RL-175
Alpha Security-4, Prevent shoplifting-3, retail anti-theft devices-3
Shoplifters Are Networking and Sharing Tips, but Are Stumped When It Comes To Defeating Alpha Security Devices
In addition to utilizing retail anti-theft devices like those from Alpha Security, you also need to keep up to date on current theft trends and other ways to help prevent shoplifting. You probably know that it’s a good idea to network with other stores, or at least other locations within your company if you have more than one location. Why is this important? It’s important because that’s exactly what the shoplifters are doing. If you spend a few minutes searching the internet for shoplifting related information, you will find that there are large communities of shoplifters that have no problem posting about ways to get away with shoplifting, ways to try to remove merchandise protection devices, what they have taken, where they have taken it, and even posting pictures of all the merchandise they have gotten away with from the stores.
One area of a particular website had detailed information, including references to websites that sell retail anti-theft devices, and tips on how to try to remove them from the products. When it came to some Alpha Security devices, they showed pictures of some of the devices on the products, but it didn’t seem like they had any idea to remove them from the merchandise without having the actual key. However, they did show pictures of the devices, and linked to websites that sold the Alpha Security products. Many of these shoplifters even brag about how good they are, but while browsing over some of the information, it appeared that they were very inexperienced, or were just plain making things up in an attempt to sound like they knew what they talking about.
Some of the tips listed in this particular shoplifter community could be very damaging to stores that don’t have a solid plan to prevent shoplifting and don’t use retail anti-theft devices. Some of the posts actually confirm that the people know what they are doing is illegal and serious, but they just don’t care. Another section of the blogs described how to disguise yourself and act like you are stealing, in order to get the attention of loss prevention employees, so you will know what they will look like next time you are in the store. There are then posts of people asking for information on the best places to steal a certain type of merchandise. For example, one person asked where they could steal a hair straightener, and they received a response from another user saying that they should go to a specific store, in which they know that there is only one employee working first thing in the morning and they are usually busy stocking merchandise and don’t pay any attention to customers.
If that wasn’t enough, some users post about getting caught and what the process is in the store, and what the procedures are for loss prevention during processing. Others even take it a step further and go into detail about the court process for shoplifting and exactly what steps were involved, and what they were sentenced to for the thefts they committed. I was completely shocked at some of the information that I saw while looking at some of these postings. I strongly suggest that you do your own research if you want to see what kinds of things shoplifters are talking about to try and get around what you are doing to prevent shoplifting in your stores.
For more information about Alpha Security, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547
In addition to utilizing retail anti-theft devices like those from Alpha Security, you also need to keep up to date on current theft trends and other ways to help prevent shoplifting. You probably know that it’s a good idea to network with other stores, or at least other locations within your company if you have more than one location. Why is this important? It’s important because that’s exactly what the shoplifters are doing. If you spend a few minutes searching the internet for shoplifting related information, you will find that there are large communities of shoplifters that have no problem posting about ways to get away with shoplifting, ways to try to remove merchandise protection devices, what they have taken, where they have taken it, and even posting pictures of all the merchandise they have gotten away with from the stores.
One area of a particular website had detailed information, including references to websites that sell retail anti-theft devices, and tips on how to try to remove them from the products. When it came to some Alpha Security devices, they showed pictures of some of the devices on the products, but it didn’t seem like they had any idea to remove them from the merchandise without having the actual key. However, they did show pictures of the devices, and linked to websites that sold the Alpha Security products. Many of these shoplifters even brag about how good they are, but while browsing over some of the information, it appeared that they were very inexperienced, or were just plain making things up in an attempt to sound like they knew what they talking about.
Some of the tips listed in this particular shoplifter community could be very damaging to stores that don’t have a solid plan to prevent shoplifting and don’t use retail anti-theft devices. Some of the posts actually confirm that the people know what they are doing is illegal and serious, but they just don’t care. Another section of the blogs described how to disguise yourself and act like you are stealing, in order to get the attention of loss prevention employees, so you will know what they will look like next time you are in the store. There are then posts of people asking for information on the best places to steal a certain type of merchandise. For example, one person asked where they could steal a hair straightener, and they received a response from another user saying that they should go to a specific store, in which they know that there is only one employee working first thing in the morning and they are usually busy stocking merchandise and don’t pay any attention to customers.
If that wasn’t enough, some users post about getting caught and what the process is in the store, and what the procedures are for loss prevention during processing. Others even take it a step further and go into detail about the court process for shoplifting and exactly what steps were involved, and what they were sentenced to for the thefts they committed. I was completely shocked at some of the information that I saw while looking at some of these postings. I strongly suggest that you do your own research if you want to see what kinds of things shoplifters are talking about to try and get around what you are doing to prevent shoplifting in your stores.
For more information about Alpha Security, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547
RWHBLOG17
EAS Labels: Shoplifters Can Just Remove Them. Let Them Try With Layered Protection!
“What stops them from just removing it?” That is a question I get all the time from associates and customers alike in regard to the effectiveness of electronic article surveillance or EAS labels. After all the labels are only placed on the product with a strong adhesive. The EAS label can be removed with a little effort very quickly and the product is then defenseless against the shoplifter leaving undetected with the product concealed on his or her person. In some cases, if that is the only retail anti-theft devices that you are using in your store to prevent shoplifting the answer might be that nothing stops them from removing the EAS label and walking out of your store with the product.
However, based on the value of the product, using just one EAS label is not the best way to prevent shoplifting of your merchandise. Maybe a couple of examples from my experiences will help illustrate this a little better. In one case, a shoplifter brought in his own cable-cutters into the store to cut the cables on the leather jackets and cut off the EAS hard tag. It was a great plan and he had some quality side-cutters to do the job; however, he did not count on us just placing some inexpensive EAS labels inside the pockets and inside the lining of the jacket. When he went to leave with a nice smug look on his face (that was quickly replaced with wide-eyes and open-mouthed surprise) he was stopped at the door, detained and turned over to the police for shoplifting. Those inexpensive hidden Checkpoint labels activated by door alarms saved the loss of a very expensive garment.
In a second example, a professional shoplifter had figured out how to remove our laptops from our heavily secured and alarmed display brackets without activating the alarm. He had stolen 4 laptops previously undetected except through CCTV (closed-circuit television) tape reviews. His undoing the next time he tried his very-thought out criminal endeavor was Checkpoint labels had been placed inside the battery compartments of the laptops. His combined endeavors earned him a felony arrest and conviction. You have probably figured out the key to protecting high-dollar merchandise by now: layered protection.
The layered protection I have discussed so far has actually only consisted of multiple EAS labels to be detected by your electronic article surveillance. There are many more options in ways to stop shoplifting through EAS. Checkpoint Security Systems also offers hard tags, specialty tags and then products from the Alpha Division as well. The high-risk product protection devices include spider wraps, which are alarmed wired cables and that surround the merchandise making it impossible to break into the box or packaging and remove the package without setting off the alarm on the spider wrap or should the shoplifter decide to try to leave with the spider wrap intact they will be detected by the electronic article surveillance anyway. There is also Alpha keepers that add to the Checkpoint label by placing the entire product inside a hardened polycarbonate box that is alarmed and requires a special magnetic key to open.
Defense-in-layers is a key axiom in physical security and applies to efforts to stop shoplifting as well. Should one layer of your system be compromised another layer will activate to detect a breach of your system. When you plan out your retail theft prevention strategies you need to think in term of layers. Your first layer in mind should be your merchandise inventorying and display policies, ensuring that you have strong policies and compliance as to what merchandise is to be protected by EAS labels and how they are protected, be it by multiple layers of Checkpoint labels, spider-wraps, or Alpha cases. Your next layer is your sales associates, making sure that they are providing good customer service that makes the would-be shoplifter feel very uncomfortable and your final layer is the electronic article surveillance antennae at the door. If you think in terms of layers, the next time someone asks that question about removing the tag, you can say “Let them try; layered protection has them covered.”
For more information on Checkpoint Systems contact us: 1.770.426.0547 or www.antishoplifting.net.
“What stops them from just removing it?” That is a question I get all the time from associates and customers alike in regard to the effectiveness of electronic article surveillance or EAS labels. After all the labels are only placed on the product with a strong adhesive. The EAS label can be removed with a little effort very quickly and the product is then defenseless against the shoplifter leaving undetected with the product concealed on his or her person. In some cases, if that is the only retail anti-theft devices that you are using in your store to prevent shoplifting the answer might be that nothing stops them from removing the EAS label and walking out of your store with the product.
However, based on the value of the product, using just one EAS label is not the best way to prevent shoplifting of your merchandise. Maybe a couple of examples from my experiences will help illustrate this a little better. In one case, a shoplifter brought in his own cable-cutters into the store to cut the cables on the leather jackets and cut off the EAS hard tag. It was a great plan and he had some quality side-cutters to do the job; however, he did not count on us just placing some inexpensive EAS labels inside the pockets and inside the lining of the jacket. When he went to leave with a nice smug look on his face (that was quickly replaced with wide-eyes and open-mouthed surprise) he was stopped at the door, detained and turned over to the police for shoplifting. Those inexpensive hidden Checkpoint labels activated by door alarms saved the loss of a very expensive garment.
In a second example, a professional shoplifter had figured out how to remove our laptops from our heavily secured and alarmed display brackets without activating the alarm. He had stolen 4 laptops previously undetected except through CCTV (closed-circuit television) tape reviews. His undoing the next time he tried his very-thought out criminal endeavor was Checkpoint labels had been placed inside the battery compartments of the laptops. His combined endeavors earned him a felony arrest and conviction. You have probably figured out the key to protecting high-dollar merchandise by now: layered protection.
The layered protection I have discussed so far has actually only consisted of multiple EAS labels to be detected by your electronic article surveillance. There are many more options in ways to stop shoplifting through EAS. Checkpoint Security Systems also offers hard tags, specialty tags and then products from the Alpha Division as well. The high-risk product protection devices include spider wraps, which are alarmed wired cables and that surround the merchandise making it impossible to break into the box or packaging and remove the package without setting off the alarm on the spider wrap or should the shoplifter decide to try to leave with the spider wrap intact they will be detected by the electronic article surveillance anyway. There is also Alpha keepers that add to the Checkpoint label by placing the entire product inside a hardened polycarbonate box that is alarmed and requires a special magnetic key to open.
Defense-in-layers is a key axiom in physical security and applies to efforts to stop shoplifting as well. Should one layer of your system be compromised another layer will activate to detect a breach of your system. When you plan out your retail theft prevention strategies you need to think in term of layers. Your first layer in mind should be your merchandise inventorying and display policies, ensuring that you have strong policies and compliance as to what merchandise is to be protected by EAS labels and how they are protected, be it by multiple layers of Checkpoint labels, spider-wraps, or Alpha cases. Your next layer is your sales associates, making sure that they are providing good customer service that makes the would-be shoplifter feel very uncomfortable and your final layer is the electronic article surveillance antennae at the door. If you think in terms of layers, the next time someone asks that question about removing the tag, you can say “Let them try; layered protection has them covered.”
For more information on Checkpoint Systems contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 or www.antishoplifting.net.
Wardrobing -5 WC blog 14
Alpha Shark Tags-4
Return Fraud-4
Some Save Money And Look Great By Wardrobing! Not Any More With Shark Tags
One of the unique aspects of living and working in a tourist town with an advertised 60 miles of white, sandy beaches is that retailers have a lot of visitors. These visitors come for the multiple reasons, golfing, dining, fishing, sun bathing on the beach and yes, SHOPPING! An estimated 14 million tourists visit our area each year. I have over 20 years of retail experience in this city, the majority of that experience being in retail loss prevention. Like any other market, we have theft issues we have to combat, but we also have a significant problem with the practice of wardrobing, a form of return fraud.
“At the beach”, as we refer to our locale, we have a big problem with the wardrobing of swimwear. It is disgusting, but I would see customers return swimwear with sand in it and occasionally the suit would still be damp. The customer would swear that the item had a defect or did not fit. My thought was, “Sure it didn’t fit after you wore it into the water and laid out on the beach for the day.” Unfortunately, because the stores had fairly liberal return policies we would have to accept the returns, as long as the item had the tags and the customer had a receipt. If our stores had used Alpha Shark Tags we could have enforced a much stricter return policy. These tags are pinned on a piece of merchandise in a place that would make it impossible to hide it. The tags have to be removed by the customer after they leave the store and once removed, the store can enforce a “no return” policy for those items.
Wardrobing costs retailers unbelievable amounts of money each year. According to an October 21, 2013 “Main St.” article on this subject, “Wardrobing and other forms of return fraud including return of stolen merchandise and counterfeit receipts caused the retail industry to lose an estimated 8.9 billion dollars last year”. This particular type of fraud has been around for a long time, well before the advent of smart phones. This article, as well as another I read about the subject, cited the popular trend of “selfies” as part of the excuse used for wearing and returning clothing. People have already been “seen” in an outfit in a picture they have posted and don’t want to be pictured in it again. This isn’t a harmless practice and in order to absorb the cost, retailers have no other choice than to pass the expense on to customers through price mark-ups. Ultimately, it is the honest consumer who bears the cost of fraud.
In addition to being a tourist town, we also have a medium sized college with around 10,000 students in attendance. The nightclubs thrive, catering to locals, students and tourists. Many of those who engage in return fraud like to attend the clubs in new outfits, for the same reason they do it for “selfies”, they don’t want to be seen in an outfit they have already worn out on the town. Alpha Shark Tags used in conjunction with an anti-theft device can protect your merchandise from theft AND fraud. When an item is purchased, the retailer will deactivate or remove the anti-theft device, but the merchandise can still be returned with tags and receipt. If an Alpha Shark Tag is used with an anti-theft device, the merchandise can still be returned but ONLY if the tag is still on the merchandise and intact.
Whether you sell swimsuits that carry a hefty price tag or your business specializes in nightclub attire, Alpha Shark Tags can help you fight return fraud. Don’t allow yourself to be the victim of wardrobing, consider swimming in profits by tagging your clothes.
For more information about Alpha Shark Tags contact us or call 1.770.426.0547
One of the unique aspects of living and working in a tourist town with an advertised 60 miles of white, sandy beaches is that retailers have a lot of visitors. These visitors come for the multiple reasons, golfing, dining, fishing, sun bathing on the beach and yes, SHOPPING! An estimated 14 million tourists visit our area each year. I have over 20 years of retail experience in this city, the majority of that experience being in retail loss prevention. Like any other market, we have theft issues we have to combat, but we also have a significant problem with the practice of wardrobing, a form of return fraud.
“At the beach”, as we refer to our locale, we have a big problem with the wardrobing of swimwear. It is disgusting, but I would see customers return swimwear with sand in it and occasionally the suit would still be damp. The customer would swear that the item had a defect or did not fit. My thought was, “Sure it didn’t fit after you wore it into the water and laid out on the beach for the day.” Unfortunately, because the stores had fairly liberal return policies we would have to accept the returns, as long as the item had the tags and the customer had a receipt. If our stores had used Alpha Shark Tags we could have enforced a much stricter return policy. These tags are pinned on a piece of merchandise in a place that would make it impossible to hide it. The tags have to be removed by the customer after they leave the store and once removed, the store can enforce a “no return” policy for those items.
Wardrobing costs retailers unbelievable amounts of money each year. According to an October 21, 2013 “Main St.” article on this subject, “Wardrobing and other forms of return fraud including return of stolen merchandise and counterfeit receipts caused the retail industry to lose an estimated 8.9 billion dollars last year”. This particular type of fraud has been around for a long time, well before the advent of smart phones. This article, as well as another I read about the subject, cited the popular trend of “selfies” as part of the excuse used for wearing and returning clothing. People have already been “seen” in an outfit in a picture they have posted and don’t want to be pictured in it again. This isn’t a harmless practice and in order to absorb the cost, retailers have no other choice than to pass the expense on to customers through price mark-ups. Ultimately, it is the honest consumer who bears the cost of fraud.
In addition to being a tourist town, we also have a medium sized college with around 10,000 students in attendance. The nightclubs thrive, catering to locals, students and tourists. Many of those who engage in return fraud like to attend the clubs in new outfits, for the same reason they do it for “selfies”, they don’t want to be seen in an outfit they have already worn out on the town. Alpha Shark Tags used in conjunction with an anti-theft device can protect your merchandise from theft AND fraud. When an item is purchased, the retailer will deactivate or remove the anti-theft device, but the merchandise can still be returned with tags and receipt. If an Alpha Shark Tag is used with an anti-theft device, the merchandise can still be returned but ONLY if the tag is still on the merchandise and intact.
Whether you sell swimsuits that carry a hefty price tag or your business specializes in nightclub attire, Alpha Shark Tags can help you fight return fraud. Don’t allow yourself to be the victim of wardrobing, consider swimming in profits by tagging your clothes.
For more information about Alpha Shark Tags contact us or call 1.770.426.0547
