Laundry Detergent Theft Is A Dirty Business; Clean Up Shoplifting In Your Store With Alpha Security Retail Anti-Theft Devices

Until I came across some recent news stories about counterfeit laundry soap becoming a major crime issue, I did not realize there was even a market for such a thing let alone stolen detergent. I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised considering all of the things I have seen stolen over my years in retail Loss Prevention but this one did catch me off guard. Could Alpha Security products be used prevent shoplifting of this item? First, I had to look a little more at the issue. I did some research and found a number of interesting stories on the subject of detergent theft:

• abc27.com, November 9, 2016, by Chris Eckstine, in a report titled, “Police Seek ID of detergent theft suspect”, “Police are investigating the theft of over a dozen bottles of detergent from a Dauphin County store.”  http://abc27.com/2016/11/09/police-seek-id-of-detergent-theft-suspect/

• The Washington Post, June 5, 2016, “Detergent is stolen in four incidents in D.C.”, by Martin Weil, “The crimes are theft, and what was taken was detergent.”  The report goes on; “In the first, police said, someone took “several bottles” of detergent March 10…”  Further in the story; “Several bottles were taken May 13…and liquid detergent was again taken May 30…”  The report lists the final theft; “In the latest theft, they said, several bottles were taken Friday…”   https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/public-safety/detergent-is-stolen-in-four-incidents-in-dc/2016/06/05/5b531882-2b76-11e6-9b37-42985f6a265c_story.html?utm_term=.2fd968342fda

• fox2detroit, Jan. 8, 2016, “Police Arrest 2 Man Accused of Stealing Laundry Detergent”, by Nathalie Pozo, “Two men are behind bars for stealing more than $2,000 in unusual items.”  The story reports on two men who were stealing “laundry detergent, soap and personal hygiene items from several Dollar General stores.” http://www.fox2detroit.com/news/whats-hot/71228882-story

• Springfield News-Sun, Sept. 7, 2016, “Surveillance shows $420 laundry detergent theft” http://www.springfieldnewssun.com/news/news/crime-law/surveillance-shows-420-laundry-detergent-theft/nsSs8/?ref=cbTopWidget

I can’t say how many of these criminals made a “clean” getaway and I don’t know whether this is some kind of money “laundering” scheme.  I couldn’t resist the puns, but the reality is this is potentially a big problem for any retailer that sells laundry soaps. Alpha Security does offer a solution to prevent shoplifting from taking place in this category of products. The Alpha Cable Lock and the Alpha VersaLok can be used to stop the loss of bottled detergents and other merchandise.

I normally only have one retail anti-theft device that I focus on, but in this case I have two products from Alpha Security that I feel can be used to complement each other. The Alpha Cable Lock is great for securing those bottles that have handles. The cable can be run around the handle and then cinched closed using the device’s housing unit that tightens and loosens the cables. This part of the anti-retail theft device also has electronic article surveillance technology in it that causes EAS antennas to alarm. Another plus is that it has an alarm that detects when someone tampers with the device by trying to cut it. This alarm is loud enough to let employees hear it and they can respond to the location where the attempted breach is occurring, and prevent shoplifting from taking place. 

For those detergent bottles with no handle, but may still cost quite a bit of money, the Alpha VersaLok is useful. This retail anti-theft device can be directly attached to a product and when the product is carried to the register, the cashier removes the device as the item is rung up. The device is then placed in a holding bin so that it may be used later. The disposable adhesive that holds the VersaLock in place remains on the bottle and simply goes out with the purchase. Like the Alpha Cablelock, the Alpha VersaLok works with EAS antennas and causes them to alarm when merchandise is carried into the detection area of the antennas. This Alpha Security product also has tamper protection, preventing its removal without going through a checkout lane.     

Your store may or may not have experienced the theft of laundry detergents yet, but you can prevent shoplifting of these items before it becomes a big mess for you. Don’t allow shortage to leave a stain on your profit margin, look into the benefits of using Alpha Security retail anti-theft devices on your laundry soaps.

Get more information on Alpha Security, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.