Can Loss Prevention Be Free? – 3 WC Blog 563
Loss Prevention ROI Calculator-3
Can You Get A Free Checkpoint System? Try The Loss Prevention ROI Calculator To Find Out
Can Loss Prevention be free? It is an odd question in an article on Return On Investment but hang tight and I think you will see where I am going with this. My son was recently asked to join an honor society for business majors at the college he attends (yes, this is a bit of bragging on my part). He has been reluctant to join for several reasons, one of which is the cost associated with membership. He is also concerned about the time he may be asked to devote to the organization. He is very conscientious of his time and recognizes the amount of time he has to devote to studies and his job. His fear is that joining the group could require more of his time than he is willing to invest. His argument is that he has kept his grades up through his college career by not getting too involved in outside activities. He has some valid points and since he does so much better in college than I ever did I don’t want to challenge him on this too much. I did discuss with him the potential return on investment should he choose to pursue becoming a member of this organization. Benefits would be invitations to attend presentations by major business firms, networking with people who could help direct him in career choices and meeting hiring managers in smaller career fair venues. The return on his investment of time and money could pay big dividends down the road. Your friends at Loss Prevention Systems Inc. know that a return on an investment is important for business owners and that is why they offer the Loss Prevention ROI Calculator.
To answer the question I posed at the beginning of the article, “Can Loss Prevention be free?” you have to understand what Loss Prevention entails. It can be security staff, the use of closed circuit television, a retail loss prevention consulting firm, merchandise protection (such as electronic article surveillance equipment) or any combination of those tools. It is all that is used to deter and prevent shoplifting and internal theft. Now on the surface it sounds like it would have to cost money, right? Loss Prevention Systems Inc. says that it is possible to have Loss Prevention that ends up costing nothing, helpful especially to small and medium sized retail stores. They offer the free use of their Loss Prevention ROI Calculator to anyone who wants to see for themselves how this can be the case. The calculator is free to use, requires no registration or sign up and it does not track users. The owner or manager enters two pieces of information, estimated annual sales and how much they would like to invest in a Checkpoint System the calculator does the rest of the work. The outcome is an estimation of how much the store would reduce inventory shrinkage and how long it would take for that savings to pay for a sytem. Store owners can change the numbers they enter to try different combinations, all at no cost.
The decision my son faced is similar to what a store owner would have to consider. There would be an initial cost associated with my son joining this association. The up-front membership fee, the potential for some group participation and a bit of demand on his time. These are short-term investments. The return on investment will yield tangible results when he graduates and starts looking for substantive employment opportunities. The store owner may pay for the equipment and set up of a Checkpoint System up front but the dividends will quickly follow. Shoplifters will be deterred and take their activity elsewhere. Merchandise that is tagged but missed due to being on the bottom of a shopping cart will activate Checkpoint tower alarms and allow employees to recover the items. In other words, the investment will begin to pay for itself immediately in shortage reduction and will continue to reap rewards as long as you tag merchandise and maintain your equipment.
Can Loss Prevention be free? It can be and the team at Loss Prevention Systems Inc. are happy to spend time with you explaining all of the benefits of a Checkpoint System. Try out the Loss Prevention ROI Calculator, see what you could save and how long for a system to pay for itself then give them a call (they won’t call you first). What have you got to lose? It’s FREE!
For more information about the Loss Prevention ROI Calculator contact us or call 1.770.426.0547
Can Loss Prevention be free? It is an odd question in an article on Return On Investment but hang tight and I think you will see where I am going with this. My son was recently asked to join an honor society for business majors at the college he attends (yes, this is a bit of bragging on my part). He has been reluctant to join for several reasons, one of which is the cost associated with membership. He is also concerned about the time he may be asked to devote to the organization. He is very conscientious of his time and recognizes the amount of time he has to devote to studies and his job. His fear is that joining the group could require more of his time than he is willing to invest. His argument is that he has kept his grades up through his college career by not getting too involved in outside activities. He has some valid points and since he does so much better in college than I ever did I don’t want to challenge him on this too much. I did discuss with him the potential return on investment should he choose to pursue becoming a member of this organization. Benefits would be invitations to attend presentations by major business firms, networking with people who could help direct him in career choices and meeting hiring managers in smaller career fair venues. The return on his investment of time and money could pay big dividends down the road. Your friends at Loss Prevention Systems Inc. know that a return on an investment is important for business owners and that is why they offer the Loss Prevention ROI Calculator.
To answer the question I posed at the beginning of the article, “Can Loss Prevention be free?” you have to understand what Loss Prevention entails. It can be security staff, the use of closed circuit television, a retail loss prevention consulting firm, merchandise protection (such as electronic article surveillance equipment) or any combination of those tools. It is all that is used to deter and prevent shoplifting and internal theft. Now on the surface it sounds like it would have to cost money, right? Loss Prevention Systems Inc. says that it is possible to have Loss Prevention that ends up costing nothing, helpful especially to small and medium sized retail stores. They offer the free use of their Loss Prevention ROI Calculator to anyone who wants to see for themselves how this can be the case. The calculator is free to use, requires no registration or sign up and it does not track users. The owner or manager enters two pieces of information, estimated annual sales and how much they would like to invest in a electronic article surveillance (EAS) System the calculator does the rest of the work. The outcome is an estimation of how much the store would reduce inventory shrinkage and how long it would take for that savings to pay for a sytem. Store owners can change the numbers they enter to try different combinations, all at no cost.
The decision my son faced is similar to what a store owner would have to consider. There would be an initial cost associated with my son joining this association. The up-front membership fee, the potential for some group participation and a bit of demand on his time. These are short-term investments. The return on investment will yield tangible results when he graduates and starts looking for substantive employment opportunities. The store owner may pay for the equipment and set up of a EAS System up front but the dividends will quickly follow. Shoplifters will be deterred and take their activity elsewhere. Merchandise that is tagged but missed due to being on the bottom of a shopping cart will activate EAS tower alarms and allow employees to recover the items. In other words, the investment will begin to pay for itself immediately in shortage reduction and will continue to reap rewards as long as you tag merchandise and maintain your equipment.
Can Loss Prevention be free? It can be and the team at Loss Prevention Systems Inc. are happy to spend time with you explaining all of the benefits of an EAS System. Try out the Loss Prevention ROI Calculator, see what you could save and how long for a system to pay for itself then give them a call (they won’t call you first). What have you got to lose?
It’s FREE! For more information about the Loss Prevention ROI Calculator, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547
Prevent shoplifting – 3 WC Blog 511
Retail Anti-Theft Devices-5
Alpha Security – 3
Keeping Stores Safe And Secure In The Midst Of An Opioid Crisis Part 1
How do you prevent shoplifting when there is a surge in opioid use in the U.S. that has become what some are calling an epidemic and a crisis? I have worked in the Retail Loss Prevention field for nearly 17 years and in retail in general for over 27 years. I have caught shoplifters who had drugs and drug paraphernalia on their person and that was scary enough. Today the problem has gotten worse and stories are now making news linking the opioid crisis and shoplifting:
• From Windsor Star, “Desperate to pay for opioids, addicts turn to crime” by Trevor Wilhelm, “Windsor police said break and enters, along with many other crimes including assaults, robberies, shopliftings and shootings are symptoms of the opioid crisis…” http://windsorstar.com/feature/chapter-2-3
• From WFMJ 21, “Officials: Opioid crisis leading to shoplifting surge”, Nov. 22, 2017 by Caroline Collins “Not only are pharmacies being targeted, but police in the valley are saying users are now shoplifting and selling the items for drug money.” http://www.wfmj.com/clip/13930175/officials-opioid-crisis-leading-to-shoplifting-surge
• From ABC 27 “Police see surge in shoplifting due to opioid crisis” October 20, 2017 by Dawn White, “Police throughout the Midstate say the opioid crisis is leading to another major issue. Users are shoplifting and reselling stolen items to buy more drugs.” http://abc27.com/2017/10/20/police-see-surge-in-shoplifting-due-to-opioid-crisis/
The issue is one that retailers have to address quickly. The drug problem only seems to be getting worse and that means addicts will be more desperate to get the money they need to feed the habit. Theft is one of the means addicts resort to in order to trade for drugs or resell for money to feed their behavior. Retail anti-theft devices are one of the best tools for stores to utilize to disrupt shoplifters from emptying their shelves.
Retail anti-theft devices come in a number of various designs which include cable locks, wraps, security boxes and many more. These devices provide protection for products by allowing the customer to pick up the item, handle it, look at the packaging and even carry the item around the store. If the customer is intent on stealing in most cases the devices are tamper-proof and prevent the removal of the protective device. Attempts to remove them activate built in alarms that warn employees someone is trying to steal merchandise and it is easy to track down where the alarm is sounding in a store. The other protection offered by retail anti-theft devices is that they will cause electronic article surveillance (EAS) towers to sound their alarms if a tagged or protected item is being carried out the doors. Tower alarms, such as the Checkpoint EAS towers you frequently see when you walk into a store can detect protective devices on merchandise even when the item is concealed in a bag, purse or under clothing. These towers have their own alarms and they are extremely loud, 95 decibels of loud to be exact. When the tower alarm sounds EVERYONE in a store hears it and trained store staff members respond and take appropriate steps to reconcile the cause of the alarm and retrieve merchandise that was going to be stolen or get the “customer” to pay for the item.
How sure am I that retail anti-theft devices such as those from Alpha Security will prevent shoplifting by opioid addicts or any other thief for that matter? As I mentioned I have an extensive background in Retail Loss Prevention and I know that the majority of shoplifters will do what they can to avoid detection. They don’t like to risk an alarm by trying to remove a security device and they certainly don’t want to attract attention walking through EAS towers and setting off those alarms. They will try to steal merchandise they don’t believe is tagged or secured. Bill Bregar the CEO of Loss Prevention Systems Inc. (LPSI) agrees with me and that is why LPSI promotes the use of Alpha Security and Checkpoint products. Bill’s experience in Retail Loss Prevention and Law Enforcement surpasses mine and he believes in the effectiveness of anti-theft devices in eliminating theft related shortage for stores. While we don’t want any store to be victimized by criminals we would rather see them go someplace else that refuses to use Alpha Security or other products to protect merchandise. THAT is exactly what retail anti-theft devices do prevent shoplifting by sending the criminals elsewhere, opioid addicts included.
In part 2 of this series I will discuss safety concerns associated with the opioid epidemic. In the meantime find out from LPSI how they can help you in reducing your risk of increased theft in the midst of this crisis.
Need information on Alpha Security? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
How do you prevent shoplifting when there is a surge in opioid use in the U.S. that has become what some are calling an epidemic and a crisis? I have worked in the Retail Loss Prevention field for nearly 17 years and in retail in general for over 27 years. I have caught shoplifters who had drugs and drug paraphernalia on their person and that was scary enough. Today the problem has gotten worse and stories are now making news linking the opioid crisis and shoplifting:
• From Windsor Star, “Desperate to pay for opioids, addicts turn to crime” by Trevor Wilhelm, “Windsor police said break and enters, along with many other crimes including assaults, robberies, shopliftings and shootings are symptoms of the opioid crisis…”
• From WFMJ 21, “Officials: Opioid crisis leading to shoplifting surge”, Nov. 22, 2017 by Caroline Collins “Not only are pharmacies being targeted, but police in the valley are saying users are now shoplifting and selling the items for drug money.”
• From ABC 27 “Police see surge in shoplifting due to opioid crisis” October 20, 2017 by Dawn White, “Police throughout the Midstate say the opioid crisis is leading to another major issue. Users are shoplifting and reselling stolen items to buy more drugs.”
The issue is one that retailers have to address quickly. The drug problem only seems to be getting worse and that means addicts will be more desperate to get the money they need to feed the habit. Theft is one of the means addicts resort to in order to trade for drugs or resell for money to feed their behavior. Retail anti-theft devices are one of the best tools for stores to utilize to disrupt shoplifters from emptying their shelves.
Retail anti-theft devices come in a number of various designs which include cable locks, wraps, security boxes and many more. These devices provide protection for products by allowing the customer to pick up the item, handle it, look at the packaging and even carry the item around the store. If the customer is intent on stealing in most cases the devices are tamper-proof and prevent the removal of the protective device. Attempts to remove them activate built in alarms that warn employees someone is trying to steal merchandise and it is easy to track down where the alarm is sounding in a store. The other protection offered by retail anti-theft devices is that they will cause electronic article surveillance (EAS) towers to sound their alarms if a tagged or protected item is being carried out the doors. Tower alarms, such as the electronic article surveillance towers you frequently see when you walk into a store can detect protective devices on merchandise even when the item is concealed in a bag, purse or under clothing. These towers have their own alarms and they are extremely loud, 95 decibels of loud to be exact. When the tower alarm sounds EVERYONE in a store hears it and trained store staff members respond and take appropriate steps to reconcile the cause of the alarm and retrieve merchandise that was going to be stolen or get the “customer” to pay for the item.
How sure am I that retail anti-theft devices such as those from Loss Prevention Systems Inc. (LPSI) will prevent shoplifting by opioid addicts or any other thief for that matter? As I mentioned I have an extensive background in Retail Loss Prevention and I know that the majority of shoplifters will do what they can to avoid detection. They don’t like to risk an alarm by trying to remove a security device and they certainly don’t want to attract attention walking through EAS towers and setting off those alarms. They will try to steal merchandise they don’t believe is tagged or secured. Bill Bregar the CEO of LPSI agrees with me and that is why LPSI promotes the use of retail anti-theft devices. Bill’s experience in Retail Loss Prevention and Law Enforcement surpasses mine and he believes in the effectiveness of anti-theft devices in eliminating theft related shortage for stores. While we don’t want any store to be victimized by criminals we would rather see them go someplace else that refuses to use retail anti-theft devices to protect merchandise. THAT is exactly what retail anti-theft devices do prevent shoplifting by sending the criminals elsewhere, opioid addicts included.
In part 2 of this series I will discuss safety concerns associated with the opioid epidemic. In the meantime find out from LPSI how they can help you in reducing your risk of increased theft in the midst of this crisis.
Need information on retail anti-theft devices? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
Training To Reduce Employee Theft-3 WC Blog 628
Stop Shoplifting-4
When Done Properly Training To Reduce Employee Theft And Stop Shoplifting Also Improves Sales
Training to reduce employee theft is a skill store managers should value as much as any other retail training. The company I work for periodically holds required training/meetings for all store employees to attend, even part-timers. The purpose of the training is to ensure all employees understand new programs that have been rolled out and how they should be using the program or promoting it to customers. When our company started a new program for enhancing sales of printer ink there was training our managers had to conduct with employees. Had the company pushed out a program and not given us all of the information we needed to promote it I am sure it would have been a complete flop. While I have no specific data on the results of the program I can speak to my own experiences and say that even as a part-time employee I have had a few successful sales with this new product. That gets to the heart of what I want to discuss, how training can decrease inventory shortage when managers know how to prevent theft by dishonest employees. Training to help stop shoplifting can also decrease shortage and improve sales by enhancing employee selling skills.
I imagine there are readers right now that cannot see how training to reduce employee theft can have any relevance to improving sales. From my many years of experience as a Retail Loss Prevention Manager I want to share my thought on how one impacts the other. I believe one of the things that managers can do to reduce employee theft is to reward employees who report co-workers who are stealing. This also includes rewarding employees who report empty packages they find to a manager, especially when the empty package is found in an employee’s-only accessible area. I have had employees report empty packages found in stockrooms and employee restrooms. Most times that empty packages were reported I was able to conduct a successful investigation leading to an employee admission of theft. When managers invest time teaching associates how to provide great customer service they are also teaching skills that will stop shoplifting. The moment a customer enters a store there should be a greeting from an employee and preferably eye contact made. That employee or someone on the salesfloor should then begin a conversation with the patron trying to help them find what they came in to purchase. If it is discovered that the customer only wants to browse that is okay, just be sure to check on them from time to time. Loss Prevention Systems Inc. (LPSI) offers training for managers that will give them the skills they need to run profitable stores. These skills provide managers the ability to deter dishonest employee activities and training on how they can identify those employees who are stealing. As a side note if a manager suspects an employee is stealing LPSI offers investigation services. LPSI CEO, Bill Bregar, knows that identifying, investigating and closing a theft case require an experienced Loss Prevention Investigator that knows how to properly and legally close a case. When done properly it can result in an admission statement, a possible promissory note and/or court ordered restitution.
I mentioned above that teaching proper service skills will stop shoplifting. Managers need to make sure that employees understand that the greeting and engaging of customers first and foremost drives sales. By asking a customer if there is something specific they came in to purchase the employee can help them locate it. If the store doesn’t carry the item, offering alternatives rather than simply saying the store does not have it can lead to a sale that otherwise might be lost. It is also an opportunity to increase sales through suggestive selling. A customer may say they only need poster board for a school project but sincere, open-ended questions from the employee may open the door to other items the customer did not consider. Markers, tape, glue and so on make incremental sales increases. That .99 cent poster board sale now becomes a $5.00 sale. BUT, if that customer came in with the intent to steal, that same customer service will drive them bananas. Thieves do not want attention and great customer service sends them scurrying like rats.
Whether it is improving customer service or rewarding honest employees for reporting suspicious behavior or activity, training to reduce employee theft and to stop shoplifting ultimately keeps products from being stolen. Merchandise not being stolen is available for purchases and purchases are driven by improving customer service. It’s a winning cycle so start training today and see profits rise.
For more information about training to reduce employee theft contact us or call 1.770.426.0547
Training to reduce employee theft is a skill store managers should value as much as any other retail training. The company I work for periodically holds required training/meetings for all store employees to attend, even part-timers. The purpose of the training is to ensure all employees understand new programs that have been rolled out and how they should be using the program or promoting it to customers. When our company started a new program for enhancing sales of printer ink there was training our managers had to conduct with employees. Had the company pushed out a program and not given us all of the information we needed to promote it I am sure it would have been a complete flop. While I have no specific data on the results of the program I can speak to my own experiences and say that even as a part-time employee I have had a few successful sales with this new product. That gets to the heart of what I want to discuss, how training can decrease inventory shortage when managers know how to prevent theft by dishonest employees. Training to help stop shoplifting can also decrease shortage and improve sales by enhancing employee selling skills.
I imagine there are readers right now that cannot see how training to reduce employee theft can have any relevance to improving sales. From my many years of experience as a Retail Loss Prevention Manager I want to share my thought on how one impacts the other. I believe one of the things that managers can do to reduce employee theft is to reward employees who report co-workers who are stealing. This also includes rewarding employees who report empty packages they find to a manager, especially when the empty package is found in an employee’s-only accessible area. I have had employees report empty packages found in stockrooms and employee restrooms. Most times that empty packages were reported I was able to conduct a successful investigation leading to an employee admission of theft. When managers invest time teaching associates how to provide great customer service they are also teaching skills that will stop shoplifting. The moment a customer enters a store there should be a greeting from an employee and preferably eye contact made. That employee or someone on the salesfloor should then begin a conversation with the patron trying to help them find what they came in to purchase. If it is discovered that the customer only wants to browse that is okay, just be sure to check on them from time to time. Loss Prevention Systems Inc. (LPSI) offers training for managers that will give them the skills they need to run profitable stores. These skills provide managers the ability to deter dishonest employee activities and training on how they can identify those employees who are stealing. As a side note if a manager suspects an employee is stealing LPSI offers investigation services. LPSI CEO, Bill Bregar, knows that identifying, investigating and closing a theft case require an experienced Loss Prevention Investigator that knows how to properly and legally close a case. When done properly it can result in an admission statement, a possible promissory note and/or court ordered restitution.
I mentioned above that teaching proper service skills will stop shoplifting. Managers need to make sure that employees understand that the greeting and engaging of customers first and foremost drives sales. By asking a customer if there is something specific they came in to purchase the employee can help them locate it. If the store doesn’t carry the item, offering alternatives rather than simply saying the store does not have it can lead to a sale that otherwise might be lost. It is also an opportunity to increase sales through suggestive selling. A customer may say they only need poster board for a school project but sincere, open-ended questions from the employee may open the door to other items the customer did not consider. Markers, tape, glue and so on make incremental sales increases. That .99 cent poster board sale now becomes a $5.00 sale. BUT, if that customer came in with the intent to steal, that same customer service will drive them bananas. Thieves do not want attention and great customer service sends them scurrying like rats.
Whether it is improving customer service or rewarding honest employees for reporting suspicious behavior or activity, training to reduce employee theft and to stop shoplifting ultimately keeps products from being stolen. Merchandise not being stolen is available for purchases and purchases are driven by improving customer service. It’s a winning cycle so start training today and see profits rise.
For more information about training to reduce employee theft, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547
Checkpoint systems- 5 WC Blog 472
Checkpoint tags-3
Retail theft prevention-3
Inventory Control Is More Than Just Retail Theft Prevention
Does Inventory control involve more than simply retail theft prevention? It does but often that is the first thing retail managers look at when they are trying to determine causes of shortage. As a former Loss Prevention Manager I dealt with all of the areas that impacted shortage and worked to prevent those losses. There were issues related to theft and Checkpoint Systems were one of our methods of addressing that type of merchandise shrink. I made sure our store was tagging merchandise with Checkpoint tags and labels to deter and detect theft. I also ensured our Loss Prevention Team was staffed with personnel who would monitor the check lanes and front doors. I also had staff walking the salesfloor looking for shoplifters. While we made a significant impact on theft issues from our efforts to stop shoplifting to identifying and preventing internal theft, one of my largest recoveries of inventory had nothing to do with theft or fraud.
I will continue my story in a moment but I do think it is important to talk about Checkpoint Systems because so much of the success we did experience overall was due in large measure to the effort we placed on theft prevention. Checkpoint Systems use a combination of devices to deter and to prevent the theft of store merchandise. The operating parts use electronic article surveillance (EAS) technology to protect products. Checkpoint labels are soft peel off tags that can be placed on a variety of surfaces including plastics, cardboard even shrink wrap. Checkpoint tags are pinned to clothing or through materials and in some instances plastic blister packs. Both types of devices send out radio waves that are picked up by EAS towers if they come into range. A tower that picks up a radio wave sounds an alarm that resonates through a store. A trained employee will respond to an alarm and determine what caused it through a receipt check. If unpaid merchandise is recovered (which happens in the majority of alarm activations) most stores will offer an opportunity for the person with the merchandise to purchase it or turn it back over. Tagged product also deters criminals since they know it will sound an alarm. Often the shoplifter will simply leave rather than chance being caught. You can see now how EAS tagged merchandise impacts retail theft prevention.
While our Loss Prevention team did make a significant number of deterred recoveries with the help of Checkpoint Systems and apprehensions for shoplifting I did make one very large recovery as I alluded to earlier. Our store had received our inventory results back and even though the results were good (well under 1%), I was not satisfied. I reviewed the detailed shortage results and one of the highest shortage departments was our shoe department. I knew some theft had taken place in this area we had made apprehensions of shoplifters and recoveries from the EAS system. We also occasionally found footwear that was old indicating someone had swapped out shoes. In spite of this I did not believe the shortage was primarily due to theft I believed the issue laid elsewhere.
I opened the store’s profit and loss (P&L) statements for the past year. I took each month and carefully reviewed the weeks for that department. Eventually I came to a line that showed a large charge to the P&L for the department in question. There was no reasonable cause that I could attribute for the spike. There was no seasonal change that may have prompted this size of a billing and there was no plan-o-gram change that I could think of that may have instigated this size of a bill. I ran the spike past my store manager who forwarded it to Headquarters. It took some time and our inventory booked. A couple of weeks afterwards we had a post-inventory adjustment and our inventory results improved. My store manager said he had never in his 20 years in the company seen a booked inventory changed. We received a $10,000 adjustment in shoes. I had identified a billing error in our P&L that Headquarters could confirm was an error.
I am proud of this paperwork recovery as it demonstrated that dollars are lost by more than just theft. However, if we had focused all of our efforts on paperwork errors and ignored retail theft prevention we would never have had the kind of results we did on a consistent basis. With Checkpoint Systems and the use of Checkpoint tags theft can be significantly reduced and shortage kept low. Don’t lose sight of the other areas that impact shortage like administration and operations but to truly make a difference use Checkpoint towers, labels and tags.
For more information about Checkpoint Systems contact us or call 1.770.426.0547
Does Inventory control involve more than simply retail theft prevention? It does but often that is the first thing retail managers look at when they are trying to determine causes of shortage. As a former Loss Prevention Manager I dealt with all of the areas that impacted shortage and worked to prevent those losses. There were issues related to theft and electronice article surveillance (EAS) was one of our methods of addressing that type of merchandise shrink. I made sure our store was tagging merchandise with hard tags and labels to deter and detect theft. I also ensured our Loss Prevention Team was staffed with personnel who would monitor the check lanes and front doors. I also had staff walking the salesfloor looking for shoplifters. While we made a significant impact on theft issues from our efforts to stop shoplifting to identifying and preventing internal theft, one of my largest recoveries of inventory had nothing to do with theft or fraud.
I will continue my story in a moment but I do think it is important to talk about electronice article surveillance because so much of the success we did experience overall was due in large measure to the effort we placed on theft prevention. An EAS system uses a combination of devices to deter and to prevent the theft of store merchandise. The operating parts use electronic article surveillance technology to protect products. Labels are soft peel off tags that can be placed on a variety of surfaces including plastics, cardboard even shrink wrap. Hard tags are pinned to clothing or through materials and in some instances plastic blister packs. Both types of devices send out radio waves that are picked up by EAS towers if they come into range. A tower that picks up a radio wave sounds an alarm that resonates through a store. A trained employee will respond to an alarm and determine what caused it through a receipt check. If unpaid merchandise is recovered (which happens in the majority of alarm activations) most stores will offer an opportunity for the person with the merchandise to purchase it or turn it back over. Tagged product also deters criminals since they know it will sound an alarm. Often the shoplifter will simply leave rather than chance being caught. You can see now how EAS tagged merchandise impacts retail theft prevention.
While our Loss Prevention team did make a significant number of deterred recoveries with the help of an EAS system and apprehensions for shoplifting I did make one very large recovery as I alluded to earlier. Our store had received our inventory results back and even though the results were good (well under 1%), I was not satisfied. I reviewed the detailed shortage results and one of the highest shortage departments was our shoe department. I knew some theft had taken place in this area we had made apprehensions of shoplifters and recoveries from the EAS system. We also occasionally found footwear that was old indicating someone had swapped out shoes. In spite of this I did not believe the shortage was primarily due to theft I believed the issue laid elsewhere.
I opened the store’s profit and loss (P&L) statements for the past year. I took each month and carefully reviewed the weeks for that department. Eventually I came to a line that showed a large charge to the P&L for the department in question. There was no reasonable cause that I could attribute for the spike. There was no seasonal change that may have prompted this size of a billing and there was no plan-o-gram change that I could think of that may have instigated this size of a bill. I ran the spike past my store manager who forwarded it to Headquarters. It took some time and our inventory booked. A couple of weeks afterwards we had a post-inventory adjustment and our inventory results improved. My store manager said he had never in his 20 years in the company seen a booked inventory changed. We received a $10,000 adjustment in shoes. I had identified a billing error in our P&L that Headquarters could confirm was an error.
I am proud of this paperwork recovery as it demonstrated that dollars are lost by more than just theft. However, if we had focused all of our efforts on paperwork errors and ignored retail theft prevention we would never have had the kind of results we did on a consistent basis. With an EAS and the use of hard tags theft can be significantly reduced and shortage kept low. Don’t lose sight of the other areas that impact shortage like administration and operations but to truly make a difference use EAS towers, labels and tags.
For more information about electronic article surveillance systems, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547
Prevent Shoplifting – 3 WC Blog 531
Gaming Keepers-4
Alpha Keepers-4
Showcases Slow Down Sales; Use Gaming Keepers Instead
I just had an experience at a big box retailer that made me turn to my wife and tell her I had to get home because I had to write about how to prevent shoplifting. No, it wasn’t what the store or the associate did right that got me into a ranting mood it was what they were doing wrong that got my attention. It also got me to thinking what the CEO of Loss Prevention Systems Inc. Bill Bregar would say to the employee if he had been in my shoes. My wife and I were shopping for a video game as a gift for one of our son’s upcoming birthday. Now this store uses lock-up display cases for many of their video games, mostly the newer games on the market. I don’t like display cases but I get it, many stores don’t know about the benefits of Alpha Keepers to protect electronics. HOWEVER, this store already uses gaming keepers to prevent shoplifting of…you guessed it, VIDEO GAMES!
I will continue with my rant momentarily but I want to be sure everyone knows what I am referencing when I talk about Alpha Keepers. They are see-through, tough, plastic cases that function using electronic article surveillance (EAS) technology. The boxes allow merchants to avoid the hassle of unlocking merchandise in a showcase. The showcase is supposed to require an employee to remove an item, allow one or two things to be looked at and the employee carries the item(s) to the register for the customer. A Keeper allows a customer like me to view the item, read labels and carry it around the store until I am ready to make a purchase. No assistance is required so staff members can help more customers in a store and drive sales. Should a customer turn out to be a shoplifter and try to walk out the door with merchandise protected in gaming keepers an EAS tower at the doors will detect the keeper and sound an alarm. Front end employees respond to the alarm and retrieve the merchandise from the would-be thief.
What could have possibly happened that would make me so insane? I located the game I wanted in the showcase. No employees were in the immediate vicinity so I walked to the cash stand and found an employee cleaning around the register. The employee said she would be with me in a minute. I walked back to the showcase and waited for a couple minutes and the employee finally came over. She unlocked the case with her key and removed the game, closed and locked the case and handed me the game. I asked if I had to pay for it at the cash stand where she had been. No, I could continue shopping and pay for it up front. I am not sure how a store can prevent shoplifting if they are locking merchandise up only to hand it over to a customer. My wife and I took the game and walked through the rest of the electronics department. I came to a dump bin filled with marked down video games and all of them were secured in gaming keepers! I just shook my head in disbelief.
I have to wonder how much money has been lost in markdowns for these games that did not sell when they were new and popular. Had the store trusted the protection of Alpha Keepers to put the games within the reach of customers when they were new releases there would not be as many on hand today. Customers do not want to wait for assistance to browse merchandise. The effort to locate a sales associate and get them to assist you at a display case can be frustrating and there is no way to measure the lost sales this causes. By offering gaming keepers to their clients, Loss Prevention Systems Inc. sees the potential for increasing profits through sales and still delivering merchandise protection that reduces shortage.
I bought the game and the store made their money but not all of their customers are me and neither are yours. Lost profit due to markdowns because of unnecessary showcases can be avoided. Get merchandise into the hands of your customers by using Alpha keepers for games and much more.
Need more information on gaming keepers? Contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today
I just had an experience at a big box retailer that made me turn to my wife and tell her I had to get home because I had to write about how to prevent shoplifting. No, it wasn’t what the store or the associate did right that got me into a ranting mood it was what they were doing wrong that got my attention. It also got me to thinking what the CEO of Loss Prevention Systems Inc. Bill Bregar would say to the employee if he had been in my shoes. My wife and I were shopping for a video game as a gift for one of our son’s upcoming birthday. Now this store uses lock-up display cases for many of their video games, mostly the newer games on the market. I don’t like display cases but I get it, many stores don’t know about the benefits of Keepers to protect electronics. HOWEVER, this store already uses gaming keepers to prevent shoplifting of…you guessed it, VIDEO GAMES!
I will continue with my rant momentarily but I want to be sure everyone knows what I am referencing when I talk about Keepers. They are see-through, tough, plastic cases that function using electronic article surveillance (EAS) technology. The boxes allow merchants to avoid the hassle of unlocking merchandise in a showcase. The showcase is supposed to require an employee to remove an item, allow one or two things to be looked at and the employee carries the item(s) to the register for the customer. A Keeper allows a customer like me to view the item, read labels and carry it around the store until I am ready to make a purchase. No assistance is required so staff members can help more customers in a store and drive sales. Should a customer turn out to be a shoplifter and try to walk out the door with merchandise protected in gaming keepers an EAS tower at the doors will detect the keeper and sound an alarm. Front end employees respond to the alarm and retrieve the merchandise from the would-be thief.
What could have possibly happened that would make me so insane? I located the game I wanted in the showcase. No employees were in the immediate vicinity so I walked to the cash stand and found an employee cleaning around the register. The employee said she would be with me in a minute. I walked back to the showcase and waited for a couple minutes and the employee finally came over. She unlocked the case with her key and removed the game, closed and locked the case and handed me the game. I asked if I had to pay for it at the cash stand where she had been. No, I could continue shopping and pay for it up front. I am not sure how a store can prevent shoplifting if they are locking merchandise up only to hand it over to a customer. My wife and I took the game and walked through the rest of the electronics department. I came to a dump bin filled with marked down video games and all of them were secured in gaming keepers! I just shook my head in disbelief.
I have to wonder how much money has been lost in markdowns for these games that did not sell when they were new and popular. Had the store trusted the protection of Keepers to put the games within the reach of customers when they were new releases there would not be as many on hand today. Customers do not want to wait for assistance to browse merchandise. The effort to locate a sales associate and get them to assist you at a display case can be frustrating and there is no way to measure the lost sales this causes. By offering gaming keepers to their clients, Loss Prevention Systems Inc. sees the potential for increasing profits through sales and still delivering merchandise protection that reduces shortage.
I bought the game and the store made their money but not all of their customers are me and neither are yours. Lost profit due to markdowns because of unnecessary showcases can be avoided. Get merchandise into the hands of your customers by using keepers for games and much more.
Need more information on gaming keepers? Contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today
Applicant Management System-3 WC Blog 558
Applicant Tracking System-3
Pre-employment Screening-4
Streamline Your Hiring Process With An Applicant Management System
When you are hiring a new employee do you conduct pre-employment screening? Do you have an Applicant Management System in place? What are the resources you use to know who it is you are hiring? I ask these questions because I recently attended a training session, where I work at, conducted by our Human Resources Department. The training was to instruct faculty and staff in the proper methods of conducting position searches. I have been doing hiring for a lot of years and different employers have different methods of conducting job searches. Several take-aways came out of our session. For starters, one of the things that has bothered me about my current employer is that much of our process is still paper based. During this training we were excited to learn that our college is going to transition to an Applicant Tracking System. Our Human Resources instructor was ecstatic, apparently those of us having to keep track of all of this paperwork are not the only ones frustrated with the current system. While this will be a state initiated program you can have your own job Applicant Management System without being a government agency. Loss Prevention Systems Inc. offers a system of their own that can help businesses with a more efficient process.
“What is an Applicant Management System?” you may be wondering (at least I hope you are asking the question at this point). It is a system that can keep the majority of your hiring process in an electronic format. You know all of those file folders that probably have loose papers hanging out with personal information on each of the job candidates you have considered? They are either drastically reduced in size or eliminated altogether. In each folder you may have had three or four pages of application, resume, background check release forms, and perhaps drug testing consent forms. You might have applicant questionnaires and I-9 forms filed in there too. I know that some of these papers fall out or get misplaced and who knows what kind of personal information is then floating around and potentially winding up in the wrong hands. Bill Bregar, CEO of Loss Prevention Systems Inc. (LPSI) recognized all of the problems associated with the traditional hiring process and found a way to ease that burden on retail owners who already have enough on their plates to deal with. With the system offered by Bill’s team at LPSI employers can customize applications to flag only those applicants that meet specific criteria. No more need to go through 100 applications to find the 10 candidates that truly meet the skill sets you are seeking. How about an electronic release form from candidates so you can have pre-employment screening checks conducted by LPSI? All of it done in one central electronic location. These are just a few of the many benefits an Applicant Tracking System offers.
In our training we were also taught to stick to the process for interviewing and stay away from outside sources of information about a candidate. You might find this useful in your hiring process as well. With all of the social media platforms it seems on the surface that there would be nothing wrong with looking up an applicant’s social media pages. Are they putting things out there that would raise a red flag with you and could influence your hiring decision? It was brought to our attention that if we were to look at an applicant’s social media and see that they are a single mom, pregnant, have some type medical issue or any number of other things we could be putting our employer at risk. For example if an applicant posts that they are having migraine headaches (and add a frowny face) and they are not hired and they find out we did view their post they might say they were discriminated against. It could be alleged we were concerned they would call out of work regularly so for that reason they were not hired. The message for us in the training was that additional information outside of the application and interviews should come from pre-employment screening and reference checks.
Owners and managers of retail stores are constantly pulled in many directions for their time and attention. Making the hiring process easier so that energy can be focused elsewhere is important. Hiring properly and avoiding legal issues is also important. Let LPSI get you started with a pre-employment screening process and Applicant Tracking System that will make the applicant search a breeze. You can also avoid all of those legal landmines in the process.
Need information on an Applicant Tracking System? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
When you are hiring a new employee do you conduct pre-employment screening? Do you have an Applicant Management System in place? What are the resources you use to know who it is you are hiring? I ask these questions because I recently attended a training session, where I work at, conducted by our Human Resources Department. The training was to instruct faculty and staff in the proper methods of conducting position searches. I have been doing hiring for a lot of years and different employers have different methods of conducting job searches. Several take-aways came out of our session. For starters, one of the things that has bothered me about my current employer is that much of our process is still paper based. During this training we were excited to learn that our college is going to transition to an Applicant Tracking System. Our Human Resources instructor was ecstatic, apparently those of us having to keep track of all of this paperwork are not the only ones frustrated with the current system. While this will be a state initiated program you can have your own job Applicant Management System without being a government agency. Loss Prevention Systems Inc. offers a system of their own that can help businesses with a more efficient process.
“What is an Applicant Management System?” you may be wondering (at least I hope you are asking the question at this point). It is a system that can keep the majority of your hiring process in an electronic format. You know all of those file folders that probably have loose papers hanging out with personal information on each of the job candidates you have considered? They are either drastically reduced in size or eliminated altogether. In each folder you may have had three or four pages of application, resume, background check release forms, and perhaps drug testing consent forms. You might have applicant questionnaires and I-9 forms filed in there too. I know that some of these papers fall out or get misplaced and who knows what kind of personal information is then floating around and potentially winding up in the wrong hands. Bill Bregar, CEO of Loss Prevention Systems Inc. (LPSI) recognized all of the problems associated with the traditional hiring process and found a way to ease that burden on retail owners who already have enough on their plates to deal with. With the system offered by Bill’s team at LPSI employers can customize applications to flag only those applicants that meet specific criteria. No more need to go through 100 applications to find the 10 candidates that truly meet the skill sets you are seeking. How about an electronic release form from candidates so you can have pre-employment screening checks conducted by LPSI? All of it done in one central electronic location. These are just a few of the many benefits an Applicant Tracking System offers.
In our training we were also taught to stick to the process for interviewing and stay away from outside sources of information about a candidate. You might find this useful in your hiring process as well. With all of the social media platforms it seems on the surface that there would be nothing wrong with looking up an applicant’s social media pages. Are they putting things out there that would raise a red flag with you and could influence your hiring decision? It was brought to our attention that if we were to look at an applicant’s social media and see that they are a single mom, pregnant, have some type medical issue or any number of other things we could be putting our employer at risk. For example if an applicant posts that they are having migraine headaches (and add a frowny face) and they are not hired and they find out we did view their post they might say they were discriminated against. It could be alleged we were concerned they would call out of work regularly so for that reason they were not hired. The message for us in the training was that additional information outside of the application and interviews should come from pre-employment screening and reference checks.
Owners and managers of retail stores are constantly pulled in many directions for their time and attention. Making the hiring process easier so that energy can be focused elsewhere is important. Hiring properly and avoiding legal issues is also important. Let LPSI get you started with a pre-employment screening process and Applicant Tracking System that will make the applicant search a breeze. You can also avoid all of those legal landmines in the process.
Need information on an Applicant Tracking System? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
