AA Blog 20
EAS Tags: 5
Electronic Article Surveillance: 3
Stop Shoplifting: 3
EAS Tags Can Make Or Break Your Loss Prevention Program.
I would say a funny thing happened to us last week, although we didn’t find it very funny at the time. My daughter, her boyfriend and I were shopping at one of the larger retailers. We had purchased a few items and started to leave the store. As we left we set off their security system and it began beeping. So we patiently went back up to the cashier with our items, where she began looking through everything, to make sure they didn’t have EAS tags on our merchandise. After carefully reviewing our items and the receipt she wasn’t able to identify anything that might have set off the alarms. So we started to leave again, and the same thing happened, talk about embarrassing. So we returned once more, not knowing what the problem was, and went through the same process as before. After the third try the store employees started to become suspicious, thinking maybe one of us had property concealed on our person. So they called loss prevention who came to speak to us; which really added to my humiliation. I knew none of us had stolen anything so I was a little frustrated at this point, but being in law enforcement and loss prevention, I am familiar with the process. After telling him again what we had purchased and reviewing our items, he suggested that we take the items out separately so we could rule out our recent purchase. I knew where this was going; he wanted to check each of us to see who was setting off the alarms. We complied of course; we didn’t have anything to hide. So the loss prevention employee took our merchandise out and it did not set off the alarm, which made us all a little more uncomfortable. We all were asked to walk through one at a time to determine who was the problem, and as my daughter’s boyfriend walked through, the alarms went off. This resulted in a private more direct interview, and a consensual search, to see if we my daughter’s boyfriend had any stolen items. Of course he didn’t steal anything, but now we were just perplexed over the situation. The only thing he had on his person was a belt, a wallet and a watch. So we went down and passed each object through to see if they were setting off the alarms. Sure enough the wallet my daughter had bought him for his birthday, a week prior, was setting off the alarms. She had purchased it at a different store, but they must have failed to deactivate the EAS tag when she bought it. Needless to say an hour later, after having everyone look at us like we were thieves, we were able to leave the store with what was left of our dignity.
Electronic article surveillance is a great tool to stop shoplifting, if it is utilized correctly. This technology can be built into various types of devices in order to provide security for all types and sizes of merchandise. EAS tags are affixed to the merchandise at the store level and provide an audible alarm when someone attempts to remove the device or attempts to leave the store with the item. Stores are equipped with EAS antennas located at the exits, which sound an alarm when the item is not deactivated. When a transaction is made the EAS tags are deactivated or removed from the item to avoid mishaps like ours. Electronic article surveillance is a necessity in the loss prevention world and provides a front line defense to stop shoplifting. Granted it is important to ensure your loss prevention employees are well trained and knowledgeable of this technology so you can ensure your customers are receiving a positive experience, while protecting your merchandise.
A loss prevention program needs to be a well-rounded system that protects your interests on multiple levels. Employees and loss prevention personnel cannot be your only line of defense, but instead are there to supplement other less expensive options. Electronic article surveillance can ensure that people are not concealing property by alerting staff to breaches in security. This allows for less coverage on the floor, which results in lower costs, and increased profit margins. EAS tags will help you stop shoplifting by providing a low cost, re-useable alternative, that is easy to use and yet difficult to bypass. I think my experience proves that.
Need information on EAS tags? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
I would say a funny thing happened to us last week, although we didn’t find it very funny at the time. My daughter, her boyfriend and I were shopping at one of the larger retailers. We had purchased a few items and started to leave the store. As we left we set off their security system and it began beeping. So we patiently went back up to the cashier with our items, where she began looking through everything, to make sure they didn’t have EAS tags on our merchandise. After carefully reviewing our items and the receipt she wasn’t able to identify anything that might have set off the alarms. So we started to leave again, and the same thing happened, talk about embarrassing. So we returned once more, not knowing what the problem was, and went through the same process as before. After the third try the store employees started to become suspicious, thinking maybe one of us had property concealed on our person. So they called loss prevention who came to speak to us; which really added to my humiliation. I knew none of us had stolen anything so I was a little frustrated at this point, but being in law enforcement and loss prevention, I am familiar with the process. After telling him again what we had purchased and reviewing our items, he suggested that we take the items out separately so we could rule out our recent purchase. I knew where this was going; he wanted to check each of us to see who was setting off the alarms. We complied of course; we didn’t have anything to hide. So the loss prevention employee took our merchandise out and it did not set off the alarm, which made us all a little more uncomfortable. We all were asked to walk through one at a time to determine who was the problem, and as my daughter’s boyfriend walked through, the alarms went off. This resulted in a private more direct interview, and a consensual search, to see if we my daughter’s boyfriend had any stolen items. Of course he didn’t steal anything, but now we were just perplexed over the situation. The only thing he had on his person was a belt, a wallet and a watch. So we went down and passed each object through to see if they were setting off the alarms. Sure enough the wallet my daughter had bought him for his birthday, a week prior, was setting off the alarms. She had purchased it at a different store, but they must have failed to deactivate the EAS tag when she bought it. Needless to say an hour later, after having everyone look at us like we were thieves, we were able to leave the store with what was left of our dignity.
Electronic article surveillance is a great tool to stop shoplifting, if it is utilized correctly. This technology can be built into various types of devices in order to provide security for all types and sizes of merchandise. EAS tags are affixed to the merchandise at the store level and provide an audible alarm when someone attempts to remove the device or attempts to leave the store with the item. Stores are equipped with EAS antennas located at the exits, which sound an alarm when the item is not deactivated. When a transaction is made the EAS tags are deactivated or removed from the item to avoid mishaps like ours. Electronic article surveillance is a necessity in the loss prevention world and provides a front line defense to stop shoplifting. Granted it is important to ensure your loss prevention employees are well trained and knowledgeable of this technology so you can ensure your customers are receiving a positive experience, while protecting your merchandise.
A loss prevention program needs to be a well-rounded system that protects your interests on multiple levels. Employees and loss prevention personnel cannot be your only line of defense, but instead are there to supplement other less expensive options. Electronic article surveillance can ensure that people are not concealing property by alerting staff to breaches in security. This allows for less coverage on the floor, which results in lower costs, and increased profit margins. EAS tags will help you stop shoplifting by providing a low cost, re-useable alternative, that is easy to use and yet difficult to bypass. I think my experience proves that.
Need information on EAS tags? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
Retail Theft Prevention-4 WC Blog 280
Checkpoint security systems-4
Checkpoint Tags-3
Stop shoplifting-3
Complacency Can Carry Consequences; Emphasize Theft Daily And Use Retail Anti-Theft Devices On All Merchandise
How secure is your merchandise? Do you feel like you have strong controls in place to prevent and deter theft? It can be easy for store employees, including managers and supervisors to become complacent when it comes to retail theft prevention. Whether it is merchandise theft, cash theft or fraud of various types, we can all fall victim to complacency. I bring this up because recently at the store I work for a cashier had two computer tablets stolen from him. Were the tablets secured? While they were locked up in the stockroom they were. The theft took place when the employee took the tablets to the register to ring up. The tablets were left on the counter in front of the customer. A credit card was presented as payment but when the card was declined the thief grabbed his credit card and the two tablets and ran out the door.
Retail theft prevention requires a multi-faceted approach to stop shoplifting and other retail crimes. It should start with installing Checkpoint security systems and all the components necessary to operate the system effectively. Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS) antennas should be set up at entrances and exits and deactivation units for each checkout stand. Detachment tools secured to the register stands will ensure hard Checkpoint tags can be removed upon customer checkout. Protecting every piece of merchandise with hard or soft Checkpoint tags will stop shoplifting through deterrence and/or EAS antenna alarm activations. Theft prevention also includes controlling keys to registers and doors, employee awareness of possible signs of credit card fraud, counterfeit money schemes, short change artists and methods of shoplifting and return fraud. A Checkpoint security system can prevent the majority of shoplifting but it still requires employee education and training for proper deactivation and alarm response. It also does not prevent all the theft related crimes retailers contend with daily.
So, what could have the employee done differently with the tablet theft? He had to take the merchandise out of a locked stockroom in order to even get it for the customer. In this case, the tablets should have been kept out of reach of the customer until the transaction had completely gone through. He should have also been suspicious when the customer wanted two of the same tablets, valued around $500 a piece. Transactions that are not common should be viewed with a suspicion.
I am not trying to play Monday morning quarterback, I had a recent incident in which I was a little suspicious of a transaction and even got another employee with supervisor responsibilities to double check me. A customer was making a purchase of $3 and some change total and paying with a $100 bill. I marked the bill with a counterfeit pen and it marked properly. I had the second employee look at the bill and he agreed it felt odd but agreed with the marking pen. I completed the transaction and the customer left. I should have called for the Manager on Duty but did not until it was all done and I later learned the bill was actually counterfeit. Lesson learned. By the way, my background? About 15 years of Loss Prevention Management, 20 years of Retail Loss Prevention experience total and 26 years of total retail background.
One more example, our store uses EAS retail theft prevention devices to stop shoplifting. Recently the company Loss Prevention department revised a company theft protection strategy which gives stores direction on items to be protected with anti-shoplifting tags. Within a week of the change, a high ticket piece of merchandise (over a hundred dollars) that used to be secured with an anti-shoplifting device was stolen. Prior to the removal of the protective device there had not been a theft issue with the item in question. A Checkpoint Security System is generally as effective as the amount of merchandise protected with Checkpoint tags or other EAS anti-shoplifting devices. The removal of tags and protective devices puts products at risk.
If you don’t have one, invest in a Checkpoint Security System to prevent merchandise theft. If you DO have a system, don’t allow complacency to set in. Protect as much merchandise as you possibly can and make sure theft and fraud are regular topics of discussion with your employees. Employees make the difference in how effective your retail theft prevention strategies truly are.
Need information on Checkpoint Security Systems? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
How secure is your merchandise? Do you feel like you have strong controls in place to prevent and deter theft? It can be easy for store employees, including managers and supervisors to become complacent when it comes to retail theft prevention. Whether it is merchandise theft, cash theft or fraud of various types, we can all fall victim to complacency. I bring this up because recently at the store I work for a cashier had two computer tablets stolen from him. Were the tablets secured? While they were locked up in the stockroom they were. The theft took place when the employee took the tablets to the register to ring up. The tablets were left on the counter in front of the customer. A credit card was presented as payment but when the card was declined the thief grabbed his credit card and the two tablets and ran out the door.
Retail theft prevention requires a multi-faceted approach to stop shoplifting and other retail crimes. It should start with installing Checkpoint security systems and all the components necessary to operate the system effectively. Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS) antennas should be set up at entrances and exits and deactivation units for each checkout stand. Detachment tools secured to the register stands will ensure hard Checkpoint tags can be removed upon customer checkout. Protecting every piece of merchandise with hard or soft Checkpoint tags will stop shoplifting through deterrence and/or EAS antenna alarm activations. Theft prevention also includes controlling keys to registers and doors, employee awareness of possible signs of credit card fraud, counterfeit money schemes, short change artists and methods of shoplifting and return fraud. A Checkpoint security system can prevent the majority of shoplifting but it still requires employee education and training for proper deactivation and alarm response. It also does not prevent all the theft related crimes retailers contend with daily.
So, what could have the employee done differently with the tablet theft? He had to take the merchandise out of a locked stockroom in order to even get it for the customer. In this case, the tablets should have been kept out of reach of the customer until the transaction had completely gone through. He should have also been suspicious when the customer wanted two of the same tablets, valued around $500 a piece. Transactions that are not common should be viewed with a suspicion.
I am not trying to play Monday morning quarterback, I had a recent incident in which I was a little suspicious of a transaction and even got another employee with supervisor responsibilities to double check me. A customer was making a purchase of $3 and some change total and paying with a $100 bill. I marked the bill with a counterfeit pen and it marked properly. I had the second employee look at the bill and he agreed it felt odd but agreed with the marking pen. I completed the transaction and the customer left. I should have called for the Manager on Duty but did not until it was all done and I later learned the bill was actually counterfeit. Lesson learned. By the way, my background? About 15 years of Loss Prevention Management, 20 years of Retail Loss Prevention experience total and 26 years of total retail background.
One more example, our store uses EAS retail theft prevention devices to stop shoplifting. Recently the company Loss Prevention department revised a company theft protection strategy which gives stores direction on items to be protected with anti-shoplifting tags. Within a week of the change, a high ticket piece of merchandise (over a hundred dollars) that used to be secured with an anti-shoplifting device was stolen. Prior to the removal of the protective device there had not been a theft issue with the item in question. A Checkpoint Security System is generally as effective as the amount of merchandise protected with Checkpoint tags or other EAS anti-shoplifting devices. The removal of tags and protective devices puts products at risk.
If you don’t have one, invest in a Checkpoint Security System to prevent merchandise theft. If you DO have a system, don’t allow complacency to set in. Protect as much merchandise as you possibly can and make sure theft and fraud are regular topics of discussion with your employees. Employees make the difference in how effective your retail theft prevention strategies truly are.
Need information on Checkpoint Security Systems? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
Free Loss Prevention Calculator-3 WC blog 248
Loss Prevention Calculator-3
Can Loss Prevention Be Free?-3
It’s the time for retailers to begin thinking about preparations for inventory. You know what I’m talking about, counting up all the merchandise currently in the store, comparing it to what you sold during the past year and determining how much of your merchandise you cannot account for. Some of your losses will be due to administrative errors, but the majority of your losses will be due to employee theft and shoplifting. Have you taken steps to prevent theft? Are you relying on luck, good fortune or customer service to stop the thieves that may be driving up your shortage results? Since you are already taking inventory of your merchandise, perhaps it is time to take inventory of your theft prevention measures as well. If you aren’t using anti-theft devices because you are concerned about cost, the Free Loss Prevention Calculator may be just what you need to re-evaluate that choice.
At this point I’m sure you are wondering what a Loss Prevention Calculator is and how it can help you with inventory. The Loss Prevention calculator is a tool that gives a store owner or manager the ability to enter estimated annual sales information, and a dollar figure of how much money that owner or manager would like to invest in Loss Prevention equipment. Based on the information entered the calculator will show how long it would take for a Checkpoint System to pay for itself by reducing a shrink rate from 1.2% to 0.65%. Did I just say “Can Loss Prevention be free?” Yes, I did suggest that. Over time Loss Prevention can be free, by making a smart investment in a Checkpoint System to stop shoplifting and internal theft. The Free Loss Prevention Calculator gives you the ability to see just how much you can save and how long it will take for the system to pay for itself, (and by the way, it will). Oh to make the offer even better, there is no registration, or personal information entered before using the Loss Prevention Calculator. You enter as many different combinations as you like, you can print a pdf document that shows what you tried out. If you decide you really like the idea of starting to protect your interests, YOU make the decision to call us.
I can imagine you are still asking “Can Loss Prevention be Free?” Absolutely, yes! I have spent many years in Retail Loss Prevention and I have seen the positive effects of EAS strategy and the reduction in theft that can directly attribute to such a system. There is a deterrent value that comes as soon as a store puts antennas into place and begins tagging product. Would-be shoplifters reconsider stealing from your store and walk on out, seeking a new and easier mark to steal from. There is also a very real practical side, Checkpoint tags work with electronic article surveillance antennas to cause alarm activations when unpaid merchandise is being removed from the store. This alarm provides store personnel an opportunity to react and recover that merchandise and prevent a loss. The positive impact on your store’s shortage results will prove to you that over time a Checkpoint System will pay for itself.
Stop asking, “Can Loss Prevention be free?” Use this inventory preparation time to prepare for next year’s inventory by trying out the Free Loss Prevention Calculator. With so much free stuff available, what’s the risk in trying? Let the results speak for themselves.
Get more information on the Free Loss prevention Calculator, contact us or call 1.966.426.0547 today.
It’s the time for retailers to begin thinking about preparations for inventory. You know what I’m talking about, counting up all the merchandise currently in the store, comparing it to what you sold during the past year and determining how much of your merchandise you cannot account for. Some of your losses will be due to administrative errors, but the majority of your losses will be due to employee theft and shoplifting. Have you taken steps to prevent theft? Are you relying on luck, good fortune or customer service to stop the thieves that may be driving up your shortage results? Since you are already taking inventory of your merchandise, perhaps it is time to take inventory of your theft prevention measures as well. If you aren’t using anti-theft devices because you are concerned about cost, the Free Loss Prevention Calculator may be just what you need to re-evaluate that choice.
At this point I’m sure you are wondering what a Loss Prevention Calculator is and how it can help you with inventory. The Loss Prevention calculator is a tool that gives a store owner or manager the ability to enter estimated annual sales information, and a dollar figure of how much money that owner or manager would like to invest in Loss Prevention equipment. Based on the information entered the calculator will show how long it would take for a Checkpoint System to pay for itself by reducing a shrink rate from 1.2% to 0.65%. Did I just say “Can Loss Prevention be free?” Yes, I did suggest that. Over time Loss Prevention can be free, by making a smart investment in a Checkpoint System to stop shoplifting and internal theft. The Free Loss Prevention Calculator gives you the ability to see just how much you can save and how long it will take for the system to pay for itself, (and by the way, it will). Oh to make the offer even better, there is no registration, or personal information entered before using the Loss Prevention Calculator. You enter as many different combinations as you like, you can print a pdf document that shows what you tried out. If you decide you really like the idea of starting to protect your interests, YOU make the decision to call us.
I can imagine you are still asking “Can Loss Prevention be Free?” Absolutely, yes! I have spent many years in Retail Loss Prevention and I have seen the positive effects of EAS strategy and the reduction in theft that can directly attribute to such a system. There is a deterrent value that comes as soon as a store puts antennas into place and begins tagging product. Would-be shoplifters reconsider stealing from your store and walk on out, seeking a new and easier mark to steal from. There is also a very real practical side, Checkpoint tags work with electronic article surveillance antennas to cause alarm activations when unpaid merchandise is being removed from the store. This alarm provides store personnel an opportunity to react and recover that merchandise and prevent a loss. The positive impact on your store’s shortage results will prove to you that over time a Checkpoint System will pay for itself.
Stop asking, “Can Loss Prevention be free?” Use this inventory preparation time to prepare for next year’s inventory by trying out the Free Loss Prevention Calculator. With so much free stuff available, what’s the risk in trying? Let the results speak for themselves.
Get more information on the Free Loss prevention Calculator, contact us or call 1.966.426.0547 today.
As a retail business owner, I know how hard it is to find adequate security resources to stop shoplifting and to protect your merchandise. Throughout my career I have tried various options, all of which vary considerably when it comes to price, quality and effectiveness. Poor quality security products can be very frustrating to small business owners, especially when the cost of security is often a financial burden to start with. That is why it is important for you to get quality products the first time, so you can avoid the added cost and headache associated with buying inadequate products. I don’t know how many times I have purchased a product hoping that it would meet my security needs; just to determine that the poor quality makes it more trouble than it is worth. I believe that knowledge is power and in this industry it is imperative that we try and share our experiences and help each other avoid making the same mistakes. That is why I purchase Checkpoint labels, because they provide a multi-faceted retail & security function. Their quality is unparalleled and I am always pleasantly surprised by the products’ effectiveness.
Checkpoint labels provide a convenient and cost-efficient way to stop shoplifting and protect all of your products. There are various types of labels, which come in different shapes and sizes, to meet all of your product needs. These labels can be equipped with EAS technology to provide accurate security notification. They are equipped with state of the art technology, which provides improved frequency programming capabilities to ensure proper EAS activation and deactivation, which ultimately improves customer satisfaction. You can also purchase applicators and printers specific to these types of labels, which makes it very convenient to create your own custom labels, and affix them quickly and efficiently. The printers allow you to add pricing, barcodes or branding information in order to customize them to meet your retail needs. The applicators provide a quick and efficient means to apply the labels to bulk product at the store level, which saves time and money. These labels are made with a high quality adhesive to ensure the labels stay affixed once they are applied to the product. Using inferior labels will result in higher costs and product loss; trust me I know from experience. Using Checkpoint labels has allowed my business to combine both the pricing and EAS security into one tagging system. Using one label has saved me a considerable amount of money and improved product security.
As a retail owner or manager it is important to choose quality protection to stop shoplifting. This will help you to avoid products that do not function properly or fail to meet your security needs. I have had my fair share of labels that have fallen off or have been removed in the store, thus rendering them ineffective. In many instances the cheap labels would include many labels that didn’t even activate, sometimes up to half of the roll, which only adds to the overhead cost of security. It is a horrible feeling to find your security labels in random places throughout the store, knowing your property is just walking out the door. Checkpoint labels are a quality product that will not only adhere properly, but will also allow for convenient application and printing options, to service all your needs. The labels are equipped with EAS technology that supersedes other brands that claim to be equally compatible. Don’t waste your money purchasing an inferior product when you can get the best quality products all in one place.
Need information on Checkpoint Labels? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
As the holiday season comes to a close it is time to already begin thinking about inventory. There are so many things to do to prepare to ensure you get the most accurate results. Will you count your store with your own staff? Will you hire an outside agency to do the inventory? How soon will you start to prep your store(s) before inventory? Regardless of how big or small your store is these are all questions to consider. Having been involved in store inventories for over 26 years, I have been an Inventory Leader for a big box retailer, an Audit Captain in charge of inventory prep, a prepper and a counter. I have some personal insights I would like to share that can assist a store owner or manager in their preparations. One important consideration I have for all stores is that this is the perfect time to ensure proper retail theft prevention tactics are in place. From top to bottom look at your Checkpoint Security System and make sure it is functioning properly and Checkpoint tags are protecting all of your merchandise.
When I speak of inspecting your Checkpoint Security System I am referring to several things. Place a service call to have a technician ensure the antennas are all functioning properly. If any tuning or tweaking is in order they can make sure it is taken care of. A technician can also verify all of the deactivation pads are working at peak efficiency and replace any equipment that may be faulty. Just as you get your car inspected occasionally to make sure it is performing at its best, a Checkpoint Security System should be given the same care. In this way you will ensure you are taking proper steps to stop shoplifting AND internal theft.
I also would suggest that store managers use the time of preparation for inventory to verify that all merchandise is protected withCheckpoint tags. Prepping involves making sure each product has a scannable barcode on it so it will be counted accurately. As employees are verifying that barcodes are in place, the time should be used to validate that Checkpoint tags are also on the item. Not only will this ensure you will stop shoplifting of those items in the future, you will also protect against potential theft by an outside inventory crew, if you choose to hire one. Just like any other company, the vast majority of employees are honest but during my years as a Loss Prevention Manager I did have a few inventory counters I caught stealing and others I suspected of stealing. Remember, these people will have access to stockroom areas and “off-stage” areas not normally accessible to regular customers. If you don’t normally protect your merchandise with Checkpoint tags until the product hits the sales floor, I recommend using this preparation time to tag it while it is in the stockroom. Again, you are already checking for product barcodes anyways so why not maximize the productivity? Retail theft prevention should start in the stockroom anyways, this helps protect against employee theft.
A few other suggestions I would like to share for a successful inventory:
– Whether you are going to have an outside agency or your own team count, have a group of employees ready to do random audits. Auditing will catch errors and identify if there is one person making multiple mistakes.
– Check everywhere for stray merchandise, under base decks, in offices, desks, on top of fixtures. Remember, every piece of merchandise counts.
– Think about when you want to conduct inventory. Will you do it before or after store opening? Will you do it overnight? Some stores conduct it while still open. Do you have enough staff to operate the store and conduct an inventory?
– Will you provide food for your employees during inventory? Not only does it help morale, it can provide energy to keep your employees alert and attentive.
– If you provide food, avoid sugary desserts and sweets until after inventory is complete. Instead, fruits, vegetable trays, even subs or pizzas may be alternatives to consider. Sweets will give a brief energy burst and then wear off.
Be ready for inventory and improve your results this year and the following year by getting your Checkpoint Security System checked. By validating all merchandise is protected with Checkpoint tags you will deter the chance of theft during inventory and strengthen your retail theft prevention strategy for the rest of the year.
Get more information on Checkpoint Security Systems, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.
