Retailers have always faced the challenge of preventing shoplifting, which can cause significant financial losses. In response to this problem, Sensormatic, a leading provider of retail security solutions, has developed an anti-shoplifting system that has been proven to be highly effective.
The Sensormatic anti-shoplifting system is a comprehensive solution that utilizes a combination of electronic article surveillance (EAS) and other technologies to prevent theft. The system consists of three main components: tags, pedestals, and a monitoring system. The tags are small electronic devices that are attached to products in the store. The pedestals are placed at the entrances and exits of the store and are designed to detect the tags. The monitoring system is used by store personnel to track the movement of tagged products and identify any potential theft.
Studies have shown that retailers that use the Sensormatic anti-shoplifting system experience a significant decrease in shoplifting losses. In fact, some studies have indicated that the system pays for itself in as little as five months. This is because the system is so effective at preventing theft that the savings from reduced losses quickly offset the cost of the system.
But the benefits of the Sensormatic system go beyond just preventing shoplifting. The system also provides retailers with valuable data and insights into their inventory and customer behavior. By tracking the movement of tagged products, retailers can identify which products are most popular and adjust their inventory accordingly. They can also use the data to optimize store layouts and improve customer experiences.
The Sensormatic anti-shoplifting system is a valuable investment for any retailer looking to prevent shoplifting, reduce losses, and increase profits. By utilizing advanced technology and providing valuable insights into customer behavior, the system offers a comprehensive solution that pays for itself in a short amount of time.
It is important to convey to the customer that this is an INVENTORY CONTROL SYSTEM not the shoplifter, bad guy, criminal system.
INCOMING ALARMS:
Ask the customer:
Have you purchased something in another store with a system like this? Other retailers may not have properly deactivated a label they placed on merchandise.
Are you returning an item for exchange or refund? Was the item they are returning, purchased or stolen?
Is there any reason you can think of for our inventory system to alarm? Let the customer offer input as to why the system is alarming. They may become nervous and give you more information.
In some cases shoplifters will enter a store intentionally with a live tag or label to set your system off. They may say something like “oh, this happens to me all the time”. That way when they leave and set the Checkpoint System off you will simply allow them to go. Use this as a customer service opportunity to “fix” the customers problem. A real customer will be appreciative.
OUTGOING ALARMS:
A great way to approach the customer is to say “let me take care of that for you”. In many cases the alarm could be as a result of the cashier not removing a hard tag or deactivating a label. So approach them to provide customer service: approach customer in friendly manner and ask to check their receipt.
You can imply there may have been an error and an item may not have been deactivated. Implying the customer has done something can escalate the situation. If the customer is not stealing, this is another form a good and attentive customer service.
Take the customers bag and walk it through the Checkpoint System yourself. You know you do not have a tag or label on yourself. If it alarms then chances are the item is in the bag.
The best way to resolve this is to ask for the receipt and take the merchandise to a cash/wrap and look for the item that is causing an alarm. Check the merchandise against the receipt. Shoplifters will sometimes drop a concealed item they had on their person into the bag after they leave the cash/wrap.
If the bag does not alarm then ask the customer to walk back through the system including any purses, coats… they are carrying. If it alarms then the customer has a tag or label on their person. Follow your stores procedures for a potential shoplifter.
Checkpoint Systems are proven commercial equipment that many State Laws acknowledge. It is perfectly safe as harmless as an FM radio. It will not affect or impair watches, magnetic tapes, cameras, hearing aids, pace makers, cell phones, access control cards or any other similar device.
In some cases shoplifters will become agitated and argumentative. Remember you have the legal and moral high ground. Stay calm and continue to use your skills to resolve the issue. If you are in doubt ask for assistance from your store staff.
The EvolveSTORE app puts your retail security in the palm of your hand with detailed reporting that will help you monitor staff response time as well as other important details.
A retailer’s decision to purchase an Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS) system can seem to be a simple one. However, we have encountered many retailers who have made serious and usually costly mistakes. With a little knowledge and planning, an EAS system can be an excellent return on investment, simple to use and maintain.
Make sure you understand what you are getting into. There are several choices and terms you should be aware of as part of the buying decision and they are as follows:
RF vs AM– There are two different types of systems on the market: Acousto Magnetic (AM) and Radio Frequency (RF). These systems operate very differently and do not work together although both technologies have been around for many years. Each has its pluses and minuses.
Acousto Magnetic (AM) systems such as Sensormatic Systems have a robust electronic field that is not subject to many of the issues that RF has. You find AM labels on or in most everything you purchase in major retail stores as a result of Sensormatic’s Source Tagging Program. Although many previous AM systems required a 220V electrical power supply, most now are 110V which is a cost saving to the retailer. Hard tags and labels are robust and difficult for a shoplifter to remove without drawing attention to themselves.
Radio Frequency (RF) systems such as Checkpoint Systems or Checkpoint Compatible Systems are also very good systems that have thinner labels and tags. Tuning these systems can be tricky and it is not a good idea for the retailer to do this themselves.
A special note about Radio Frequency Identification (RFID). We frequently have retailers contact us and are confused by RF and RFID. Although they work in similar ways, they are very different. RF (and AM) is for shoplifting prevention ONLY. RFID is for both inventory control and tracking. RFID is available with both AM and RF systems
System Quality– Like anything else in electronics, you get what you pay for. There are many knock off type systems out of Asia available. The problem with them is quality control in the manufacturing process, lack of good research and development and support. Many times these systems work for a short period of time and then break down. Lack of support or parts become an issue at that point. Small retailers have found themselves with a non-working system that has to be completely replaced. You should look for a 10 to 15 year life expectancy out of an EAS system. Yes, new models and features come along but a system you purchase should be able to go the distance. Remember, an EAS system is never turned off. It works 24/7. Make sure your selection is supported to go the distance. Warranty should be at a minimum 1 year.
Support– Look into this in advance. Otherwise your support will consist of you on the phone with someone, while on your knees with a screwdriver making adjustments. Does the vendor have nationwide or even worldwide Techs in the field? This in itself says something for the manufacturer. Major Retailers like Walmart, Home Depot, Lowe’s…. are not interested in having their staff even tinkering with sophisticated equipment. It takes away from what they are supposed to be doing and ultimately the systems would not be working. In some cases we have seen that the “Tech” is a local sub-contracted Electrician. Electricians are generally very unfamiliar with low voltage equipment. It is not anything against a professional, licensed Electrician. They are highly skilled in high voltage but generally know nothing or very little about low voltage. It would be like asking a Railroad Engineer to fly a Boeing 747 (or the reverse). Probably not a good idea! Something else to consider: most new Sensormatic systems have the ability to be connected to your high speed internet connection. This allows Loss Prevention Systems, Inc. to do service remotely. In many cases this will eliminate an onsite service call and reduce your costs.
New-vs-Used Systems– There are a lot of used systems available. What you have to ask yourself is where did they come from? This is not like buying a used car. With a car you can have it examined and see the wear and tear. Not so with EAS systems. Like I mentioned before these systems, once installed are rarely turned off. Most of the used systems you see come from two places. First, a store that has closed. So if the equipment at say a Home Depot store that is being closed and moved to a new location is in good enough shape, why would they not have it moved? It is probably because it is at the end of life or is somehow defective. These systems are sold to companies that remove fixtures from stores that are closing. They are not handled by Certified Tech’s and so the possibility for damage or the weakening of the electronics is likely. Companies then bring them in and “refurbish” them. This basically means that they take the parts from several systems and make a working system. Again, how good are these parts? On top of this the other possibility is that they are being sold by someone whose store has gone out of business. Again, ask yourself “Was this system de-installed properly so the very valuable electronic boards were not destroyed”? How long was it sitting on someone’s garage floor? Lastly think about warranty. New equipment generally includes full parts and labor warranties.
Tags and Labels– Both AM and RF systems have labels that are placed on merchandise and are “deactivated” at your checkout. AM systems use a label that is thicker than an RF label. However, an AM label generally has a smaller footprint over an RF label. Certain RF labels can be printed on with your Thermal Transfer (TT) printer. You can print your barcode, logo, pricing, description or anything else you want. This in turn helps disguise and hide the EAS label form shoplifters. AM labels are not printable.
Both AM and RF system labels can be defeated in certain ways. That is why hiding or disguising the label is helpful. Labels are “deactivated” by a deactivation unit at the point of sale. This “kills” the label so when the legitimate customer goes out with their purchases, they do not cause an alarm. Cheap labels tend to reactivate up to twenty percent of the time between the point of sale and the exit door.
Hard Tags are the plastic tags that go on to mainly fabric type merchandise like clothing, accessories and shoes. Hard tags are always the best option to use if your product mix allows for it. Hard Tags are reusable and more importantly give off a stronger signal than any label.
Training– EAS equipment will not solve your shoplifting problem alone. Many retailers I have worked with over the years have expressed dismay that they spent the money putting the system in and shoplifting did not decrease as much as they expected. You have to have a different mind-set and set your expectations correctly. The system is a support tool for you and your staff. Many times because of poor training and turnover of staff what happens is that a customer causes an alarm and the staff just waves them though. If that is what you are going to allow, then do not spend the money to put an EAS system in. Your training program should be two-fold: first – training on the system i.e. how it works, tag and label placement, what is a phantom alarm, when there is a problem what are they to do and so on. Second is antishoplifting training that has nothing to do with the EAS system. This training involves topics like approaching a customer that I am suspicious of and what can I say or do? What are the laws of my State? What are the policies of my company? And most importantly, how can I deter a shoplifter in the first place while creating a super environment for my good customers? Once you do that then you should see a considerable decrease in your losses. An ROI at about 3-5 months, if you follow this program would not be unusual. Again, ask yourself whether the vendor provides this type of training (we do with all system sales including unlimited follow up training) and has that level of experience dealing with shoplifters or do they just sell the equipment?
An EAS system should be looked at as any other equipment or tool you need to operate and ultimately turn a profit in your retail store. It is as necessary to any retailer as freezers are to grocers or clothing racks to a ladies clothing store.
One of the biggest deterrents for shop owners over the years has been the fact that the pins used on Checkpoint security tags are serrated. That basically means they have tiny ridges that help keep the pin locked into place. It is a part of anti-shoplifting standards used by Checkpoint Systems for retail theft prevention.
The reason why it is an unfortunate deterrent for shop owners is that these serrations can snag delicate or stretchy fabrics. These owners have been willing to take the risk of shoplifters over the risk of damaging their fabrics either while attaching the pins, or during the deactivation process. It is a hard decision to make; choosing between retail theft prevention and maintaining quality of merchandise standards for their customers.
Well there is good news for these shop owners. Checkpoint security systems have made a better option to help all shop owners stop shoplifting in their stores.
Now Checkpoint security tags come with the option of serrated pins or smooth ones. These smooth pins are much less likely to snag those problematic fabrics. This makes for a far better solution for retail theft prevention in these stores using the Checkpoint Security System for their own anti shoplifting needs.
Visit the Loss Prevention Store to purchase Anti-Shoplifting devices and your Electronic Article Surveillance or EAS system from Checkpoint Systems to stop shoplifting in your store.
For more information on Anti-Shoplifting, Checkpoint Labels, a Checkpoint Security System, Checkpoint Security Tags, Checkpoint Systems, or Checkpoint Tags and how they can work with your Electronic Article Surveillance or EAS system contact us at Retail theft prevention to Stop Shoplifting in your store or call 1.770.426.0547
