Checkpoint Labels-3 , Stop Shoplifting-1, Electronic Article Surveillance-2
Stop The Shoplifter With Checkpoint Labels
I’ve been dealing with this one petty shoplifter for over a month now. It turns out he is well known in our town, and he has been banned from almost every other store. When I called the police about him, we went into the office and I showed the officer the video of the theft. He knew the guy’s name, where he lived, and everything about him. We have an extensive electronic article surveillance system, and all the tools to go with it, so it was perplexing that we could not catch this one guy.
He would come into the store carrying a large back pack. He would always tell the cashier he was just going to leave his back pack up front while he went to the restroom. The cashier would tell him that was fine, and he would go to the rear aisles of the store, where the health and beauty products are displayed. What the cashier didn’t ever seem to notice was that he never once actually went to the restroom. He always wore cargo pants though, and he would first go to the trial size section. Then he would go to our fragrance impressions display, steal several of them, and leave the empty packages behind. He would fill his pants pockets with all the stuff, grab his bag from beside the checkout, and walk right out the door. He was stealing about $50 worth of merchandise from us every time, so it was definitely adding up.
We knew we had to brainstorm to figure out how to successfully catch this guy and get him to stop shoplifting. We first looked at all the times he had been in and made up a list of his most targeted items. We thought he was possibly homeless because he always stole trial size toothpastes and deodorants. And we also thought he may be stealing the fragrance bottles in order to sell them, and they were the majority of the problem anyway, because of their high retail. We had to make them undesirable and unsellable for him. First we added Checkpoint Labels to the packages. We used them to seal the boxes shut and make them harder to open. Since he was opening the boxes though and leaving them behind, we also had to think of a way to use our electronic article surveillance tools to stop that as well. So we also have some different Checkpoint Labels that have our store name and address printed on them. They work the same as the classic versions, but they are more useful in identifying where the stolen items came from. That helps the police get your merchandise back to your store, and back on your shelves. It’s great to get an arrest and make a recovery, and when your store information is printed on the labels, it makes the return much easier and faster.
So with our combined efforts and more awareness form our cashiers, we were able to finally catch him yesterday. My cashier actually missed seeing him come in but saw him go out. She quickly called me to the front, and I called the police immediately. One officer came, and another went looking for the suspect. They arrested him on the prior warrant I had taken out on him, and while they worked on that, I took out a new one for the latest larceny. I had the list of items I suspected him of taking and I told the officer to look on the bottoms of the bottles for my specific Checkpoint Labels. And guess what?? They were there just like I said. I got my stuff back right there at the courthouse and brought it back with me. And as for my thief… he spent last night in jail.
For more information about Checkpoint Labels, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547.
I’ve been dealing with this one petty shoplifter for over a month now. It turns out he is well known in our town, and he has been banned from almost every other store. When I called the police about him, we went into the office and I showed the officer the video of the theft. He knew the guy’s name, where he lived, and everything about him. We have an extensive electronic article surveillance system, and all the tools to go with it, so it was perplexing that we could not catch this one guy.
He would come into the store carrying a large back pack. He would always tell the cashier he was just going to leave his back pack up front while he went to the restroom. The cashier would tell him that was fine, and he would go to the rear aisles of the store, where the health and beauty products are displayed. What the cashier didn’t ever seem to notice was that he never once actually went to the restroom. He always wore cargo pants though, and he would first go to the trial size section. Then he would go to our fragrance impressions display, steal several of them, and leave the empty packages behind. He would fill his pants pockets with all the stuff, grab his bag from beside the checkout, and walk right out the door. He was stealing about $50 worth of merchandise from us every time, so it was definitely adding up.
We knew we had to brainstorm to figure out how to successfully catch this guy and get him to stop shoplifting. We first looked at all the times he had been in and made up a list of his most targeted items. We thought he was possibly homeless because he always stole trial size toothpastes and deodorants. And we also thought he may be stealing the fragrance bottles in order to sell them, and they were the majority of the problem anyway, because of their high retail. We had to make them undesirable and unsellable for him. First we added Checkpoint Labels to the packages. We used them to seal the boxes shut and make them harder to open. Since he was opening the boxes though and leaving them behind, we also had to think of a way to use our electronic article surveillance tools to stop that as well. So we also have some different Checkpoint Labels that have our store name and address printed on them. They work the same as the classic versions, but they are more useful in identifying where the stolen items came from. That helps the police get your merchandise back to your store, and back on your shelves. It’s great to get an arrest and make a recovery, and when your store information is printed on the labels, it makes the return much easier and faster.
So with our combined efforts and more awareness form our cashiers, we were able to finally catch him yesterday. My cashier actually missed seeing him come in but saw him go out. She quickly called me to the front, and I called the police immediately. One officer came, and another went looking for the suspect. They arrested him on the prior warrant I had taken out on him, and while they worked on that, I took out a new one for the latest larceny. I had the list of items I suspected him of taking and I told the officer to look on the bottoms of the bottles for my specific Checkpoint Labels. And guess what?? They were there just like I said. I got my stuff back right there at the courthouse and brought it back with me. And as for my thief… he spent last night in jail.
For more information about Checkpoint Labels, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547.
SOMETIMES, A CHEKCPOINT TAG IS ALL IT TAKES
As I sit here in my hotel room this evening, I’m replaying today over in my head. I’m out training a new LP associate at one of our hottest markets. My new associate has a ton of experience in this field, but I could see he was getting very frustrated today. His job, his sole purpose on my team is to stop shoplifting. Just like any great LP associate, I want him to make apprehensions and throw people in jail. That’s the only way the criminals will learn. Kicking them out and getting your product back just doesn’t work. A few nights in jail every time they come to my stores and you can bet that they’re going to move on to a softer target.
As my new associate and I are walking the floor, I try to impart some of my wisdom to him. Little tricks that I’ve picked up over the years to help me identify shoplifters and pointing out all the different items that are secured with Checkpoint hard tags. He knows most of these, so I’m just making small talk as we await a thief. I think this is one of the only jobs on the planet where, in order to fully train someone, someone else has to break the law. Hours are passing and the store is just plain slow. I’m getting bored; so is he. Then, bingo.
As we walk past the shoe department, we noticed a female suspect with a box of infant shoes in her hands. She’s walking towards the front of the aisle and without trying to conceal her actions, she is very visibly attempting to pry off the Checkpoint hard tag that is securing the shoe. I point this out to him, but he’s already on top of it. He picks up surveillance and we watch as this suspect, for several minutes, attempts to defeat the tag. After 20 or so minutes, she gives up, sets the shoes down and leaves the store. The tag did its job and stopped shoplifting, but we were left without an apprehension.
As a few more hours sail by, it is becoming quite evident that today just isn’t our day. There are several more potential shoplifters, but for some reason, they either “dump” the merchandise, or lose their nerves. As we were starting to give up hope that we’d make a stop, we see a very obvious user of methamphetamine enter the store. This has to be a go!
We start surveillance and she the suspect immediately grab 5 shirts, toss them into her shopping cart and begin walking towards the back of the store. She paid no mind to size so I was definitely confident we’d make our first apprehension. Once in a secluded corner of the store, she begins to stuff the shirts into her purse, but quickly realizes that the shirts are secured with a Checkpoint hard tag. We watch again as the shoplifter tries ever so desperately to remove the tags. She can’t. She gets frustrated. She leaves without stealing.
While I was frustrated and a bit disappointed in our first day of training, I was however, pleased to see that our physical security measures were working to stop shoplifting in the store. Still, a shoplifter arrest would’ve been fantastic. Tomorrow is another day and with it will bring another stream of shoplifters into my store. Hopefully we will have a bit more luck and get the great pleasure of throwing someone in the county jail tomorrow.
For more information, contact us: KW, or call 1.770.426.0547
As I sit here in my hotel room this evening, I’m replaying today over in my head. I’m out training a new LP associate at one of our hottest markets. My new associate has a ton of experience in this field, but I could see he was getting very frustrated today. His job, his sole purpose on my team is to stop shoplifting. Just like any great LP associate, I want him to make apprehensions and throw people in jail. That’s the only way the criminals will learn. Kicking them out and getting your product back just doesn’t work. A few nights in jail every time they come to my stores and you can bet that they’re going to move on to a softer target.
As my new associate and I are walking the floor, I try to impart some of my wisdom to him. Little tricks that I’ve picked up over the years to help me identify shoplifters and pointing out all the different items that are secured with Checkpoint hard tags. He knows most of these, so I’m just making small talk as we await a thief. I think this is one of the only jobs on the planet where, in order to fully train someone, someone else has to break the law. Hours are passing and the store is just plain slow. I’m getting bored; so is he. Then, bingo.
As we walk past the shoe department, we noticed a female suspect with a box of infant shoes in her hands. She’s walking towards the front of the aisle and without trying to conceal her actions, she is very visibly attempting to pry off the Checkpoint hard tag that is securing the shoe. I point this out to him, but he’s already on top of it. He picks up surveillance and we watch as this suspect, for several minutes, attempts to defeat the tag. After 20 or so minutes, she gives up, sets the shoes down and leaves the store. The tag did its job and stopped shoplifting, but we were left without an apprehension.
As a few more hours sail by, it is becoming quite evident that today just isn’t our day. There are several more potential shoplifters, but for some reason, they either “dump” the merchandise, or lose their nerves. As we were starting to give up hope that we’d make a stop, we see a very obvious user of methamphetamine enter the store. This has to be a go!
We start surveillance and she the suspect immediately grabs 5 shirts, toss them into her shopping cart and begin walking towards the back of the store. She paid no mind to size so I was definitely confident we’d make our first apprehension. Once in a secluded corner of the store, she begins to stuff the shirts into her purse, but quickly realizes that the shirts are secured with Checkpoint hard tags. We watch again as the shoplifter tries ever so desperately to remove the tags. She can’t. She gets frustrated. She leaves without stealing.
While I was frustrated and a bit disappointed in our first day of training, I was however, pleased to see that our physical security measures were working to stop shoplifting in the store. Still, a shoplifter arrest would’ve been fantastic. Tomorrow is another day and with it will bring another stream of shoplifters into my store. Hopefully we will have a bit more luck and get the great pleasure of throwing someone in the county jail tomorrow.
For more information about Checkpoint Tags, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547
Checkpoint Systems-4 , Stop Shoplifting-2 , Checkpoint Labels-2 , Checkpoint Tags-1
Due To Shoplifting, No Large Bags Allowed!
This was a sign I saw emblazoned on the front door of a local business just a couple days ago. It’s a new addition; I guess even our small town is not immune to theft. Of course, their answer to how to stop shoplifting- a sign banning large bags, isn’t exactly what I would call the best option. This is an antique store, not really the type of business that comes to my mind when I think of stores that need help with loss prevention measures. I work for a small retail pharmacy and we deal with rampant theft on a daily basis, so I definitely know their frustrations. Women carrying those “big shoplifter bags” are the arch nemesis for all of us I suppose!
The big difference in all the businesses that suffer from theft issues is what they do about it. I’ve been in stores that have these big threatening signs. “Smile, you’re on camera” “Shoplifters will be prosecuted” “No large bags” Those are some of the more common ones that are at least professionally worded. Some stores go way over board, making idle ridiculous threats. In my store, we only post the required signs alerting people that we do have cameras in use. Signs sell stuff, but they don’t really do a lot to stop shoplifting. Checkpoint Systems does, however, actually get the job done. Deterrence is the biggest key in putting thieves in their place.
Some people are going to steal no matter what. That is a small percentage of the population though. Most theft occurs when normal people walk in and see an opportunity. It is generally a basic example of greed, not need. With Checkpoint Systems, you take that opportunity away from them. The tools that work with the system, Checkpoint Labels and Checkpoint Tags, are the best ways to stop people from getting out the door with unpaid merchandise. Even the blogs that specialize in giving advice on how to get away with stealing tell people to steer clear of stores that utilize the tags. They tell them not to take the chance, because they will more than likely be caught and arrested. The tags can be hidden inside seams and pockets, and are not easily detected. When people come in the front door and see the Checkpoint Systems pedestals up there, they know that they can possibly be caught. I’ve dealt with all kinds of thieves. I’ve had the minors stealing junk, that I have had to detain and release to their parents. I’ve had the little old lady putting things in her purse, gets caught, and sends her preacher up to the store later to try and talk me out of a court date. I even caught another business owner from our town stealing over the counter sleep medications. When I confronted him at the front door, I made sure his wife was standing there with him. At first he tried denying it, but I showed him the picture I had just taken with my phone right off my camera monitors. That shut him up fast, and his wife was outraged! She yelled at him and told me they were a good family, and how sorry she was. I didn’t even call the police on that guy; I figured he would pay enough when he got home.
Checkpoint Systems puts a stop to so many thieves taking a chance on stealing from us, that it makes me wonder why more businesses don’t make that investment. The return is immediate, and Checkpoint Labels are easy to use. It takes little to no training and empowers your employees to make a real difference in your bottom line. The whole system is so much more effective than those pesky signs.
For more information on Checkpoint Systems, contact us: 1.770.426.0547 or Antishoplifting.net
This was a sign I saw emblazoned on the front door of a local business just a couple days ago. It’s a new addition; I guess even our small town is not immune to theft. Of course, their answer to how to stop shoplifting– a sign banning large bags, isn’t exactly what I would call the best option. This is an antique store, not really the type of business that comes to my mind when I think of stores that need help with loss prevention measures. I work for a small retail pharmacy and we deal with rampant theft on a daily basis, so I definitely know their frustrations. Women carrying those “big shoplifter bags” are the arch nemesis for all of us I suppose!
The big difference in all the businesses that suffer from theft issues is what they do about it. I’ve been in stores that have these big threatening signs. “Smile, you’re on camera” “Shoplifters will be prosecuted” “No large bags”. Those are some of the more common ones that are at least professionally worded. Some stores go way over board, making idle ridiculous threats. In my store, we only post the required signs alerting people that we do have cameras in use. Signs sell stuff, but they don’t really do a lot to stop shoplifting. Checkpoint Systems does, however, actually get the job done. Deterrence is the biggest key in putting thieves in their place.
Some people are going to steal no matter what. That is a small percentage of the population though. Most theft occurs when normal people walk in and see an opportunity. It is generally a basic example of greed, not need. With Checkpoint Systems, you take that opportunity away from them. The tools that work with the system, Checkpoint Labels and Checkpoint Tags, are the best ways to stop people from getting out the door with unpaid merchandise. Even the blogs that specialize in giving advice on how to get away with stealing tell people to steer clear of stores that utilize the tags. They tell them not to take the chance, because they will more than likely be caught and arrested. The tags can be hidden inside seams and pockets, and are not easily detected. When people come in the front door and see the Checkpoint Systems pedestals up there, they know that they can possibly be caught. I’ve dealt with all kinds of thieves. I’ve had the minors stealing junk, that I have had to detain and release to their parents. I’ve had the little old lady putting things in her purse, gets caught, and sends her preacher up to the store later to try and talk me out of a court date. I even caught another business owner from our town stealing over the counter sleep medications. When I confronted him at the front door, I made sure his wife was standing there with him. At first he tried denying it, but I showed him the picture I had just taken with my phone right off my camera monitors. That shut him up fast, and his wife was outraged! She yelled at him and told me they were a good family, and how sorry she was. I didn’t even call the police on that guy; I figured he would pay enough when he got home.
Checkpoint Systems puts a stop to so many thieves taking a chance on stealing from us, that it makes me wonder why more businesses don’t make that investment. The return is immediate, and Checkpoint Labels are easy to use. It takes little to no training and empowers your employees to make a real difference in your bottom line. The whole system is so much more effective than those pesky signs.
For more information on Checkpoint Systems, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 or Antishoplifting.net
BF010
Retail anti theft devices- 4
Alpha Thunder Tag- 4
Prevent shoplifting- 4
TRUST CUSTOMERS WITHOUT TRUSTING THEIVES BY USING ALPHA THUNDER TAGS
One of the more increasingly popular ways to allow customers to expediently shop and checkout faster in retail is to allow the customer to get hands-on by using your mobile POS (Point Of Sale) solutions. Their shopping experience is streamlined by having them be in control of the scanning and payment of their selected items. It’s a welcome solution that puts the customer in control; however it poses a terrible threat to your bottom line at the same time. Many retailers have turned to Alpha High Theft Solutions brand Alpha Thunder Tag devices to balance this concept.
The Alpha Thunder Tag attaches to the flat surfaces of just about any item in your store to help stop shoplifting. Making them great retail anti theft devices in general. However in the case of mobile POS systems, they can attach just as easily to the backs of PDA’s (personal data assistant), tablets and larger smart phones. Whatever mobile POS devices you choose to protect, the Alpha Thunder Tag is a proven winner. When a thief attempts to walk out with your device, your existing EAS (Electronic Article Surveillance) towers will alert you so that you can remedy the situation.
Brazen crooks that know that the EAS towers will alarm may try to detach the tag itself by popping it off of the device using a small screw driver or even their finger nail. In this case, the device is protected by a small plunger on the back of the tag that prevents removal of the tag itself. If the tag is removed from your tablet or other mobile POS device, a screeching loud (95dB) alarm will alert you to the tampering!
These wonderful tags are not only essential for mobile POS systems but also to prevent shoplifting. As I mentioned before, they can easily be attached to flat surfaces of many items by using the special adhesive that Alpha packages with them. They can be used on just about any items in your store that customers can reach. Item’s like display cameras, laptops, tablets and televisions to name a few. The principle is the same too; they try to leave the store with the items and the EAS towers will alert you to it. If they try to detach the tag from the item, they will get a 95dB dose of embarrassing alarm to deal with. The battle to prevent shoplifting in your store could weigh in your favor with these anti retail theft devices!
There are over $35 million worth of items stolen from stores by shoplifters every day. That’s over $13 billion dollars annually! The war against shoplifters, whether habitual or professionals must begin with the use of a plan and retail anti theft devices like the Alpha Thunder Tag. Without powerful tools like these, you are unlikely to make in impact in your effort to prevent shoplifting. Most thieves know that they have an extreme advantage when retailers don’t take steps to protect their assets. However, how much of an advantage is up to you as the retailer.
You have a clear choice. Do you protect all of your assets or can you afford to be selective about what you choose to protect? That choice is up to you but remember, whatever you decide to protect, shoplifters will take note of everything that it available to them. Keep in mind, that retail anti theft devices made by Alpha, can be ordered in larger quantities, often reflecting a discount. This means more coverage in your store and less product lost. It also keeps your customers hands on with your products without having to conceal them from reach! It’s trust without trusting. Truly!
For more information on how to prevent shoplifting, contact us at 1-770-426-0547.
One of the more increasingly popular ways to allow customers to expediently shop and checkout faster in retail is to allow the customer to get hands-on by using your mobile POS (Point Of Sale) solutions. Their shopping experience is streamlined by having them be in control of the scanning and payment of their selected items. It’s a welcome solution that puts the customer in control; however it poses a terrible threat to your bottom line at the same time. Many retailers have turned to Alpha High Theft Solutions brand Alpha Thunder Tag devices to balance this concept.
The Alpha Thunder Tag attaches to the flat surfaces of just about any item in your store to help stop shoplifting. Making them great retail anti theft devices in general. However in the case of mobile POS systems, they can attach just as easily to the backs of PDA’s (personal data assistant), tablets and larger smart phones. Whatever mobile POS devices you choose to protect, the Alpha Thunder Tag is a proven winner. When a thief attempts to walk out with your device, your existing EAS (Electronic Article Surveillance) towers will alert you so that you can remedy the situation.
Brazen crooks that know that the EAS towers will alarm may try to detach the tag itself by popping it off of the device using a small screw driver or even their finger nail. In this case, the device is protected by a small plunger on the back of the tag that prevents removal of the tag itself. If the tag is removed from your tablet or other mobile POS device, a screeching loud (95dB) alarm will alert you to the tampering!
These wonderful tags are not only essential for mobile POS systems but also to prevent shoplifting. As I mentioned before, they can easily be attached to flat surfaces of many items by using the special adhesive that Alpha packages with them. They can be used on just about any items in your store that customers can reach. Item’s like display cameras, laptops, tablets and televisions to name a few. The principle is the same too; they try to leave the store with the items and the EAS towers will alert you to it. If they try to detach the tag from the item, they will get a 95dB dose of embarrassing alarm to deal with. The battle to prevent shoplifting in your store could weigh in your favor with these anti retail theft devices!
There are over $35 million worth of items stolen from stores by shoplifters every day. That’s over $13 billion dollars annually! The war against shoplifters, whether habitual or professionals must begin with the use of a plan and retail anti theft devices like the Alpha Thunder Tag. Without powerful tools like these, you are unlikely to make in impact in your effort to prevent shoplifting. Most thieves know that they have an extreme advantage when retailers don’t take steps to protect their assets. However, how much of an advantage is up to you as the retailer.
You have a clear choice. Do you protect all of your assets or can you afford to be selective about what you choose to protect? That choice is up to you but remember, whatever you decide to protect, shoplifters will take note of everything that it available to them. Keep in mind, that retail anti theft devices made by Alpha, can be ordered in larger quantities, often reflecting a discount. This means more coverage in your store and less product lost. It also keeps your customers hands on with your products without having to conceal them from reach! It’s trust without trusting. Truly!
For more information on how to prevent shoplifting, contact us at 1-770-426-0547.
GOING FISHIN’ WITH CHEKCPOINT LABELS
Last week we hired a new LP agent for one of my markets. This particular market hasn’t always had a shoplifting problem; however, over the past year we’ve seen a dramatic increase in shoplifting and organized retail crime in this area. After seeing some pretty significant losses in the store, I had to put my foot down. We needed to find the budget for some additional LP resources and ultimately we needed to stop shoplifting in this store. We got to the point where the thieves were having a direct impact on the bottom line.
After months of begging and pleading I got my wish. I recruited a pretty strong candidate for the position and within a few weeks, we were ready to start training. As with all of my new hires, I personally conduct the first week of training. This way, I can set the standard for what I expect from my team. So I traded in my business attire for some cargo shirts and a t-shirt and we hit the floor. I made one thing clear to my new hire. I was putting him in place for one reason and one reason only; to stop shoplifting.
Within hours of our first shift working together, two females had entered the store to make a refund. The front end supervisor called to us as he felt it was a bit suspicious in nature. Return fraud is very prevalent in this market, so anytime something doesn’t seem right, the managers are all over it. Turns out, the two females were able to return about $350 worth of assorted fishing line. Most of the line retailed for $69.99 each! This was for your serious fisherman, so I was convinced it had been stolen. Sure enough, we check store’s inventory and they were missing the same amount of line that had been returned. It was time to let the checkpoint labels do their jobs.
Since they weren’t already tagged in any way, we decided to use some checkpoint labels to secure the store’s inventory on these high priced spools of fishing line. If there was a way to stop shoplifting on these items, this had to be it. Once the product was secured, I went ahead and did some additional research on other returns in the past two weeks of this same product. My research showed that these same women had returned the exact same items on 4 other occasions. Each time, they received a store credit and the credit was immediately spent by a 3rd female to purchase large quantities of denim jeans. We couldn’t quite find the theft of the merchandise, but I was confident that the checkpoint labels would help us out there.
Thieves are natural creatures of habit. By mid-week, training was going great. We had made several shoplifting stops and recovered quite a bit of product. It’s always great to see your budget dollars at work. It was getting close to quitting time when the door greeter called us, almost in a panic. We responded to front of the store where we learned that 2 women had just exited the store, with nothing but a purse. Upon their exit, they set off the EAS system. Without seeing any criminal activity at that point, we returned to the LP office and reviewed the camera system.
It was our same females that had been making the suspicious fishing line returns. CCTV showed that they once again were able to steal several hundred dollars worth of fishing line, only this time; the checkpoint label alerted us to their activity. Within an hour, they returned to the store to get a gift card for the stolen product. Only this time, they received a free pair of silver bracelets instead.
For more information on Checkpoint Labels contact us or call 1.770.426.0547.
Last week we hired a new LP agent for one of my markets. This particular market hasn’t always had a shoplifting problem; however, over the past year we’ve seen a dramatic increase in shoplifting and organized retail crime in this area. After seeing some pretty significant losses in the store, I had to put my foot down. We needed to find the budget for some additional LP resources and ultimately we needed to stop shoplifting in this store. We got to the point where the thieves were having a direct impact on the bottom line.
After months of begging and pleading I got my wish. I recruited a pretty strong candidate for the position and within a few weeks, we were ready to start training. As with all of my new hires, I personally conduct the first week of training. This way, I can set the standard for what I expect from my team. So I traded in my business attire for some cargo shirts and a t-shirt and we hit the floor. I made one thing clear to my new hire. I was putting him in place for one reason and one reason only; to stop shoplifting.
Within hours of our first shift working together, two females had entered the store to make a refund. The front end supervisor called to us as he felt it was a bit suspicious in nature. Return fraud is very prevalent in this market, so anytime something doesn’t seem right, the managers are all over it. Turns out, the two females were able to return about $350 worth of assorted fishing line. Most of the line retailed for $69.99 each! This was for your serious fisherman, so I was convinced it had been stolen. Sure enough, we check store’s inventory and they were missing the same amount of line that had been returned. It was time to let the checkpoint labels do their jobs.
Since they weren’t already tagged in any way, we decided to use some checkpoint labels to secure the store’s inventory on these high priced spools of fishing line. If there was a way to stop shoplifting on these items, this had to be it. Once the product was secured, I went ahead and did some additional research on other returns in the past two weeks of this same product. My research showed that these same women had returned the exact same items on 4 other occasions. Each time, they received a store credit and the credit was immediately spent by a 3rd female to purchase large quantities of denim jeans. We couldn’t quite find the theft of the merchandise, but I was confident that the checkpoint labels would help us out there.
Thieves are natural creatures of habit. By mid-week, training was going great. We had made several shoplifting stops and recovered quite a bit of product. It’s always great to see your budget dollars at work. It was getting close to quitting time when the door greeter called us, almost in a panic. We responded to front of the store where we learned that 2 women had just exited the store, with nothing but a purse. Upon their exit, they set off the EAS system. Without seeing any criminal activity at that point, we returned to the LP office and reviewed the camera system.
It was our same females that had been making the suspicious fishing line returns. CCTV showed that they once again were able to steal several hundred dollars worth of fishing line, only this time; the checkpoint label alerted us to their activity. Within an hour, they returned to the store to get a gift card for the stolen product. Only this time, they received a free pair of silver bracelets instead.
For more information on Checkpoint Labels contact us or call 1.770.426.0547.
