When you hear the word grazing, you probably think of a large field full of cows munching on grass, but in the context of theft it has a slightly different meaning. Grazing is when a customer or employee uses or consumes part of a product while in the store. So how can you stop this from happening to you in your store that carries bottles of alcohol? If you have found bottles of liquor or wine that have been, let’s say “sampled” in your store, this is probably what you are experiencing, and you will definitely want to explore the option of using Bottle Loks to secure your products and ensure this doesn’t occur in the future. I call it grazing the gateway of theft because I have personally witnessed employees and even shoplifters start off by consuming food or drink in the store and then graduate into other types of theft.
I’ve noticed a lot of buzz about this subject in news articles lately revolving around the arrest of those committing these types of theft. Unfortunately, there are some people who don’t even consider it to be theft if they sample a little bit of the product. No matter what it’s called, it is causing you a loss if someone is taking even a small amount of your products without paying for it first. Bottle Loks, like those available from Alpha Security allow you to protect your alcohol, but they don’t take away from the appearance of the bottles. There are several different types of the devices, which have a sleek design that fits right on top of the bottles. This will ensure that patrons don’t have access to open the bottles and drink them while in the store, or even open them up and pour them into another container for future consumption.
Although you may place a considerable amount of focus on your bottle security measures as far as shelf placement in relation to the view from the employees behind the register, it’s not always the shoplifters you have to worry about. Even if the employees are highly trained and aware of red flags to look for regarding shoplifters while they are working, there is never a guarantee that they will actually observe the theft at the time it is occurring. This is especially true in smaller stores where they might be the only employee on duty at the time. If several customers are checking out at the same time, it is unlikely that one employee will be able to help everyone and still keep a sharp eye out for possible thefts. It’s not always the shoplifters you have to worry about though, I’ve started many internal theft investigations by finding an empty package of food or drink in the stockroom. It’s a good starting point for an investigation, because you will find that when employees are stealing in this manner, they are most likely taking other merchandise as well.
The bottom line is that Bottle Loks will allow you to maintain a high level of bottle security for your liquor and wine without locking it in a showcase or someone constantly standing guard. These devices will give your employees the freedom to help the paying customers while having the peace of mind that the merchandise is secured at all times.
For more information contact us at Bottle Loks or call 1.770.426.0547