Alpha Keepers-5 WC blog 246
Retail Anti-Theft Devices-3
Protect Electronics-5
Don’t Restrict The Use Of Alpha Keepers To Only High Dollar Goods.
I work in a small office supply store and so I see merchandise protection strategies that are in place, and some are really good. Our store uses an electronic article surveillance (EAS) system to detect merchandise that someone may attempt to walk out the door without paying for the goods. We use Alpha products to protect ink, toner, headphones, etc. One thing we don’t use enough in my opinion are Alpha Keepers to protect electronics. Don’t misunderstand, we use them but since I spent many years in retail Loss Prevention, I see what I consider missed opportunities. We use keepers to prevent shoplifting of jump drives, and SD cards but we don’t use them on products that can be just as expensive as these, items such as hdmi cords. Within the electronics category we also protect some of our printer inkjet cartridges, but not all of them. So what is it that is the determining factor if something should be locked up using Alpha Keepers?
Before we go on to address that question it only makes sense to have a conversation about what Alpha Keepers are and how they function. Keeper boxes come in a variety of shapes and sizes but they do share a few things in common. The boxes are all clear so a customer can see through them and view whatever contents the Keeper is holding. As retail anti-theft devices the Keepers protect electronics merchandise with tamper resistant locking lids and EAS technology. An attempt to walk out of a store with EAS antennas at the entrance and EAS protected merchandise hidden under clothing or in a purse causes the antenna alarm to trip. Quick response to these alarms significantly improves your odds of getting the merchandise back. It is also possible that if a would-be shoplifter starts to leave with merchandise, the alarm activation may scare the thief into dropping the merchandise still resulting in a recovery and profit to the bottom line.
What is the determining factor of what should be locked up? It really comes down to what a store wants to do with their system. The place I work has most jump drives secured in Alpha Boxes and yet, there are those below a specific dollar threshhold that do not get secured. I am opposed to this strategy. Why set a price point as the means for determining what you are going to protect? I would be more supportive of a strategy that places anything that can fit into it, inside a Keeper box. We have inserts or pictures of some items such as hard drives that are placed into boxes rather than trusting the EAS system and the retail anti-theft devices to protect the products we want to sell. Looking at it with my Loss Prevention hat on, I believe we are not using the system to its fullest potential. One of the benefits of utilizing Keepers to protect electronics is that merchandise is available for a customer to pick up and take to a register without waiting for an employee to unlock a showcase or search a stockroom. Sales are shown to improve when customers don’t have to wait to get service.
Investing in Alpha Keepers to protect electronics makes sense because it is cost effective for a store. Once purchased Keepers are used over and over again. There is no need for continuous purchase of new Keepers. They also take up little additional room to protect the merchandise so there is minimal impact on the amount of product that can be displayed. I encourage store owners to use retail anti-theft devices to prevent shoplifting but I would especially encourage the use of Alpha Keepers to protect electronics. You are sure to drive up sales while lowering your shortage.
Alpha Keepers are important and we can help you with it. Call 1.770.426.0547 and let’s talk.
I work in a small office supply store and so I see merchandise protection strategies that are in place, and some are really good. Our store uses an electronic article surveillance (EAS) system to detect merchandise that someone may attempt to walk out the door without paying for the goods. We use Alpha products to protect ink, toner, headphones, etc. One thing we don’t use enough in my opinion are Alpha Keepers to protect electronics. Don’t misunderstand, we use them but since I spent many years in retail Loss Prevention, I see what I consider missed opportunities. We use keepers to prevent shoplifting of jump drives, and SD cards but we don’t use them on products that can be just as expensive as these, items such as hdmi cords. Within the electronics category we also protect some of our printer inkjet cartridges, but not all of them. So what is it that is the determining factor if something should be locked up using Alpha Keepers?
Before we go on to address that question it only makes sense to have a conversation about what Alpha Keepers are and how they function. Keeper boxes come in a variety of shapes and sizes but they do share a few things in common. The boxes are all clear so a customer can see through them and view whatever contents the Keeper is holding. As retail anti-theft devices the Keepers protect electronics merchandise with tamper resistant locking lids and EAS technology. An attempt to walk out of a store with EAS antennas at the entrance and EAS protected merchandise hidden under clothing or in a purse causes the antenna alarm to trip. Quick response to these alarms significantly improves your odds of getting the merchandise back. It is also possible that if a would-be shoplifter starts to leave with merchandise, the alarm activation may scare the thief into dropping the merchandise still resulting in a recovery and profit to the bottom line.
What is the determining factor of what should be locked up? It really comes down to what a store wants to do with their system. The place I work has most jump drives secured in Alpha Boxes and yet, there are those below a specific dollar threshhold that do not get secured. I am opposed to this strategy. Why set a price point as the means for determining what you are going to protect? I would be more supportive of a strategy that places anything that can fit into it, inside a Keeper box. We have inserts or pictures of some items such as hard drives that are placed into boxes rather than trusting the EAS system and the retail anti-theft devices to protect the products we want to sell. Looking at it with my Loss Prevention hat on, I believe we are not using the system to its fullest potential. One of the benefits of utilizing Keepers to protect electronics is that merchandise is available for a customer to pick up and take to a register without waiting for an employee to unlock a showcase or search a stockroom. Sales are shown to improve when customers don’t have to wait to get service.
Investing in Alpha Keepers to protect electronics makes sense because it is cost effective for a store. Once purchased Keepers are used over and over again. There is no need for continuous purchase of new Keepers. They also take up little additional room to protect the merchandise so there is minimal impact on the amount of product that can be displayed. I encourage store owners to use retail anti-theft devices to prevent shoplifting but I would especially encourage the use of Alpha Keepers to protect electronics. You are sure to drive up sales while lowering your shortage.
Alpha Keepers are important and we can help you with it. Call 1.770.426.0547 and let’s talk.
