I’ve recently read several news articles about the growing problem of meat thefts from grocery stores around the country. This definitely isn’t a new issue, but some say the problem is getting worse because the price of meats, and groceries in general have been on the rise. Short of locking up your store’s meat in a glass showcase, what can you do? The first thing you should do is look into Checkpoint Labels that are made specifically for meat sold in grocery stores.
These Checkpoint Labels are made to use on packages of meat and other foods, and can handle the cold temperatures and moisture. The team at Checkpoint Systems didn’t think that was enough though, so they put a great deal of research into developing the labels even further, so that they are even safe to be attached to the package of meat while it is in the microwave. This is not something that you would want to try with generic security tags or labels, because they could catch fire or render your food unsafe. Another point I didn’t mention is that the labels have the option to be purchased with safe handling instructions or even custom printing, so if you’re looking for a solution that provides a retail theft prevention device with your specific message or brand, they’ve got you covered.
Previously I worked in a store that sold meat and seafood in a section of the store, which was stolen on a regular basis. I remember one shoplifter in particular that would come into the store and steal several packages of meat very quickly. You might say that his shoplifting efforts weren’t very rare, but the execution was well done. His thefts usually included steaks, frozen lobster, and other beef or poultry items. The guy would walk right in the door and head straight for that department. Sometimes he would put it in a hand basket, but most of the time he would just conceal it in the waistband of his pants.
The most shocking part about this sneaky shoplifter is that he would typically complete the entire theft in under a minute or two. Needless to say, that made the thief very hard to catch. There wasn’t any pattern in the times or days he would come into the store, so we had to get lucky and see him when he first came into the store. The store I was working at during this time didn’t use Checkpoint Labels on the meat products, so there wasn’t an alarm that sounded at the door when he exited. The lack of any real retail theft prevention devices on this merchandise made it an easy target for theft. I was never lucky enough to catch this shoplifter while working at the store, but he was later apprehended by a colleague of mine.
The thief wouldn’t give much information about what he was doing with all the meat, but we knew it was too much for personal consumption, so he was likely taking orders from other people, or selling to restaurants or smaller markets in the area. This is typical with these kind of thefts. It’s not always people trying to shoplift food to eat themselves, but rather stealing food to make a quick buck when they resell it elsewhere.
For more information contact us at Loss Prevention Systems or call 1.770.426.0547