Stop Shoplifting-4 WC blog 374
Checkpoint Security System-3
Weather Emergencies And Other Crisis; How Do You Prepare, Respond, Recover and Do You Still Stop Shoplifting? Part 3
In Parts 1 and 2 of this series on Emergencies and Crisis that can impact a retail store, I spent time sharing a number of stories of incidents I have dealt with as a Loss Prevention Manager. I also talked about how store management needs to be aware that if a store is open pre or post emergency, there still needs to be an awareness of the need to stop shoplifting if possible and keep Checkpoint Security Systems operating until a store closure is necessary.
Checkpoint Security Systems are the first line of defense to stop shoplifting. The pedestals at the doors can detect electronic article surveillance tags on merchandise and sound an alert and activate flashing lights so employees can respond and prevent a theft. Many EAS hard tags are tamper proof and will alarm if someone tries to force them off of a piece of merchandise. While staff are busy trying to react to crisis situations, the Security System maybe the only thing to prevent shoplifters from cleaning out a store.
In creating an emergency action plan for your store keep in mind that each store is different and varies in building layout, number of staff members, number of managers, locations of exits and so on. It is also important to remember a store in Wisconsin doesn’t need to plan for a hurricane but a store in Florida should put this near the top of their planning. So here are some tips for things to include in your action plans as you complete them:
• Remember that the protection of employees and customers should be your number 1 priority. All other things regarding the protection of property and merchandise are secondary concerns. Keep this in mind as you begin your planning.
• If the emergency is a hurricane, in most instances you will have advance warning through tropical storm watches and warnings which grow into hurricane watches and warnings. Make sure your employees know you are monitoring the situation. If employees are getting nervous as the storm nears and they ask to leave so they can get their families to a safer location, allow it. I have seen the effect anxious employees can have on those around them and it can be infectious. You don’t want that as you are preparing for the event. The same can be true for severe thunderstorm warnings and tornado watches. It may be difficult to run the store with fewer people but in the long run you help yourself.
• When there is advance warning, start to shut down non-essential equipment to avoid power surge damage and if possible cover those items with plastic bags to protect against water damage in case of roof leaks. Leave enough cash registers operating to serve customers and don’t power down your Checkpoint Security Systems until absolutely necessary. If patrons are still in the store potential shoplifters are too and you need it to stop shoplifting while running through our preparations.
• For emergencies that give little time to prepare, have an emergency binder and make it a daily task to review how to respond to a different contingency and once you have reviewed everything, start over. Repetition helps reinforce information and makes it easier to respond.
• Have Flashlights located near an emergency binder in multiple locations in the store. One at the service desk, one at a fitting room, and one in your stockroom. Place a first aid kit at each location and if possible an AED kit (Automated External Defibrillators). I would also recommend a small fire extinguisher at each of these places too.
• Have a pre-planned safe place where you will send your customers and employees in the event of a tornado. If you have a lot of people to protect, find an interior room or location that is away from doors and windows.
• For building evacuations due to fire, gas leaks, earthquakes, etc. have a pre-planned rally point that all employees know about. This allows the manager on duty to account for everyone or identify if someone is missing and report it to authorities.
• If at all possible have an emergency generator hooked up to a natural gas source that can run a few registers and lights if power goes out so you can run your business and not lose all business.
These are only a few suggestions to put include in a plan. It is important to keep in mind that a store should have a more detailed action plan in place. Just remember customer and employee safety is first but don’t forget that it is important to try to stop shoplifting at the same time, if at all possible.
Need information on Checkpoint Security Systems? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
In Parts 1 and 2 of this series on Emergencies and Crisis that can impact a retail store, I spent time sharing a number of stories of incidents I have dealt with as a Loss Prevention Manager. I also talked about how store management needs to be aware that if a store is open pre or post emergency, there still needs to be an awareness of the need to stop shoplifting if possible and keep Checkpoint Security Systems operating until a store closure is necessary.
Checkpoint Security Systems are the first line of defense to stop shoplifting. The pedestals at the doors can detect electronic article surveillance tags on merchandise and sound an alert and activate flashing lights so employees can respond and prevent a theft. Many EAS hard tags are tamper proof and will alarm if someone tries to force them off of a piece of merchandise. While staff are busy trying to react to crisis situations, the Security System maybe the only thing to prevent shoplifters from cleaning out a store.
In creating an emergency action plan for your store keep in mind that each store is different and varies in building layout, number of staff members, number of managers, locations of exits and so on. It is also important to remember a store in Wisconsin doesn’t need to plan for a hurricane but a store in Florida should put this near the top of their planning. So here are some tips for things to include in your action plans as you complete them:
• Remember that the protection of employees and customers should be your number 1 priority. All other things regarding the protection of property and merchandise are secondary concerns. Keep this in mind as you begin your planning.
• If the emergency is a hurricane, in most instances you will have advance warning through tropical storm watches and warnings which grow into hurricane watches and warnings. Make sure your employees know you are monitoring the situation. If employees are getting nervous as the storm nears and they ask to leave so they can get their families to a safer location, allow it. I have seen the effect anxious employees can have on those around them and it can be infectious. You don’t want that as you are preparing for the event. The same can be true for severe thunderstorm warnings and tornado watches. It may be difficult to run the store with fewer people but in the long run you help yourself.
• When there is advance warning, start to shut down non-essential equipment to avoid power surge damage and if possible cover those items with plastic bags to protect against water damage in case of roof leaks. Leave enough cash registers operating to serve customers and don’t power down your Checkpoint Security Systems until absolutely necessary. If patrons are still in the store potential shoplifters are too and you need it to stop shoplifting while running through our preparations.
• For emergencies that give little time to prepare, have an emergency binder and make it a daily task to review how to respond to a different contingency and once you have reviewed everything, start over. Repetition helps reinforce information and makes it easier to respond.
• Have Flashlights located near an emergency binder in multiple locations in the store. One at the service desk, one at a fitting room, and one in your stockroom. Place a first aid kit at each location and if possible an AED kit (Automated External Defibrillators). I would also recommend a small fire extinguisher at each of these places too.
• Have a pre-planned safe place where you will send your customers and employees in the event of a tornado. If you have a lot of people to protect, find an interior room or location that is away from doors and windows.
• For building evacuations due to fire, gas leaks, earthquakes, etc. have a pre-planned rally point that all employees know about. This allows the manager on duty to account for everyone or identify if someone is missing and report it to authorities.
• If at all possible have an emergency generator hooked up to a natural gas source that can run a few registers and lights if power goes out so you can run your business and not lose all business.
These are only a few suggestions to put include in a plan. It is important to keep in mind that a store should have a more detailed action plan in place. Just remember customer and employee safety is first but don’t forget that it is important to try to stop shoplifting at the same time, if at all possible.
Need information on Checkpoint Security Systems? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
Checkpoint System- 4 WC Blog 423
Retail Theft Prevention-4
Inventory Control Includes An Effective Shortage Action Plan Focused On Operational Issues AND Retail Theft Prevention Strategies
I’ve been doing a lot of cashiering recently in my part-time job. Normally I am a “Sales Consultant” on the selling floor assisting customers with finding the items they need and suggesting how to better find what will serve their purposes. Now I have been in retail a LONG time, a little over 27 years as a matter-of-fact. Most of that time was in Retail Loss Prevention but I have been a Logistics Manager and a Manager on Duty so the cash register is not unfamiliar to me. Because of my L.P. experience merchandise shortage and inventory control has always been a major focus for me and I look at processes and procedures with a critical eye. One of the things that has really struck home as I have cashiered and worked the salesfloor is the amount of merchandise that seems to be “missing”. The merchandise that can’t be accounted for does not seem to be due to a lack of retail theft prevention measures, it seems to be due to process errors. There are times when a lack of procedures and inventory control can be as harmful to a store’s profit line as shoplifters. While a Checkpoint System is great at preventing theft, it takes a total shortage reduction plan to address operational issues too.
When I discuss Retail Theft Prevention what I am mean is the use of a Checkpoint System to stop thieves from cleaning out a store of merchandise. A system includes electronic article surveillance (EAS) pedestals that detect EAS tagged merchandise and sound an alarm when protected products are carried too close to them. Needless to say a system also incorporates the tags which come in a wide range of products from soft labels to hard tags and wraps. It will also include deactivation pads to de-tune soft tags and detachment keys to remove hard tags for re-use on new merchandise.
When I am talking about operational issues affecting inventory control and shortage I am referencing those things which are not theft related but are generally related to process mistakes. For example, when merchandise in a shopping cart is overlooked by the customer and the cashier that is considered an operational error contributing to store shortage. This is not about those situations of intentional passing or stealing. Another example is when a case pack of merchandise is not properly separated before being stocked on the sales floor and it gets rung up as a single unit rather than multiple units.
Recently I had a large quantity of school folders that appeared to be “missing”, several hundred as a matter of fact. These are inexpensive folders only costing a few cents each so we are not talking about large amounts of money. I do not believe this is a theft issue. What I have noticed while cashiering is that if I don’t scan each individual item as I am ringing a sale I am catching two sku’s mixed together because the folders are so similar. One sku has prongs and one has no prongs. I can see that if our cashiers are using the quantity key instead of individually scanning each and every folder in a purchase there is a strong probability of throwing on-hand counts of each type of sku off. This example is one that is not extremely costly but if this is happening with more expensive purchases, let’s say multiple reams of paper or mailing labels for business purchases, store inventory and shortage numbers can be significantly impacted.
You can see that retail theft prevention strategies will not be too useful in this situation but a good shortage action plan that includes operational aspects to it can be. A Checkpoint System can be helpful to stop one operational shortage issue and that would be accidental missed merchandise on the bottom of a buggy. Tagged product that is legitimately overlooked by the cashier and customer will sound the EAS pedestals and the customer will return and pay for the item or decide they don’t have the time to purchase it if they are in a hurry.
Inventory control is critical if a store is to remain profitable. Training cashiers on the proper ways to checkout merchandise and look for bottom of basket merchandise is important. While a Checkpoint System is primarily for retail theft prevention it does have a role in operational shortage if you ensure you tag all of the merchandise you carry, not just the expensive ones.
Need information on a Checkpoint System? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now
I’ve been doing a lot of cashiering recently in my part-time job. Normally I am a “Sales Consultant” on the selling floor assisting customers with finding the items they need and suggesting how to better find what will serve their purposes. Now I have been in retail a LONG time, a little over 27 years as a matter-of-fact. Most of that time was in Retail Loss Prevention but I have been a Logistics Manager and a Manager on Duty so the cash register is not unfamiliar to me. Because of my L.P. experience merchandise shortage and inventory control has always been a major focus for me and I look at processes and procedures with a critical eye. One of the things that has really struck home as I have cashiered and worked the salesfloor is the amount of merchandise that seems to be “missing”. The merchandise that can’t be accounted for does not seem to be due to a lack of retail theft prevention measures, it seems to be due to process errors. There are times when a lack of procedures and inventory control can be as harmful to a store’s profit line as shoplifters. While a Checkpoint System is great at preventing theft, it takes a total shortage reduction plan to address operational issues too.
When I discuss Retail Theft Prevention what I am mean is the use of a Checkpoint System to stop thieves from cleaning out a store of merchandise. A system includes electronic article surveillance (EAS) pedestals that detect EAS tagged merchandise and sound an alarm when protected products are carried too close to them. Needless to say a system also incorporates the tags which come in a wide range of products from soft labels to hard tags and wraps. It will also include deactivation pads to de-tune soft tags and detachment keys to remove hard tags for re-use on new merchandise.
When I am talking about operational issues affecting inventory control and shortage I am referencing those things which are not theft related but are generally related to process mistakes. For example, when merchandise in a shopping cart is overlooked by the customer and the cashier that is considered an operational error contributing to store shortage. This is not about those situations of intentional passing or stealing. Another example is when a case pack of merchandise is not properly separated before being stocked on the sales floor and it gets rung up as a single unit rather than multiple units.
Recently I had a large quantity of school folders that appeared to be “missing”, several hundred as a matter of fact. These are inexpensive folders only costing a few cents each so we are not talking about large amounts of money. I do not believe this is a theft issue. What I have noticed while cashiering is that if I don’t scan each individual item as I am ringing a sale I am catching two sku’s mixed together because the folders are so similar. One sku has prongs and one has no prongs. I can see that if our cashiers are using the quantity key instead of individually scanning each and every folder in a purchase there is a strong probability of throwing on-hand counts of each type of sku off. This example is one that is not extremely costly but if this is happening with more expensive purchases, let’s say multiple reams of paper or mailing labels for business purchases, store inventory and shortage numbers can be significantly impacted.
You can see that retail theft prevention strategies will not be too useful in this situation but a good shortage action plan that includes operational aspects to it can be. A Checkpoint System can be helpful to stop one operational shortage issue and that would be accidental missed merchandise on the bottom of a buggy. Tagged product that is legitimately overlooked by the cashier and customer will sound the EAS pedestals and the customer will return and pay for the item or decide they don’t have the time to purchase it if they are in a hurry.
Inventory control is critical if a store is to remain profitable. Training cashiers on the proper ways to checkout merchandise and look for bottom of basket merchandise is important. While a Checkpoint System is primarily for retail theft prevention it does have a role in operational shortage if you ensure you tag all of the merchandise you carry, not just the expensive ones.
Need information on a Checkpoint System? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now
LOSS PREVENTION CALCULATOR HELPS RETAILERS KNOW THEIR RETURN ON INVESTMENT!
ML Blog 08
Loss Prevention Calculator-3
Loss Prevention ROI Calculator-3
Ever wonder how much your store’s action plan or programs are really saving you? There are MANY plans that look great on paper, but it’s hard to determine exactly how much influence these plans have on the raw numbers. We can guess, but how much is a guess really worth when it has to do with your profit? In Loss Prevention, it’s difficult to weigh the return on investment against how many people steal or commit various types of fraud. Dollar amounts in theft have always been hard to configure. That has always been a struggle for Loss Prevention Managers to clearly present exact numbers to our stores. We see the thefts, we know it’s such a common occurrence, and we estimate the amount of loss based on that all together as a whole. However, even when adding together apprehensions and known theft packages found, there are still a ton of people getting away with merchandise that we didn’t see and can’t accurately quantify. It’s hard putting a number together, especially when we did not have a Loss Prevention ROI Calculator in the past to help us with calculating our return on investment. We would place an order for merchandise protection devices to help prevent losses, but even with that it’s still difficult to measure the true bottom line. It’s difficult to explain to your store team that I need to order 500.00 worth of merchandise protection devices when the budget may be jam packed with equally important expenditures this month. The team will want to know how going over budget will benefit the store, this month and annually. How can we measure how to gain profit by ordering the necessary loss prevention tools? With the Loss Prevention Calculator, you can actually calculate your return on investment easily without fluff.
As a Loss Prevention Manager, I get a lot of push back from store managers on how much I should spend on my Loss Prevention supplies. With the P&Ls coming out each month showing the expenses for the entire store, the budget is usually tight for the Loss Prevention department. I always get the question “What’s the return on investment if I say yes to this?!” In the past, I would go over what is going on in that department, things I’m noticing, and tell them why I believed we need it. It was through discussions we would come up with our action plans, rather than having a Loss Prevention ROI Calculator help us truly know. It would include a lot of great activity and information from what I’ve seen, but dollars we would get back were difficult for me calculate with a great degree of accuracy. In the past, I didn’t have a Loss Prevention Calculator to aid me in this process, but we certainly wish we did. I had no idea this was a free device readily available for retailers to utilize. This would have been extremely helping when trying to show what we need to get in order to reduce shrink in our store. My store manager liked how user friendly it is and helps you see clearer when determining the ROI for what you want to implement in your store. There is no more “I think this will help us”, but now “This is the amount of dollars we will get back from this sub department”. No more throwing numbers out that we hope are close based on observations and loose estimates. You will be able to figure out how long until that investment turns into straight profit, which is exactly what programs in our stores are supposed to accomplish.
Don’t wait like my store did before utilizing the Loss Prevention Calculator. No more scratching your head, while making a decision if the plan is worth the investment. Make life easier with this incredible Loss Prevention ROI Calculator, which is available to retailers now.
Need information on the Loss Prevention Calculator? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
.
Ever wonder how much your store’s action plan or programs are really saving you? There are MANY plans that look great on paper, but it’s hard to determine exactly how much influence these plans have on the raw numbers. We can guess, but how much is a guess really worth when it has to do with your profit? In Loss Prevention, it’s difficult to weigh the return on investment against how many people steal or commit various types of fraud. Dollar amounts in theft have always been hard to configure. That has always been a struggle for Loss Prevention Managers to clearly present exact numbers to our stores. We see the thefts, we know it’s such a common occurrence, and we estimate the amount of loss based on that all together as a whole. However, even when adding together apprehensions and known theft packages found, there are still a ton of people getting away with merchandise that we didn’t see and can’t accurately quantify. It’s hard putting a number together, especially when we did not have a Loss Prevention ROI Calculator in the past to help us with calculating our return on investment. We would place an order for merchandise protection devices to help prevent losses, but even with that it’s still difficult to measure the true bottom line. It’s difficult to explain to your store team that I need to order 500.00 worth of merchandise protection devices when the budget may be jam packed with equally important expenditures this month. The team will want to know how going over budget will benefit the store, this month and annually. How can we measure how to gain profit by ordering the necessary loss prevention tools? With the Loss Prevention Calculator, you can actually calculate your return on investment easily without fluff.
As a Loss Prevention Manager, I get a lot of push back from store managers on how much I should spend on my Loss Prevention supplies. With the P&Ls coming out each month showing the expenses for the entire store, the budget is usually tight for the Loss Prevention department. I always get the question “What’s the return on investment if I say yes to this?!” In the past, I would go over what is going on in that department, things I’m noticing, and tell them why I believed we need it. It was through discussions we would come up with our action plans, rather than having a Loss Prevention ROI Calculator help us truly know. It would include a lot of great activity and information from what I’ve seen, but dollars we would get back were difficult for me calculate with a great degree of accuracy. In the past, I didn’t have a Loss Prevention Calculator to aid me in this process, but we certainly wish we did. I had no idea this was a free device readily available for retailers to utilize. This would have been extremely helping when trying to show what we need to get in order to reduce shrink in our store. My store manager liked how user friendly it is and helps you see clearer when determining the ROI for what you want to implement in your store. There is no more “I think this will help us”, but now “This is the amount of dollars we will get back from this sub department”. No more throwing numbers out that we hope are close based on observations and loose estimates. You will be able to figure out how long until that investment turns into straight profit, which is exactly what programs in our stores are supposed to accomplish.
Don’t wait like my store did before utilizing the Loss Prevention Calculator. No more scratching your head, while making a decision if the plan is worth the investment. Make life easier with this incredible Loss Prevention ROI Calculator, which is available to retailers now.
Need information on the Loss Prevention Calculator? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now. .
10 OF THE BEST USES FOR ALPHA SPIDER WRAPS
When it comes to the cream of the crop of security devices aimed to Prevent Shoplifting, the Alpha Spider Wrap is the top dog in my book. Generally reserved for the most expensive items in your store, the flexibility and ease of use make this my go-to tag for high ticket items. I’ve put some thought into some of the best uses for these tags and I thought I’d share them with you today. Here is what I think gets you the best ROI when using this style of tag.
Televisions
This is a no-brainer. This is a category that you need to get in front of your customers in an open sell environment, but you don’t want them walking out the door. An Alpha Spider Wrap on your boxed product can and will discourage and nearly prevent this from happening.
Speakers
From high end wired speakers to the newest portable Bluetooth speaker, these are hot right now. We need to capture these sales, while striving to Prevent Shoplifting can pose a bit of a merchandising issue. Use this style tag here and don’t fret about an open-sell concept.
Laptops
I know some of you just cringed a bit, since we probably always secure these under lock and key (and that’s alright!). However, there are some very inexpensive lines out there, and if you’re selling in bulk, it’s best to get them easily in the hands of your customers. The trusty Alpha Spider Wrap let you do just that.
Streaming devices
I love my steaming device. Problem is, so do the thieves. There’s a huge re-sell market for these, which makes them an incredibly hot target for your not-so-honest customers. Since most of them come in a box, or other square packaging, they are perfect candidates for an Alpha Spider Wrap.
Electric Toothbrushes
Let your customer’s clean their teeth, not clean you out! Like several other items on my list, there exists a large market to resell these items, which make them a constant target for thieves. Honestly, have you looked at some of the prices in this category? It’s like a mini-dentist bill! With prices that can easily soar into the several-hundreds, it’s easy to see why you have to Prevent Shoplifting. While these are a good candidate for a glass case, we all know that items sell much better when our customers can grab em’ and go without having to find an employee for help.
There are dozens and dozens more items that an Alpha Spider Wrap would pair perfectly with; and I can probably make a list of 100 (maybe I’ll do that one day). I make these lists to bring awareness to products that are often overlooked in our physical security strategies. I hope this helps to bring some of that awareness to you and your team, but also gets you thinking about the specific losses you incur in your own store. What other items can you better secure?
Get more information on Alpha Spider Wrap, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.
When it comes to the cream of the crop of security devices aimed to Prevent Shoplifting, the Alpha Spider Wrap is the top dog in my book. Generally reserved for the most expensive items in your store, the flexibility and ease of use make this my go-to tag for high ticket items. I’ve put some thought into some of the best uses for these tags and I thought I’d share them with you today. Here is what I think gets you the best ROI when using this style of tag.
Televisions
This is a no-brainer. This is a category that you need to get in front of your customers in an open sell environment, but you don’t want them walking out the door. An Alpha Spider Wrap on your boxed product can and will discourage and nearly prevent this from happening.
Speakers
From high end wired speakers to the newest portable Bluetooth speaker, these are hot right now. We need to capture these sales, while striving to Prevent Shoplifting can pose a bit of a merchandising issue. Use this style tag here and don’t fret about an open-sell concept.
Laptops
I know some of you just cringed a bit, since we probably always secure these under lock and key (and that’s alright!). However, there are some very inexpensive lines out there, and if you’re selling in bulk, it’s best to get them easily in the hands of your customers. The trusty Alpha Spider Wrap let you do just that.
Streaming devices
I love my steaming device. Problem is, so do the thieves. There’s a huge re-sell market for these, which makes them an incredibly hot target for your not-so-honest customers. Since most of them come in a box, or other square packaging, they are perfect candidates for an Alpha Spider Wrap.
Electric Toothbrushes
Let your customer’s clean their teeth, not clean you out! Like several other items on my list, there exists a large market to resell these items, which make them a constant target for thieves. Honestly, have you looked at some of the prices in this category? It’s like a mini-dentist bill! With prices that can easily soar into the several-hundreds, it’s easy to see why you have to Prevent Shoplifting. While these are a good candidate for a glass case, we all know that items sell much better when our customers can grab em’ and go without having to find an employee for help.
There are dozens and dozens more items that an Alpha Spider Wrap would pair perfectly with; and I can probably make a list of 100 (maybe I’ll do that one day). I make these lists to bring awareness to products that are often overlooked in our physical security strategies. I hope this helps to bring some of that awareness to you and your team, but also gets you thinking about the specific losses you incur in your own store. What other items can you better secure?
Get more information on Alpha Spider Wrap, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.
Retail Theft Prevention-3 WC Blog 363
Checkpoint Security System-3
Being Cheap In The Short Term Can Hurt Retail Theft Prevention In The Long Term
Over the past 6 months one of the two vehicles my wife and I own had started making some very disturbing noises. It was purchased as a used vehicle but because the price seemed right at the time I did not take time to look at vehicle reviews or do any research on this particular make and model. I did not bother with an extended warranty either which would have cost me an additional $2,000. As the problems persisted and got worse, I went online and started to look at reputable websites and consumer reviews. Low and behold, many other owners reported similar problems with the transmissions on this year and model of car. Stupid me, I should have done the research in advance, even when the deal seemed good to me. How many times do retailers make similar short sighted decisions? The cheap way may seem to be the most cost effective, but is that necessarily true? Does it make sense when operating a store to try to save money by not spending any on retail theft prevention measures? How many times do stores reduce payroll in an effort to save money? How much research is done prior to making these types of decisions? What may seem like a great way to reduce expenditures may actually cost money in the future.
Retail theft prevention comes in many forms, from installing closed circuit television (CCTV), installing a Checkpoint security system with electronic article surveillance technology and even staffing a store with enough people to provide ample customer service. It also includes the proper training of staff on how to detect and deter shoplifting while still promoting customer service. Sometimes theft prevention includes hiring professional Retail Loss Prevention Associates who can conduct receipt checks at doors or catch and prosecute shoplifters. Different strategies require different levels of investment and levels of commitment. The amount to invest in retail theft prevention is an individual choice and has to be balanced with the annual sales for the store and how much merchandise shortage will be an “acceptable” level of loss. Bear in mind that merchandise shortage includes shoplifting, dishonest employee activity, vendor shortage and administrative shortage with shoplifting and employee theft accounting for about 80% of all losses.
So what happens when a store owner decides on a means of merchandise protection? What kind of assumptions come into play in the decision? Obviously cost is the first thing that is going to be considered. What will it cost me to install cctv or a Checkpoint Security System? How many people do I hire to properly meet the needs of my customers, ring sales, stock freight and do I include Loss Prevention staff? All of these are important considerations, a children’s gently used clothing store probably does not need the same amount of security or staffing as a jewelry store would need. This does not mean theft will not occur it will be a difference in the cost of each loss and what it will take to recoup the loss. Unfortunately, what often happens when sales stagnate or shrinkage begins to impact profits, rather than look at the root causes of those issues, owners and managers begin to look for ways to reduce expenses. If they use Checkpoint Systems they may reduce the number of sku’s they protect by tagging fewer items. I have seen companies that have Loss Prevention staff reduce the hours and the number of people in those departments, at the cost of increased theft. Then there are the sales floor associate hours that are trimmed. Sure, it seems like it will save money, but if your merchandise protection strategy includes customer service to deter theft (and drive sales) trimming those hours hurts a company twice.
Being careful when looking at expenses only makes sense. No business can last long if money isn’t being spent wisely. On the other side of that coin, when sales start to flag, a company needs to look at all of the factors that may be contributing to the problem. Has a new policy been implemented? Is the weather played a part? Are merchandise lines being discontinued that were popular? When was the last time a new sales display or endcap set up? There are many things that can impact sales and cutting corners to save a few dollars may wind up costing you more in the long run. Before you start cutting things such as staff hours, Checkpoint Security System budgeting, or even reducing store hours, make sure you look at the big picture. Sometimes it is easier to look at the quick fixes rather than analyzing the external influences.
Get more information on Retail Theft Prevention, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.
Over the past 6 months one of the two vehicles my wife and I own had started making some very disturbing noises. It was purchased as a used vehicle but because the price seemed right at the time I did not take time to look at vehicle reviews or do any research on this particular make and model. I did not bother with an extended warranty either which would have cost me an additional $2,000. As the problems persisted and got worse, I went online and started to look at reputable websites and consumer reviews. Low and behold, many other owners reported similar problems with the transmissions on this year and model of car. Stupid me, I should have done the research in advance, even when the deal seemed good to me. How many times do retailers make similar short sighted decisions? The cheap way may seem to be the most cost effective, but is that necessarily true? Does it make sense when operating a store to try to save money by not spending any on retail theft prevention measures? How many times do stores reduce payroll in an effort to save money? How much research is done prior to making these types of decisions? What may seem like a great way to reduce expenditures may actually cost money in the future.
Retail theft prevention comes in many forms, from installing closed circuit television (CCTV), installing a Checkpoint security system with electronic article surveillance technology and even staffing a store with enough people to provide ample customer service. It also includes the proper training of staff on how to detect and deter shoplifting while still promoting customer service. Sometimes theft prevention includes hiring professional Retail Loss Prevention Associates who can conduct receipt checks at doors or catch and prosecute shoplifters. Different strategies require different levels of investment and levels of commitment. The amount to invest in retail theft prevention is an individual choice and has to be balanced with the annual sales for the store and how much merchandise shortage will be an “acceptable” level of loss. Bear in mind that merchandise shortage includes shoplifting, dishonest employee activity, vendor shortage and administrative shortage with shoplifting and employee theft accounting for about 80% of all losses.
So what happens when a store owner decides on a means of merchandise protection? What kind of assumptions come into play in the decision? Obviously cost is the first thing that is going to be considered. What will it cost me to install cctv or a Checkpoint Security System? How many people do I hire to properly meet the needs of my customers, ring sales, stock freight and do I include Loss Prevention staff? All of these are important considerations, a children’s gently used clothing store probably does not need the same amount of security or staffing as a jewelry store would need. This does not mean theft will not occur it will be a difference in the cost of each loss and what it will take to recoup the loss. Unfortunately, what often happens when sales stagnate or shrinkage begins to impact profits, rather than look at the root causes of those issues, owners and managers begin to look for ways to reduce expenses. If they use Checkpoint Systems they may reduce the number of sku’s they protect by tagging fewer items. I have seen companies that have Loss Prevention staff reduce the hours and the number of people in those departments, at the cost of increased theft. Then there are the sales floor associate hours that are trimmed. Sure, it seems like it will save money, but if your merchandise protection strategy includes customer service to deter theft (and drive sales) trimming those hours hurts a company twice.
Being careful when looking at expenses only makes sense. No business can last long if money isn’t being spent wisely. On the other side of that coin, when sales start to flag, a company needs to look at all of the factors that may be contributing to the problem. Has a new policy been implemented? Is the weather played a part? Are merchandise lines being discontinued that were popular? When was the last time a new sales display or endcap set up? There are many things that can impact sales and cutting corners to save a few dollars may wind up costing you more in the long run. Before you start cutting things such as staff hours, Checkpoint Security System budgeting, or even reducing store hours, make sure you look at the big picture. Sometimes it is easier to look at the quick fixes rather than analyzing the external influences.
Get more information on Retail Theft Prevention, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.
Protect Fragrance-4 WC blog 298
Alpha Keepers-4
Prevent Shoplifting-4
Perfume Sampling Stinks When It Causes Shortage; Protect Fragrance Bottles From Fraud And Theft With Alpha Keepers
Do you know what stinks? Fragrances, perfumes and body sprays, when they are all mixed together around a perfume counter or a fragrance aisle of a store. Whatever you want to call it, there are few odors worse than this to give someone (me) a headache or nauseated feeling. Sometimes it can be so overwhelming I can almost taste it! If you have ever seen the movie “Elf”, there is a scene where a sales clerk wants the main character Buddy to smell a sample of a perfume. He doesn’t realize what it is and he sprays it in his mouth and makes a horrible face and screams…that’s kinda like me walking through a perfume cloud in a store. Aside from the odors though, there is another problem that retailers cope with in a perfume department. The tester bottles run out and so the customers take the initiative to open a new bottle to bathe in. Where is the problem in this? Well, aside from the nasal nightmare that results from these perfume parties, retailers experience shortage. Opening a new bottle and spraying the contents means that a buyer won’t purchase it (who wants to buy a used bottle of perfume?). That bottle has to be marked out of stock and could result in lost profit. There is an easy fix to the problem, using Alpha Keepers to protect fragrance in your shop.
If you have ever paid particular attention, perfume bottles tend to come in a large assortment of designs and shapes, all geared to draw consumer attention. You don’t want to do anything that will hinder the attraction of the customer to the bottle design and that is one of the benefits of using Alpha Keepers. They are clear, hard plastic containers that prevent shoplifting but still allow a customer to see the bottle and be drawn to it. The keeper boxes lock so there is no concern over someone taking the merchandise out and sampling the product. The boxes also prevent shoplifting because they are secure and have radio frequency coils built into them. If a shoplifter takes a Keeper that is protecting a fragrance bottle into the area of electronic article surveillance (EAS) antennas, the antennas alert nearby employees to the attempted theft. LED lights flash and a loud alert signal sounds providing staff an opportunity to conduct a receipt check to retrieve the merchandise. Frequently the alarm startles a thief and results in them dropping merchandise and running rather than risking being caught with stolen goods.
There were many times I would do theft audits and come across partial bottles of perfume (and empty packages too). I pulled the partial bottles and had them marked out of stock and labeled them with a “tester” label and put them back on display. The hope was to minimize additional markdowns due to customers opening more bottles of the same product to sniff. Each time a bottle had to be marked out, the store was impacted by shortage. The only other options to protect fragrance at the time was placing EAS labels on the packages, locking them up in a display case or if the product was in a clamshell package we put them on locking peg hooks. Lock up cases and locking peg hooks required someone with a key to be available to open or unlock the case or hook when a customer wanted to look at an item. This was a poor option because customers had to wait for assistance. If it took too long for an associate to get to the patron, they would leave and a potential sale was lost. Using Alpha Keepers to protect fragrance is a solution I wish I had available to me. I could have used it to prevent shoplifting AND to stop the sampling of merchandise. They are also a sales driver, giving customers the ability to pick up an item, carry it around the store and take it to checkout at their convenience.
Use vendor supplied testers to give customers a sniff of the perfume they are interested in. Use Alpha Keepers to protect fragrance profit and prevent shoplifting at the same time. Get a whiff of more green in your cash registers!
Get more information on Alpha Keepers, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.
Do you know what stinks? Fragrances, perfumes and body sprays, when they are all mixed together around a perfume counter or a fragrance aisle of a store. Whatever you want to call it, there are few odors worse than this to give someone (me) a headache or nauseated feeling. Sometimes it can be so overwhelming I can almost taste it! If you have ever seen the movie “Elf”, there is a scene where a sales clerk wants the main character Buddy to smell a sample of a perfume. He doesn’t realize what it is and he sprays it in his mouth and makes a horrible face and screams…that’s kinda like me walking through a perfume cloud in a store. Aside from the odors though, there is another problem that retailers cope with in a perfume department. The tester bottles run out and so the customers take the initiative to open a new bottle to bathe in. Where is the problem in this? Well, aside from the nasal nightmare that results from these perfume parties, retailers experience shortage. Opening a new bottle and spraying the contents means that a buyer won’t purchase it (who wants to buy a used bottle of perfume?). That bottle has to be marked out of stock and could result in lost profit. There is an easy fix to the problem, using Alpha Keepers to protect fragrance in your shop.
If you have ever paid particular attention, perfume bottles tend to come in a large assortment of designs and shapes, all geared to draw consumer attention. You don’t want to do anything that will hinder the attraction of the customer to the bottle design and that is one of the benefits of using Alpha Keepers. They are clear, hard plastic containers that prevent shoplifting but still allow a customer to see the bottle and be drawn to it. The keeper boxes lock so there is no concern over someone taking the merchandise out and sampling the product. The boxes also prevent shoplifting because they are secure and have radio frequency coils built into them. If a shoplifter takes a Keeper that is protecting a fragrance bottle into the area of electronic article surveillance (EAS) antennas, the antennas alert nearby employees to the attempted theft. LED lights flash and a loud alert signal sounds providing staff an opportunity to conduct a receipt check to retrieve the merchandise. Frequently the alarm startles a thief and results in them dropping merchandise and running rather than risking being caught with stolen goods.
There were many times I would do theft audits and come across partial bottles of perfume (and empty packages too). I pulled the partial bottles and had them marked out of stock and labeled them with a “tester” label and put them back on display. The hope was to minimize additional markdowns due to customers opening more bottles of the same product to sniff. Each time a bottle had to be marked out, the store was impacted by shortage. The only other options to protect fragrance at the time was placing EAS labels on the packages, locking them up in a display case or if the product was in a clamshell package we put them on locking peg hooks. Lock up cases and locking peg hooks required someone with a key to be available to open or unlock the case or hook when a customer wanted to look at an item. This was a poor option because customers had to wait for assistance. If it took too long for an associate to get to the patron, they would leave and a potential sale was lost. Using Alpha Keepers to protect fragrance is a solution I wish I had available to me. I could have used it to prevent shoplifting AND to stop the sampling of merchandise. They are also a sales driver, giving customers the ability to pick up an item, carry it around the store and take it to checkout at their convenience.
Use vendor supplied testers to give customers a sniff of the perfume they are interested in. Use Alpha Keepers to protect fragrance profit and prevent shoplifting at the same time. Get a whiff of more green in your cash registers!
Get more information on Alpha Keepers, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.
