AA blog 07: Electronic Article Surveillance
Electronic Article Surveillance: 4
EAS Labels: 5
Stop Shoplifting: 3
Where’s the Beef? Why Electronic Article Surveillance is a Necessary Part of Any Business.
If you have been in the local grocery store lately or if you happen to own one, you are very well aware of the constant inflation of food prices. I notice when prices are fluctuating, especially when I go to buy my favorite Honeycrisp apples, that are running anywhere from $2.00-$3.00 a pound, or a nice juicy steak that can cost me upwards of $15.00. Unfortunately for us consumers, we can’t do anything to reduce these costs, aside from comparative shopping and looking for local discounts. There are many reasons why our agricultural market continues to increase consumer prices by an average of 2-3% a year. Many variables contribute to this rate, which can fluctuate depending on the weather and other economic variables. The cost of oil is a huge factor in the cost of food products. This is due the rising price of gas, which affects delivery costs and can limit resource availability. Droughts in states such as California and Texas can affect crop and meat production and availability, which increase prices due to supply and demand issues. This also presents a problem for grocery store owners because they continue to mark-up prices in order to provide these products and maintain profits. As prices continue to rise we are also seeing higher theft rates in the food industry. So what are these companies doing to help secure their products and stop shoplifting? Many businesses are utilizing Electronic Article Surveillance solutions to label and detect theft.
If you aren’t familiar with EAS Labels or how Electronic Article Surveillance works to reduce shrinkage, let me be the first to tell you what an important role they can play for you and your company. As a loss prevention manager I have seen the positive impact this system has had on businesses of all types and sizes. EAS labels come in various types and sizes to accommodate various products. They provide a discreet means to apply EAS technology to a product, which can be detected by EAS antennas, to stop shoplifting. Specially designed Checkpoint labels have been created specifically for the food industry. They are FDA approved and do not impact the integrity of the product. This allows them to be placed directly on fresh meat or frozen product packaging and is microwave safe. They are small sticker tags that are equipped with EAS technology. This technology is compatible with various checkout systems, which provide for a convenient way to deactivate the EAS signal at the time of checkout, with no added effort. These EAS labels can be printed at the store level, making the process simple and efficient. There are various other soft labels that are equipped with EAS that can be used for non-food products as well. This can be a benefit to those grocery stores that sell other products such as cosmetics, medicine and vitamins, jewelry and other high priced items such as electronics. These clear adhesive labels contain a small bar code that can be printed and affixed to products, without reducing the visibility of the product. These EAS labels will substantially reduce shoplifting through deterrence and detection.
If you want to stop shoplifting in your stores, reduce overhead cost, improve customer relations and increase profit, consider upgrading your security to include Electronic Article Surveillance. Adding EAS labels to your high valued items is imperative to reduce theft. As a consumer I will continue to look for lower prices and shop in stores that don’t over-stretch my budget. Pricing, quality and convenience will continue to drive purchasing preferences, so do yourself a favor and protect your merchandise, so you can remain competitive in the market.
Get more information on Electronic Article Surveillance, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547, now.
If you have been in the local grocery store lately or if you happen to own one, you are very well aware of the constant inflation of food prices. I notice when prices are fluctuating, especially when I go to buy my favorite Honeycrisp apples, that are running anywhere from $2.00-$3.00 a pound, or a nice juicy steak that can cost me upwards of $15.00. Unfortunately for us consumers, we can’t do anything to reduce these costs, aside from comparative shopping and looking for local discounts. There are many reasons why our agricultural market continues to increase consumer prices by an average of 2-3% a year. Many variables contribute to this rate, which can fluctuate depending on the weather and other economic variables. The cost of oil is a huge factor in the cost of food products. This is due the rising price of gas, which affects delivery costs and can limit resource availability. Droughts in states such as California and Texas can affect crop and meat production and availability, which increase prices due to supply and demand issues. This also presents a problem for grocery store owners because they continue to mark-up prices in order to provide these products and maintain profits. As prices continue to rise we are also seeing higher theft rates in the food industry. So what are these companies doing to help secure their products and stop shoplifting? Many businesses are utilizing Electronic Article Surveillance solutions to label and detect theft.
If you aren’t familiar with EAS Labels or how Electronic Article Surveillance works to reduce shrinkage, let me be the first to tell you what an important role they can play for you and your company. As a loss prevention manager I have seen the positive impact this system has had on businesses of all types and sizes. EAS labels come in various types and sizes to accommodate various products. They provide a discreet means to apply EAS technology to a product, which can be detected by EAS antennas, to stop shoplifting. Specially designed Checkpoint labels have been created specifically for the food industry. They are FDA approved and do not impact the integrity of the product. This allows them to be placed directly on fresh meat or frozen product packaging and is microwave safe. They are small sticker tags that are equipped with EAS technology. This technology is compatible with various checkout systems, which provide for a convenient way to deactivate the EAS signal at the time of checkout, with no added effort. These EAS labels can be printed at the store level, making the process simple and efficient. There are various other soft labels that are equipped with EAS that can be used for non-food products as well. This can be a benefit to those grocery stores that sell other products such as cosmetics, medicine and vitamins, jewelry and other high priced items such as electronics. These clear adhesive labels contain a small bar code that can be printed and affixed to products, without reducing the visibility of the product. These EAS labels will substantially reduce shoplifting through deterrence and detection.
If you want to stop shoplifting in your stores, reduce overhead cost, improve customer relations and increase profit, consider upgrading your security to include Electronic Article Surveillance. Adding EAS labels to your high valued items is imperative to reduce theft. As a consumer I will continue to look for lower prices and shop in stores that don’t over-stretch my budget. Pricing, quality and convenience will continue to drive purchasing preferences, so do yourself a favor and protect your merchandise, so you can remain competitive in the market.
Get more information on Electronic Article Surveillance, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547, now.
Checkpoint Security System-3 WC Blog 263
Checkpoint Systems-3
Checkpoint Tags-5
Checkpoint Labels-4
Stop Shoplifting-3
Checkpoint Security Systems Are Key To Your Inventory Control: Part 1
Loss Prevention professionals like to throw around the term inventory control whenever we are discussing merchandise shrinkage and how to prevent it. While the idea of inventory control is valid, there are many facets about it that must be considered when we are making reference to it. Often, I believe we in Loss Prevention start to discuss tactics to control inventory and we can lose sight of the object of those tactics. Here is what I mean; inventory control is the ability to accurately know what is coming into your building, knowing where it is in your building, knowing all that transpires with that merchandise (ie; markdowns, buy backs, vendor credits, etc.) and knowing how it leaves the building (via point of sale, vendor returns, chargebacks, etc.). When you have all that knowledge you have control over inventory. Implementing strategies to control inventory includes such things as Direct to Store Delivery processing, receipt of vendor credits, building alarm controls, key controls, stockroom access controls and so on. Each process can make a significant impact on shortage come inventory time. What I would like to discuss are several strategies a retailer can use to exert more control over their inventory. The first strategy I want to strongly encourage is to invest in a Checkpoint Security System.
By purchasing a Checkpoint Security System you are taking measures to stop shoplifting and you can also deter internal theft and vendor theft as well. Checkpoint systems include electronic article surveillance (EAS) antennas in a variety of models, Checkpoint tags and Checkpoint labels, deactivation pads and detachment tools for checkout stands. When used together, Checkpoint Tags and Checkpoint Labels are placed on merchandise to stop shoplifting and when shoplifting is attempted, these devices cause the EAS antennas to sound their alarms and alert employees that merchandise is being removed from the store. Deactivation pads basically “turn off” Checkpoint labels after an item is purchased so the EAS antennas don’t alarm. Removal tools allow cashiers to take the hard Checkpoint tags off of items as they are purchased.
Store goods can be protected with soft Checkpoint Labels that can be applied to a variety of different products, from meat soaker pads to blister packed merchandise and even cosmetics. Hard Checkpoint Tags provide protective solutions for almost any other product carried, including but not limited to clothing, softlines accessories, peg hole protection, the list goes on. My point is, once merchandise is protected it is hard for anyone to sneak products out of a store. Not only do Checkpoint tags stop shoplifting but the employee who wants to steal has a difficult time getting past security measures. I have apprehended dishonest employees who had stolen merchandise that was protected but had to go to significant lengths to try to bypass our Checkpoint Security System. There are also vendors that will try to steal, taking merchandise out in purses, bags, between empty cartons and Checkpoint Systems detect them too making no distinctions between shoplifters, employees or vendors.
Where does inventory control begin with tagging? It begins as soon as merchandise is received. Arrangements can be made through Checkpoint for vendor source tagging of some items and other merchandise a store will be responsible for tagging. Tagging products immediately eliminates most opportunities for any type of theft and store owners/managers have exerted control over how that product will leave their building.
Inventory Control is a simple concept, controlling where your merchandise is or where it is going. Checkpoint Systems can help ensure your merchandise stays in the store until it goes out through a point of sale and drive up profits.
Need information on Checkpoint Security Systems? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
Loss Prevention professionals like to throw around the term inventory control whenever we are discussing merchandise shrinkage and how to prevent it. While the idea of inventory control is valid, there are many facets about it that must be considered when we are making reference to it. Often, I believe we in Loss Prevention start to discuss tactics to control inventory and we can lose sight of the object of those tactics. Here is what I mean; inventory control is the ability to accurately know what is coming into your building, knowing where it is in your building, knowing all that transpires with that merchandise (ie; markdowns, buy backs, vendor credits, etc.) and knowing how it leaves the building (via point of sale, vendor returns, chargebacks, etc.). When you have all that knowledge you have control over inventory. Implementing strategies to control inventory includes such things as Direct to Store Delivery processing, receipt of vendor credits, building alarm controls, key controls, stockroom access controls and so on. Each process can make a significant impact on shortage come inventory time. What I would like to discuss are several strategies a retailer can use to exert more control over their inventory. The first strategy I want to strongly encourage is to invest in a Checkpoint Security System.
By purchasing a Checkpoint Security System you are taking measures to stop shoplifting and you can also deter internal theft and vendor theft as well. Checkpoint systems include electronic article surveillance (EAS) antennas in a variety of models, Checkpoint tags and Checkpoint labels, deactivation pads and detachment tools for checkout stands. When used together, Checkpoint Tags and Checkpoint Labels are placed on merchandise to stop shoplifting and when shoplifting is attempted, these devices cause the EAS antennas to sound their alarms and alert employees that merchandise is being removed from the store. Deactivation pads basically “turn off” Checkpoint labels after an item is purchased so the EAS antennas don’t alarm. Removal tools allow cashiers to take the hard Checkpoint tags off of items as they are purchased.
Store goods can be protected with soft Checkpoint Labels that can be applied to a variety of different products, from meat soaker pads to blister packed merchandise and even cosmetics. Hard Checkpoint Tags provide protective solutions for almost any other product carried, including but not limited to clothing, softlines accessories, peg hole protection, the list goes on. My point is, once merchandise is protected it is hard for anyone to sneak products out of a store. Not only do Checkpoint tags stop shoplifting but the employee who wants to steal has a difficult time getting past security measures. I have apprehended dishonest employees who had stolen merchandise that was protected but had to go to significant lengths to try to bypass our Checkpoint Security System. There are also vendors that will try to steal, taking merchandise out in purses, bags, between empty cartons and Checkpoint Systems detect them too making no distinctions between shoplifters, employees or vendors.
Where does inventory control begin with tagging? It begins as soon as merchandise is received. Tagging products immediately eliminates most opportunities for any type of theft and store owners/managers have exerted control over how that product will leave their building.
Inventory Control is a simple concept, controlling where your merchandise is or where it is going. Checkpoint Systems can help ensure your merchandise stays in the store until it goes out through a point of sale and drive up profits.
Need information on Checkpoint Security Systems? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
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Checkpoint hard Tags-3
Stop Shoplifting -4
Gen 3 Checkpoint Hard Tags Can Keep You From Feeling Blue From Jean Theft
Ask anyone who has been in Loss Prevention and they can probably tell you about a shoplifter or a group of shoplifters who they will always remember. It may because of what they were stealing or the manner of theft. It may even be how they acted once they were stopped. I have a number of these stories from my many years as a Loss Prevention Associate and a Loss Prevention Manager. While I enjoy being able to share these experiences, I also like to be able to share what may have prevented the situation and the lessons learned so that retail owners and managers may be able to prevent shoplifting incidents in their stores. Many of the lessons learned involve merchandise protection strategies that would have been useful to stop shoplifting before it got out of hand. One of the Checkpoint hard tags I wish I had access to was the Checkpoint Gen 3 Checkpoint tag.
Before I go on with my story, let me share a bit of information on what the Gen 3 Checkpoint hard tags are so that it makes sense how it would have made a difference for our store. The Gen 3 tag is a two-piece hard tag that is pinned together through a piece of clothing. It has an aesthetically appealing disc shaped design that does not take away from the appearance of a garment. Yet, while it has a pleasing look it is durable, tamper resistant and difficult to take off without the proper removal device. It is built to activate electronic article surveillance antennas in the event of an attempt to shoplift the merchandise it is attached to. The alarm activation elicits response from store personnel so they can recover the merchandise before it is removed from the store.
In the case I referenced earlier, I was the Loss Prevention Manager for a big box retailer. We had been experiencing a sharp increase in the loss of denim jeans from our store and I had to try to put a stop to it. We had two issues that we were contending with, one being that we are in a tourist area and we had a lot of people wearing backpacks to the store and we did not check them at when they walked in or hold them at our return desk due to liability concerns. Second, we did not have enough security staff to be in the store during all hours of operation so it was apparent when we did not have a uniformed security officer at our front doors. I had our team begin doing live surveillances on the jean wall and leaving a camera on them when we were not there, reviewing that video when we were back at work. The only protections to stop shoplifting of the merchandise at the time were soft Checkpoint tags applied to the manufacturer hang tag. Unfortunately, we were finding the manufacturer tags and the electronic article surveillance tags lying around the store and in the fitting rooms. Eventually our efforts with surveillance paid off and we got a suspect on camera.
We had some foreign student workers who were brought in to work for tourist oriented businesses in our area during the summer. Some of these student workers were known to be stealing in a number of stores but it was not always easy to catch them since they tended to work in groups. Through live video surveillance we did see a couple of young ladies filling their purses with several pair of jeans after removing tags and we apprehended them. This did not completely stop shoplifting of denims, but it did seem to slow down significantly after this arrest. The shoplifters had their work visas revoked and they received fines for the theft.
The lesson I hope those reading this article will take away is that had the Gen 3 Checkpoint hard tags been available to us, we could have taken better steps to protect the merchandise and not suffered the losses we did before catching our thieves. If you have hard to tag merchandise, look at the electronic article surveillance options available to stop shoplifting offered by Checkpoint.
For more information on Checkpoint hard tags contact us or call 1.770.426.0547
Ask anyone who has been in Loss Prevention and they can probably tell you about a shoplifter or a group of shoplifters who they will always remember. It may because of what they were stealing or the manner of theft. It may even be how they acted once they were stopped. I have a number of these stories from my many years as a Loss Prevention Associate and a Loss Prevention Manager. While I enjoy being able to share these experiences, I also like to be able to share what may have prevented the situation and the lessons learned so that retail owners and managers may be able to prevent shoplifting incidents in their stores. Many of the lessons learned involve merchandise protection strategies that would have been useful to stop shoplifting before it got out of hand. One of the Checkpoint hard tags I wish I had access to was the Checkpoint Gen 3 Checkpoint tag.
Before I go on with my story, let me share a bit of information on what the Gen 3 Checkpoint hard tags are so that it makes sense how it would have made a difference for our store. The Gen 3 tag is a two-piece hard tag that is pinned together through a piece of clothing. It has an aesthetically appealing disc shaped design that does not take away from the appearance of a garment. Yet, while it has a pleasing look it is durable, tamper resistant and difficult to take off without the proper removal device. It is built to activate electronic article surveillance antennas in the event of an attempt to shoplift the merchandise it is attached to. The alarm activation elicits response from store personnel so they can recover the merchandise before it is removed from the store.
In the case I referenced earlier, I was the Loss Prevention Manager for a big box retailer. We had been experiencing a sharp increase in the loss of denim jeans from our store and I had to try to put a stop to it. We had two issues that we were contending with, one being that we are in a tourist area and we had a lot of people wearing backpacks to the store and we did not check them when they walked in or hold them at our return desk due to liability concerns. Second, we did not have enough security staff to be in the store during all hours of operation so it was apparent when we did not have a uniformed security officer at our front doors. I had our team begin doing live surveillances on the jean wall and leaving a camera on them when we were not there, reviewing that video when we were back at work. The only protections to stop shoplifting of the merchandise at the time were soft Checkpoint tags applied to the manufacturer hang tag. Unfortunately, we were finding the manufacturer tags and the electronic article surveillance tags lying around the store and in the fitting rooms. Eventually our efforts with surveillance paid off and we got a suspect on camera.
We had some foreign student workers who were brought in to work for tourist oriented businesses in our area during the summer. Some of these student workers were known to be stealing in a number of stores but it was not always easy to catch them since they tended to work in groups. Through live video surveillance we did see a couple of young ladies filling their purses with several pair of jeans after removing tags and we apprehended them.This did not completely stop shoplifting of denims, but it did seem to slow down significantly after this arrest. The shoplifters had their work visas revoked and they received fines for the theft.
The lesson I hope those reading this article will take away is that had the Gen 3 Checkpoint hard tags been available to us, we could have taken better steps to protect the merchandise and not suffered the losses we did before catching our thieves. If you have hard to tag merchandise, look at the electronic article surveillance options available to stop shoplifting offered by Checkpoint.
For more information on Checkpoint hard tags, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547
Stop Shoplifting-3 WC Blog 157
Checkpoint labels-3
“Witless” Protection Program; Trying To Stop Shoplifting And Dumb Criminals, True Loss Prevention Stories Part I
Looking back on my U.S. Air Force experiences and my Loss Prevention experiences, I have to
wonder what some people were thinking (or not thinking as the case may be) when they
committed their crimes. Some people commit criminal acts, and in return for testifying against
others, they are exonerated or given plea deals, they may even be placed in a Witness
Protection Program. In my efforts to stop shoplifting, I have never dealt with those people. I, on the other hand, have dealt with some who should have been placed in a “Witless Protection Program” because they just…well, let my examples speak for themselves.
In one store which I worked, our team frequently focused efforts to stop shoplifting in the jewelry department where we saw a high stock shortage percentage. One day I watched a teenage girl as she stopped at a jewelry counter and began looking at earrings on countertop displays. I observed her select and place a pair of earrings in her pants pocket and head for the doors. Our earrings did not have any Checkpoint labels on the backers so unfortunately, no alarm sounded when people would exit with stolen earrings. Well, that turned out to be the case this time. The young lady exited, no alarm sounded, but I knew she had the merchandise so I stopped her and returned with her to go to the security office. As we arrived in the office, my shoplifter had a sudden “asthma attack”. I might have taken it seriously had I not observed her sliding the earrings from her pocket and trying to hide them underneath her posterior as she slid down the wall to the floor. She was very dramatic, wheezing, breathing hard and holding her chest with her free hand. I informed my suspect that if she got a break during her asthma attack I would appreciate it if she could hand me the earrings she had taken out of her pocket and was sitting on. It didn’t take too long before the “asthma attack” was over. Earrings recovered and teenager turned over to mom.
It isn’t always easy to stop shoplifting of some merchandise because it is so small it can be hard to detect. Then there are situations when it is apparent someone has stolen merchandise, but the suspect is clueless. In another store where I was the Loss Prevention Manager, I encountered a “Nitwit” thief who decided to steal a Maglite flashlight. If you aren’t familiar with these items they are the large, aluminum flashlights often carried by police officers. This particular flashlight is nearly one foot in length. I watched from the end of the aisle as the perpetrator removed the flashlight from the peghook and placed it down the front of his pants. It was so long it stuck out of the top of his waistband. These items were protected with Checkpoint labels and when I followed him to the front of the store, as he started through the Checkpoint antennas, the alarm did sound and I stopped him. Once we were back in the security office he tried to deny he had anything despite the alarm activation AND until I pointed out the part of the flashlight that I could see! Yes, another candidate for the “Witless Protection Program”.
During my time in the U.S. Air Force, I was a Law Enforcement Specialist. On one occasion when I was on patrol I received a call to respond to a location for an attempted suicide. When I arrived I pulled in front of a red, fastback Ford Mustang and noticed a young man was sitting on the curb in front of this unique, classic car looking rather sheepish. The driver who was standing beside the suspect told me the young man had decided to try to kill himself by jumping in front of his car. The driver turned the Airman over to my custody and left. As I took the slightly inebriated Airman into custody I explained to him that the next time he decided to try to commit suicide, it would be best not to do it in front of the Base Commander’s car! My prisoner would have been a perfect fit for the “Witless Protection Program”.
There are plenty of thieves and just plain dumb criminals out there. Some are shoplifters. For those who shoplift Checkpoint labels work and can stop shoplifting. Keep your “wits” about you and protect the merchandise in your store and keep profits up.
Need information on Checkpoint labels? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
Looking back on my U.S. Air Force experiences and my Loss Prevention experiences, I have towonder what some people were thinking (or not thinking as the case may be) when theycommitted their crimes. Some people commit criminal acts, and in return for testifying againstothers, they are exonerated or given plea deals, they may even be placed in a WitnessProtection Program. In my efforts to stop shoplifting, I have never dealt with those people. I, on the other hand, have dealt with some who should have been placed in a “Witless Protection Program” because they just…well, let my examples speak for themselves.
In one store which I worked, our team frequently focused efforts to stop shoplifting in the jewelry department where we saw a high stock shortage percentage. One day I watched a teenage girl as she stopped at a jewelry counter and began looking at earrings on countertop displays. I observed her select and place a pair of earrings in her pants pocket and head for the doors. Our earrings did not have any Checkpoint labels on the backers so unfortunately, no alarm sounded when people would exit with stolen earrings. Well, that turned out to be the case this time. The young lady exited, no alarm sounded, but I knew she had the merchandise so I stopped her and returned with her to go to the security office. As we arrived in the office, my shoplifter had a sudden “asthma attack”. I might have taken it seriously had I not observed her sliding the earrings from her pocket and trying to hide them underneath her posterior as she slid down the wall to the floor. She was very dramatic, wheezing, breathing hard and holding her chest with her free hand. I informed my suspect that if she got a break during her asthma attack I would appreciate it if she could hand me the earrings she had taken out of her pocket and was sitting on. It didn’t take too long before the “asthma attack” was over. Earrings recovered and teenager turned over to mom.
It isn’t always easy to stop shoplifting of some merchandise because it is so small it can be hard to detect. Then there are situations when it is apparent someone has stolen merchandise, but the suspect is clueless. In another store where I was the Loss Prevention Manager, I encountered a “Nitwit” thief who decided to steal a Maglite flashlight. If you aren’t familiar with these items they are the large, aluminum flashlights often carried by police officers. This particular flashlight is nearly one foot in length. I watched from the end of the aisle as the perpetrator removed the flashlight from the peghook and placed it down the front of his pants. It was so long it stuck out of the top of his waistband. These items were protected with Checkpoint labels and when I followed him to the front of the store, as he started through the Checkpoint antennas, the alarm did sound and I stopped him. Once we were back in the security office he tried to deny he had anything despite the alarm activation AND until I pointed out the part of the flashlight that I could see! Yes, another candidate for the “Witless Protection Program”.
During my time in the U.S. Air Force, I was a Law Enforcement Specialist. On one occasion when I was on patrol I received a call to respond to a location for an attempted suicide. When I arrived I pulled in front of a red, fastback Ford Mustang and noticed a young man was sitting on the curb in front of this unique, classic car looking rather sheepish. The driver who was standing beside the suspect told me the young man had decided to try to kill himself by jumping in front of his car. The driver turned the Airman over to my custody and left. As I took the slightly inebriated Airman into custody I explained to him that the next time he decided to try to commit suicide, it would be best not to do it in front of the Base Commander’s car! My prisoner would have been a perfect fit for the “Witless Protection Program”.
There are plenty of thieves and just plain dumb criminals out there. Some are shoplifters. For those who shoplift Checkpoint labels work and can stop shoplifting. Keep your “wits” about you and protect the merchandise in your store and keep profits up.
Need information on Checkpoint labels? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
Checkpoint Security Tags-3 WC blog 224
Stop Shoplifting-3
Electronic Article Surveillance-4
Checkpoint tags-3
Tips To Identify Potential Shoplifters And How The Use Of Checkpoint Tags And Customer Service Can Prevent Theft Part 1
When you work in Retail Loss Prevention long enough you are bound to come across some people who insist they know how to tell if someone is a shoplifter. When pressed on how they have this “skill”, it is my experience that I will hear something along the lines of, “I can just tell.” or “They have that look.” I would like to put that notion to rest. There is no way to look at a person and be able to say he or she is a shoplifter. I have been involved in Loss Prevention or retail in general for over 26 years and I have dealt with shoplifters (who knew what they were doing) as young as 8 years old and as old as 75 years of age. I have apprehended people who were down on their luck and those who had wallets full of cash. In this series what I would like to do is help retailers stop shoplifting by giving tips on signals that may indicate someone intends to shoplift and how Checkpoint security tags can deter those thieves.
Before going any further I would like to mention that while it is good to know the signs to look for in order to stop shoplifting, it is best if you can deter them from even coming into your store. How do you do this? You do it by having an electronic article surveillance (EAS) system in your building. This includes Checkpoint antennas installed at your doors, detachment keys at the registers to remove Checkpoint security tags and finally, Checkpoint hard tags attached to clothing and other merchandise. Whether they are opportunistic shoplifters or professionals, they all know what an electronic article surveillance system is and will try to avoid them if they know employees respond to alarms when the antennas are set off. Checkpoint hard tags are available for softline and hardline merchandise and all have EAS radio frequency technology built in. When a tagged item is carried in range of an electronic article surveillance antenna, alarms in the antenna are activated and employees respond to conduct receipt checks and recover unpaid merchandise.
When a stubborn shoplifter decides to try to steal from a store despite the use of Checkpoint tags, there are signals owners/managers or staff can look for that may indicate the person needs “extra special” customer service.
• Look at how a customer dresses. I am not talking about the condition of their clothing I am speaking about whether they are wearing seasonable clothing. Is it warm and sunny outside and the shopper is wearing a coat? They may intend to keep the coat zipped and stuff it with merchandise. They may also have pockets inside the jacket they intend to fill up.
• When the customer enters the store do they have a ball cap or hat pulled low over their face or are they wearing a “hoodie” with the hood pulled up? They may also be wearing their sunglasses or a combination of these items. All are methods used to prevent possible security cameras from capturing their face.
• When they are in the store, does the customer quickly refuse offers of customer assistance? Many people want to just shop, but how they react to the offer can be an indicator they may be up to something.
• Watch for shoppers with large shopping bags from other stores, especially when those stores are not located near yours. When that bag is nearly empty, be even more alert to that person, it may start to fill up quickly.
• Look for the shopper who looks around at the ceiling. No, they aren’t admiring your lighting they are looking for security cameras.
• Is the customer looking at labels and inspecting for Checkpoint security tags rather than examining the merchandise? This is a good indicator they are trying to decide if they might risk setting off an electronic article surveillance alarm antenna or if they want to try to remove Checkpoint tags.
These are not all of the indicators of a possible thief but they are signals I have successfully used to stop shoplifting.
In part 2 of this series I will discuss how Checkpoint tags can deter even the hard core thief. I will also discuss methods you and your staff can use to prevent these die hard thieves from stealing from you without being confrontational or making accusations
Need information on Checkpoint security tags? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
When you work in Retail Loss Prevention long enough you are bound to come across some people who insist they know how to tell if someone is a shoplifter. When pressed on how they have this “skill”, it is my experience that I will hear something along the lines of, “I can just tell.” or “They have that look.” I would like to put that notion to rest. There is no way to look at a person and be able to say he or she is a shoplifter. I have been involved in Loss Prevention or retail in general for over 26 years and I have dealt with shoplifters (who knew what they were doing) as young as 8 years old and as old as 75 years of age. I have apprehended people who were down on their luck and those who had wallets full of cash. In this series what I would like to do is help retailers stop shoplifting by giving tips on signals that may indicate someone intends to shoplift and how Checkpoint security tags can deter those thieves.
Before going any further I would like to mention that while it is good to know the signs to look for in order to stop shoplifting, it is best if you can deter them from even coming into your store. How do you do this? You do it by having an electronic article surveillance (EAS) system in your building. This includes Checkpoint antennas installed at your doors, detachment keys at the registers to remove Checkpoint security tags and finally, Checkpoint hard tags attached to clothing and other merchandise. Whether they are opportunistic shoplifters or professionals, they all know what an electronic article surveillance system is and will try to avoid them if they know employees respond to alarms when the antennas are set off. Checkpoint hard tags are available for softline and hardline merchandise and all have EAS radio frequency technology built in. When a tagged item is carried in range of an electronic article surveillance antenna, alarms in the antenna are activated and employees respond to conduct receipt checks and recover unpaid merchandise.
When a stubborn shoplifter decides to try to steal from a store despite the use of Checkpoint tags, there are signals owners/managers or staff can look for that may indicate the person needs “extra special” customer service.
• Look at how a customer dresses. I am not talking about the condition of their clothing I am speaking about whether they are wearing seasonable clothing. Is it warm and sunny outside and the shopper is wearing a coat? They may intend to keep the coat zipped and stuff it with merchandise. They may also have pockets inside the jacket they intend to fill up.
• When the customer enters the store do they have a ball cap or hat pulled low over their face or are they wearing a “hoodie” with the hood pulled up? They may also be wearing their sunglasses or a combination of these items. All are methods used to prevent possible security cameras from capturing their face.
• When they are in the store, does the customer quickly refuse offers of customer assistance? Many people want to just shop, but how they react to the offer can be an indicator they may be up to something.
• Watch for shoppers with large shopping bags from other stores, especially when those stores are not located near yours. When that bag is nearly empty, be even more alert to that person, it may start to fill up quickly.
• Look for the shopper who looks around at the ceiling. No, they aren’t admiring your lighting they are looking for security cameras.
• Is the customer looking at labels and inspecting for Checkpoint security tags rather than examining the merchandise? This is a good indicator they are trying to decide if they might risk setting off an electronic article surveillance alarm antenna or if they want to try to remove Checkpoint tags.
These are not all of the indicators of a possible thief but they are signals I have successfully used to stop shoplifting.
In part 2 of this series I will discuss how Checkpoint tags can deter even the hard core thief. I will also discuss methods you and your staff can use to prevent these die hard thieves from stealing from you without being confrontational or making accusations.
Need information on Checkpoint security tags? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
