As a Loss Prevention Manager it can be terribly frustrating to recognize you have to stop shoplifting of a specific product but recognize there are few adequate anti-shoplifting devices for the item(s) in question. I think back to issues I had with pseudoephedrine products before they were placed behind pharmacy counters. I recall boxes of cold medicines designed for persons with high blood pressure that were being stolen for the effects they could give to drug abusers. Sure, we could tag them with electronic article surveillance labels but the crooks could still open the boxes and remove the contents. The other possibility was to keep them off of the shelf and put up signs for customers to ask for the product at the checklanes or pharmacy. That isn’t convenient for anyone. The legitimate customer has to go back to the front lanes to see if there is even any product in the store. If there is product a manager has to get it from a lock-up cabinet or stockroom. The only benefit is that the shoplifter is prevented from stealing merchandise.
There is a better solution for hard to protect products that preclude locking them up in a secure display case or removing them from shelves altogether. The Sensormatic Flexible Safer is the answer that retailers look for that balances customer accessibility with electronic article surveillance protection. Built of strong plastics, these cases are reusable and yet secure. Sensormatic detachers are required to get a Safer open and therefore stop shoplifting criminals who would otherwise tear open a package and conceal the contents circumventing security devices. An additional feature of these cases is the slim design that has minimal impact on the amount of merchandise that can be displayed. Filling shelves is one important strategy in driving sales. Running out of a popular product and not catching it in a timely manner can cost a retailer money. There is also a shortage prevention technique of intentionally limiting quantities of high theft goods to minimize the damage thieves can do to them in a single hit. Again, this can lead to limiting sales if product runs out for the paying customer who isn’t going to look for an associate to help find more product. The Flexible Safer allows merchants to fill shelves with confidence.
As if the benefits I have already written about aren’t enough to convince you on the merits of using Safers here are some other things to consider. Safers allow merchandise to be hung on peg hooks. Consider that traditional shelving means spacing between shelves has to be high enough to allow stocking of shelves. It also means the spacing is determined by the tallest item on the shelf. Shelving also gathers a lot of dust and dirt. Safers on peghooks can be uniform in placement and make stocking easier. Peghooks don’t accumulate dust and spilled drinks on them either making them easier for planogram changes. As a Loss Prevention Manager I also liked to use anti-theft peghooks that only allowed one item at a time to be removed. This was a great way to stop shoplifting by people trying to sweep peghooks for quick theft.
There are products that electronic article surveillance labels and tags work well on. If we were to focus on health and beauty products alone since we are already talking about cold medicines then I would be happy to use a label or tag on toothpaste. From a Loss Prevention standpoint I would tag as many items as possible not considered high theft. Lip balms, store brand medicines, disposable razors and so on would be on my list. Safers would be my go to for merchandise that cannot be protected with electronic article surveillance tags or protective wraps. Make Sensormatic Flexible Safers YOUR go to device to keep your merchandise safe from criminals.
Need information on electronic article surveillance? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 today.
Clothing Security -4 WC Blog 580
Checkpoint Tags-3
ORC Groups Target Designer Clothes – Fight Back With Checkpoint Tags
Apparel retailers are constantly struggling with clothing security issues due to theft. We all are aware that shoplifters are getting their hands on merchandise and creating shortage. This also entails the problems associated with theft such as reduced merchandise available to sell. What may not be as clear to retailers, especially small storeowners is the impact of Organized Retail Crime (ORC) activity on their store. According to the National Retail Federation 2017 Organized Retail Crime Survey, two of the top categories for theft for these groups is designer clothing and denim jeans (pg. 8). The report also indicates that 94.6% of retailers surveyed believe their stores have been the victims of ORC activity (pg. 5). So what are ORC groups and why are the items they are taking hot commodities. Organized Retail Crime organizations are theft rings that work together to shoplift. They are distinct from the regular or casual shoplifter because they plan their activities and have specific merchandise they target. The merchandise they set their sights on are normally able to be resold quickly either in a brick and mortar “Mom and Pop” shop or via online stores. Merchandise may also be returnable so that giftcards or cash may be obtained for the items that were taken. Aside from outstanding customer service the best method for preventing such theft is with the use of Checkpoint tags on merchandise.
Combating retail crime is no easy task. Large, national chain stores devote money to Loss Prevention teams and anti-theft devices. They also spend a lot of money on closed circuit television, cameras and recording equipment. The small retail owner may not be able to afford all of this equipment. What they can afford is to purchase an electronic article surveillance system (EAS) for the store. With Checkpoint towers at the front entrance and clothing security tags attached to softlines goods, products are well protected. If a mule working for an Organized Retail Crime group tries to waltz out with designer jeans stuffed in a backpack or purse and the jeans have Checkpoint tags on them they will set off the tower alarms. If the mule decides to try to forcibly remove the tags they merchandise will be damaged, there’s no getting around it. Damaged goods don’t sell and the organization makes no money.
ORC groups also do not seek out attention. Being identified means a group will have a more difficult time stealing from the same retailer and that is an impediment to their business. Checkpoint EAS system alarms ensures a store is receiving an exceptional level of clothing security even if that store can’t afford other security measures. I would be remiss if I failed to point out that according the survey retailers are reporting an uptick in ORC gang aggression and violence (pg. 10). This is not to say employees should not respond to EAS alarms when they do occur. What is important is that employees are trained to de-escalate situations and approach situations in a non-aggressive, non-accusatory manner. Kill ‘em with kindness is a motto that served my teams well when I was a Loss Prevention Supervisor.
Another problem that has arisen due to ORC theft is an increase in return fraud. This has caused many retailers rethink their return policies. On page 11 of the 2017 Organized Retail Crime Survey 36.8 % of retailers reported making changes to their point-of-sale return policies. Many stores have already done away with cash for non-receipted returns issuing merchant gift cards instead. Unfortunately, even gift cards are now being sold to pawn shops. Some alternatives are a requirement to exchange for exact merchandise only taking away the incentive to try to get a lower cost item and cash in the transaction. Other retailers are putting a stop to potential criminal activity by requiring a government issued ID to be scanned for non-receipted returns and refunds over a certain dollar amount. These retailers then cut off all non-receipted returns after a set number of transactions, usually somewhere from three to five at the most. Attempted returns of garments with clothing security tags still attached are also rejected, especially when the attempt is without a receipt.
Organized Retail Crime is a growing problem and it isn’t only a concern for big name retailers. Loss Prevention Systems Inc. CEO Bill Bregar wants smaller retailers to know that they aren’t alone in the fight against these groups. You may not have the resources of the big box stores but you can get help from Loss Prevention Systems Inc. from advice on Checkpoint tags to training on how to stop shoplifting in your stores. Stop ORC before it gets a foot in your door.
For more information about Checkpoint tags contact us or call 1.770.426.0547
Apparel retailers are constantly struggling with clothing security issues due to theft. We all are aware that shoplifters are getting their hands on merchandise and creating shortage. This also entails the problems associated with theft such as reduced merchandise available to sell. What may not be as clear to retailers, especially small storeowners is the impact of Organized Retail Crime (ORC) activity on their store. According to the National Retail Federation 2017 Organized Retail Crime Survey, two of the top categories for theft for these groups is designer clothing and denim jeans (pg. 8). The report also indicates that 94.6% of retailers surveyed believe their stores have been the victims of ORC activity (pg. 5). So what are ORC groups and why are the items they are taking hot commodities. Organized Retail Crime organizations are theft rings that work together to shoplift. They are distinct from the regular or casual shoplifter because they plan their activities and have specific merchandise they target. The merchandise they set their sights on are normally able to be resold quickly either in a brick and mortar “Mom and Pop” shop or via online stores. Merchandise may also be returnable so that giftcards or cash may be obtained for the items that were taken. Aside from outstanding customer service the best method for preventing such theft is with the use of electronic article surveillance (EAS) tags on merchandise.
Combating retail crime is no easy task. Large, national chain stores devote money to Loss Prevention teams and anti-theft devices. They also spend a lot of money on closed circuit television, cameras and recording equipment. The small retail owner may not be able to afford all of this equipment. What they can afford is to purchase an electronic article surveillance system (EAS) for the store. With EAS towers at the front entrance and clothing security tags attached to softlines goods, products are well protected. If a mule working for an Organized Retail Crime group tries to waltz out with designer jeans stuffed in a backpack or purse and the jeans have EAS tags on them they will set off the tower alarms. If the mule decides to try to forcibly remove the tags they merchandise will be damaged, there’s no getting around it. Damaged goods don’t sell and the organization makes no money.
ORC groups also do not seek out attention. Being identified means a group will have a more difficult time stealing from the same retailer and that is an impediment to their business. EAS system alarms ensures a store is receiving an exceptional level of clothing security even if that store can’t afford other security measures. I would be remiss if I failed to point out that according the survey retailers are reporting an uptick in ORC gang aggression and violence (pg. 10). This is not to say employees should not respond to EAS alarms when they do occur. What is important is that employees are trained to de-escalate situations and approach situations in a non-aggressive, non-accusatory manner. Kill ‘em with kindness is a motto that served my teams well when I was a Loss Prevention Supervisor.
Another problem that has arisen due to ORC theft is an increase in return fraud. This has caused many retailers rethink their return policies. On page 11 of the 2017 Organized Retail Crime Survey 36.8 % of retailers reported making changes to their point-of-sale return policies. Many stores have already done away with cash for non-receipted returns issuing merchant gift cards instead. Unfortunately, even gift cards are now being sold to pawn shops. Some alternatives are a requirement to exchange for exact merchandise only taking away the incentive to try to get a lower cost item and cash in the transaction. Other retailers are putting a stop to potential criminal activity by requiring a government issued ID to be scanned for non-receipted returns and refunds over a certain dollar amount. These retailers then cut off all non-receipted returns after a set number of transactions, usually somewhere from three to five at the most. Attempted returns of garments with clothing security tags still attached are also rejected, especially when the attempt is without a receipt.
Organized Retail Crime is a growing problem and it isn’t only a concern for big name retailers. Loss Prevention Systems Inc. CEO Bill Bregar wants smaller retailers to know that they aren’t alone in the fight against these groups. You may not have the resources of the big box stores but you can get help from Loss Prevention Systems Inc. from advice on EAS tags to training on how to stop shoplifting in your stores. Stop ORC before it gets a foot in your door.
For more information about EAS tags contact us or call 1.770.426.0547
I work in a retail store as a sales associate and I often use my experiences as a Loss Prevention Associate and Manager to stop shoplifting and prevent shortage in the store where I now work. A recent experience made me recall that not all shortage is theft related, some is operational and some we cannot determine which it falls under but it can still be prevented. I was working the cash register and being the back to school season patrons were buying lots of supplies for their students/children. I had one young woman purchasing pencils, paper, a binder, folders and a few other items. When I got to the binder I scanned the barcode and as I started to place it to the side to scan the next item I realized something was in the binder. I opened it up and there were three 3-hole punched poly dividers that had been inserted inside. I looked at them to ensure they were not a part of the binder and found barcodes on each one. I scanned them and they were about $2.50 each. The customer said she meant to take them out and forgot to do so. It may not sound like a lot but by catching it I was able to prevent $7.50 in shortage or did I stop $7.50 in shoplifting? Either way, money was saved and THAT contributes to store profitability.
Similarly Sensormatic systems can reduce shortage through theft prevention and detecting operational errors. In terms of theft prevention tagged merchandise can be hidden inside a purse, satchel bag, under clothing, etc. and the tags will be detected at the door pedestals. As a retail manager you need to be aware that another method of theft utilized by the bad guys is to conceal merchandise inside other merchandise. In Loss Prevention we use an acronym, L.I.S.A. short for Look InSide Always. It is a method we use to remind cashiers to look inside of places where goods can be hidden. Examples may include, zipper binders, trash cans with lids, storage containers with lids, luggage and so on. If something can be hidden in it a cashier should be looking inside as it is rung up. Think about purses or comforters. Both items are popular for concealing merchandise in and attempting to buy the item and avoiding paying for the hidden merchandise. There are instances where merchandise is simply overlooked because it is on the bottom of a shopping basket. Cases of drinks, bulky paper towels and bags of dog food are items often placed here due to the amount of space they take up in a cart. Unless the shopper and/or the cashier is paying attention they can be missed and go out the door as unpaid merchandise. Of course if a store is using Sensormatic systems and all goods are tagged then the pedestals will alarm and remind the patron that something was missed. The customer and the employee have an opportunity to react and have the item properly processed at the point of sale.
The situation I described above is not the first time I have encountered hidden merchandise whether it was done intentionally or by someone else. As a Loss Prevention Manager I have seen shoppers come to a register with a blouse and dress jacket on a hanger that looked like they could be sold as a single item. After alerting the cashier to look at both pieces it was found there was a second price tag. The customer changed her mind. Did we stop shoplifting or prevent an honest mistake? I don’t have that answer. What I do know is we prevented the shortage of the blouse if I had not alerted the cashier to look.
As a Loss Prevention professional what I like about Sensormatic systems is that they are not a one-trick pony. They do stop shoplifting but they also impact employee theft and operational shortage. They also help keep vendors honest. I have seen cosmetic and jewelry vendors start to leave after a visit and set off electronic article surveillance alarms. The merchandise was recovered but it could not be determined if the vendor intended to steal or made an honest mistake. Shrink isn’t the result of theft alone and Loss Prevention Systems, Inc. can show you how Sensormatic systems can play a role in reducing all of it.
Need information on Sensormatic systems? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
Retail Theft Prevention -4 WC Blog 549
Checkpoint Security System -4
Safe Response To Checkpoint Security System Alarms
Along with retail theft prevention how important is the safety of your store? I’m not referring to accidents I am referring to safety from violent incidents. Not long ago there was an incident in the building where I work. An employee’s teenage child overheard a conversation among three people who were preparing to leave the building. There was a comment that they were going to “get” someone. The employee’s daughter reported the conversation and the staff contacted the police who stopped the group in the parking lot. I heard that two of our staff members decided to leave the building to “see if they could see where the group went”. I learned that the two employees went out through different exits. Had one of these employees walked upon the group there is no telling whether an encounter might have escalated. Two people are always better than one since there is strength in numbers. If they felt it was important to leave the building to protect someone, or to see where the group was heading they should have left together. In retail Loss Prevention when we stopped a suspected shoplifter we tried to have a witness with us. It is even good practice to have a witness when responding to a Checkpoint Security System alarm (when possible). When two or more people are working together it makes it easier to address someone who may be upset or trying to steal.
It is important to know how a Checkpoint Security System works in order to understand why it is good practice to have two people respond to an alarm. The Checkpoint system is a retail theft prevention system composed of electronic article surveillance (EAS) tags attached to merchandise, detachment devices and towers located near entrance/exit doors. EAS tags can be attached to a variety of product lines since they come in adhesive label form or hard tag designs. Detuning pads and detachment devices are kept at the store registers to remove or “turn off” tags AFTER a piece of merchandise is scanned at the register. The towers are big receivers that can sense when a Checkpoint tag is in its field of detection. The vast majority of alarms take place when a shoplifter is trying to sneak merchandise out of the store. A trained employee responds to alarms and conducts a check of the receipt to determine what caused the alarm. It is the possible responses of the “customer” that can make it better to have a second person respond to an alarm.
When a customer causes an EAS alarm there are several reactions I have encountered over my 27+ years in retail. The first reaction is surprise for the alarm. This customer may have merchandise in their shopping cart that was overlooked by the cashier. They may have merchandise from another store that uses similar retail theft protection devices and merchandise was not deactivated there. A good employee can take care of these customers easily and get them on their way. Another reaction is the shocked patron who gets irritated at the inconvenience of the alarm. It makes no difference if it was their fault for overlooking an item or they have merchandise from another business this customer is going to have an attitude. The employee who responds to this customer must be tactful and ready to apologize for the inconvenience of the alarm especially if it is determined it was a cashier’s error. Having a second person nearby as a witness is good in these situations. I have encountered customers who decided to use it to cause a scene despite my apology and attempt to “correct” the error. Your witness in this case can validate that every effort was made not to embarrass or inconvenience the patron. Finally there is the real shoplifter trying to steal merchandise by getting it past the Checkpoint Security System. They don’t want to be in the store too long and they still want to get the merchandise out. If one person responds the shoplifter may attempt to intimidate and threaten violence if they aren’t allowed to leave. When two employees are present the shoplifter may be loud but they tend to be less threatening. By the way, if you aren’t sure how to handle these situations or want help on retail theft prevention Loss Prevention Systems Inc. offers several training classes that you will find helpful.
It is unfortunate but today in retail the threat of violence is something every store owner has to be concerned with. Being aware of how to de-escalate situations and having a witness to customer/employee interactions is always a good idea when possible. Prevent shortage with a Checkpoint Security System and get training from Loss Prevention Systems Inc. on how to stop shoplifting and properly respond to system alarms.
Get more information on retail theft prevention, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.
Along with retail theft prevention how important is the safety of your store? I’m not referring to accidents I am referring to safety from violent incidents. Not long ago there was an incident in the building where I work. An employee’s teenage child overheard a conversation among three people who were preparing to leave the building. There was a comment that they were going to “get” someone. The employee’s daughter reported the conversation and the staff contacted the police who stopped the group in the parking lot. I heard that two of our staff members decided to leave the building to “see if they could see where the group went”. I learned that the two employees went out through different exits. Had one of these employees walked upon the group there is no telling whether an encounter might have escalated. Two people are always better than one since there is strength in numbers. If they felt it was important to leave the building to protect someone, or to see where the group was heading they should have left together. In retail Loss Prevention when we stopped a suspected shoplifter we tried to have a witness with us. It is even good practice to have a witness when responding to an electronic article surveillance (EAS) security system alarm (when possible). When two or more people are working together it makes it easier to address someone who may be upset or trying to steal.
It is important to know how an EAS security system works in order to understand why it is good practice to have two people respond to an alarm. The EAS system is a retail theft prevention system composed of electronic article surveillance tags attached to merchandise, detachment devices and towers located near entrance/exit doors. EAS tags can be attached to a variety of product lines since they come in adhesive label form or hard tag designs. Detuning pads and detachment devices are kept at the store registers to remove or “turn off” tags AFTER a piece of merchandise is scanned at the register. The towers are big receivers that can sense when a EAS tag is in its field of detection. The vast majority of alarms take place when a shoplifter is trying to sneak merchandise out of the store. A trained employee responds to alarms and conducts a check of the receipt to determine what caused the alarm. It is the possible responses of the “customer” that can make it better to have a second person respond to an alarm.
When a customer causes an EAS alarm there are several reactions I have encountered over my 27+ years in retail. The first reaction is surprise for the alarm. This customer may have merchandise in their shopping cart that was overlooked by the cashier. They may have merchandise from another store that uses similar retail theft protection devices and merchandise was not deactivated there. A good employee can take care of these customers easily and get them on their way. Another reaction is the shocked patron who gets irritated at the inconvenience of the alarm. It makes no difference if it was their fault for overlooking an item or they have merchandise from another business this customer is going to have an attitude. The employee who responds to this customer must be tactful and ready to apologize for the inconvenience of the alarm especially if it is determined it was a cashier’s error. Having a second person nearby as a witness is good in these situations. I have encountered customers who decided to use it to cause a scene despite my apology and attempt to “correct” the error. Your witness in this case can validate that every effort was made not to embarrass or inconvenience the patron. Finally there is the real shoplifter trying to steal merchandise by getting it past the EAS security system. They don’t want to be in the store too long and they still want to get the merchandise out. If one person responds the shoplifter may attempt to intimidate and threaten violence if they aren’t allowed to leave. When two employees are present the shoplifter may be loud but they tend to be less threatening. By the way, if you aren’t sure how to handle these situations or want help on retail theft prevention Loss Prevention Systems Inc. offers several training classes that you will find helpful.
It is unfortunate but today in retail the threat of violence is something every store owner has to be concerned with. Being aware of how to de-escalate situations and having a witness to customer/employee interactions is always a good idea when possible. Prevent shortage with a EAS security system and get training from Loss Prevention Systems Inc. on how to stop shoplifting and properly respond to system alarms.
Get more information on retail theft prevention, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.
I came across a story about a couple shoplifting and I wondered whether the store could have used Sensormatic hard tags to prevent the thefts that took place. I also wondered what the couple was thinking in terms of the merchandise they were accused of stealing. First, according to baynews9.com, on July 18, 2018 in a story by Spectrum News Staff, two people are accused of shoplifting alcohol and vacuums worth $3,000. The couple in question was accused of stealing $1,200 in vacuum cleaners at 6a.m. and a few hours later returning to steal $1,700 worth of alcohol. During my years as a Loss Prevention Manager I worked with the Loss Prevention personnel of this company and know that they do a good job of stopping theft. I do shop their stores and I do see some areas where I believe they could improve their security tagging. One area is in the wine and spirits aisle. I don’t purchase the products but I do make a point of looking at theft prevention strategies in use and frankly I don’t see merchandise protection devices in use to stop shoplifting.
If I could offer one piece of advice to this particular chain and to ALL store owners for that matter, consider using Sensormatic hard tags on these products to keep them from being stolen. The Sensormatic 9kG Multi-Purpose tag is the perfect choice for the task. A hard tag with a steel cable and nylon strap it can be secured around the neck of a bottle. In doing so retailers are assured that any attempt to conceal and carry merchandise out of a store is going to be thwarted with an electronic article surveillance alarm. The adjustable strap allows merchants to protect nearly any bottle in their inventory. If store owners need more reason to use the tags the “multi-purpose” portion of the name should be an enticement. This tag can be used on sporting goods, power tools and luggage! When a tag can be used in more than one category of merchandise to stop shoplifting it always makes it a more cost-effective choice of device.
I bring the story about the theft up because if a major retailer with a Loss Prevention Department can be taken twice in one day by the same couple what is the potential damage the same couple could do to a small business? I know the folks in their Loss Prevention Departments are good at what they do and they know how to catch crooks. Small retailers need to find ways to fight crime too and they aren’t going to have retail theft departments. If the bad guys in the report can get $1,700 worth of alcohol past trained Loss Prevention teams how much will they get away with from your stores? $1,200 in vacuum cleaners is no small potatoes either. Big retailers may be able to absorb the cost of this many vacuums but how much shrink will that represent for your company? Bill Bregar, founder of Loss Prevention Systems, Inc. has been consulting with small and medium retailers on retail shrink and theft issues since 1983. He recommends Sensormatic systems to clients as part of a comprehensive solution to stop shoplifting and drive up profits.
Hopefully I have whet your appetite for more information on how you can prevent alcohol and other theft. Sensormatic hard tags are a phenomenal tool for businesses to seriously impede criminals from cleaning house in your store. Learn more about how you can benefit from the resources offered by Loss Prevention Systems, Inc. and Sensormatic anti-theft devices.
Get more information on Sensormatic hard tags, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 and let’s talk.
