When it comes to the professional shoplifter, nothing thwarts their plans like products that they cannot turn a profit from. Let’s face reality; Amateur shoplifters steal for the opportunity. However professionals steal to make money! When it comes to ways to prevent shoplifting in your retail store, forcing thieves to damage your products before they can thieve them is a great way to circumvent the entire issue of theft. See, thieves often can’t resell the merchandise that they steal if the packages are breached or damaged.
Third party ‘lift consumers’ (those who buy and possess stolen merchandise) are just like the rest of us. When they buy something for their money they want a new, intact, undamaged product. They don’t want to pay for stuff that is less than desirable, period. This is the same premise as to why retailers have difficulty in reselling returned items with ‘opened item’ status in their stores, even at a steep discount. Consumers don’t ‘trust’ that the product contents are whole or even functional. In the World of the lift consumer, it’s no different. Thieves have a heck of a time selling items that they damage during their attempt the steal them. This is where the Alpha VersaLok can help.
Any thief worth their weight in gold knows that breaching or attempting to dismantle any type of security device usually results in a lot of unwanted attention. With that said, these awesome products by Alpha High Theft Solutions are perfect in the sense that it completely makes theft of the product impossible without doing one of two things. The first, triggering the integrated 95dB alarm inside the Alpha VersaLok to sound wildly causing embarrassment and attention from staff. Or secondly, causing the shoplifter to completely destroy the visual resale integrity of the packaging after the item is removed from the store. The latter mentioning is what’s known as a ‘denial of benefit’ device, much like exploding ink tags ruin products rendering them useless to thieves that plan to resell them.
The Alpha VersaLok works by adhering to a products flat surface using a special adhesive backing. The special backing contains a rather fragile aluminum circuit that once ripped; the flow of internal voltage is disrupted causing the alarm to sound excitedly. No matter what, shoplifters want the security device gone from the product and they’re going to attempt removal. Once the pilferer tries to peel the adhesive back off in an attempt to remove the unit, the alarm will sound. If the bandit doesn’t care if the alarm sounds because they have already removed the item from the store, they will still cause some degree of ‘damage’ to the packaging that the VersaLok was attached too. Albeit not a terrible degree of damage but probably just enough to make the product look less than new. Some crooks may even try to take a box cutter and carve out the unit and surrounding backing altogether. No thief wants to do this to ‘their’ product because no one wants to buy merchandise with holes in it!
Another way to prevent shoplifting in this sense is to incorporate the use of the Alpha Spider Wrap. This crafty anti-shoplifting device secures your merchandise much in the same way as the VersaLok does except in a broader manner. The Spider Wrap uses aircraft grade cables to literally ‘wrap’ completely around larger products. By clutching tightly around the entire product, the Alpha Spider Wrap protects it, as the metal cables would need to be cut in order to remove the unit from the package. Once the cables are cut, a 95dB alarm will sound and guess what? Thieves don’t like 95dB alarms. They’re a tad bit loud. It is indeed a pesky proposition for any crook. Just like the VersaLok, a shoplifter would have to literally destroy the box or packaging in order to completely circumvent having to but the cables. Either way it goes, whether using the Alpha Spider Wrap or the VersaLok, even a professional shoplifter is going to be highly inconvenienced or just flat out of luck trying to resell a damaged product.
For more information on how to prevent shoplifting please contact us or call 1-770-426-0547.
Alpha Spider Wrap -5
Prevent Shoplifting – 3
WC blog 02
Arachnophobia? Don’t fear it’s only Alpha Spider Wrap
I remember the day when I learned of a new product we were going to use to Prevent Shoplifting, Alpha Spider Wrap! Hmmm, being old school, I looked at this new device with not just a little skepticism. I quizzically considered this contraption of wires and thought to myself it was more like a spider web than a spider wrap, but I was willing to give it a chance. I had to wonder though, if I am skeptical, what are the shoplifters going to think when they see it? I don’t remember being too sold on the idea that the new Alpha Spider Wrap was going to strike fear in the heart of the criminal.
There was certainly a learning curve associated with the new device. We had to train associates on product placement and proper securing of the Alpha Spider Wrap. Boy did WE have growing pains. In the infancy of the program we struggled with how to store the wraps, I recall spending many hours, not just minutes, trying to untangle wraps that had been removed and tossed into boxes…”Oh what a tangled web we weave…” to paraphrase a popular writer. I was convinced someone in the corporate office hated Loss Prevention and was trying to sabotage us or more specifically, me. Then there was the auditing of wrap placement. Ah, the joys of auditing, because we ALL know there are never EVER opportunities for improvement presented as the result of an audit. I can look back now and chuckle, but at the time I cringed at those first audits. I found wraps so loose the product was nearly falling out when I picked it up. Many of the connecting pieces were not fully engaged. Some pieces were wrapped while other pieces of the same product sat on the shelf unprotected. How was this stuff ever going to Prevent Shoplifting? Needless to say, training and education were now added to my laundry list of Asset Protection duties.
Training of our dedicated merchandise protection team members was not the only training that had to be accomplished. I had to work with the front end supervisors to ensure the cashiers were aware of how to remove these ungainly devices and yes, how to NOT just toss them into a box while unwound, causing me to spend more hours unknotting the darn things. After all the training, our team members became overzealous and began wrapping some items TOO tightly, nothing like a squished router box to turn off a potential customer…more training, sigh!
After the initial growing pains, things did improve and yes, there is always ongoing training, but the results spoke for themselves. Merchandise protection using Alpha Spider Wrap did pay dividends. We found that the devices did Prevent Shoplifting and improved our store in-stocks on a number of items that previously had appeared regularly in high theft/high shortage departments. Vacuum cleaners, LCD televisions, and DVD players, items that previously were susceptible to buggy or cart rollouts had become more difficult for thieves to steal. Smaller items that could be removed from packages and concealed in purses or bags or pants (and not just in pockets, but that’s for another time) were now extremely difficult to get out of the store without sounding the alarm at the front exits. Tampering with the devices sounded a piercing alarm that panicked the perpetrator and usually resulted in recovered merchandise. Even if the wrap itself was damaged, the retail anti-theft device had performed its’ job and prevented a theft.
I found that I grew fond of my new friend, and I overcame my arachnophobia. That spindly creature, while not always easy to tame, was the source of a new fear for our local thieves. Our store not only continued to keep shortage in check with the addition of Alpha Spider Wrap in our anti-theft arsenal, we improved our shortage results.
For more information about Alpha Spider Wrap contact us or call 1.770.426.0547
I remember the day when I learned of a new product we were going to use to prevent shoplifting, the Alpha Spider Wrap! Hmmm, being old school, I looked at this new device with not just a little skepticism. I quizzically considered this contraption of wires and thought to myself it was more like a spider web than a spider wrap, but I was willing to give it a chance. I had to wonder though, if I am skeptical, what are the shoplifters going to think when they see it? I don’t remember being too sold on the idea that the new Alpha Spider Wrap was going to strike fear in the heart of the criminal.
There was certainly a learning curve associated with the new device. We had to train associates on product placement and proper securing of the Alpha Spider Wrap. Boy did WE have growing pains. In the infancy of the program we struggled with how to store the wraps, I recall spending many hours, not just minutes, trying to untangle wraps that had been removed and tossed into boxes…”Oh what a tangled web we weave…” to paraphrase a popular writer. I was convinced someone in the corporate office hated Loss Prevention and was trying to sabotage us or more specifically, me. Then there was the auditing of wrap placement. Ah, the joys of auditing, because we ALL know there are never EVER opportunities for improvement presented as the result of an audit. I can look back now and chuckle, but at the time I cringed at those first audits. I found wraps so loose the product was nearly falling out when I picked it up. Many of the connecting pieces were not fully engaged. Some pieces were wrapped while other pieces of the same product sat on the shelf unprotected. How was this stuff ever going to prevent shoplifting? Needless to say, training and education were now added to my laundry list of Asset Protection duties.
Training of our dedicated merchandise protection team members was not the only training that had to be accomplished. I had to work with the front end supervisors to ensure the cashiers were aware of how to remove these ungainly devices and yes, how to NOT just toss them into a box while unwound, causing me to spend more hours unknotting the darn things. After all the training, our team members became overzealous and began wrapping some items TOO tightly, nothing like a squished router box to turn off a potential customer…more training, sigh!
After the initial growing pains, things did improve and yes, there is always ongoing training, but the results spoke for themselves. Merchandise protection using Alpha Spider Wrap did pay dividends. We found that the devices did prevent shoplifting and improved our store in-stocks on a number of items that previously had appeared regularly in high theft/high shortage departments. Vacuum cleaners, LCD televisions, and DVD players, items that previously were susceptible to buggy or cart rollouts had become more difficult for thieves to steal. Smaller items that could be removed from packages and concealed in purses or bags or pants (and not just in pockets, but that’s for another time) were now extremely difficult to get out of the store without sounding the alarm at the front exits. Tampering with the devices sounded a piercing alarm that panicked the perpetrator and usually resulted in recovered merchandise. Even if the wrap itself was damaged, the retail anti-theft device had performed its’ job and prevented a theft.
I found that I grew fond of my new friend, and I overcame my arachnophobia. That spindly creature, while not always easy to tame, was the source of a new fear for our local thieves. Our store not only continued to keep shortage in check with the addition of Alpha Spider Wrap in our anti-theft arsenal, we improved our shortage results.
For more information about Alpha Spider Wrap contact us or call 1.770.426.0547
Alpha Keepers-5, Prevent Shoplifting-2, Protect Razor Blades-1,Protect Health and Beauty Products-1
Shoplifters Force Managers To Change The Store Landscape
I hate shoplifters. Let me just get that right out there on the table. They make my workday so much more miserable, and they even affect my days off since I have to go to court to deal with them. I have found one solution to many of my problems though, and that is utilizing Alpha Keepers on targeted items. I have had to get a little creative, but they are so versatile anyway, I can usually figure out a way to make them work for me. I used to have a guy that came in on a regular basis to steal those nose strips that help people breathe. Since I began encasing those packages in Alpha Keepers, I have not lost a single one to a thief.
In order to prevent shoplifting, I use these devices in several sections of the store. They protect health and beauty products, like body washes and expensive facial care items. I see many retailers use them in these sections as well. Body wash is a very popular item for boosters. They know the fence operation will buy them because they are easy to “clean” and prepare for resale. Big name wrinkle creams are also targeted very often. Why pay $20 or more at the drug store for these tiny jars when you can go to the flea market and get them for about $5 !? They are also fantastic for to use if you need to protect razor blades. They fit right into the clear case and the store can choose to hang them from pegs or sit them on a shelf. I have also used them to keep over the counter drugs safely out of the hands of kids. There are some cold medications that are popular among teens for abuse, so in order to battle that, I lock those boxes right inside the Alpha Keepers. Problem solved.
I have noticed lately that my packs of lighters were coming up missing when I scanned all the empty spots in the store every week. I would scan the label and my hand held would indicate a balance on hand. My staff and I would search the whole store, and only rarely find an empty package. So it seemed to be a difficult task to prevent shoplifting in this particular section, even though it is really no more than ten feet from the checkout counter. So what is my solution to this problem? Drop the packs down into Alpha Keepers when they arrive on the next truck and hang them back on the pegs I normally display them from. I certainly don’t want to put them behind the counter and hide them. Customers don’t like to have to ask for items they wish to purchase. If they don’t see the stuff where they expect it, they assume we don’t have the item and just leave. I’ve tried it in the past and that approach just doesn’t pay the bills.
Making some simple changes in the layout and landscape of the store is really not a labor intensive task when you have tools like Alpha Keepers. They do the work for you and keep the products you sell out on the floor for ease of shopping. You keep your inventory visible and in front of the customer. That is the key. They require little to no training for your staff because they are very simple to use. They open with the magnet key very quickly so your customers are not inconvenienced at all. They have alarm capabilities that are compatible with the Checkpoint System, so it’s a win-win situation.
For more information on Alpha Keepers, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 or Preventshopliftingloss.net
I hate shoplifters. Let me just get that right out there on the table. They make my workday so much more miserable, and they even affect my days off since I have to go to court to deal with them. I have found one solution to many of my problems though, and that is utilizing Alpha Keepers on targeted items. I have had to get a little creative, but they are so versatile anyway, I can usually figure out a way to make them work for me. I used to have a guy that came in on a regular basis to steal those nose strips that help people breathe. Since I began encasing those packages in Alpha Keepers, I have not lost a single one to a thief.
In order to prevent shoplifting, I use these devices in several sections of the store. They protect health and beauty products, like body washes and expensive facial care items. I see many retailers use them in these sections as well. Body wash is a very popular item for boosters. They know the fence operation will buy them because they are easy to “clean” and prepare for resale. Big name wrinkle creams are also targeted very often. Why pay $20 or more at the drug store for these tiny jars when you can go to the flea market and get them for about $5 !? They are also fantastic for to use if you need to protect razor blades. They fit right into the clear case and the store can choose to hang them from pegs or sit them on a shelf. I have also used them to keep over the counter drugs safely out of the hands of kids. There are some cold medications that are popular among teens for abuse, so in order to battle that, I lock those boxes right inside the Alpha Keepers. Problem solved.
I have noticed lately that my packs of lighters were coming up missing when I scanned all the empty spots in the store every week. I would scan the label and my hand held would indicate a balance on hand. My staff and I would search the whole store, and only rarely find an empty package. So it seemed to be a difficult task to prevent shoplifting in this particular section, even though it is really no more than ten feet from the checkout counter. So what is my solution to this problem? Drop the packs down into Alpha Keepers when they arrive on the next truck and hang them back on the pegs I normally display them from. I certainly don’t want to put them behind the counter and hide them. Customers don’t like to have to ask for items they wish to purchase. If they don’t see the stuff where they expect it, they assume we don’t have the item and just leave. I’ve tried it in the past and that approach just doesn’t pay the bills.
Making some simple changes in the layout and landscape of the store is really not a labor intensive task when you have tools like Alpha Keepers. They do the work for you and keep the products you sell out on the floor for ease of shopping. You keep your inventory visible and in front of the customer. That is the key. They require little to no training for your staff because they are very simple to use. They open with the magnet key very quickly so your customers are not inconvenienced at all. They have alarm capabilities that are compatible with the Checkpoint System, so it’s a win-win situation.
For more information on Alpha Keepers, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 or Preventshopliftingloss.net
SECURE YOUR GAMEDAY SPOT WITH ALPHA CABLE LOCKS
It’s finally here!!! I can finally look forward to Sundays again! Football season is the best season. Hands down. There is no further discussion needed. Sitting back with friends, watching your favorite team (Who Dat?!) take on a dirty (bird) rival. It’s a beautiful thing. Think about this the next time you’re out on a tailgate, or even at home with a group of friends; what’s everyone wearing? Chances are, everyone’s got their favorite, or lucky jersey on. Ever think about the theft of these jerseys and how retailers try to prevent shoplifting of them?
Everyone loves their team and loves even more showing their colors. You HAVE to represent your team. You can’t call yourself a fan if you don’t. It’s in the rule book. I checked it out myself. All this garb makes retailers lots of money this time of year, but it is also a giant magnet for thieves. Here’s where Alpha Cable Locks really come in handy.
Licensed apparel is a huge portion of our annual sales. If even one of our sponsored teams makes the playoffs, we can all but bet that we will hit our annual sales goals on licensed apparel alone. This makes the product in demand and thus creates an easy re-sell market place for an entrepreneurial thief.
Last year, my team busted a descent size ring of guys who were engaged in this very activity. They would come into our stores on a Thursday or Friday night and really hit us hard. At the time, we were not using Alpha Cable Locks to secure our jerseys. The thefts quickly added up and by playoffs, we were missing tens of thousands of dollars in licensed jerseys. We found out through our investigation that these guys were working for an owner of a small business downtown. He would pay them to steal the merchandise and he would then resell it in his store. I wonder what measures he had in place to prevent shoplifting at his store?
We started using the 48” Alpha Cable Lock to protect the jerseys. We placed the cable through the neck line, and back through the right arm. We were still able to display the item, customers were able to try them on without obstruction, and most importantly, it made it almost impossible for them to be stolen.
As the playoffs progressed, the demand grew ever higher. So did the theft. It didn’t take long for our friendly shop owner to send in his band of thieves to help him stock his shelves. This time, they were caught with the help of the cable lock. With the assistance of local police, the boosters eventually turned on their employer and the business was eventually shuttered. It was a great win for us, even though the losses had already occurred. It showed just how well the cable locks can prevent shoplifting.
For more information about Alpha Technology, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547
It’s finally here!!! I can finally look forward to Sundays again! Football season is the best season. Hands down. There is no further discussion needed. Sitting back with friends, watching your favorite team (Who Dat?!) take on a dirty (bird) rival. It’s a beautiful thing. Think about this the next time you’re out on a tailgate, or even at home with a group of friends; what’s everyone wearing? Chances are, everyone’s got their favorite, or lucky jersey on. Ever think about the theft of these jerseys and how retailers try to prevent shoplifting of them?
Everyone loves their team and loves even more showing their colors. You HAVE to represent your team. You can’t call yourself a fan if you don’t. It’s in the rule book. I checked it out myself. All this garb makes retailers lots of money this time of year, but it is also a giant magnet for thieves. Here’s where Alpha Cable Locks really come in handy.
Licensed apparel is a huge portion of our annual sales. If even one of our sponsored teams makes the playoffs, we can all but bet that we will hit our annual sales goals on licensed apparel alone. This makes the product in demand and thus creates an easy re-sell market place for an entrepreneurial thief.
Last year, my team busted a descent size ring of guys who were engaged in this very activity. They would come into our stores on a Thursday or Friday night and really hit us hard. At the time, we were not using Alpha Cable Locks to secure our jerseys. The thefts quickly added up and by playoffs, we were missing tens of thousands of dollars in licensed jerseys. We found out through our investigation that these guys were working for an owner of a small business downtown. He would pay them to steal the merchandise and he would then resell it in his store. I wonder what measures he had in place to prevent shoplifting at his store?
We started using the 48” Alpha Cable Lock to protect the jerseys. We placed the cable through the neck line, and back through the right arm. We were still able to display the item, customers were able to try them on without obstruction, and most importantly, it made it almost impossible for them to be stolen.
As the playoffs progressed, the demand grew ever higher. So did the theft. It didn’t take long for our friendly shop owner to send in his band of thieves to help him stock his shelves. This time, they were caught with the help of the cable lock. With the assistance of local police, the boosters eventually turned on their employer and the business was eventually shuttered. It was a great win for us, even though the losses had already occurred. It showed just how well the cable locks can prevent shoplifting.
For more information about Alpha Technology, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547
It’s already October! Can you believe just how quickly this year is going by? Just yesterday it seemed like we were enjoying the spring time. You and I both know that in a blink of an eye that wonderful, magical, pain in the rear time of year will be here. The holiday shopping season, of course is what I’m referring to. It all starts on Black Friday, which falls on November 27 this year. For those of us keeping track. Let’s talk about your strategy to prevent shoplifting this year, shall we?
I hate this time of year. I find myself battling with our buyers on a daily basis. While they are busy seeking out this year’s hottest trends, I’m left trying to protect those from shoplifters. Where they see sales, all I see is shrink. With all these new electronics coming into the stores, I at least I know I can rely on Alpha Spider Wraps to get me through.
Last year, I think I must’ve found just about every use for a Alpha Spider Wrap there could possibly be. I used them on television sets, gaming consoles, headphones, and just about whatever else I thought would be a thief magnet. I think one of the most popular items last year was a home CCTV system. Lots of people are getting proactive to home burglaries and installing cameras around their homes. Our stores had a large display set up with the boxes stacked high. Each one of course was secured with a Alpha Spider Wrap, my not so subtle approach to prevent shoplifting.
I think I may have said this once, or twice before. Sometimes, no matter the solution used, some thieves will still steal. You can never fully prevent shoplifting. So, here it is, 2 weeks before the big day. I’m on the cameras and a known thief walks in the door. We immediately begin surveillance and he heads directly to the camera display. He picks up 4 units, using the Spider Wraps as handles, and makes a bee-line towards the door. He looked like those people who will only make one trip from the car to the house with their groceries…There was something very ironic and darkly humorous about a guy stealing cameras that are meant to deter criminal activity. Once out the door, he was quickly apprehended by law enforcement.
I think about that incident and that particular shoplifter and I realized that was the only time someone tried to steal those cameras. As a store and as a company, we sold out of that product. It was so successful that we began to carry it and a number of home CCTV systems year-round. I think we have gotten a significant return on investment with Alpha Spider Wraps and I can almost bet that you will too.
For more information about Alpha Technology, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547
