; I was working at my retail job and a customer came in to pick up her online order, ink jet cartridges. The cartridges had been processed and were in a bag in the pick-up area. I retrieved the bag and rang up the order and since it was paid online the paperwork is just a formality to ensure the right person is getting the merchandise. I processed her paperwork and at the same time was getting other calls to assist customers on the salesfloor. I thanked her for making the purchase and hurried to ring the next customer so I could get to the patron needing my assistance on the floor as it was that kind of day. The next thing I knew the Sensormatic tower was alarming and it was the customer with the online order, I forgot to deactivate the concealed Sensormatic labels inside the box containing the ink cartridges that had already been bagged up. I had to sheepishly apologize as she stood there looking rather annoyed at me.
What was particularly frustrating for me in this case is I am a former Loss Prevention Manager and I know about source tagged merchandise. Sensormatic labels can be applied to merchandise in one of two methods. They can be placed inside of packaging by the manufacturer, built into Manufacture hang tags or into a store UPC code. They may also be placed on merchandise by store personnel. In most instances if the store is placing the electronic article surveillance labels on products the label will be in a visible location. There are two schools of thought on the placement of labels. One line of thinking is that visible labels are more of a deterrent because shoplifters will see the anti-theft device and leave the product alone. The other thought is that if labels are concealed it puts a question mark on every item in a store for a crook. Personally I see advantages to both. The biggest advantage of source tagging is that it removes that task from the store so payroll can be focused elsewhere. Whichever method of protecting merchandise a store manager chooses it is important to remember that every label or tag going through a point of sale must be deactivated or removed.
As illustrated in my story, failing to deactivate Sensormatic labels or remove hard tags can create a poor shopping experience for paying customers. They may have had a great time shopping and employees may have offered up exceptional service but if that patron walks out the door and that alarm sounds all of the positive experiences may be wiped out. This is true no matter how quickly an employee responds to the alarm or how profusely apologetic a manager may be for the error. If it happens too frequently to that customer they may stop visiting for a while or make negative comments to friends and family. That can impact sales on the store down the road.
Failure to regularly deactivate or remove electronic article surveillance labels can also cause cashiers and supervisors to become lackadaisical in responding to alarms. With alarms sounding all of the time due to cashier error or faulty equipment I have seen employees stop responding to towers as they signal alerts that a tag is going out the door. It is also noticed by shoplifters who decide that the store really doesn’t care about whether a person sets off the alarm. They believe (and are probably right more often than not) that they will get away with their criminal activity.
Don’t let the specter of false alarms keep you from tagging merchandise or worse, not invest in an electronic article surveillance system at all. Sensormatic security systems will reduce theft. When the equipment is tested regularly and your employees are properly trained on deactivating and removing labels and tags you will save money and chase away criminal elements. When a system is used properly the occasional error by a former Loss Prevention Manager isn’t going to harm your business, just don’t let him cashier too often.
Electronic Article Surveillance is important and we can help you with it. Call 1.770.426.0547 and let’s talk.
Electronic Article Surveillance – 3 WC Blog 701
Stop Shoplifting -3
“Safer” Ways To Stop Shoplifting
As someone who has been involved in retail loss prevention as an associate and a manager I have been using electronic article surveillance products for better than 28 years. I have used different styles of tags and labels over the course of my career. One problem I have found with tagging of merchandise is some pegged items can present challenges. Lower price point products may be easy to protect with a soft label. Slap it on, don’t cover any critical information such as a warning label and you are good to go. For other things you want more protection but wraps don’t work well to stop shoplifting. There may be a long cardboard peg hook tab that only folds over and prevents a wrap from being properly tightened down. When this happens the wrap can be slipped off of the merchandise and makes it an easier target for thieves. So are there any solutions? You could lock up those expensive items in a locking display case that’s a pretty safe alternative. That strategy does have problems and the biggest is inconvenience. It is inconvenient to your customers, to your staff and can result in lost sales. There is a better alternative and that is the use of Sensormatic Flexible Safers to protect these items.
Safers sound secure and they should since they are designed by one of the leaders in retail anti-theft technology. Made of layers of strong, lightweight plastics laminated together and possessing electronic article surveillance technology these anti-theft devices provide powerful deterrence to criminal activity. If the item you want to protect is small they give size to it. Crooks like to take things that are small and have some value. They look for items that can be resold, traded for drugs or fraudulently returned and make some money for their effort. As an example, a thief isn’t going to steal a $2 box of Crayola colored pencils from your store if they can steal a $20 box of Prisma colored pencils. Both are peg hook items and I have even tried to place a security wrap on a metal box of Prisma pencils. It is not easy and to be honest the Safer would be a more secure alternative since the wrap has to be worked around the peg hook tab. The safer allows the item to be placed inside the device and the safer is secured. Patrons can pick up the merchandise, look at the item, read about the product but if they try to walk out with it the Safer sets off the Sensormatic electronic alarm system near the front doors. The safer and the towers are often enough to stop shoplifting but when that occasional kleptomaniac decides to try to sneak something out anyways the alarm system sounds. Employees respond to alarms at the doors and recover merchandise and prevent the loss to the store.
The question then is if the shoplifter is deterred by the Safer won’t they try to steal those $2 Crayola pencils as an alternative? That is a very real possibility if you don’t take the time to protect all of your merchandise. If I was giving advice to a store owner I would suggest that the cheaper merchandise be tagged with a Sensormatic electronic article surveillance label. Use Flexible Safers and hard tags on your higher price point items. I don’t have the ability to address every type of retailer and their needs in this article. There are so many different types of retailers out there that each should have specialized assistance to get sound advice for their particular store. Based on my experience as a Loss Prevention Manager I would recommend Loss prevention Systems, Inc. as a resource with the trained staff that can answer questions for your store.
So back to my original point, some items are just plain ol’ ornery when it comes to protecting them, especially pegged goods. You don’t want to lock them up because your team is going to constantly make trips to the stockroom or the customers will just get irritated when they can’t get help to get the merchandise and they will leave. The price of the item may be a cause for concern to you that a security label is not sufficient to dissuade a crook. The Flexible Safer is the solution for you. You keep your merchandise available to your honest customers while at the same time you stop shoplifting. It’s a win-win solution for everyone but the bad guy.
Don’t allow shoplifters to frustrate the way you display merchandise. Also don’t let their actions create hassles for your employees or your customers. Use Flexible Safers and put out all the pegged items you want to drive sales.
Electronic Article Surveillance is important and we can help you with it. Call 1.770.426.0547 and let’s talk.
As someone who has been involved in retail loss prevention as an associate and a manager I have been using electronic article surveillance products for better than 28 years. I have used different styles of tags and labels over the course of my career. One problem I have found with tagging of merchandise is some pegged items can present challenges. Lower price point products may be easy to protect with a soft label. Slap it on, don’t cover any critical information such as a warning label and you are good to go. For other things you want more protection but wraps don’t work well to stop shoplifting. There may be a long cardboard peg hook tab that only folds over and prevents a wrap from being properly tightened down. When this happens the wrap can be slipped off of the merchandise and makes it an easier target for thieves. So are there any solutions? You could lock up those expensive items in a locking display case that’s a pretty safe alternative. That strategy does have problems and the biggest is inconvenience. It is inconvenient to your customers, to your staff and can result in lost sales. There is a better alternative and that is the use of Sensormatic Flexible Safers to protect these items.
Safers sound secure and they should since they are designed by one of the leaders in retail anti-theft technology. Made of layers of strong, lightweight plastics laminated together and possessing electronic article surveillance technology these anti-theft devices provide powerful deterrence to criminal activity. If the item you want to protect is small they give size to it. Crooks like to take things that are small and have some value. They look for items that can be resold, traded for drugs or fraudulently returned and make some money for their effort. As an example, a thief isn’t going to steal a $2 box of Crayola colored pencils from your store if they can steal a $20 box of Prisma colored pencils. Both are peg hook items and I have even tried to place a security wrap on a metal box of Prisma pencils. It is not easy and to be honest the Safer would be a more secure alternative since the wrap has to be worked around the peg hook tab. The safer allows the item to be placed inside the device and the safer is secured. Patrons can pick up the merchandise, look at the item, read about the product but if they try to walk out with it the Safer sets off the Sensormatic electronic alarm system near the front doors. The safer and the towers are often enough to stop shoplifting but when that occasional kleptomaniac decides to try to sneak something out anyways the alarm system sounds. Employees respond to alarms at the doors and recover merchandise and prevent the loss to the store.
The question then is if the shoplifter is deterred by the Safer won’t they try to steal those $2 Crayola pencils as an alternative? That is a very real possibility if you don’t take the time to protect all of your merchandise. If I was giving advice to a store owner I would suggest that the cheaper merchandise be tagged with a Sensormatic electronic article surveillance label. Use Flexible Safers and hard tags on your higher price point items. I don’t have the ability to address every type of retailer and their needs in this article. There are so many different types of retailers out there that each should have specialized assistance to get sound advice for their particular store. Based on my experience as a Loss Prevention Manager I would recommend Loss prevention Systems, Inc. as a resource with the trained staff that can answer questions for your store.
So back to my original point, some items are just plain ol’ ornery when it comes to protecting them, especially pegged goods. You don’t want to lock them up because your team is going to constantly make trips to the stockroom or the customers will just get irritated when they can’t get help to get the merchandise and they will leave. The price of the item may be a cause for concern to you that a security label is not sufficient to dissuade a crook. The Flexible Safer is the solution for you. You keep your merchandise available to your honest customers while at the same time you stop shoplifting. It’s a win-win solution for everyone but the bad guy.
Don’t allow shoplifters to frustrate the way you display merchandise. Also don’t let their actions create hassles for your employees or your customers. Use Flexible Safers and put out all the pegged items you want to drive sales.
Electronic Article Surveillance is important and we can help you with it. Call 1.770.426.0547 and let’s talk.
