Checkpoint labels-3 WC Blog 152
Stop shoplifting-3
Lack of Checkpoint Labels Leads To A Trickle Down Theory
On occasion when I am discussing my Loss Prevention experience with others the question usually arises, “You must have some interesting stories to tell?” As a matter of fact, I do have a couple that I enjoy sharing. I was never of the mindset that someone should be allowed to get away with shoplifting. As long as there was nothing more pressing happening in the store I expected my Loss Prevention team to stop all shoplifters (within company guidelines) or if it was a small item, to make every effort to deter theft. One area we were having a lot of petty theft in was our collector cards near the end of the checkout lanes. There was a popular collector card series out at the time, based on a children’s television cartoon that was the object of many juvenile shoplifters. We tagged our boxed sets of cards with Checkpoint labels to stop shoplifting but we did not do so with individual card packs due to the quantities we carried and some were source tagged by the vendor inside the packaging.
Let me briefly take a moment to mention what the Checkpoint labels are. Labels come in a number of styles, but they are “soft” tags that are designed with a circuit in the tag that is designed to work with the radio frequency of a Checkpoint security system electronic article surveillance antenna (EAS). The labels are placed on merchandise at the store and in some cases by vendors who “source tag” merchandise inside the packaging. Tags are “turned off” when passed over deactivation pads at the point of sale, usually integrated in the point of sale scan beds. When someone attempts to steal merchandise that is tagged, the tag is not deactivated and will set off the EAS antenna alarms.
So, one day I was walking through the store doing audits on high theft merchandise and I heard the sound of cellophane being torn open, one of those things that always perked up my ears. I started to walk down the back row of the area I was in and noticed a young boy, perhaps 5 or 6 years old standing in an aisle with his back to me. He was opening some type of packaging, but I had not seen him select anything although I could guess it was one of our collectable card packs. It was merely my intention to simply stop shoplifting by startling him and getting him to put the cards down and leave. I walked up behind the young fella and said, “Hello”. He turned to look at me with a petrified look on his face. I looked at the cards in his hand, and the torn packaging and asked what kind of cards he had. The boy did not respond, his mouth was hanging open and his eyes were wide. I asked again about the cards in his hands and then I heard something that sounded like water spilling on the tile floor. I looked down and wouldn’t you know it, the young man was urinating himself and on our floor. Being a parent myself, I was sympathetic and asked for assistance in a spill cleanup and took the boy to the front where I paged for his mother. Mom came up and I explained what had happened. I let her know I thought the he may have learned his lesson and said he was probably embarrassed enough at having wet himself. Mom apologized for her son, bought him a pair of jeans and left.
It has been my experience that when merchandise has Checkpoint labels on them and they are placed in a visible location on a package, they have a strong deterrent value and can stop shoplifting. In my case above, there was no visible label and even had there been the young man may not have been old enough to be deterred, but an adult may have been.
Need more information on Checkpoint labels? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
On occasion when I am discussing my Loss Prevention experience with others the question usually arises, “You must have some interesting stories to tell?” As a matter of fact, I do have a couple that I enjoy sharing. I was never of the mindset that someone should be allowed to get away with shoplifting. As long as there was nothing more pressing happening in the store I expected my Loss Prevention team to stop all shoplifters (within company guidelines) or if it was a small item, to make every effort to deter theft. One area we were having a lot of petty theft in was our collector cards near the end of the checkout lanes. There was a popular collector card series out at the time, based on a children’s television cartoon that was the object of many juvenile shoplifters. We tagged our boxed sets of cards with Checkpoint labels to stop shoplifting but we did not do so with individual card packs due to the quantities we carried and some were source tagged by the vendor inside the packaging.
Let me briefly take a moment to mention what the Checkpoint labels are. Labels come in a number of styles, but they are “soft” tags that are designed with a circuit in the tag that is designed to work with the radio frequency of a Checkpoint security system electronic article surveillance antenna (EAS). The labels are placed on merchandise at the store and in some cases by vendors who “source tag” merchandise inside the packaging. Tags are “turned off” when passed over deactivation pads at the point of sale, usually integrated in the point of sale scan beds. When someone attempts to steal merchandise that is tagged, the tag is not deactivated and will set off the EAS antenna alarms.
So, one day I was walking through the store doing audits on high theft merchandise and I heard the sound of cellophane being torn open, one of those things that always perked up my ears. I started to walk down the back row of the area I was in and noticed a young boy, perhaps 5 or 6 years old standing in an aisle with his back to me. He was opening some type of packaging, but I had not seen him select anything although I could guess it was one of our collectable card packs. It was merely my intention to simply stop shoplifting by startling him and getting him to put the cards down and leave. I walked up behind the young fella and said, “Hello”. He turned to look at me with a petrified look on his face. I looked at the cards in his hand, and the torn packaging and asked what kind of cards he had. The boy did not respond, his mouth was hanging open and his eyes were wide. I asked again about the cards in his hands and then I heard something that sounded like water spilling on the tile floor. I looked down and wouldn’t you know it, the young man was urinating himself and on our floor. Being a parent myself, I was sympathetic and asked for assistance in a spill cleanup and took the boy to the front where I paged for his mother. Mom came up and I explained what had happened. I let her know I thought the he may have learned his lesson and said he was probably embarrassed enough at having wet himself. Mom apologized for her son, bought him a pair of jeans and left.
It has been my experience that when merchandise has Checkpoint labels on them and they are placed in a visible location on a package, they have a strong deterrent value and can stop shoplifting. In my case above, there was no visible label and even had there been the young man may not have been old enough to be deterred, but an adult may have been.
Need more information on Checkpoint labels? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
O Tag-5 WC Blog 189
Prevent Shoplifting-3
Retail Anti-Theft Device-3
Disturbed By Display Disappearance? O Tags Can Disrupt Shoplifter Dastardly Deeds
Does your store sell tools, electric appliances or electric household gadgets such as vacuum cleaners? Most stores that sell such items have display models out that clients may look at to get an idea if they want to purchase the item or not. Usually the display is a working model that can be taken from the shelf and held or examined. For example, I worked in stores that sold vacuum cleaners and we had an unboxed display for most of the units. If someone wanted to get a feel for how light the weight was or how easy it was to remove the dirt bin, they were able to do so with the floor sample. To do so meant that we could not tie the display down or secure it to prevent shoplifting since the idea was to make it accessible to our customers. Similarly, we had displays of power tools that we had out for handling as well. We did experience issues of shoplifting and box switching and had to develop strategies to prevent this from happening. Our strategies would have been a lot easier to create if we had Alpha’s O Tag available to us at that time.
Alpha’s O Tag is a retail anti-theft device that can be clamped around the power cord of a device. The tag has a hard casing with a circular center that can be secured around the power cord and cannot be pulled over the plug end. The only means for a shoplifter to get the tag off a piece of merchandise is to cut the cord, which of course renders the item inoperable. Customers are able to pick up and handle the item they are interested in, but criminals are thwarted from stealing the display. The tag also works with an electronic article surveillance (EAS) system which also prevents shoplifting. If a tag is not properly removed from a display at the point of sale by a cashier, the tag will cause the EAS antennas at the door to sound their built in alarm.
I mentioned that we had problems with box switching of merchandise. This is simply another form of shoplifting, but what would happen was a patron would take an expensive display and also a cheaper, boxed version of another brand and remove the cheaper brand item from its’ box. The expensive display model would go in the box and the cheaper version was placed in the display units spot. The shoplifter would re-tape the box and go through the check lane, paying the price of the cheaper item but in reality getting the expensive item hidden inside. Finding the right retail anti-theft device to deter theft could be a challenge and at the time we did not have the tools at our disposal that are available today.
An O tag attached to the cord of a display item would activate the EAS antenna alarm even when concealed in a box. Store staff would be able to respond to the alarm and investigate the cause, locating the source of the activation. Our problem wasn’t limited to just vacuum cleaners other departments had issues too. We had to prevent shoplifting and box switching in the hardware department as well as in kitchen ware. Power tool displays sometimes disappeared as did small kitchen appliances and we didn’t always identify it right away so thieves did get away with the merchandise from time to time.
If you own a small hardware store or a small appliance store, consider all the merchandise that could be placed on display and protected. Can openers, electric frying pans, coffee makers, and toaster ovens are just a few items I can think of that are often put on display in stores to draw customers and let them see what they are buying. Hardware stores put out electric drills, sanders, electric saws and again, an O Tag could easily be used to deter theft and box switching activity.
Prevent shoplifting and box switching by using an O Tag retail anti-theft device to keep your merchandise in the store and minimize opportunities for loss. Decreased loss means more merchandise on the floor and we all know that translates to increased sales. And isn’t that what drives your bottom line?
Get more information on O Tags, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.
Does your store sell tools, electric appliances or electric household gadgets such as vacuum cleaners? Most stores that sell such items have display models out that clients may look at to get an idea if they want to purchase the item or not. Usually the display is a working model that can be taken from the shelf and held or examined. For example, I worked in stores that sold vacuum cleaners and we had an unboxed display for most of the units. If someone wanted to get a feel for how light the weight was or how easy it was to remove the dirt bin, they were able to do so with the floor sample. To do so meant that we could not tie the display down or secure it to prevent shoplifting since the idea was to make it accessible to our customers. Similarly, we had displays of power tools that we had out for handling as well. We did experience issues of shoplifting and box switching and had to develop strategies to prevent this from happening. Our strategies would have been a lot easier to create if we had Alpha’s O Tag available to us at that time.
Alpha’s O Tag is a retail anti-theft device that can be clamped around the power cord of a device. The tag has a hard casing with a circular center that can be secured around the power cord and cannot be pulled over the plug end. The only means for a shoplifter to get the tag off a piece of merchandise is to cut the cord, which of course renders the item inoperable. Customers are able to pick up and handle the item they are interested in, but criminals are thwarted from stealing the display. The tag also works with an electronic article surveillance (EAS) system which also prevents shoplifting. If a tag is not properly removed from a display at the point of sale by a cashier, the tag will cause the EAS antennas at the door to sound their built in alarm.
I mentioned that we had problems with box switching of merchandise. This is simply another form of shoplifting, but what would happen was a patron would take an expensive display and also a cheaper, boxed version of another brand and remove the cheaper brand item from its’ box. The expensive display model would go in the box and the cheaper version was placed in the display units spot. The shoplifter would re-tape the box and go through the check lane, paying the price of the cheaper item but in reality getting the expensive item hidden inside. Finding the right retail anti-theft device to deter theft could be a challenge and at the time we did not have the tools at our disposal that are available today.
An O tag attached to the cord of a display item would activate the EAS antenna alarm even when concealed in a box. Store staff would be able to respond to the alarm and investigate the cause, locating the source of the activation. Our problem wasn’t limited to just vacuum cleaners other departments had issues too. We had to prevent shoplifting and box switching in the hardware department as well as in kitchen ware. Power tool displays sometimes disappeared as did small kitchen appliances and we didn’t always identify it right away so thieves did get away with the merchandise from time to time.
If you own a small hardware store or a small appliance store, consider all the merchandise that could be placed on display and protected. Can openers, electric frying pans, coffee makers, and toaster ovens are just a few items I can think of that are often put on display in stores to draw customers and let them see what they are buying. Hardware stores put out electric drills, sanders, electric saws and again, an O Tag could easily be used to deter theft and box switching activity.
Prevent shoplifting and box switching by using an O Tag retail anti-theft device to keep your merchandise in the store and minimize opportunities for loss. Decreased loss means more merchandise on the floor and we all know that translates to increased sales. And isn’t that what drives your bottom line?
Get more information on O Tags, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.
AA Blog 08
Customer Counting Systems: 5
Door Counting Sensor: 4
Customer Counting Systems: An Innovative Way to Identify Customer Trends, Manage labor and Increase Profit
In my position I have to travel rather frequently to various locations throughout the United States and Canada to deal with security related issues. As you can expect my travel often comes with some interesting stories and experiences, some of which can be rather humorous. It also provides me with the opportunity to frequent different hotels, restaurants, and other businesses during the course of my travel. Although some experiences are better than others, it often gives me a different perspective regarding how businesses operate. On a recent trip I decided to eat dinner at a popular chain restaurant that was close to my hotel. It was rather early in the day for dinner, but I was dealing with a time change situation. When I walked in I noticed the place was pretty empty, which didn’t surprise me. After deciding what I wanted, I waited for an extended period of time for my server to come take my order, which began to irritate me. As I was waiting and looking around I couldn’t help but notice that there were a lot of employees working considering the time of day. I use the word working liberally, as most of them were standing around having personal conversations, and doing nothing in the way of customer service. I counted 12 employees as I sat there waiting and I couldn’t help but think, what a waste of money and resources, for poor service. Maybe those large chains can afford to waste money by poorly scheduling resources, but what about those small businesses that are working hard to reduce their overhead costs, in order to increase their profit margin? This made me think about customer counting systems and how they could help this restaurant work more efficiently.
Although, most people might think customer counting systems are primarily used in the retail industry; they can be a great resource for any business that wants to track customer activity. It is important for any type of business to know how many people are frequenting their establishment and when. A door counting sensor can be extremely beneficial because it can provide real time data to eliminate labor issues. It can also provide other information that can be used to improve business or evaluate current or future promotional opportunities. A door counting sensor provides customer information, which is reported by the hour each day. Therefore, a manager or owner can utilize this information for scheduling purposes to ensure they have the appropriate staff working during the peak times of the day. Customer counting systems can also help you determine whether a promotional sale or event was successful. A door counting sensor can also be used to identify opportunities for growth and development. If a business can identify lulls in service, they can better direct their efforts on promotions during those time frames. For example, if a restaurant is slowest between 4pm-6pm, maybe you could improve sales by adding happy hour specials during those times. Customer counting systems can be received in a reporting format or incorporated into your sales data so that you can easily and quickly see trends without having to conduct a lengthy analysis based on sales and other factors.
Customer counting systems are easily installed and are a cost-efficient means to help you monitor your customer traffic in order to reduce overhead cost, while improving sales and customer satisfaction. Although I know that each business is operated differently, thus resulting in a different experience each time, I do know that poor service will ultimately impact my future consumer choices. So if you are a business manager or business owner make balancing your budget and increasing sales a priority through easy and efficient trend analysis. I would strongly recommend getting a door counting sensor, so you can better track and respond to your customers’ needs.
Customer counting systems are important and we can help you with it. Call 1.770.426.0547 and let’s talk.
In my position I have to travel rather frequently to various locations throughout the United States and Canada to deal with security related issues. As you can expect my travel often comes with some interesting stories and experiences, some of which can be rather humorous. It also provides me with the opportunity to frequent different hotels, restaurants, and other businesses during the course of my travel. Although some experiences are better than others, it often gives me a different perspective regarding how businesses operate. On a recent trip I decided to eat dinner at a popular chain restaurant that was close to my hotel. It was rather early in the day for dinner, but I was dealing with a time change situation. When I walked in I noticed the place was pretty empty, which didn’t surprise me. After deciding what I wanted, I waited for an extended period of time for my server to come take my order, which began to irritate me. As I was waiting and looking around I couldn’t help but notice that there were a lot of employees working considering the time of day. I use the word working liberally, as most of them were standing around having personal conversations, and doing nothing in the way of customer service. I counted 12 employees as I sat there waiting and I couldn’t help but think, what a waste of money and resources, for poor service. Maybe those large chains can afford to waste money by poorly scheduling resources, but what about those small businesses that are working hard to reduce their overhead costs, in order to increase their profit margin? This made me think about customer counting systems and how they could help this restaurant work more efficiently.
Although, most people might think customer counting systems are primarily used in the retail industry; they can be a great resource for any business that wants to track customer activity. It is important for any type of business to know how many people are frequenting their establishment and when. A door counting sensor can be extremely beneficial because it can provide real time data to eliminate labor issues. It can also provide other information that can be used to improve business or evaluate current or future promotional opportunities. A door counting sensor provides customer information, which is reported by the hour each day. Therefore, a manager or owner can utilize this information for scheduling purposes to ensure they have the appropriate staff working during the peak times of the day. Customer counting systems can also help you determine whether a promotional sale or event was successful. A door counting sensor can also be used to identify opportunities for growth and development. If a business can identify lulls in service, they can better direct their efforts on promotions during those time frames. For example, if a restaurant is slowest between 4pm-6pm, maybe you could improve sales by adding happy hour specials during those times. Customer counting systems can be received in a reporting format or incorporated into your sales data so that you can easily and quickly see trends without having to conduct a lengthy analysis based on sales and other factors.
Customer counting systems are easily installed and are a cost-efficient means to help you monitor your customer traffic in order to reduce overhead cost, while improving sales and customer satisfaction. Although I know that each business is operated differently, thus resulting in a different experience each time, I do know that poor service will ultimately impact my future consumer choices. So if you are a business manager or business owner make balancing your budget and increasing sales a priority through easy and efficient trend analysis. I would strongly recommend getting a door counting sensor, so you can better track and respond to your customers’ needs.
Customer counting systems are important and we can help you with it. Call 1.770.426.0547 and let’s talk.
Celebrity stylists do it. Soccer moms do it. Young professionals that can’t afford to pay for an “interview” suit do it. Wardrobing is a more common practice than you may think. You may have overheard a lady at a party even say it out loud. “Be careful and don’t spill your wine on my dress; I have to return it tomorrow.” And they’ll say it like it’s perfectly acceptable, as if they’re oblivious to the fact that it is clearly return fraud. Some blame it on the fact that they simply cannot afford a nice outfit for a wedding or a party. Some blame it on social pressure. They wouldn’t dare post a selfie wearing the same outfit twice.
Wardrobing is the act of purchasing an item with zero intentions of keeping it. The people that do this don’t purchase items like normal customers. They know the store’s return policy where they shop. They know exactly how long they have, and as long as they return it on time, they will be able to receive a full refund. They want to be able to use they products they want for free, treating retailers as if they are simply a library. Basically, they pay nothing in the end for the items they use. They may bring back high heels with scuffs on the bottoms. They may bring back a purse with crumbs in the pockets. There’s nothing more gross than a party dress with sweat stains in the armpits. However, if the customer claims they were not happy with the dress, even though it has clearly been worn, the store may have no choice but to accept the return, as long as they have their receipt and they are within the valid return time period. And the store is the one that suffers for this type of return fraud. After the customer returns the less valuable items, if they are still salable at all, they are usually still sold at a deep discount for being used. That just eats up a retailer’s profit line.
There is a solution to wardrobing, however. It is a simple, yet extremely effective way to put a stop to free renters. The tools are called Alpha Shark Tags.They are meant to be attached to the front of a garment in a very prominent area. As for shoes and other accessories, they can also be attached via lanyard. They are bright red and call immediate attention to themselves. The customer can still try on the item in the store or in the comfort of their own home. It does not affect the way the garment fits. Alpha Shark Tags are designed to work as part of your store’s return policy. You can even attach a copy of that return policy to the item with the tag itself. They are to be removed at home with a simple pair of household scissors. But, once removed, the item is no longer eligible to be returned. That’s the main reason you attach it in a conspicuous area of the item. The idea is to place Alpha Shark Tags where they cannot simply be tucked away. They are designed to deter return fraud, and to send a clear message that your store does not participate in wardrobing.
Get more information on Alpha Shark Tags. Contact us or call:1.770.426.0547
Free Loss Prevention Calculator-4 WC Blog 219
Can Loss Prevention Be Free?-3
Skeptical Of Free Offers? No Need To Be With The Free Loss Prevention Calculator
How many of you have had someone offer you a great deal on something and the first thing that comes to your mind is, “What’s it gonna cost me?” I think that every time I get a phone call from a telemarketer wanting to “send me on a vacation for two to the Bahamas at no cost to me”. I know there’s going to be a cost, I just never know what that amount is. Of course I learn it is going to require me to attend a session to learn about a new time share. It is this question that a retail business owner may ask when approached about a new system or program to help save money, “What’s it gonna cost me?” If I were to ask, “ Can Loss Prevention be free?”, you would say I was nuts. How about if I tell you there is a Free Loss Prevention Calculator that can help you see that Loss Prevention can be free? You would scoff, but let me explain how the Free Loss Prevention Calculator works.
The Free Loss Prevention Calculator is a tool that can be used to show you how affordable Checkpoint System retail theft prevention equipment can be. It also estimates for you how quickly you will see a Return On Investment (ROI). By simply entering your annual sales and how much you are considering spending on Checkpoint equipment, the calculator generates a PDF showing you what your estimated monthly payment for the equipment would be and how many months it would take for the equipment to pay for itself. The information you input can be changed and you can experiment with different amounts you would consider investing. None of the information is saved or sent anywhere until you decide you would like to discuss the possibilty of purchasing an anti-theft system. If I ask again, “Can Loss Prevention be free?”, when you see the totals, you will understand how it can be free by paying for itself.
I do understand skepticism. Recently I received a card in the mail from a local car dealer with a key attached to it. All I had to do was scratch the card and if my card showed a certain series of numbers I would be an automatic winner. I scratched my card and by golly, I was eligible to win a new car (forget the television, lottery tickets or whatever other prizes were on the card). AMAZING! I decided it was worth taking the trip to the dealership and trying my key, no investment other than my time right? My wife let me know she felt it was a waste of time and reminded me, I was NOT going to buy a car while we were there. That was silly of her, of course I wasn’t going to buy a car, I won one! We went to the dealership and surprisingly about a hundred other people must have won a car too…we were all so lucky! A representative ushered us in to a table and I had to answer questions that seemed suspiciously like an application to verify my financial ability to buy a new car. I started to smell a rat and let the representative know that I was broke, could not afford a car and only wanted to try out the key for my new car. My wife gave me the “I told you so” and “don’t even think about it” look, which steeled my resolve. After five minutes of explaining I was not interested and would not be applying to buy a car, the saleslady got annoyed and let me try out my key. I did not win. So, after spending my time and gas money what was my Return On Investment? Well, I did get a two-dollar lottery card that scratched for two dollars so I think I won, maybe. The contest was not what it was represented to be. So I understand if you are a little cynical.
The Free Loss Prevention Calculator is just that, FREE! Go to the website, enter any information you want and see the results. No high pressure sales pitch, no emails promising anything, simply a great way to see what you might be be able to prevent in theft every month. “Can Loss Prevention be free?”, the answer will surprise you.
Need information on the Free Loss Prevention Calculator? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
How many of you have had someone offer you a great deal on something and the first thing that comes to your mind is, “What’s it gonna cost me?” I think that every time I get a phone call from a telemarketer wanting to “send me on a vacation for two to the Bahamas at no cost to me”. I know there’s going to be a cost, I just never know what that amount is. Of course I learn it is going to require me to attend a session to learn about a new time share.It is this question that a retail business owner may ask when approached about a new system or program to help save money, “What’s it gonna cost me?” If I were to ask, “Can Loss Prevention be free?”, you would say I was nuts. How about if I tell you there is a Free Loss Prevention Calculator that can help you see that Loss Prevention can be free? You would scoff, but let me explain how the Free Loss Prevention Calculator works.
The Free Loss Prevention Calculator is a tool that can be used to show you how affordable Checkpoint System retail theft prevention equipment can be. It also estimates for you how quickly you will see a Return On Investment (ROI). By simply entering your annual sales and how much you are considering spending on Checkpoint equipment, the calculator generates a PDF showing you what your estimated monthly payment for the equipment would be and how many months it would take for the equipment to pay for itself. The information you input can be changed and you can experiment with different amounts you would consider investing. None of the information is saved or sent anywhere until you decide you would like to discuss the possibilty of purchasing an anti-theft system. If I ask again, “Can Loss Prevention be free?”, when you see the totals, you will understand how it can be free by paying for itself.
I do understand skepticism. Recently I received a card in the mail from a local car dealer with a key attached to it. All I had to do was scratch the card and if my card showed a certain series of numbers I would be an automatic winner. I scratched my card and by golly, I was eligible to win a new car (forget the television, lottery tickets or whatever other prizes were on the card). AMAZING! I decided it was worth taking the trip to the dealership and trying my key, no investment other than my time right? My wife let me know she felt it was a waste of time and reminded me, I was NOT going to buy a car while we were there. That was silly of her, of course I wasn’t going to buy a car, I won one! We went to the dealership and surprisingly about a hundred other people must have won a car too…we were all so lucky! A representative ushered us in to a table and I had to answer questions that seemed suspiciously like an application to verify my financial ability to buy a new car. I started to smell a rat and let the representative know that I was broke, could not afford a car and only wanted to try out the key for my new car. My wife gave me the “I told you so” and “don’t even think about it” look, which steeled my resolve. After five minutes of explaining I was not interested and would not be applying to buy a car, the saleslady got annoyed and let me try out my key. I did not win. So, after spending my time and gas money what was my Return On Investment? Well, I did get a two-dollar lottery card that scratched for two dollars so I think I won, maybe. The contest was not what it was represented to be. So I understand if you are a little cynical.
The Free Loss Prevention Calculator is just that, FREE! Go to the website, enter any information you want and see the results. No high pressure sales pitch, no emails promising anything, simply a great way to see what you might be be able to prevent in theft every month. “Can Loss Prevention be free?”, the answer will surprise you.
Need information on the Free Loss Prevention Calculator? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
Checkpoint Tags-5 WC Blog 200
Checkpoint Hard Tags-5
Electronic Article Surveillance-5
Stop Shoplifting – 4
Target Hardening; It’s What Happens When You Use Checkpoint Hard Tags.
Target hardening is a term you may have heard in the news lately but were not really sure what it means. For police, military or security personnel, it means strengthening something. Wikipedia defines it as, “…the strengthening of a building or installation in order to protect it in the event of an attack or reduce the risk of theft. It is believed that a “strong, visible defense will deter or delay an attack.” A good example of target hardening would be when the government issues a heightened terrorist threat level and more police officers are added to locations such as airports or national landmarks. Banks may be hardened with added security guards if a rash of bank robberies has taken place at their branch locations. In the same manner, retailers can be seen as “soft” targets by shoplifters. Those stores that do not employ any type of security measures are typical soft targets. They are easy to steal from and there is almost no chance a thief will be caught let alone prosecuted for theft. One simple way any retailer can harden the store as a target and stop shoplifting is to use Checkpoint Hard Tags.
Checkpoint hard tags incorporate electronic article surveillance technology in strong, solid casings that are extremely difficult to defeat. Checkpoint tags are available in several designs, from the Auto Peg Tag that snaps over the hang tab or peg hole of merchandise packaging to Gen 2 and Gen 3 hard tags for apparel. By adding these anti-theft devices to your inventory you make it much more difficult for a criminal to steal from your store. Because tags are designed with electronic article surveillance capability it is critical to add electronic article surveillance antennas to the store at entrances and exits. The antennas read the signal emitted by the Checkpoint tags and when a tag is carried within range, the antenna alarm activates. Checkpoint hard tags provide a visual deterrent to stop shoplifting, but with the antennas, teeth are added to the defensive measures making it a much more intimidating system to would-be thieves.
You may be concerned that your store is a small to mid-size business or you may even have a couple of stores, but you don’t think you can afford to invest in Checkpoint tags or electronic article surveillance technology. I would like to challenge your concerns. Can you afford NOT to invest in the technology? What is your annual merchandise shrinkage (the amount of product you are losing each year due to theft and fraud)? The 2014-2015 Retail Global Theft Barometer reported that shrink in the U.S. was 1.92% for stores that participated in their survey. This percentage included shoplifting, employee theft and administrative losses, with theft and fraud accounting for approximately 87% of that number. Most of the stores in the survey spent some money on Loss Prevention measures, varying from as little as .01% to as much as 1.41% of their total sales. If those stores are experiencing shrink approaching 2%, what is the amount of merchandise your store is losing if you are not using Checkpoint Hard Tags and antennas?
Investing in Checkpoint tags should not be viewed as an expense with no return on investment. As you spend money on Checkpoint hard tags, which are re-useable, you will stop shoplifting and merchandise that was going missing will not have to be replaced anymore. Those items will be available to be purchased, thereby driving sales and profits. Antennas are a one-time investment and only require occasional maintenance or upkeep.
Don’t allow your stores to be soft targets for criminals. Use Checkpoint tags and electronic article surveillance antennas to increase security and stop shoplifting. Put the bad guys in check by “target hardening” and watch profits grow and shortage decline!
Checkpoint Hard Tags are important and we can help you with it. Call 1.770.426.0547 and let’s talk.
Target hardening is a term you may have heard in the news lately but were not really sure what it means. For police, military or security personnel, it means strengthening something. Wikipedia defines it as, “…the strengthening of a building or installation in order to protect it in the event of an attack or reduce the risk of theft. It is believed that a “strong, visible defense will deter or delay an attack.” A good example of target hardening would be when the government issues a heightened terrorist threat level and more police officers are added to locations such as airports or national landmarks. Banks may be hardened with added security guards if a rash of bank robberies has taken place at their branch locations. In the same manner, retailers can be seen as “soft” targets by shoplifters. Those stores that do not employ any type of security measures are typical soft targets. They are easy to steal from and there is almost no chance a thief will be caught let alone prosecuted for theft. One simple way any retailer can harden the store as a target and stop shoplifting is to use Checkpoint Hard Tags.
Checkpoint hard tags incorporate electronic article surveillance technology in strong, solid casings that are extremely difficult to defeat. Checkpoint tags are available in several designs, from the Auto Peg Tag that snaps over the hang tab or peg hole of merchandise packaging to Gen 2 and Gen 3 hard tags for apparel. By adding these anti-theft devices to your inventory you make it much more difficult for a criminal to steal from your store. Because tags are designed with electronic article surveillance capability it is critical to add electronic article surveillance antennas to the store at entrances and exits. The antennas read the signal emitted by the Checkpoint tags and when a tag is carried within range, the antenna alarm activates. Checkpoint hard tags provide a visual deterrent to stop shoplifting, but with the antennas, teeth are added to the defensive measures making it a much more intimidating system to would-be thieves.
You may be concerned that your store is a small to mid-size business or you may even have a couple of stores, but you don’t think you can afford to invest in Checkpoint tags or electronic article surveillance technology. I would like to challenge your concerns. Can you afford NOT to invest in the technology? What is your annual merchandise shrinkage (the amount of product you are losing each year due to theft and fraud)? The 2014-2015 Retail Global Theft Barometer reported that shrink in the U.S. was 1.92% for stores that participated in their survey. This percentage included shoplifting, employee theft and administrative losses, with theft and fraud accounting for approximately 87% of that number. Most of the stores in the survey spent some money on Loss Prevention measures, varying from as little as .01% to as much as 1.41% of their total sales. If those stores are experiencing shrink approaching 2%, what is the amount of merchandise your store is losing if you are not using Checkpoint Hard Tags and antennas?
Investing in Checkpoint tags should not be viewed as an expense with no return on investment. As you spend money on Checkpoint hard tags, which are re-useable, you will stop shoplifting and merchandise that was going missing will not have to be replaced anymore. Those items will be available to be purchased, thereby driving sales and profits. Antennas are a one-time investment and only require occasional maintenance or upkeep.
Don’t allow your stores to be soft targets for criminals. Use Checkpoint tags and electronic article surveillance antennas to increase security and stop shoplifting. Put the bad guys in check by “target hardening” and watch profits grow and shortage decline!
Checkpoint Hard Tags are important and we can help you with it. Call 1.770.426.0547 and let’s talk.
