When it comes to security and crime prevention, there is a well-known concept of minimization, mitigation, and prevention. In other words, there is no way to completely stop all crime or to secure an entity completely and eliminate all risk. That being said, no matter how much money you are able to budget on security, there is always a way for it to be breached. The same goes for shoplifting—not all of it can be prevented. But often what is not prevented can be stopped, or at least recovered. In both cases, having open lines of communication and building solid working relationships with local police and other retailers in your area can be powerful to stop shoplifting.
There is a concept in criminology called modus operandi, commonly known as M.O. The methods that a criminal uses to perpetrate crime are often repeated each time they commit a crime. This is part of their M.O. When criminals find something that works well for them, they tend to recycle those methods. Once they get comfortable or caught, they mix things up. So how does this brief lesson in criminology help you stop theft?
Shoplifters who have been offending in a particular area will tend to continue offending in that area, especially when they continue to get away with it. Say that a shoplifter has been stealing from the store down the block. Once they are caught, or if they get very comfortable, they might work their way to your store. If you have open lines of communication with stores who are affected by shoplifters, they can share crucial information to identify them. That way, you can either deter those individuals that are likely to commit theft, or determine if they have been impacting your store. Nearby businesses may have already identified the shoplifter who is hitting your store. This is where having a good relationship with police can also help you stop shoplifting.
I’ve been a loss prevention detective at a department store in a mall for years. Luckily, there’s a police substation inside our mall, staffed by the same officer throughout the year. Our loss prevention team has created a great working relationship with that officer. We know that whenever there’s suspicious activity, or if a theft is confirmed, we can take the license plate of the offender’s vehicle to that officer. We have resolved several theft cases by leveraging that relationship with the police department, and have obtained large amounts of court-ordered restitution.
I can recall an incident when two adult siblings had concealed several holiday gift items into a shopping bag without paying for them. Once I and another loss prevention detective attempted to stop them, they fled in a vehicle with temporary license plate tags. The male returned a few days later, attempting to return the stolen merchandise. This time, he had his actual license plate on the vehicle. We got the license plate number, and gave it to the officer at the mall. Within a matter of minutes, he identified the male and his sister who had stolen from us. We were able to prosecute them and obtain court-ordered restitution for the items stolen at full retail value.
The moral of the story is that it pays to be connected. Get to know stores in your area and how they are dealing with theft. Establish a great working relationship with local police. You never know when they will be able to return the favor in a big way!
For more information contact us: Stop Shoplifting or call 1.770.426.0547
When it comes to security and crime prevention, there is a well-known concept of minimization, mitigation, and prevention. In other words, there is no way to completely stop all crime or to secure an entity completely and eliminate all risk. That being said, no matter how much money you are able to budget on security, there is always a way for it to be breached. The same goes for shoplifting—not all of it can be prevented. But often what is not prevented can be stopped, or at least recovered. In both cases, having open lines of communication and building solid working relationships with local police and other retailers in your area can be powerful to stop shoplifting.
There is a concept in criminology called modus operandi, commonly known as M.O. The methods that a criminal uses to perpetrate crime are often repeated each time they commit a crime. This is part of their M.O. When criminals find something that works well for them, they tend to recycle those methods. Once they get comfortable or caught, they mix things up. So how does this brief lesson in criminology help you stop theft?
Shoplifters who have been offending in a particular area will tend to continue offending in that area, especially when they continue to get away with it. Say that a shoplifter has been stealing from the store down the block. Once they are caught, or if they get very comfortable, they might work their way to your store. If you have open lines of communication with stores who are affected by shoplifters, they can share crucial information to identify them. That way, you can either deter those individuals that are likely to commit theft, or determine if they have been impacting your store. Nearby businesses may have already identified the shoplifter who is hitting your store. This is where having a good relationship with police can also help you stop shoplifting.
I’ve been a loss prevention detective at a department store in a mall for years. Luckily, there’s a police substation inside our mall, staffed by the same officer throughout the year. Our loss prevention team has created a great working relationship with that officer. We know that whenever there’s suspicious activity, or if a theft is confirmed, we can take the license plate of the offender’s vehicle to that officer. We have resolved several theft cases by leveraging that relationship with the police department, and have obtained large amounts of court-ordered restitution.
I can recall an incident when two adult siblings had concealed several holiday gift items into a shopping bag without paying for them. Once I and another loss prevention detective attempted to stop them, they fled in a vehicle with temporary license plate tags. The male returned a few days later, attempting to return the stolen merchandise. This time, he had his actual license plate on the vehicle. We got the license plate number, and gave it to the officer at the mall. Within a matter of minutes, he identified the male and his sister who had stolen from us. We were able to prosecute them and obtain court-ordered restitution for the items stolen at full retail value.
The moral of the story is that it pays to be connected. Get to know stores in your area and how they are dealing with theft. Establish a great working relationship with local police. You never know when they will be able to return the favor in a big way!
For more information contact us: Stop Shoplifting or call 1.770.426.0547
If you’ve been in retail for 2 days, you know that a thief will take just about anything that’s not tied down… sometimes, they try to steal those items too! As retailers, that puts us in a very unique, and sometimes difficult position. How do we secure our merchandise in our stores, while trying to get honest, hardworking folks to buy them without feeling like a criminal themselves? We’ve all been in those stores where they take protective merchandising a little too far. Just recently, I was in a retailer and they had peg locks on just about every item in their store. That’s a bit overkill. It’s hard to blame the retailer when they are simply trying to keep their product available to purchase.
Recently, I was helping my father conduct some minor renovations at his restaurant. Halfway through cutting out a hole for a new window, his power tool stopped working. It was an old corded drill and I think the little motor had just given out. We needed a new one, so we drove down to the hardware store up the road. My dad owns a small business, so sometimes he will go out of his way, and spend a little more money to shop local instead of at the bigger, mass merchants. We get to the store and start looking for a new skill saw. After finding the displays, it was pretty clear that we would need assistance. Not only were the saws locked with a heavy cable to the display, they were secured with an in-effective hard tag in addition to a handwritten sign that warned of the use of CCTV.
The store owner was a friend of the family, so I asked if he’d been having a bit of a theft problem with the power tools. He told me that over the past month or so, he had lost thousands to theft and didn’t know what else to do. He also acknowledged that his sales were less when I inquired about the draconian display method. I told him what I did in my day job and he asked if I had any solutions. We talked for a few minutes and I told him I’d come back during the week with something for him to look at.
I went back to work on Monday and grabbed an O-Tag from the stock room. I used these on a plethora of product in my store and I’d seen bigger stores use these on electric tools, so I thought I’d show him how switching to one tag might be more effective. I went over on my lunch break and showed him how easily the tag could attach to the power cord. I’ve never seen anyone get more excited for an EAS device… and here I thought I was the only one. I suggested that he look into it since it would definitely help with his shrink and make his displays a little more appeasing to his customers.
I went and checked on him a few weeks later and found that he had started using the O-Tags just as I showed him how. Not surprising, he told me he hadn’t lost a single one since deploying the tags and customers had been commenting on the cleaner looking security solution.
If you’ve been in retail for 2 days, you know that a thief will take just about anything that’s not tied down… sometimes, they try to steal those items too! As retailers, that puts us in a very unique, and sometimes difficult position. How do we secure our merchandise in our stores, while trying to get honest, hardworking folks to buy them without feeling like a criminal themselves? We’ve all been in those stores where they take protective merchandising a little too far. Just recently, I was in a retailer and they had peg locks on just about every item in their store. That’s a bit overkill. It’s hard to blame the retailer when they are simply trying to keep their product available to purchase.
Recently, I was helping my father conduct some minor renovations at his restaurant. Halfway through cutting out a hole for a new window, his power tool stopped working. It was an old corded drill and I think the little motor had just given out. We needed a new one, so we drove down to the hardware store up the road. My dad owns a small business, so sometimes he will go out of his way, and spend a little more money to shop local instead of at the bigger, mass merchants. We get to the store and start looking for a new skill saw. After finding the displays, it was pretty clear that we would need assistance. Not only were the saws locked with a heavy cable to the display, they were secured with an in-effective hard tag in addition to a handwritten sign that warned of the use of CCTV.
The store owner was a friend of the family, so I asked if he’d been having a bit of a theft problem with the power tools. He told me that over the past month or so, he had lost thousands to theft and didn’t know what else to do. He also acknowledged that his sales were less when I inquired about the draconian display method. I told him what I did in my day job and he asked if I had any solutions. We talked for a few minutes and I told him I’d come back during the week with something for him to look at.
I went back to work on Monday and grabbed an O-Tag from the stock room. I used these on a plethora of product in my store and I’d seen bigger stores use these on electric tools, so I thought I’d show him how switching to one tag might be more effective. I went over on my lunch break and showed him how easily the tag could attach to the power cord. I’ve never seen anyone get more excited for an EAS device… and here I thought I was the only one. I suggested that he look into it since it would definitely help with his shrink and make his displays a little more appeasing to his customers.
I went and checked on him a few weeks later and found that he had started using the O-Tags just as I showed him how. Not surprising, he told me he hadn’t lost a single one since deploying the tags and customers had been commenting on the cleaner looking security solution.
For more information contact us at losspreventionsystems.com or call 1.770.426.0547
For more information contact us at losspreventionsystems.com or call 1.770.426.0547
On too many occasions, I have seen shoplifters take advantage of unsecured shopping bags and active, unattended EAS (Electronic Article Surveillance) deactivation pads or tag detachers at registers. Shoplifters are already eating away at your profits without help from your team, so don’t make it any easier for them to steal from you. Clothing security only works as intended if all components of the system are used properly and your staff is following procedures to ensure the clothes sold and not stolen.
Every time a cashier leaves the register, they should switch off the EAS deactivation pad and secure the shopping bags and tag detacher. These are easy ways to reduce the amount of opportunity shoplifters have when they are looking for ways to steal in your store. You’ll have to train your team to do this every time, and it may take a while to get into the habit, but it will pay off in the end. If you’re not following, when you place the security tags on clothes, they need to either be removed with a tag detacher or be deactivated on a pad or other device at the register when they are purchased. If someone leaves with merchandise that is not deactivated, the EAS alarm at the door will go off, just as it should.
When clothing security is not properly followed, it creates opportunity for the shoplifters. If a shoplifter walks into the store sees a register without a cashier, they can grab shopping bags off of the register and put them in their pocket, or even load up all the bags into a purse or another bag. Sometimes they will even take the bags to use another day. This happens a lot more than you may think. I’ve watched several shoplifters that I wasn’t sure where they were going to conceal the merchandise, and then they removed a crumpled up bag from their pocket and put the merchandise inside the bag.
The same goes for hard tag detachers that are used to remove security tags on clothes. These should not be left unattended where anyone can detach tags from merchandise. Find a way to secure them, possibly in a locking drawer or cabinet. The shoplifter could take the tag detacher home for future attempts at theft, or just remove the tags from clothing right there at your register without paying.
Last, but not least is the EAS deactivation pads. What is the point of putting security tags on clothes and inside shoes, if you are going to give shoplifters an easy way to get around the security measures you have in place? Leaving the deactivation pads turned on and active will allow shoplifters to bring items with soft tags to the register and deactivate the items so they will not set off the EAS alarm at the door as they exit. The pads or devices are usually easy to turn off, and sometimes have a key that can be kept in a secured drawer or cabinet as well, if not kept by the cashier. These are easy ways to ensure the clothing security measures you have in place are working to their full capacity, and make it harder for the shoplifters to get your merchandise out of the store without being noticed.
For more information contact us: (clothing security) or call 1.770.426.0547
On too many occasions, I have seen shoplifters take advantage of unsecured shopping bags and active, unattended EAS (Electronic Article Surveillance) deactivation pads or tag detachers at registers. Shoplifters are already eating away at your profits without help from your team, so don’t make it any easier for them to steal from you. Clothing security only works as intended if all components of the system are used properly and your staff is following procedures to ensure the clothes sold and not stolen.
Every time a cashier leaves the register, they should switch off the EAS deactivation pad and secure the shopping bags and tag detacher. These are easy ways to reduce the amount of opportunity shoplifters have when they are looking for ways to steal in your store. You’ll have to train your team to do this every time, and it may take a while to get into the habit, but it will pay off in the end. If you’re not following, when you place the security tags on clothes, they need to either be removed with a tag detacher or be deactivated on a pad or other device at the register when they are purchased. If someone leaves with merchandise that is not deactivated, the EAS alarm at the door will go off, just as it should.
When clothing security is not properly followed, it creates opportunity for the shoplifters. If a shoplifter walks into the store sees a register without a cashier, they can grab shopping bags off of the register and put them in their pocket, or even load up all the bags into a purse or another bag. Sometimes they will even take the bags to use another day. This happens a lot more than you may think. I’ve watched several shoplifters that I wasn’t sure where they were going to conceal the merchandise, and then they removed a crumpled up bag from their pocket and put the merchandise inside the bag.
The same goes for hard tag detachers that are used to remove security tags on clothes. These should not be left unattended where anyone can detach tags from merchandise. Find a way to secure them, possibly in a locking drawer or cabinet. The shoplifter could take the tag detacher home for future attempts at theft, or just remove the tags from clothing right there at your register without paying.
Last, but not least is the EAS deactivation pads. What is the point of putting security tags on clothes and inside shoes, if you are going to give shoplifters an easy way to get around the security measures you have in place? Leaving the deactivation pads turned on and active will allow shoplifters to bring items with soft tags to the register and deactivate the items so they will not set off the EAS alarm at the door as they exit. The pads or devices are usually easy to turn off, and sometimes have a key that can be kept in a secured drawer or cabinet as well, if not kept by the cashier. These are easy ways to ensure the clothing security measures you have in place are working to their full capacity, and make it harder for the shoplifters to get your merchandise out of the store without being noticed.
For more information contact us: Clothing Security or call 1.770.426.0547
When you take inventory, are you finding shortages on items where you have product protection in place? There are some tricky ways that shoplifters still get out your front door with unpaid merchandise. Let’s take a look at one of them, and what you can do to stop some of it. Prevent shoplifting with awareness and consistency in your operation.
The pedestals will alarm when an item is near them that has not been deactivated. If you don’t check the person’s purchase receipt or question them if they have no purchase, you may as well just give your merchandise away at the door. Some employees may be nervous about approaching someone that has caused the alarm to sound. They just need to be trained how to handle the situation, and what to say to the customer. Obviously they do not want to accuse the customer of theft. They just need to apologize to the customer for the inconvenience, and let them know something did not get deactivated. Just ask for the receipt and compare that to the items in their bag. If they match, take the whole bag and put it on the deactivation pad. If the customer still sets off the alarm when they exit again, walk the shopping bag through the pedestals yourself, and ask the customer to walk through without it. That should identify where the item is that is causing the issue. This tactic has helped me to prevent shoplifting in the first place by letting people know it will be checked, but can also encourage someone that was attempting to steal to give back the merchandise without causing a scene.
Be aware of people that set off the alarm when they enter your store as well. Most times it is just an item they have bought at another store that did not get deactivated. I usually ask if they are wearing something new, such as blue jeans or a thick coat where the tags can be hidden deep in pockets. This can also be a tactic for a shoplifter to use to get back out the door. They know if they caused the alarm to sound when they came in the door, your staff probably won’t be stop them when it goes off again. Just be aware that a couple of excuses a shoplifter will use for the system sounding is that their cell phone always causes it, or they will bend down and pull a tag off the bottom of their shoe. How convenient that they happened to know that tag was down there.
Just remember that you have made the investment in this product, and it cannot help you if you don’t react to the alarm. You can’t prevent shoplifting if you simply wave people through every time it sounds because you assume it is a mistake. Plus if you wave people through, your staff will do the same. You have to set the right example. I utilize a log for the Checkpoint system. Every time it alarms, the clerk records it and the results of the stop. I can compare that log to the times the system says it went off, and be aware if there is an issue. It will also help you identify if there is a mechanical problem with the system causing it to go off.
For more information contact us at Preventshopliftingloss.net or 1.770.426.0547
When you take inventory, are you finding shortages on items where you have product protection in place? There are some tricky ways that shoplifters still get out your front door with unpaid merchandise. Let’s take a look at one of them, and what you can do to stop some of it. Prevent shoplifting with awareness and consistency in your operation.
The pedestals will alarm when an item is near them that has not been deactivated. If you don’t check the person’s purchase receipt or question them if they have no purchase, you may as well just give your merchandise away at the door. Some employees may be nervous about approaching someone that has caused the alarm to sound. They just need to be trained how to handle the situation, and what to say to the customer. Obviously they do not want to accuse the customer of theft. They just need to apologize to the customer for the inconvenience, and let them know something did not get deactivated. Just ask for the receipt and compare that to the items in their bag. If they match, take the whole bag and put it on the deactivation pad. If the customer still sets off the alarm when they exit again, walk the shopping bag through the pedestals yourself, and ask the customer to walk through without it. That should identify where the item is that is causing the issue. This tactic has helped me to prevent shoplifting in the first place by letting people know it will be checked, but can also encourage someone that was attempting to steal to give back the merchandise without causing a scene.
Be aware of people that set off the alarm when they enter your store as well. Most times it is just an item they have bought at another store that did not get deactivated. I usually ask if they are wearing something new, such as blue jeans or a thick coat where the tags can be hidden deep in pockets. This can also be a tactic for a shoplifter to use to get back out the door. They know if they caused the alarm to sound when they came in the door, your staff probably won’t be stop them when it goes off again. Just be aware that a couple of excuses a shoplifter will use for the system sounding is that their cell phone always causes it, or they will bend down and pull a tag off the bottom of their shoe. How convenient that they happened to know that tag was down there.
Just remember that you have made the investment in this product, and it cannot help you if you don’t react to the alarm. You can’t prevent shoplifting if you simply wave people through every time it sounds because you assume it is a mistake. Plus if you wave people through, your staff will do the same. You have to set the right example. I utilize a log for the Checkpoint System. Every time it alarms, the clerk records it and the results of the stop. I can compare that log to the times the system says it went off, and be aware if there is an issue. It will also help you identify if there is a mechanical problem with the system causing it to go off.
For more information contact us at Preventshopliftingloss.net or 1.770.426.0547
Some things just work, and when it comes to stopping theft in your store, Checkpoint Labels are what works. They have helped me cut shrink at my store in multiple departments. From cosmetics to air fresheners, there is a label that is right for every problem area.
Obviously you want to identify what will most likely be targeted in your store. Know what is trending at your local schools. Celebrity fragrances and scented lotions are just asking to be put in a teenage girl’s purse. Know what people are asking for at the local flea markets. Guess where there are cheap bottles of name brand pain relievers, digestive aids, and razor cartridge refills. Which cosmetic brand is about to put out a new foundation that promises to smooth out wrinkles, cover dark circles, improve skin tone and possibly bring about world peace. I promise once it comes in and hit the shelf; it will also be hitting the bottom of women’s purses when you and your staff are not looking. If you want to keep your valuable assets where they belong for your customers to purchase, look at where you can add Checkpoint Labels.
I had a situation with my body wash aisle. It is just out of camera coverage, so the only way to see who was wiping out nearly an entire shelf was to watch the section from when I knew the product was there and narrow it down to when the empty space appeared. Then I had to watch for the person entering and exiting the aisle and compare them to the people walking through the front door. I was able to successfully do this, and based on that comparison, identify the culprit and have her arrested after identifying her. The problem is I am a store manager, and I have a lot more to do than sit and watch video footage for long periods of time. I don’t have the time or patience for this task.
After this issue with this woman was resolved, I assigned my front clerks to attach Checkpoint Labels to every bottle of name brand body wash we carry. When we receive our deliveries, those products are labeled before being put on the shelf. I want the label right on the front of the product, not covering the name of the brand, but noticeable. I know these products help reduce or stop shrink. I have not had one wipe out in this aisle since we started this practice. If a booster comes in and plans to wipe out the body wash section, I want them to see those labels and know a couple of things. First I want them to know that the staff is aware the section is a popular target for theft. Second, I want them to know we are doing something about it. They are excellent quality and they adhere to almost any surface. They don’t fall off once they are applied, and they don’t just peel off with ease. For a booster, they are a great deterrent because they will earn less money from the buyer if they present merchandise to them that has either the labels or the inevitable residue left from when they tried to peel them.
Checkpoint Labels work for my store, and they will work for yours too.
For more information contact us at 1.770.426.0547 or Antishoplifting.net
Some things just work, and when it comes to stopping theft in your store, Checkpoint Labels are what works. They have helped me cut shrink at my store in multiple departments. From cosmetics to air fresheners, there is a label that is right for every problem area.
Obviously you want to identify what will most likely be targeted in your store. Know what is trending at your local schools. Celebrity fragrances and scented lotions are just asking to be put in a teenage girl’s purse. Know what people are asking for at the local flea markets. Guess where there are cheap bottles of name brand pain relievers, digestive aids, and razor cartridge refills. Which cosmetic brand is about to put out a new foundation that promises to smooth out wrinkles, cover dark circles, improve skin tone and possibly bring about world peace. I promise once it comes in and hits the shelf; it will also be hitting the bottom of women’s purses when you and your staff are not looking. If you want to keep your valuable assets where they belong for your customers to purchase, look at where you can add Checkpoint Labels.
I had a situation with my body wash aisle. It is just out of camera coverage, so the only way to see who was wiping out nearly an entire shelf was to watch the section from when I knew the product was there and narrow it down to when the empty space appeared. Then I had to watch for the person entering and exiting the aisle and compare them to the people walking through the front door. I was able to successfully do this, and based on that comparison, identify the culprit and have her arrested after identifying her. The problem is I am a store manager, and I have a lot more to do than sit and watch video footage for long periods of time. I don’t have the time or patience for this task.
After the issue with this woman was resolved, I assigned my front clerks to attach Checkpoint Labels to every bottle of name brand body wash we carry. When we receive our deliveries, those products are labeled before being put on the shelf. I want the label right on the front of the product, not covering the name of the brand, but noticeable. I know these products help reduce or stop shrink. I have not had one wipe out in this aisle since we started this practice. If a booster comes in and plans to wipe out the body wash section, I want them to see those labels and know a couple of things. First I want them to know that the staff is aware the section is a popular target for theft. Second, I want them to know we are doing something about it. They are excellent quality and they adhere to almost any surface. They don’t fall off once they are applied, and they don’t just peel off with ease. For a booster, they are a great deterrent because they will earn less money from the buyer if they present merchandise to them that has either the labels or the inevitable residue left from when they tried to peel them.
Checkpoint Labels work for my store, and they will work for yours too.
For more information contact us at 1.770.426.0547 or Antishoplifting.net
I’ve been in the retail business all of my life and to be honest, I hate shopping. I loathe the idea of going to a big box store, or trudging over to a packed shopping mall. I hate driving there, I hate finding parking and I can’t stand walking aimlessly for hours on end trying to find what I need. I’m really glad I have a computer. I, like millions of other people, prefer online shopping. It’s faster, more convenient and I can do it all from the comfort of my own home. With, or without pants on. Online stores can pose their own set of challenges though, and not just for the customer. Online retailer are just as susceptible to theft and fraud as their brick and mortar counterparts. Counterfeiting and price swapping are huge areas of loss for business. I ran across a nifty product, Alpha’s Shark Tags, which can be used to combat these types of losses.
Consider this scenario for a moment. You own an E-Commerce site that specializes in high end purses, which retail for several hundreds of dollars. Due to these high retail costs, there is undoubtedly a counterfeiter making some very remarkable replicas of that same purse for mere pennies on the dollar. I, the online shoplifter, goes to your website, orders that $600 purse. Once it arrives, I swap it with the counterfeit and send the fake back and request a refund. Chances are the employee processing the returns won’t spot the fake and the “customer” has just stolen a $600 item. Even worse is that the purse may inadvertently go back into stock and get sold to another customer. Could you imagine would that would do to your reputation? What if I told you that something as simple as a little red shark tag could prevent that from being a possibility?
Alpha Shark Tags are a great tool to use in order to prevent return fraud. They can be placed on just about any article of clothing, or accessory and are a great way to stem theft. Looking at the purse example above, one of these tags could be placed on the purse. They are easily removed by your customers at home with a pair of kitchen scissors and there’s no threat of damage to the product. With a return policy that stipulates merchandise can’t be taken back if the tag is tampered with or removed, you’ve created a barrier to theft that’s pretty hard to beat. If the retailer above would have deployed the tags, it would have prevented the counterfeit loss and the potential damage to other customers. It’s a fantastic, inexpensive tool that every online retailer should use.
For more information, contact us: Alpha Shark Tags, or call 1.770.426.0547
I’ve been in the retail business all of my life and to be honest, I hate shopping. I loathe the idea of going to a big box store, or trudging over to a packed shopping mall. I hate driving there, I hate finding parking and I can’t stand walking aimlessly for hours on end trying to find what I need. I’m really glad I have a computer. I, like millions of other people, prefer online shopping. It’s faster, more convenient and I can do it all from the comfort of my own home. With, or without pants on. Online stores can pose their own set of challenges though, and not just for the customer. Online retailers are just as susceptible to theft and fraud as their brick and mortar counterparts. Counterfeiting and price swapping are huge areas of loss for business. I ran across a nifty product, Alpha’s Shark Tags, which can be used to combat these types of losses.
Consider this scenario for a moment. You own an E-Commerce site that specializes in high end purses, which retail for several hundreds of dollars. Due to these high retail costs, there is undoubtedly a counterfeiter making some very remarkable replicas of that same purse for mere pennies on the dollar. I, the online shoplifter, go to your website, and order that $600 purse. Once it arrives, I swap it with the counterfeit and send the fake back and request a refund. Chances are the employee processing the returns won’t spot the fake and the “customer” has just stolen a $600 item. Even worse is that the purse may inadvertently go back into stock and get sold to another customer. Could you imagine what that would do to your reputation? What if I told you that something as simple as a little red shark tag could prevent that from being a possibility?
Alpha Shark Tags are a great tool to use in order to prevent return fraud. They can be placed on just about any article of clothing, or accessory and are a great way to stem theft. Looking at the purse example above, one of these tags could be placed on the purse. They are easily removed by your customers at home with a pair of kitchen scissors and there’s no threat of damage to the product. With a return policy that stipulates merchandise can’t be taken back if the tag is tampered with or removed, you’ve created a barrier to theft that’s pretty hard to beat. If the retailer above would have deployed the tags, it would have prevented the counterfeit loss and the potential damage to other customers. It’s a fantastic, inexpensive tool that every online retailer should use.
For more information, contact us: Alpha Shark Tags, or call 1.770.426.0547
