WHY TAKE INVENTORY AT THE START OF THE YEAR?
Finally! The holiday madness is over and it’s time to sit back, count our money and relax. There’s nothing else daunting on the horizon. Oh, wait… I forgot about inventory time! Who had the bright idea to take inventory right behind the busiest time of year!? It may be a bit of a challenge, but inventory is important to every business and can play a leading role in helping you to stop shoplifting.
While not an official retail rule, generally speaking, lots of retailers take inventory in January/February each year. There’s a few reasons why this is a good idea, and understanding why this can save you a lot of heart ache. See inventory time as a chance to hit the “reset” button on your stock and a chance to fix any big issues that may have gone un-noticed throughout the year.
Why now?
It may seem like we could give ourselves some time to catch our breath, right? Taking inventory actually makes sense right now. You probably have a little extra help in the store thanks to your holiday temps. Those extra sets of hands can really make a difference when you’re trying to count everything in the store.
Your store is at its lowest stock position.
I was out shopping with my wife and she made a comment about how “empty” the store we were in looked. It was week or two after Christmas and I remarked that they must have had a good season. Why count in the spring, when you can put your hands on less product and still get the job done?
Taxes and valuation
I’m not an accountant and I don’t have an in-depth knowledge of tax codes across the country. With that being said, most localities assess an inventory tax, with every company having to report at certain times of the year the inventory they have in the building, thus creating their tax burden on inventory. Obviously if you take your inventory right after the holiday, you have less on-hand, affecting your tax burden. Inventory, or more specifically, the cost of goods sold, is one indicator of overall business health. Taking inventory allows you to determine this number. This can be used against any business loans. This may not be the case everywhere, so I would always consult with your CPA regarding inventory tax and any financial decisions.
Employee theft (and external theft too!)
Another great advantage of taking inventory this time of year is to identify any patterns of employee theft that may have occurred during your busiest time of the year. Employee theft cases usually peak around November and December. Waiting too long before noticing may hinder your chances of recovering any loss money. Think about it. You take inventory in mid-January. You notice that a shipment of electronics worth $10,000 went missing in December. You find the manifest, run the security cameras and find a warehouse worker bring the shipment to his car. Chances of getting paid back are pretty high. Same situation, but you take inventory in July, for example. Shipping manifests may have gotten purged and your CCTV doesn’t hold recordings for that long. The warehouse worker goes undetected and steals even more from you. Pretty obvious, right? The same holds true for your external theft problems. Taking inventory now let’s you identify your patterns of loss, and ultimately let you better react to those patters, which will help stop shoplifting.
While it may seem daunting to start the inventory process so soon after such a busy time, trust me when I tell you that it’s absolutely for the best. Get it done now, while you’re light on product, heavy on help and before all your spring shipments start hitting the docks. You’ll clean up the holiday inventory, help stop shoplifting by identifying any patterns of theft/fraud, and clean your on hand counts to ensure you’re in the absolute best stock position. Happy counting!
For more information about Employee Theft contact us or call 1.770.426.0547.
Finally! The holiday madness is over and it’s time to sit back, count our money and relax. There’s nothing else daunting on the horizon. Oh, wait… I forgot about inventory time! Who had the bright idea to take inventory right behind the busiest time of year!? It may be a bit of a challenge, but inventory is important to every business and can play a leading role in helping you to stop shoplifting.
While not an official retail rule, generally speaking, lots of retailers take inventory in January/February each year. There’s a few reasons why this is a good idea, and understanding why this can save you a lot of heart ache. See inventory time as a chance to hit the “reset” button on your stock and a chance to fix any big issues that may have gone un-noticed throughout the year.
Why now?
It may seem like we could give ourselves some time to catch our breath, right? Taking inventory actually makes sense right now. You probably have a little extra help in the store thanks to your holiday temps. Those extra sets of hands can really make a difference when you’re trying to count everything in the store.
Your store is at its lowest stock position
I was out shopping with my wife and she made a comment about how “empty” the store we were in looked. It was week or two after Christmas and I remarked that they must have had a good season. Why count in the spring, when you can put your hands on less product and still get the job done?
Taxes and valuation
I’m not an accountant and I don’t have an in-depth knowledge of tax codes across the country. With that being said, most localities assess an inventory tax, with every company having to report at certain times of the year the inventory they have in the building, thus creating their tax burden on inventory. Obviously if you take your inventory right after the holiday, you have less on-hand, affecting your tax burden. Inventory, or more specifically, the cost of goods sold, is one indicator of overall business health. Taking inventory allows you to determine this number. This can be used against any business loans. This may not be the case everywhere, so I would always consult with your CPA regarding inventory tax and any financial decisions.
Employee theft (and external theft too!)
Another great advantage of taking inventory this time of year is to identify any patterns of employee theft that may have occurred during your busiest time of the year. Employee theft cases usually peak around November and December. Waiting too long before noticing may hinder your chances of recovering any loss money. Think about it. You take inventory in mid-January. You notice that a shipment of electronics worth $10,000 went missing in December. You find the manifest, run the security cameras and find a warehouse worker bring the shipment to his car. Chances of getting paid back are pretty high. Same situation, but you take inventory in July, for example. Shipping manifests may have gotten purged and your CCTV doesn’t hold recordings for that long. The warehouse worker goes undetected and steals even more from you. Pretty obvious, right? The same holds true for your external theft problems. Taking inventory now let’s you identify your patterns of loss, and ultimately let you better react to those patters, which will help stop shoplifting.
While it may seem daunting to start the inventory process so soon after such a busy time, trust me when I tell you that it’s absolutely for the best. Get it done now, while you’re light on product, heavy on help and before all your spring shipments start hitting the docks. You’ll clean up the holiday inventory, help stop shoplifting by identifying any patterns of theft/fraud, and clean your on hand counts to ensure you’re in the absolute best stock position. Happy counting!
For more information about Employee Theft, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547.
AA Blog 26-Alpha Jewel Lock
Alpha Jewel Lock: 5
Prevent shoplifting: 3
Reduce Pilferage Of Small Concealable Items With Alpha Jewel Locks
In my experience as a law enforcement officer, I dealt with a great deal of juvenile shoplifters. It seems that many juveniles tend to get involved in petit theft due to peer pressure and other social pressures. This typically results in the theft of small, easily concealable items, of varying value. Female shoplifters tend to take items such as makeup, small wallets or purses, undergarments, costume jewelry and other beauty items. Boys on the other hand may go for candy or food, videogames, electronic accessories, sporting equipment items or clothing. When I was growing up, small concealable items didn’t tend to have security devices, more than likely due to the lack of security options. I have seen girls who layered undergarments under their clothes, which doesn’t add a whole lot of bulk, and can be done in the privacy of a dressing room. Girls would also take smaller jewelry items like earrings or bracelets, and after removing the packaging, would wear them out of the store. Boys were usually a little less discreet, which usually got them caught, although many didn’t. From my experience they would try and stick movies, games, CDs etc. into backpacks and such on the store floor. They always think they are being sneaky. They say the average retail theft is between, $2.00-$200.00 per incident; therefore easily concealable items, need to be protected. Luckily for us in the retail industry, technology has improved greatly over the last two decades, not that I want to age myself, but it’s true. We now have many more options for securing these types of items. In order to prevent shoplifting in my store, I choose the Alpha jewel lock, to help secure those small irregular items.
The Alpha jewel lock is a great option for those small items, such as jewelry, small clutch handbags, undergarments, and even shoes. This is a smaller device that can be discreetly placed on small items without interfering with the products appearance or the ability to try on the item. They have a small wire attachment that allows you to put them around the item while allowing the customer some breathing room. These locks improve customer relations, while still protecting your property. It is easily applied in store, which allows for a cost-efficient re-useable device. It is designed to destroy the item or render it un-useable in the event of a theft. It can also be used on items on peg hooks, which allows for easy display options. The Alpha jewel lock is an effective deterrent for easily pilfered items, which are hard to secure, by other means. These work as a great addition and in conjunction with other loss prevention devices and will help prevent shoplifting. These can be used in specialty stores as well that sell large amounts of high priced items such as watch stores, jewelry stores, designer bags, shoe stores etc. They can be used on displays that aren’t regularly monitored as well.
I have used the Alpha jewel locks on various items in my store with great success. I have even found them to be an option on items I didn’t anticipate, such as sunglasses, electronic accessories, and even some sporting gear. They are very versatile locks that provide a great deterrent to prevent shoplifting. Regardless of what you need to secure, if you are looking for a small unobtrusive way to protect your smaller merchandise these locks are a great option.
Get more information on Alpha jewel locks, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.
In my experience as a law enforcement officer, I dealt with a great deal of juvenile shoplifters. It seems that many juveniles tend to get involved in petit theft due to peer pressure and other social pressures. This typically results in the theft of small, easily concealable items, of varying value. Female shoplifters tend to take items such as makeup, small wallets or purses, undergarments, costume jewelry and other beauty items. Boys on the other hand may go for candy or food, videogames, electronic accessories, sporting equipment items or clothing. When I was growing up, small concealable items didn’t tend to have security devices, more than likely due to the lack of security options. I have seen girls who layered undergarments under their clothes, which doesn’t add a whole lot of bulk, and can be done in the privacy of a dressing room. Girls would also take smaller jewelry items like earrings or bracelets, and after removing the packaging, would wear them out of the store. Boys were usually a little less discreet, which usually got them caught, although many didn’t. From my experience they would try and stick movies, games, CDs etc. into backpacks and such on the store floor. They always think they are being sneaky. They say the average retail theft is between, $2.00-$200.00 per incident; therefore easily concealable items, need to be protected. Luckily for us in the retail industry, technology has improved greatly over the last two decades, not that I want to age myself, but it’s true. We now have many more options for securing these types of items. In order to prevent shoplifting in my store, I choose the Alpha jewel lock, to help secure those small irregular items.
The Alpha jewel lock is a great option for those small items, such as jewelry, small clutch handbags, undergarments, and even shoes. This is a smaller device that can be discreetly placed on small items without interfering with the products appearance or the ability to try on the item. They have a small wire attachment that allows you to put them around the item while allowing the customer some breathing room. These locks improve customer relations, while still protecting your property. It is easily applied in store, which allows for a cost-efficient re-useable device. It is designed to destroy the item or render it un-useable in the event of a theft. It can also be used on items on peg hooks, which allows for easy display options. The Alpha jewel lock is an effective deterrent for easily pilfered items, which are hard to secure, by other means. These work as a great addition and in conjunction with other loss prevention devices and will help prevent shoplifting. These can be used in specialty stores as well that sell large amounts of high priced items such as watch stores, jewelry stores, designer bags, shoe stores etc. They can be used on displays that aren’t regularly monitored as well.
I have used the Alpha jewel locks on various items in my store with great success. I have even found them to be an option on items I didn’t anticipate, such as sunglasses, electronic accessories, and even some sporting gear. They are very versatile locks that provide a great deterrent to prevent shoplifting. Regardless of what you need to secure, if you are looking for a small unobtrusive way to protect your smaller merchandise these locks are a great option.
Get more information on Alpha jewel locks, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.
Alpha Thunder Tag-4 WC Blog 249
Classic N10-5
Tablet theft-3
I-pad theft-3
Alpha Thunder Tags On Mobile Medical Devices – Intensive Care For i-pads and Tablets
Recently my family and I had the unfortunate experience of needing to spend a lot of time at a local hospital. It was the cause for being at the hospital that was unfortunate, the doctors, nurses and other staff were exceptional and provided great care. A significant amount of my time was spent in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of this hospital and yes, even during this time I could not help but take note of what was going on around me, aside from my reason for being there. I saw doctors on their rounds with medical students using medical tablets to discuss patients, their medical histories, treatments, etc. Although I could not hear everything, nor was I attempting to, I was able to ascertain bits and pieces of conversations even when they were separated from me by several feet. It was obvious there was a significant amount of data and patient information available on those tablets or devices they were using. At one point I was leaving the ICU, which was a very controlled environment requiring a visitor to be buzzed in, and I walked by a counter where a mobile device was unattended and no one in the immediate area. I have a habit of switching gears pretty quickly when it comes to theft and security related issues. Despite what I was going through I could not help but think, “What would happen if someone picked up this device and walked out of here?” It would have been so much more secure if there was an Alpha Thunder Tag attached to it and Classic N10 antennas at both ends of this ICU unit.
An Alpha Thunder Tag is a device that can prevent tablet theft, i-pad theft or the theft of any mobile device. The tag is attached to a mobile device with an adhesive (so eventually it could be removed if needed). When a device is carried too close to a Classic N10 antenna the tag activates an alarm in the antenna that warns employees a potential theft is taking place. Employees responding to the alarm can retrieve the item from the person, whether it was an intentional theft attempt or a doctor or nurse forgetting the item was in a pocket and setting off the alarm. IF someone is attempting a tablet theft, i-pad theft or the theft of any tagged item, the Alpha Thunder Tag has a built in alarm that sounds letting people know the person walking out the door has a stolen item. The antenna may stop sounding, but the Tag keeps alarming.
So I’ve told you about the tag but by now you must be curious about the Checkpoint Classic N10 antenna I’ve mentioned several times. This Checkpoint electronic article surveillance (EAS) antenna is designed to fit into small doorways where traditional EAS antennas won’t fit. Because it is so small, it is perfect for an area like I was visiting in the hospital. The ICU had entryways only from two ends. In order to enter you had to press a buzzer and a nurse would ask why you were there and then push a button to allow access. The hallways were always busy with gurneys and patients being wheeled around in wheelchairs. A traditional antenna would probably have interfered with the traffic in this area. The Classic N10 would fit snuggly by the doorposts and allow access to the ICU or any part of the hospital. The standard antennas would cause any number of headaches as patients would be bumped into the antennas while trying to get them through the doorways.
The possibility of a medical i-pad theft or tablet theft have to be taken seriously. With the information that is being accessed on them, as I was able to determine by watching and listening, there is a huge amount of personal information accessible with these devices. An Alpha Thunder tag on a device and placing Classic N10 antennas at doorways can protect these devices and prevent a possible compromise of patient information.
Need information on Alpha Thunder Tags? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
Recently my family and I had the unfortunate experience of needing to spend a lot of time at a local hospital. It was the cause for being at the hospital that was unfortunate, the doctors, nurses and other staff were exceptional and provided great care. A significant amount of my time was spent in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of this hospital and yes, even during this time I could not help but take note of what was going on around me, aside from my reason for being there. I saw doctors on their rounds with medical students using medical tablets to discuss patients, their medical histories, treatments, etc. Although I could not hear everything, nor was I attempting to, I was able to ascertain bits and pieces of conversations even when they were separated from me by several feet. It was obvious there was a significant amount of data and patient information available on those tablets or devices they were using. At one point I was leaving the ICU, which was a very controlled environment requiring a visitor to be buzzed in, and I walked by a counter where a mobile device was unattended and no one in the immediate area. I have a habit of switching gears pretty quickly when it comes to theft and security related issues. Despite what I was going through I could not help but think, “What would happen if someone picked up this device and walked out of here?” It would have been so much more secure if there was an Alpha Thunder Tag attached to it and Classic N10 antennas at both ends of this ICU unit.
An Alpha Thunder Tag is a device that can prevent tablet theft, i-pad theft or the theft of any mobile device. The tag is attached to a mobile device with an adhesive (so eventually it could be removed if needed). When a device is carried too close to a Classic N10 antenna the tag activates an alarm in the antenna that warns employees a potential theft is taking place. Employees responding to the alarm can retrieve the item from the person, whether it was an intentional theft attempt or a doctor or nurse forgetting the item was in a pocket and setting off the alarm. IF someone is attempting a tablet theft, i-pad theft or the theft of any tagged item, the Alpha Thunder Tag has a built in alarm that sounds letting people know the person walking out the door has a stolen item. The antenna may stop sounding, but the Tag keeps alarming.
So I’ve told you about the tag but by now you must be curious about the Checkpoint Classic N10 antenna I’ve mentioned several times. This Checkpoint electronic article surveillance (EAS) antenna is designed to fit into small doorways where traditional EAS antennas won’t fit. Because it is so small, it is perfect for an area like I was visiting in the hospital. The ICU had entryways only from two ends. In order to enter you had to press a buzzer and a nurse would ask why you were there and then push a button to allow access. The hallways were always busy with gurneys and patients being wheeled around in wheelchairs. A traditional antenna would probably have interfered with the traffic in this area. The Classic N10 would fit snuggly by the doorposts and allow access to the ICU or any part of the hospital. The standard antennas would cause any number of headaches as patients would be bumped into the antennas while trying to get them through the doorways.
The possibility of a medical i-pad theft or tablet theft have to be taken seriously. With the information that is being accessed on them, as I was able to determine by watching and listening, there is a huge amount of personal information accessible with these devices. An Alpha Thunder tag on a device and placing Classic N10 antennas at doorways can protect these devices and prevent a possible compromise of patient information.
Need information on Alpha Thunder Tags? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
LPC-3 , LP ROI Calculator-3 , Can LP Be Free?-3
Are Loss Prevention Tools Worth The Cost?
In the retail world you have to deal with theft. Some people do it for the thrill of it, just to see if they can get away with it. Some people steal because they feel entitled. Others do it because of a real or perceived need. So you purchase some tools, like a Checkpoint System or some offerings from Alpha Technology. But, how do you know that what you are buying is actually worth it? I have an easy solution for you. There is a loss prevention calculator available for you to utilize and figure up the return on your investment. Can loss prevention be free? You have to buy what you need, but it can easily and quickly pay for itself.
Let’s work up some comparisons:
With a Checkpoint System- A woman comes in shopping for some wrinkle cream. She really wants it but it’s not in her budget. She decides she has been a loyal customer long enough, and your store actually owes her this one. She drops it in her purse and approaches the front door, and suddenly she hears:BING! BING! BING!.. “We’re sorry; you have activated our inventory control system” She panics and hands it to your cashier, claiming it must have fell in her purse by accident.
Without a Checkpoint System- Same scenario, except she walks out the door undetected, smiling and waving at your cashier that never suspected that regular customer just ripped off the store.
You don’t need a loss prevention ROI calculator to know you just lost about $50.
With Alpha Keepers- A shoplifting duo comes in the store. They have been sent by a vendor at your local flea market. They were told to scout stores and steal as many packs of razor refill cartridges as they could get. When they walk into your well stocked shaving section, they immediately see all of your packages are encased in Alpha Keepers. They turn around and walk back out empty handed. (The loss prevention calculator would tell you: you just saved about $800-$1,000.)
Without Alpha Keepers-Same scenario, but the two of them loaded up the bags they carried in and when your cashier got distracted with another customer, they ran out the door and your shelves are now empty.
With Bottle Locks-A teenager comes in to steal a bottle of wine. He was dared to do it and he is sure he is slick enough to get away with it. He sees all the bottles have locking caps on them. He attempts to remove the one from the bottle he chose and it starts alarming. He quickly puts it back on the shelf and gets out the door as fast as he can.
Without Bottle Locks- He puts the bottle up the sleeve of his hoodie and slips out the door before your clerk ever noticed he was in the store. Can loss prevention be free? Was your inventory of wine and spirits free? Wouldn’t it be worth protecting?
Use the loss prevention ROI calculator and plug in the numbers. How much inventory did you buy and how much did you sell? How much is left on your shelves? If you are posting a “shrink”, you need help. Find out how fast an investment in some real solutions could pay you back with the loss prevention calculator. So, I’ll ask you one more time..can loss prevention be free? It can be if it stops your valuable merchandise from being stolen.
Return on investment is important. Let us help you figure it out. Contact us or call 1.770.426.0547
In the retail world you have to deal with theft. Some people do it for the thrill of it, just to see if they can get away with it. Some people steal because they feel entitled. Others do it because of a real or perceived need. So you purchase some tools, like a Checkpoint System or some offerings from Alpha Technology. But, how do you know that what you are buying is actually worth it? I have an easy solution for you. There is a loss prevention calculator available for you to utilize and figure up the return on your investment. Can loss prevention be free? You have to buy what you need, but it can easily and quickly pay for itself.
Let’s work up some comparisons:
With a Checkpoint System– A woman comes in shopping for some wrinkle cream. She really wants it but it’s not in her budget. She decides she has been a loyal customer long enough, and your store actually owes her this one. She drops it in her purse and approaches the front door, and suddenly she hears:BING! BING! BING!.. “We’re sorry; you have activated our inventory control system” She panics and hands it to your cashier, claiming it must have fell in her purse by accident.
Without a Checkpoint System– Same scenario, except she walks out the door undetected, smiling and waving at your cashier that never suspected that regular customer just ripped off the store. You don’t need a loss prevention ROI calculator to know you just lost about $50.
With Alpha Keepers– A shoplifting duo comes in the store. They have been sent by a vendor at your local flea market. They were told to scout stores and steal as many packs of razor refill cartridges as they could get. When they walk into your well stocked shaving section, they immediately see all of your packages are encased in Alpha Keepers. They turn around and walk back out empty handed. (The loss prevention calculator would tell you: you just saved about $800-$1,000.)
Without Alpha Keepers-Same scenario, but the two of them loaded up the bags they carried in and when your cashier got distracted with another customer, they ran out the door and your shelves are now empty.
With Bottle Locks-A teenager comes in to steal a bottle of wine. He was dared to do it and he is sure he is slick enough to get away with it. He sees all the bottles have locking caps on them. He attempts to remove the one from the bottle he chose and it starts alarming. He quickly puts it back on the shelf and gets out the door as fast as he can.
Without Bottle Locks– He puts the bottle up the sleeve of his hoodie and slips out the door before your clerk ever noticed he was in the store. Can loss prevention be free? Was your inventory of wine and spirits free? Wouldn’t it be worth protecting?
Use the loss prevention ROI calculator and plug in the numbers. How much inventory did you buy and how much did you sell? How much is left on your shelves? If you are posting a “shrink”, you need help. Find out how fast an investment in some real solutions could pay you back with the loss prevention calculator. So, I’ll ask you one more time..can loss prevention be free? It can be if it stops your valuable merchandise from being stolen.
Return on investment is important. Let us help you figure it out. Contact us or call 1.770.426.0547
AA blog 11
Checkpoint Labels-5
Stop Shoplifting: 3
How to Prevent Theft While Improving Customer Satisfaction By Using Checkpoint Labels
As a police officer for over 15 years I have dealt with my share of shoplifters, many of which will go to great lengths to steal merchandise. Obviously dressing rooms are used quite frequently to hide and conceal merchandise, while others are blatant enough to just fill a cart and walk out with their new items. I actually responded to a shoplifting, in which an older man opened a container of golf tees, removed about ten of them, and replaced the package leaving the store with just the amount he needed to play a round of golf that day. I have also investigated more savvy criminals, such as the delivery driver who would deliver large quantities of liquor and beer to the store. Inventory numbers were not matching up, so I was called in to investigate a possible theft. It was determined that he was delivering the product into a store room, removing several bottles of liquor from each of the boxes, and returning to his truck with his loot. I managed to catch him in the act of removing property from the store and he was prosecuted and probably lost his job. If someone really wants to take something from your store, they will do it, it is inevitable. Unfortunately we don’t always have loss prevention or police readily available to nab these guys or catch them in the act, which is why it is imperative for retailers to take matters into their own hands to stop shoplifting and reduce their risk. One way a retailer can do that is by using Checkpoint labels to help monitor their product without the use of extensive loss prevention support and manning. This will reduce overhead, increase profit, and ensure you have the inventory available for your customers.
Checkpoint labels provide several protections to both the manufacturer and the retailer, and offer several different methods, in order to track and protect your property. They provide the ability to add labels to merchandise at the manufacturing level, so that they are affixed to the product prior to them arriving at your store. This reduces the time needed to affix tags at the store level, and allows for better accountability from beginning to end. Checkpoint labels come in various styles, colors and designs and allow for a smaller, less obvious tagging solution. New innovations even allow the integration of EAS into brand labeling, which makes it very unobtrusive and undetectable to those who are familiar with tagging products. A small detachable tag can be added to the merchandise, which allows for quick removal at the time of sale. The EAS system can stop shoplifting by notifying a retailer when merchandise is taken out of the store. These soft labels can be easily and quickly deactivated, at the time of checkout, to allow for a smooth transaction and good customer service experience.
I don’t know about you, but as a female, one of my biggest pet peeves are those large hard tags that are added to the clothes. Sometimes associates don’t place those tags in a manner that allows for a good fit when trying on the item. I have even had to ask them to remove it, just so I could get the pants on, because of where they attached it. This can be very frustrating for the honest consumer who wants to buy your products. This can result in a negative experience, which causes them to shop with your competitor. These new Checkpoint labels provide alternative options for manufacturers and retailers alike. Soft labels are small and provide a comfortable experience for your customer, while still providing the level of protection you need to stop shoplifting. This provides a quality shopping experience, while protecting your assets at a reasonable cost.
Checkpoint labels are important and we can help you with it. Call 1.770.426.0547 and let’s talk.
As a police officer for over 15 years I have dealt with my share of shoplifters, many of which will go to great lengths to steal merchandise. Obviously dressing rooms are used quite frequently to hide and conceal merchandise, while others are blatant enough to just fill a cart and walk out with their new items. I actually responded to a shoplifting, in which an older man opened a container of golf tees, removed about ten of them, and replaced the package leaving the store with just the amount he needed to play a round of golf that day. I have also investigated more savvy criminals, such as the delivery driver who would deliver large quantities of liquor and beer to the store. Inventory numbers were not matching up, so I was called in to investigate a possible theft. It was determined that he was delivering the product into a store room, removing several bottles of liquor from each of the boxes, and returning to his truck with his loot. I managed to catch him in the act of removing property from the store and he was prosecuted and probably lost his job. If someone really wants to take something from your store, they will do it, it is inevitable. Unfortunately we don’t always have loss prevention or police readily available to nab these guys or catch them in the act, which is why it is imperative for retailers to take matters into their own hands to stop shoplifting and reduce their risk. One way a retailer can do that is by using Checkpoint labels to help monitor their product without the use of extensive loss prevention support and manning. This will reduce overhead, increase profit, and ensure you have the inventory available for your customers.
Checkpoint labels provide several protections to both the manufacturer and the retailer, and offer several different methods, in order to track and protect your property. They provide the ability to add labels to merchandise at the manufacturing level, so that they are affixed to the product prior to them arriving at your store. This reduces the time needed to affix tags at the store level, and allows for better accountability from beginning to end. Checkpoint labels come in various styles, colors and designs and allow for a smaller, less obvious tagging solution. New innovations even allow the integration of EAS into brand labeling, which makes it very unobtrusive and undetectable to those who are familiar with tagging products. A small detachable tag can be added to the merchandise, which allows for quick removal at the time of sale. The EAS system can stop shoplifting by notifying a retailer when merchandise is taken out of the store. These soft labels can be easily and quickly deactivated, at the time of checkout, to allow for a smooth transaction and good customer service experience.
I don’t know about you, but as a female, one of my biggest pet peeves are those large hard tags that are added to the clothes. Sometimes associates don’t place those tags in a manner that allows for a good fit when trying on the item. I have even had to ask them to remove it, just so I could get the pants on, because of where they attached it. This can be very frustrating for the honest consumer who wants to buy your products. This can result in a negative experience, which causes them to shop with your competitor. These new Checkpoint labels provide alternative options for manufacturers and retailers alike. Soft labels are small and provide a comfortable experience for your customer, while still providing the level of protection you need to stop shoplifting. This provides a quality shopping experience, while protecting your assets at a reasonable cost.
Checkpoint labels are important and we can help you with it. Call 1.770.426.0547 and let’s talk.
Retail Anti-Theft Devices-3 WC blog 241
Alpha Security-3
Alpha cable lock-5
Alpha Cable Locks Keep Thieves From Rolling Away With Your Merchandise
Having spent as many years as I have in Loss Prevention and retail, I have quite a few memorable cases I worked. I am certain that many others in the field have recollections of certain cases that stood out to them. Some because of the items that were stolen, some incidents stood out due to how the theft took place or the actions of the shoplifter when stopped. There were many incidents of theft that my team or I were able to effectively investigate and close, but not all of them as quickly as I would have preferred. I once had a case that was causing me much consternation and might have been avoided if I had the proper retail anti-theft device available at the time. One of the Alpha Security retail anti-theft devices I wish I had access to then was the Alpha Cable Lock.
What is an Alpha Cable Lock and how does it work? An Alpha Security cable lock uses aircraft grade cable attached through a locking mechanism to prevent criminals from shoplifting merchandise. The locking mechanism is built with radio frequency technology that causes an Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS) antenna to alarm if the secured product is carried into the antennas reception field. Tampering with the device activates an internal alarm in the device and the 3-alarm version of the Alpha Cable Lock sounds an internal alarm if the device is taken past EAS antennas. The cable can be run around or through softlines or hardlines merchandise to keep it safe. For example, a cable can be run through the sleeve of a coat, around the handle of a bottle of detergent or through the eyelet of a shoe. The versatility of the lock and the fact it is reusable makes it a fantastic choice among retail anti-theft devices for retailers.
The particular case I mentioned above that would have been avoided had we had access to an Alpha Cable Lock involved the theft of bicycles. As we conducted walks of our sporting goods department we began noticing empty spaces on the bike rack. As the number of empty spaces increased we began doing research and finding that high dollar bicycles seemed to be missing. We tagged the bicycles with EAS soft tags to prevent shoplifting but the tags were being removed or we were finding the hang tags we placed the EAS tags on were being left around the store. We also moved our security cameras to focus on the area and we reviewed video to try to identify a culprit. Live closed circuit television surveillances of this area of the store were conducted and we did eventually see our suspect.
This shoplifter selected a bicycle from the display rack, looked over the item while other shoppers were in the area then rolled it down a back aisle. He stopped and tore the paperwork off and the card board inserts from the spokes and walked it towards the front doors, going around the checkout lanes. He parked the bike in a little discount merchandise area near the front buggy corral and walked around ensuring no employees were paying attention. He went back to the bike and rolled it up to the electronic article surveillance antennas located at the door and my Loss Prevention Associate and I stopped the suspect as he jumped on the bike to ride it out. After a bit of resistance on his part, which included a fake seizure, we got the suspect into the security office. Don’t worry, the suspect was fine, he recovered from the “seizure” quickly when I informed him we would call him an ambulance, but it would cost him $500. The bike was recovered and our rash of thefts decreased significantly after that.
The lesson I hope the readers of this article will take away is that had the Alpha cable lock been available to us and strung through the wheels, the thefts could not have taken place in the first place. If you have hard to tag merchandise Alpha Security may have the solution you need with their cable lock products.
Need information on Alpha cable locks? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
Having spent as many years as I have in Loss Prevention and retail, I have quite a few memorable cases I worked. I am certain that many others in the field have recollections of certain cases that stood out to them. Some because of the items that were stolen, some incidents stood out due to how the theft took place or the actions of the shoplifter when stopped. There were many incidents of theft that my team or I were able to effectively investigate and close, but not all of them as quickly as I would have preferred. I once had a case that was causing me much consternation and might have been avoided if I had the proper retail anti-theft device available at the time. One of the Alpha Security retail anti-theft devices I wish I had access to then was the Alpha Cable Lock.
What is an Alpha Cable Lock and how does it work? An Alpha Security cable lock uses aircraft grade cable attached through a locking mechanism to prevent criminals from shoplifting merchandise. The locking mechanism is built with radio frequency technology that causes an Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS) antenna to alarm if the secured product is carried into the antennas reception field. Tampering with the device activates an internal alarm in the device and the 3-alarm version of the Alpha Cable Lock sounds an internal alarm if the device is taken past EAS antennas. The cable can be run around or through softlines or hardlines merchandise to keep it safe. For example, a cable can be run through the sleeve of a coat, around the handle of a bottle of detergent or through the eyelet of a shoe. The versatility of the lock and the fact it is reusable makes it a fantastic choice among retail anti-theft devices for retailers.
The particular case I mentioned above that would have been avoided had we had access to an Alpha Cable Lock involved the theft of bicycles. As we conducted walks of our sporting goods department we began noticing empty spaces on the bike rack. As the number of empty spaces increased we began doing research and finding that high dollar bicycles seemed to be missing. We tagged the bicycles with EAS soft tags to prevent shoplifting but the tags were being removed or we were finding the hang tags we placed the EAS tags on were being left around the store. We also moved our security cameras to focus on the area and we reviewed video to try to identify a culprit. Live closed circuit television surveillances of this area of the store were conducted and we did eventually see our suspect.
This shoplifter selected a bicycle from the display rack, looked over the item while other shoppers were in the area then rolled it down a back aisle. He stopped and tore the paperwork off and the card board inserts from the spokes and walked it towards the front doors, going around the checkout lanes. He parked the bike in a little discount merchandise area near the front buggy corral and walked around ensuring no employees were paying attention. He went back to the bike and rolled it up to the electronic article surveillance antennas located at the door and my Loss Prevention Associate and I stopped the suspect as he jumped on the bike to ride it out. After a bit of resistance on his part, which included a fake seizure, we got the suspect into the security office. Don’t worry, the suspect was fine, he recovered from the “seizure” quickly when I informed him we would call him an ambulance, but it would cost him $500. The bike was recovered and our rash of thefts decreased significantly after that.
The lesson I hope the readers of this article will take away is that had the Alpha cable lock been available to us and strung through the wheels, the thefts could not have taken place in the first place. If you have hard to tag merchandise Alpha Security may have the solution you need with their cable lock products.
Need information on Alpha cable locks? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
