If you’ve been in business long enough, I’m sure you realize that there is a steady stream of people who want to steal from you. It’s like there is this endless line of dishonest people out there. Not a single day goes by that I’m not dealing with a customer trying to rip me off, or closing another employee theft investigation. If you could come up with a way to steal from my company, chances are, I’ve terminated an employee for that very same thing.
Not too long ago I was investigating a shortage of handgun ammunition at one of my store locations. If you hunt, or shoot for recreation, you’re probably well aware that .22 caliber ammunition is hard to find. For whatever reason, there seems to be a higher demand than supply, so it’s like gold. My store would receive anywhere between 50-100 cases a day and would usually sell right through it by noon. I got a call from the store manager that said he was short about two thousand cases, almost a month’s supply. The store recently took an inventory and noticed the shortages for the first time.
Already, I was a month behind. It was anyone’s guess where this ammunition had gone to. The first thing I did was look at the shipping manifests and matched it to the inventory system. Everything was matching up and I was positive the merchandise had made it into the store and behind the ammunition counter. This led me to believe the ammo had been stolen. Since it was not accessible to customers, I was pretty sure I had an employee theft problem. This is where my case dried up.
I spent days reviewing video footage of the warehouse and the sales floor. I couldn’t find a single bit of evidence that proved my internal theft theory. With little to go and no video, I had to put the case on the back burner. I wasn’t ready to close it out, but I had to move on. I did have 25 other stores to support. It’s how it goes sometimes.
A few months went by and I found myself conducting an audit of this store location. As I was walking in their receiving area, I noticed some clay targets (those oranges disks you shoot at for fun), in the garbage can. I found it strange since it seemed to be an entire case and they weren’t broken. Figuring an employee had thrown an entire case out for one, or two broken targets, I went to the cameras in order to correct the mistake with the employee. I was able to see an employee dump the box of targets, but then go off camera view for awhile, before leaving with the box slung over his shoulder.
I looked at sales of clay targets for the day and the only purchase was for that employee. In fact, that employee had purchased a box of clay targets every day he worked for the past 6 weeks. This was strange. I knew he was putting something in the boxes after the targets were emptied, but I had no idea what. I decided to extend my visit and come back the next day. Thieves, I find, are creatures of habit. As he did for the past 6 weeks, this employee purchased a box of clay targets again. As he left the store, I asked him to come to the office with me. To my surprise, when I opened the box… 100 cases of .22 ammunition. I had closed my employee theft investigation.
For more information, contact us: Stop Employee Theft, or call 1.770.426.0547
If you’ve been in business long enough, I’m sure you realize that there is a steady stream of people who want to steal from you. It’s like there is this endless line of dishonest people out there. Not a single day goes by that I’m not dealing with a customer trying to rip me off, or closing another employee theft investigation. If you could come up with a way to steal from my company, chances are, I’ve terminated an employee for that very same thing.
Not too long ago I was investigating a shortage of handgun ammunition at one of my store locations. If you hunt, or shoot for recreation, you’re probably well aware that .22 caliber ammunition is hard to find. For whatever reason, there seems to be a higher demand than supply, so it’s like gold. My store would receive anywhere between 50-100 cases a day and would usually sell right through it by noon. I got a call from the store manager that said he was short about two thousand cases, almost a month’s supply. The store recently took an inventory and noticed the shortages for the first time.
Already, I was a month behind. It was anyone’s guess where this ammunition had gone to. The first thing I did was look at the shipping manifests and matched it to the inventory system. Everything was matching up and I was positive the merchandise had made it into the store and behind the ammunition counter. This led me to believe the ammo had been stolen. Since it was not accessible to customers, I was pretty sure I had an employee theft problem. This is where my case dried up.
I spent days reviewing video footage of the warehouse and the sales floor. I couldn’t find a single bit of evidence that proved my internal theft theory. With little to go and no video, I had to put the case on the back burner. I wasn’t ready to close it out, but I had to move on. I did have 25 other stores to support. It’s how it goes sometimes.
A few months went by and I found myself conducting an audit of this store location. As I was walking in their receiving area, I noticed some clay targets (those oranges disks you shoot at for fun), in the garbage can. I found it strange since it seemed to be an entire case and they weren’t broken. Figuring an employee had thrown an entire case out for one, or two broken targets, I went to the cameras in order to correct the mistake with the employee. I was able to see an employee dump the box of targets, but then go off camera view for awhile, before leaving with the box slung over his shoulder.
I looked at sales of clay targets for the day and the only purchase was for that employee. In fact, that employee had purchased a box of clay targets every day he worked for the past 6 weeks. This was strange. I knew he was putting something in the boxes after the targets were emptied, but I had no idea what. I decided to extend my visit and come back the next day. Thieves, I find, are creatures of habit. As he did for the past 6 weeks, this employee purchased a box of clay targets again. As he left the store, I asked him to come to the office with me. To my surprise, when I opened the box… 100 cases of .22 ammunition. I had closed my employee theft investigation.
For more information, contact us: Stop Employee Theft, or call 1.770.426.0547
Campus libraries, just like retail stores, are not immune to theft. There is a misconception that because the library gives out books and materials for free, there is no need to steal and therefore no inventory losses. Even though the check out materials are free doesn’t mean every library asset is available for checkout. Some reference materials and other equipment are to be kept inside the library, providing a permanent resource for all students. A library theft detection system, like Checkpoint Systems, protects those assets from unauthorized removal.
As student debt continues to rise at astronomical rates, many students are pressured to find alternative forms of income. Stolen goods from unprotected libraries are easily resold to supplement that income. Pieces of equipment such as computers, audio, and video items can be sold through a variety of avenues.
The easiest way is for a student to sell these items to other students. Since it is not uncommon for students to sell books, supplies and other equipment to each other, this is the easiest, and least suspicious way to profit from stolen goods. In fact, many campuses will have boards in local venues, student centers and online promoting the sell and trade of used items.
Any student interested in buying these items would not have any reason to suspect that the items had been stolen. Library theft detection system keeps the assets within the library, instead of in the hands of unsuspecting students.
Visit the Loss Prevention Store to purchase Library Theft Detection System devices and your Electronic Article Surveillance or EAS system from Checkpoint Systems to stop inventory losses.
For more information on a Library Theft Detection System, Library Theft Prevention, or a Checkpoint System and how they can work with your Electronic Article Surveillance or EAS system contact us at Retail theft prevention to stop inventory losses in your library or call 1.770.426.0547
What happens to sales when merchandise is locked up? What happens when a customer wants to try a coat, or other clothing item on, but they have to wait for an employee to unlock the product first? Many retailers are not equipped with the appropriate level of payroll needed to have an employee dedicated to standing watch over locked up product.
That is the point of locking merchandise with a complex cabling system, right? It eliminates the need for an employee to stand over the merchandise to make sure it is not stolen. Having to lock up the product and have an employee stand watch would be counter productive. A financially effective strategy to prevent shoplifting would be to have only one or the other, not to require both.
But that’s what many retailers have done. They put the merchandise under lock and key, but require the assistance of an employee for paying customers to try on and access the product. The employee must also stay with the customer the entire time, incase they decide they do not want the item. The employee needs to be ready to lock the product back up.
From a customer’s perspective, they cannot just try on an item on impulse when something catches their eye. They must track down an employee, who may or may not be in the area. Then they have to make sure the employee they found actually has the key or the code to open the locks. Often, only managers have such codes so the employee has to go and track down a manager.
From there the customer can try on the item, while being hovered over by a manager who may or may not express interest in being stuck there, when they have other things they are trying to get done. None of this is setting the customer up for a stellar in store experience. The end result, is all to often the customer gives up before they even try to find an employee, if one is not readily available.
So the question is how to balance the need for clothing security, while eliminating the need for labor hours to be spent monitoring these high theft items? The solution still comes in a lock, but not the same kind that causes a customer to bypass purchasing the item. It is an Alpha Security Alpha 3 Alarm CableLok.
The CableLok is an alarming lock that does not require the same dedication of monitoring by an employee. The Alpha 3 Alarm protects the merchandise from being deactivated, tampered or disarmed without anyone noticing. The internal alarm creates an audible siren detracting a shoplifter within the store. The retail anti theft device will also arm itself if a shoplifter tries to run out the store with it. The internal alarm will sound on the tag, not just at the door pedestals like a 1 alarm product.
The CableLok protects the merchandise, and allows for open display of the product. Customers can easily try on items at their leisure, without having the added hassle of tracking down an employee.
Visit the Loss Prevention Store for Alpha 2Alarm, Alpha 3Alarm, Alpha Fashion2, Alpha Jewel Lok, Alpha Nano Gate, Alpha Shark Tag, Alpha Spider Wrap and other retail anti-theft devices from Alpha Security to use in conjunction with your Electronic Article Surveillance or EAS system that can help you prevent shoplifting in your business.
For more information on how you can use Alpha Security retail anti-theft devices and your Electronic Article Surveillance or EAS system to prevent shoplifting contact us or call 1.770.426.0547
What happens to sales when merchandise is locked up? What happens when a customer wants to try a coat, or other clothing item on, but they have to wait for an employee to unlock the product first? Many retailers are not equipped with the appropriate level of payroll needed to have an employee dedicated to standing watch over locked up product.
That is the point of locking merchandise with a complex cabling system, right? It eliminates the need for an employee to stand over the merchandise to make sure it is not stolen. Having to lock up the product and have an employee stand watch would be counter productive. A financially effective strategy to prevent shoplifting would be to have only one or the other, not to require both.
But that’s what many retailers have done. They put the merchandise under lock and key, but require the assistance of an employee for paying customers to try on and access the product. The employee must also stay with the customer the entire time, in case they decide they do not want the item. The employee needs to be ready to lock the product back up.
From a customer’s perspective, they cannot just try on an item on impulse when something catches their eye. They must track down an employee, who may or may not be in the area. Then they have to make sure the employee they found actually has the key or the code to open the locks. Often, only managers have such codes so the employee has to go and track down a manager.
From there the customer can try on the item, while being hovered over by a manager who may or may not express interest in being stuck there, when they have other things they are trying to get done. None of this is setting the customer up for a stellar in store experience. The end result, is all to often the customer gives up before they even try to find an employee, if one is not readily available.
So the question is how to balance the need for clothing security, while eliminating the need for labor hours to be spent monitoring these high theft items? The solution still comes in a lock, but not the same kind that causes a customer to bypass purchasing the item. It is an Alpha Security Alpha 3 Alarm CableLok.
The CableLok is an alarming lock that does not require the same dedication of monitoring by an employee. The Alpha 3 Alarm protects the merchandise from being deactivated, tampered or disarmed without anyone noticing. The internal alarm creates an audible siren detracting a shoplifter within the store. The retail anti theft device will also arm itself if a shoplifter tries to run out the store with it. The internal alarm will sound on the tag, not just at the door pedestals like a 1 alarm product.
The CableLok protects the merchandise, and allows for open display of the product. Customers can easily try on items at their leisure, without having the added hassle of tracking down an employee.
Visit the Loss Prevention Store for Alpha 2Alarm, Alpha 3Alarm, Alpha Fashion2, Alpha Jewel Lok, Alpha Nano Gate, Alpha Shark Tag, Alpha Spider Wrap and other retail anti-theft devices from Alpha Security to use in conjunction with your Electronic Article Surveillance or EAS system that can help you prevent shoplifting in your business.
For more information on how you can use Alpha Security retail anti-theft devices and your Electronic Article Surveillance or EAS system to prevent shoplifting contact us or call 1.770.426.0547
