CHECKPOINT LABELS SCARE BOOSTERS FROM WALKING OUT THE DOOR WITH OVER $4K WORTH OF PRODUCT!
Checkpoint Labels: 4 ML Blog 19
Stop Shoplifting: 3
When working in retail, you put in strenuous hours to make sales and protect your bottom line. Each day you check sales and track how your location is doing. You do so much to get customers into your store daily, but what are you doing to stop the theft from happening? A lot of retailers do not realize how much theft is taking place, until their inventory numbers come out with an increase in shrink. Why not be proactive, and KNOW that you are doing everything you can to keep your merchandise on the shelf. With an increase in shrink, you have to cut hours and make adjustments due to the amount of loss that you have. This should not have to take place, after your entire year’s worth of hard work put in. A thief can wipe out a shelf within minutes, and you lose massive amounts of money. Stop waiting till the numbers show a clear increase in shrink, before doing something about it! You can easily stop shoplifting and protect your store’s assets by utilizing Checkpoint labels, on virtually any product you sell.
Whether you are trying to protect high dollar clothing or even food products, Checkpoint Labels put a stop to theft. As a Senior Loss Prevention Manger, I investigate several different types of thefts. A majority of my focus is specifically on high dollar thefts and organized retail criminals. Last month, I busted a group of 3 subjects, who tried to steal $4,352 worth of merchandise! This included expensive jackets, hoodies, and sportswear. The 3 boosters walk into my store, selecting the items quickly without any regard for the prices. One of the subjects did not even TRY to act like he was shopping. He pulled 7 of the coats right off the rack within seconds. I knew right then, it was going down! I purposely had these items tagged, due to the dollar amount and being a trending high theft product. These thieves were not use to having this type of product tagged from other retailers. They each select a backpack from one of our fixtures, after making all of their selections. They go into the fitting room, and come out with all of the items now concealed into the backpacks! If I wasn’t watching them on camera, associates would have never known they just concealed that much product. They were busy helping another customer, and never saw them even enter the fitting room. The 3 subjects now are finished and start heading for the exit. They had no idea we utilize Checkpoint Labels on our products! They concealed so fast in the fitting room, they didn’t take the labels off! As they exit, the alarm system starts sounding extremely loud! They drop the backpacks and go into panic mode! Then run into the parking lot very quickly. I then get their license plate and quickly grab all of the dumped backpacks for recovery. I came back into the store and we totaled up the merchandise they attempted to steal. We could not believe they almost got away with over 4k worth of merchandise in once instance. What if they hit us 4 times in a year? That would be on the low end of attempts. Think of how much you could do for your store with $20,000 dollars? Boosters normally target a location 4 times in a MONTH. If they target us that much, we would shrink out a massive amount just from 1 group when totaling the numbers. I am glad we use advanced merchandise protection to help keep our high dollar merchandise out from the hands of thieves. My store really likes that they can be used for a large variety of products. They are also extremely durable to stop shoplifting. I have investigated numerous amounts of cases just like this one. With the system alarming, it deters high dollar merchandise from walking straight out of the door. This is why, every retailer should invest in these products.
From petty thieves to organized retail criminals, Checkpoint Labels are an advanced form of security devices to stop shoplifting. After all of your hard work to make sales, you should not have to worry about thieves. Give yourself peace of mind, and put a stop to shrink in your store.
For more information about Checkpoint Labels, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547.
When working in retail, you put in strenuous hours to make sales and protect your bottom line. Each day you check sales and track how your location is doing. You do so much to get customers into your store daily, but what are you doing to stop the theft from happening? A lot of retailers do not realize how much theft is taking place, until their inventory numbers come out with an increase in shrink. Why not be proactive, and KNOW that you are doing everything you can to keep your merchandise on the shelf. With an increase in shrink, you have to cut hours and make adjustments due to the amount of loss that you have. This should not have to take place, after your entire year’s worth of hard work put in. A thief can wipe out a shelf within minutes, and you lose massive amounts of money. Stop waiting till the numbers show a clear increase in shrink, before doing something about it! You can easily stop shoplifting and protect your store’s assets by utilizing Checkpoint labels, on virtually any product you sell.
Whether you are trying to protect high dollar clothing or even food products, Checkpoint Labels put a stop to theft. As a Senior Loss Prevention Manger, I investigate several different types of thefts. A majority of my focus is specifically on high dollar thefts and organized retail criminals. Last month, I busted a group of 3 subjects, who tried to steal $4,352 worth of merchandise! This included expensive jackets, hoodies, and sportswear. The 3 boosters walk into my store, selecting the items quickly without any regard for the prices. One of the subjects did not even TRY to act like he was shopping. He pulled 7 of the coats right off the rack within seconds. I knew right then, it was going down! I purposely had these items tagged, due to the dollar amount and being a trending high theft product. These thieves were not use to having this type of product tagged from other retailers. They each select a backpack from one of our fixtures, after making all of their selections. They go into the fitting room, and come out with all of the items now concealed into the backpacks! If I wasn’t watching them on camera, associates would have never known they just concealed that much product. They were busy helping another customer, and never saw them even enter the fitting room. The 3 subjects now are finished and start heading for the exit. They had no idea we utilize Checkpoint Labels on our products! They concealed so fast in the fitting room, they didn’t take the labels off! As they exit, the alarm system starts sounding extremely loud! They drop the backpacks and go into panic mode! Then run into the parking lot very quickly. I then get their license plate and quickly grab all of the dumped backpacks for recovery. I came back into the store and we totaled up the merchandise they attempted to steal. We could not believe they almost got away with over 4k worth of merchandise in once instance. What if they hit us 4 times in a year? That would be on the low end of attempts. Think of how much you could do for your store with $20,000 dollars? Boosters normally target a location 4 times in a MONTH. If they target us that much, we would shrink out a massive amount just from 1 group when totaling the numbers. I am glad we use advanced merchandise protection to help keep our high dollar merchandise out from the hands of thieves. My store really likes that they can be used for a large variety of products. They are also extremely durable to stop shoplifting. I have investigated numerous amounts of cases just like this one. With the system alarming, it deters high dollar merchandise from walking straight out of the door. This is why, every retailer should invest in these products.
From petty thieves to organized retail criminals, Checkpoint Labels are an advanced form of security devices to stop shoplifting. After all of your hard work to make sales, you should not have to worry about thieves. Give yourself peace of mind, and put a stop to shrink in your store.
For more information about Checkpoint Labels, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547.
Prevent Shoplifting-4 WC Blog 480
Alpha Security-4
Retail Anti-Theft Devices-4
It Takes More Than Customer Service To Prevent Shoplifting
What is your preferred method to prevent shoplifting? It isn’t always comfortable to think about. It’s easy to tell sales associates to give great customer service but it can be quite another to actually do it. This is especially true when you believe someone intends to shoplift but they haven’t done anything dishonest yet. I have had quite a few situations where I had a strong suspicion someone was going to shoplift merchandise but was not in a position to observe and catch them. While those of us who have worked in Retail Loss Prevention will preach all day long about the value of customer service in reducing shortage the truth is it isn’t a cure-all in and of itself. There must be additional steps to prevent shoplifting and that includes the use of Alpha Security retail anti-theft devices.
You may not be familiar with Alpha Security retail anti-theft devices and the products under the brand name. These devices are used to protect merchandise using electronic article surveillance (EAS) technology that works with EAS pedestals. The product line features cable locks, wraps and tags that can be placed on, over or around merchandise. From clothing to hard lines products almost any item sold can be protected with Alpha items. Most of the devices offer tamper protection that ensures an alarm will sound if a criminal attempts to remove a device from the merchandise or cut it off. If a would-be thief conceals a protected item and carries it out the doors by the pedestals an alarm is activated and lights in the pedestal flash. Alerts from the devices and the pedestals warn employees an attempted theft is taking place. Employees trained in proper responses “assist” the customer with receipt checks or customer service and recover merchandise.
Perhaps you are wondering why customer service alone would not be a feasible solution to prevent shoplifting. On the surface it sounds good to think that people won’t be able to steal if your associates are helping everyone. The truth is there are shoplifters who will take their time and if they sense they are under suspicion they will spend hours walking around “browsing” a store. As a salesfloor employee I had one couple who spent well over an hour in the office supply store where I work “browsing”. I had walked up on them as they were trying to open a package so I knew what they were doing. Nevertheless they would not quit trying. They would split up and go to other areas of the store they would pick up things, walk around and then put the item down somewhere else. It almost becomes a game. Even though most of the items I thought they had concealed in shopping bags were recovered I still suspected they had gotten away with some merchandise.
Other shoplifters will become aggressive and confront an employee in an attempt to intimidate the worker and get them to back off. Even when I was a Loss Prevention Manager I would have situations where the behaviors of a shoplifter made me feel stopping them could be dangerous. If I deemed the situation as such and the subject had concealed merchandise I would make my presence known and offer “aggressive” customer service. I recall such an incident and everywhere the shoplifter went I followed and would straighten shelves and merchandise. This particular “shopper” became very irate and threatened me if I didn’t stop following her. I innocently told her I did not know what she was referring to and that I was simply available if she needed assistance. She had concealed an item in her purse that did not have any retail anti-theft devices on it as far as I knew but I didn’t share that information with her. I also periodically backed off to where I could watch her but give her room to drop any products she might have. She neared the store exit, stopped and looked at me and asked if I was going to “arrest her” if she left. I told her I didn’t know what she was talking about. She then asked if she could leave. I told her that was her decision. She was yelling at me at this point wanting to know if I was going to stop her. She eventually walked out and no alarm sounded. Had an Alpha Security device been on it she probably would not have concealed in the first place or she would have dropped the item at the door.
Customer service drives up sales but without using retail anti-theft devices it won’t be enough to stop theft significantly. Use Alpha Security products with customer service to prevent shoplifting and increase sales at the same time.
Alpha Security is important and we can help you with it. Call 1.770.426.0547 and let’s talk.
What is your preferred method to prevent shoplifting? It isn’t always comfortable to think about. It’s easy to tell sales associates to give great customer service but it can be quite another to actually do it. This is especially true when you believe someone intends to shoplift but they haven’t done anything dishonest yet. I have had quite a few situations where I had a strong suspicion someone was going to shoplift merchandise but was not in a position to observe and catch them. While those of us who have worked in Retail Loss Prevention will preach all day long about the value of customer service in reducing shortage the truth is it isn’t a cure-all in and of itself. There must be additional steps to prevent shoplifting and that includes the use of Alpha Security retail anti-theft devices.
You may not be familiar with Alpha Security retail anti-theft devices and the products under the brand name. These devices are used to protect merchandise using electronic article surveillance (EAS) technology that works with EAS pedestals. The product line features cable locks, wraps and tags that can be placed on, over or around merchandise. From clothing to hard lines products almost any item sold can be protected with Alpha items. Most of the devices offer tamper protection that ensures an alarm will sound if a criminal attempts to remove a device from the merchandise or cut it off. If a would-be thief conceals a protected item and carries it out the doors by the pedestals an alarm is activated and lights in the pedestal flash. Alerts from the devices and the pedestals warn employees an attempted theft is taking place. Employees trained in proper responses “assist” the customer with receipt checks or customer service and recover merchandise.
Perhaps you are wondering why customer service alone would not be a feasible solution to prevent shoplifting. On the surface it sounds good to think that people won’t be able to steal if your associates are helping everyone. The truth is there are shoplifters who will take their time and if they sense they are under suspicion they will spend hours walking around “browsing” a store. As a salesfloor employee I had one couple who spent well over an hour in the office supply store where I work “browsing”. I had walked up on them as they were trying to open a package so I knew what they were doing. Nevertheless they would not quit trying. They would split up and go to other areas of the store they would pick up things, walk around and then put the item down somewhere else. It almost becomes a game. Even though most of the items I thought they had concealed in shopping bags were recovered I still suspected they had gotten away with some merchandise.
Other shoplifters will become aggressive and confront an employee in an attempt to intimidate the worker and get them to back off. Even when I was a Loss Prevention Manager I would have situations where the behaviors of a shoplifter made me feel stopping them could be dangerous. If I deemed the situation as such and the subject had concealed merchandise I would make my presence known and offer “aggressive” customer service. I recall such an incident and everywhere the shoplifter went I followed and would straighten shelves and merchandise. This particular “shopper” became very irate and threatened me if I didn’t stop following her. I innocently told her I did not know what she was referring to and that I was simply available if she needed assistance. She had concealed an item in her purse that did not have any retail anti-theft devices on it as far as I knew but I didn’t share that information with her. I also periodically backed off to where I could watch her but give her room to drop any products she might have. She neared the store exit, stopped and looked at me and asked if I was going to “arrest her” if she left. I told her I didn’t know what she was talking about. She then asked if she could leave. I told her that was her decision. She was yelling at me at this point wanting to know if I was going to stop her. She eventually walked out and no alarm sounded. Had an Alpha Security device been on it she probably would not have concealed in the first place or she would have dropped the item at the door.
Customer service drives up sales but without using retail anti-theft devices it won’t be enough to stop theft significantly. Use Alpha Security products with customer service to prevent shoplifting and increase sales at the same time.
Alpha Security is important and we can help you with it. Call 1.770.426.0547 and let’s talk.
People Counting Systems -5 WC Blog 471
Door Counting Sensor – 4
Improve Sales and Shrink With People Counting Systems
People counting systems may be more than just headcounters for stores. Consider the fact that not everyone entering your retail establishment is there to shop. Many stores have theft issues that are causing inventory control problems that have not been identified. It may be happening in your own locations. How many times do you look around and see people entering the store and leaving empty handed? The end of the day register tallies may indicate that sales are not too bad but there is little to judge that information against except the prior year sales records.
People counting systems track the number of people entering a store during the course of a day. A door counting sensor is not complicated it simply measures how many people tripped it as they walked in. What they do not do is provide any sales data but when daily transactions are compared to the number of customers who entered it paints a good picture of what may or may not be transpiring on the sales floor. Managers who use the information properly will analyze the information and assess if there is a reason for the people leaving without making a purchase. Does the issue lie with unidentified shoplifting, a customer service problem or a merchandising issue? Door counting sensors will not give the answers but they will identify a problem.
Is there theft taking place and that is why people counting systems show a disparity between sales and traffic? It is possible. To make a determination several steps would need to take place. First managers would need to look at electronic article surveillance (EAS) alarm responses. Stores that have EAS towers should be tracking alarm activations in a logbook. After answering an alarm employees write the information in the log and give the reason for the alarm and if merchandise was recovered. Did tagged merchandise set off the alarm and prevent a theft? For stores without an electronic article surveillance system the difference between door counts and sales transactions is probably due to theft and in turn causing empty shelves sending customers other places for purchases. Stores with a Checkpoint System have an additional benefit that electronic article surveillance (EAS) alarm activations are tracked in a Smart Alarm Management system. This feature provides managers with an alarm activity report that is useful for tracking and managing the number of alarms and employee responses to those alarms.
Consider that a door counting sensor will show people are coming and going but the traffic does not reflect in your sales data. It could be that customers are not making purchases because the merchandise just is not on your sales floor. Why is the floor empty when sales do not seem to match the amount of empty space you see? Customers could be leaving because shoplifters are stealing and therefore emptying your shelves. The EAS Smart Alarm Management tool would provide that data and you could begin to address theft issues.
Another issue that stems from shoplifting is that employees may not be refilling the empty holes on the shelves resulting from the theft. Patrons are not bothering to seek assistance and staff are not offering customer service to see what it is that patrons are looking for. People counting systems will not directly provide the information but it can be readily assessed from the reported data. It all ties in to the disparity between foot traffic and sales data but you HAVE to have the information and tools that will give head counts to get that information in order to act on it.
Don’t rely on sales information as a reliable source of information for how your business is and could be performing. People counting systems can help you see what your potential sales might be and if there is a theft issue or customer service problem or both that could be hurting sales. Add profit by adding a door counting sensor and a Checkpoint system with Smart Alarm Management.
Need information on People Counting Systems? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
People counting systems may be more than just headcounters for stores. Consider the fact that not everyone entering your retail establishment is there to shop. Many stores have theft issues that are causing inventory control problems that have not been identified. It may be happening in your own locations. How many times do you look around and see people entering the store and leaving empty handed? The end of the day register tallies may indicate that sales are not too bad but there is little to judge that information against except the prior year sales records.
People counting systems track the number of people entering a store during the course of a day. A door counting sensor is not complicated it simply measures how many people tripped it as they walked in. What they do not do is provide any sales data but when daily transactions are compared to the number of customers who entered it paints a good picture of what may or may not be transpiring on the sales floor. Managers who use the information properly will analyze the information and assess if there is a reason for the people leaving without making a purchase. Does the issue lie with unidentified shoplifting, a customer service problem or a merchandising issue? Door counting sensors will not give the answers but they will identify a problem.
Is there theft taking place and that is why people counting systems show a disparity between sales and traffic? It is possible. To make a determination several steps would need to take place. First managers would need to look at electronic article surveillance (EAS) alarm responses. Stores that have EAS towers should be tracking alarm activations in a logbook. After answering an alarm employees write the information in the log and give the reason for the alarm and if merchandise was recovered. Did tagged merchandise set off the alarm and prevent a theft? For stores without an electronic article surveillance system the difference between door counts and sales transactions is probably due to theft and in turn causing empty shelves sending customers other places for purchases. Stores with a Checkpoint System have an additional benefit that electronic article surveillance (EAS) alarm activations are tracked in a Smart Alarm Management system. This feature provides managers with an alarm activity report that is useful for tracking and managing the number of alarms and employee responses to those alarms.
Consider that a door counting sensor will show people are coming and going but the traffic does not reflect in your sales data. It could be that customers are not making purchases because the merchandise just is not on your sales floor. Why is the floor empty when sales do not seem to match the amount of empty space you see? Customers could be leaving because shoplifters are stealing and therefore emptying your shelves. The EAS Smart Alarm Management tool would provide that data and you could begin to address theft issues.
Another issue that stems from shoplifting is that employees may not be refilling the empty holes on the shelves resulting from the theft. Patrons are not bothering to seek assistance and staff are not offering customer service to see what it is that patrons are looking for. People counting systems will not directly provide the information but it can be readily assessed from the reported data. It all ties in to the disparity between foot traffic and sales data but you HAVE to have the information and tools that will give head counts to get that information in order to act on it.
Don’t rely on sales information as a reliable source of information for how your business is and could be performing. People counting systems can help you see what your potential sales might be and if there is a theft issue or customer service problem or both that could be hurting sales. Add profit by adding a door counting sensor and a Checkpoint system with Smart Alarm Management.
Need information on People Counting Systems? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
Clothing security is important to me. I want to see stores keep merchandise out of the hands of shoplifters and available to customers like myself. It is also important to me as a consumer to be able to look at the merchandise I want to purchase. Retailer owners and managers I have a pet peeve I am going to share with you. Those cute little bundle packs of pajama sets that you like to put the cute little ribbon on are annoying! Ughhh, it is such a pain to try to take the ribbon off so I can see what a set looks like in order to decide if I want to purchase it as a gift. By the time I am done it looks like a bull went through a china shop. I have pajama tops strewn all over the place, bottoms on the floor and forget about the ribbons. Oh, I try to put them back in the proper bundles and my work speaks for itself. You should take a look at my gift wrapping techniques. I have had clerks walk up and tell me not to worry about my mess they would take care of it. What I think they meant was, please don’t shop in my department any more, just go away. The jaw drop is the giveaway for me when they are approaching from across the store. Along with the fact that bundles never go back together the way they were before I touched them there is the issue of clothing security. Usually the pajama top is the item that can be seen when wrapped. The pants are covered up so if the retailer is using Checkpoint tags to protect clothing from theft you are protecting the entire set.
Checkpoint tags offered through Loss Prevention Systems Inc. are used to stop thieves from stealing your merchandise. The tags work in unison with Checkpoint electronic article surveillance (EAS) towers. The clothing security tags send out radio waves that operate on a specific frequency. These waves are picked up by the towers when tagged merchandise is carried into the detection field of the towers. Once a tag is detected the tower blares out a powerful alert that can be heard through a store and many towers have flashing lights that indicate a tag has been detected. Alert employees will answer the alarm and conduct receipt checks and resolve the reason for the alarm. In most situations these alarms result in the recovery of merchandise or a purchase by the offender. A thief who has been confronted does not want to risk being prosecuted so it is not uncommon for them to say they forgot about the item or they thought the cashier rang it up. A trained employee can avoid creating a disturbance and diffuse a situation by offering an excuse for the “error” and providing an opportunity for a purchase or return of the goods.
I realize some readers are concerned about what it might cost to continually purchase Checkpoint tags for all of the new merchandise that comes into the store. Think about those pajama bundles and how they seem to come in for different seasonal events especially Christmas and Valentine’s Day. And gosh, if I have to worry about increased sales because merchandise is available to purchase won’t I have to buy even more clothing security tags? The tags are reusable. When a garment is brought to the register the tag is removed by the cashier and placed in a bin so they can be put on new freight when it arrives. A special detachment tool is required to take tags off of merchandise. Unless a tool were to fall into the hands of a criminal there is little chance a tag can be forced off of a garment without causing damage to the product. Checkpoint tags can be used over and over and over again greatly reducing the need for replacements.
Bundle your pajama sets together to drive sales and profits. Remember two things, first protect all of the pieces against shoplifting with Checkpoint tags. Second, don’t get mad at folks like me who unbundle your pretty packages and can’t seem to get them back together again correctly!
For more information about Checkpoint tags contact us or call 1.770.426.0547
Loss Prevention Calculator -3 WC Blog 550
Can Loss Prevention Be Free? – 3
Understanding ROI Of A Checkpoint System With The Loss Prevention Calculator
Shortage reduction and theft prevention should be one of the top priorities for store owners to add profitability to their businesses. Trying to determine the best way to achieve this can be a difficult decision but the Loss Prevention Calculator can be of help. An article in LPM Insider titled, “How Do You Calculate ROI in Retail?” Feb 18, 2018 by Robert L. DiLonardo, the author discusses the methods of calculating return on investment in retail environments. Much of the article is discussion involving investment in retail theft prevention equipment and how to make investment decisions. Factors he mentions include the costs of equipment, devaluation, ongoing maintenance and even IT expenses that have to be taken into consideration. The costs then have to be weighed against the benefits and these may include how much is saved in labor reduction, reductions in inventory shortage, etc. The author also points out that, “Additional sales may be generated in other ways.” He explains in one example that more merchandise is available as EAS (electronic article surveillance) reduces shortage. Loss Prevention Systems Inc. CEO, Bill Bregar agrees with this assessment and encourages store owners that EAS is the best way to go to prevent shortage. It is so effective that Loss Prevention Systems Inc. knows that the Return On Investment in a Checkpoint EAS system will pay for itself over time. The ROI is enough that you could ask, “Can Loss Prevention Be Free?”
“Can Loss Prevention Be Free?” It is an interesting question that deserves an answer. Mr. DiLonardo makes the case that there are tangible benefits from using retail theft prevention equipment as I pointed out above. If you were to install a Checkpoint system and your shortage drops by 30% (a low estimate for an electronic article surveillance system) that 30% is added to your bottom line. There are a number of factors that come into play but let’s just say as an example you experience $10,000 in shortage each year. You invest $6,000 in a new Checkpoint system. Your Shortage decreases to $7,000 the following inventory at the 30% reduction we mentioned. You have just paid for half of that EAS system you installed. Using the Loss Prevention Calculator on the Loss Prevention Systems Inc. website you can try putting in different variables. You can enter how much you want to invest in a Checkpoint System and your estimated annual sales. The estimated number of months your new system would take to pay for itself is calculated for you. Can Loss Prevention Be Free? You bet it can be!
Another interesting point to make from the article is that Mr. DiLonardo uses a hypothetical comparison between the impact of a closed circuit television (CCTV) system and an electronic article surveillance system. He points out the potential increase of shoplifter apprehensions and what that amounts to when considering the dollars saved and the number of cases. The point makes sense when a store has a Loss Prevention Associate but most small retailers can’t afford a Loss Prevention Associate. An investment in a CCTV system will have little real impact on theft in those smaller businesses. It is good as a safety measure and can be used in identification for fraud cases and perhaps identifying shoplifters after the fact. It has little impact on shoplifting as it takes place and therefore makes less impact than it does in bigger stores and chain stores.
Bill Bregar, CEO of Loss Prevention Systems Inc. has made it his goal to help the small and medium size retail store owners who can’t afford a Loss Prevention Associate. A Checkpoint System will add profit back to stores and the Free Loss Prevention Calculator is one way he can prove it to you. You can use the calculator without any obligation but I think after you see the results you will want to discuss how soon you can start reducing shortage in your shops with Bill and his team. Don’t delay; try out the calculator now…What are you waiting for?
The Loss Prevention Calculator is important and we can help you with it. Call 1.770.426.0547 and let’s talk.
Shortage reduction and theft prevention should be one of the top priorities for store owners to add profitability to their businesses. Trying to determine the best way to achieve this can be a difficult decision but the Loss Prevention Calculator can be of help. An article in LPM Insider titled, “How Do You Calculate ROI in Retail?” Feb 18, 2018 by Robert L. DiLonardo, the author discusses the methods of calculating return on investment in retail environments. Much of the article is discussion involving investment in retail theft prevention equipment and how to make investment decisions. Factors he mentions include the costs of equipment, devaluation, ongoing maintenance and even IT expenses that have to be taken into consideration. The costs then have to be weighed against the benefits and these may include how much is saved in labor reduction, reductions in inventory shortage, etc. The author also points out that, “Additional sales may be generated in other ways.” He explains in one example that more merchandise is available as EAS (electronic article surveillance) reduces shortage. Loss Prevention Systems Inc. CEO, Bill Bregar agrees with this assessment and encourages store owners that EAS is the best way to go to prevent shortage. It is so effective that Loss Prevention Systems Inc. knows that the Return On Investment in a Checkpoint EAS system will pay for itself over time. The ROI is enough that you could ask, “Can Loss Prevention Be Free?”
“Can Loss Prevention Be Free?” It is an interesting question that deserves an answer. Mr. DiLonardo makes the case that there are tangible benefits from using retail theft prevention equipment as I pointed out above. If you were to install a Checkpoint system and your shortage drops by 30% (a low estimate for an electronic article surveillance system) that 30% is added to your bottom line. There are a number of factors that come into play but let’s just say as an example you experience $10,000 in shortage each year. You invest $6,000 in a new Checkpoint system. Your Shortage decreases to $7,000 the following inventory at the 30% reduction we mentioned. You have just paid for half of that EAS system you installed. Using the Loss Prevention Calculator on the Loss Prevention Systems Inc. website you can try putting in different variables. You can enter how much you want to invest in a Checkpoint System and your estimated annual sales. The estimated number of months your new system would take to pay for itself is calculated for you. Can Loss Prevention Be Free? You bet it can be!
Another interesting point to make from the article is that Mr. DiLonardo uses a hypothetical comparison between the impact of a closed circuit television (CCTV) system and an electronic article surveillance system. He points out the potential increase of shoplifter apprehensions and what that amounts to when considering the dollars saved and the number of cases. The point makes sense when a store has a Loss Prevention Associate but most small retailers can’t afford a Loss Prevention Associate. An investment in a CCTV system will have little real impact on theft in those smaller businesses. It is good as a safety measure and can be used in identification for fraud cases and perhaps identifying shoplifters after the fact. It has little impact on shoplifting as it takes place and therefore makes less impact than it does in bigger stores and chain stores.
Bill Bregar, CEO of Loss Prevention Systems Inc. has made it his goal to help the small and medium size retail store owners who can’t afford a Loss Prevention Associate. A Checkpoint System will add profit back to stores and the Free Loss Prevention Calculator is one way he can prove it to you. You can use the calculator without any obligation but I think after you see the results you will want to discuss how soon you can start reducing shortage in your shops with Bill and his team. Don’t delay; try out the calculator now…What are you waiting for?
The Loss Prevention Calculator is important and we can help you with it. Call 1.770.426.0547 and let’s talk.
Prevent Shoplifting -4 WC Blog 497
Alpha Security-5
Alpha Security Can Cure Alcohol Theft Crime
Alcohol theft is a concern for stores that sell beer, wine and spirits and trying to find a solution to prevent shoplifting. You may operate a small retail store and sell alcoholic beverages in your establishment. You may have even experienced a shoplifter trying to steal a bottle or can here or there. As a Loss Prevention Manager for a national retail store that carried wine, I had the experience of stopping a few customers trying to steal alcohol. It was relatively new for our company to carry spirits so I did not see a lot of theft in this department but there was some. I knew a bottle or two could be concealed in a jacket or a purse, and I would even believe a thief could put one down their pants based on other items I had caught people stealing. I was shocked when I came across a story on the internet and confirmed by several websites of a shoplifter who stole 18 bottles of liquor by concealing them in her purse and under various parts of her clothing! http://fox6now.com/2017/08/23/watch-woman-caught-on-video-stealing-18-bottles-of-liquor-in-her-clothes/ The story was posted by Fox 6 now on August 23, 2017and shows a store surveillance video of the woman as she was stealing. This theft as well as several others I found that were interesting may have been prevented if the stores had used electronic article surveillance (EAS) and Alpha Security tags to deter or detect the thefts.
If you do not use an EAS system in your store or are unfamiliar with it and Alpha Security tags allow me explain what they are and how they prevent theft. EAS systems function by the use of radio frequency waves transmitted by hard and soft tags to activate tower alarms usually located by a store entrance and exit. You have probably observed these towers in stores regularly and simply not known what they are or what they do. If merchandise that is tagged with a hard or soft tag comes too close to a tower an alarm built into the tower is set off. The alarm elicits a response from store employees who conduct receipt checks and recover merchandise to prevent shoplifting (it also helps in recovering merchandise that is missed by a cashier during the checkout process which otherwise leads to operational shortage). Soft tags are peeled from rolls and can be applied to a variety of products and surfaces such as cardboard manufacturer hang tags, plastic blister packs and cellophane and shrink wraps. Hard tags either pin or clip to merchandise or in the case of bottle protection clamp over the bottle cap and part of the neck. In the situations I am describing above involving alcohol bottle thefts, the use of a lock such as the Alpha Security Versa Guard would have deterred the shoplifter or would have caused an alarm at the door as she neared it to leave.
Lest you think the case of the thirsty thief I discussed above was an isolated incident, in another story from sonomanews.com, November 9, 2017 by Bill Hoban, “Sonoma Market’s wine-stealing trio still at large”, the reporter refers to a case in which, “Sonoma Police are looking for three woman who are suspected of walking out of a Sonoma Market on Nov. 4, with more than $1,150 of high priced wine.” The story goes on to say that employees reported 22 bottles missing. http://www.sonomanews.com/news/7620008-181/wine-stealing-trio-at-large That is roughly 7 bottles per person to not only conceal but carry out of a store. I have never visited this store but I can say that from the pictures I was able to view it does not appear Alpha Security bottle locks are being used or if they are it is in a limited manner. I will also say that from the picture of the three suspects leaving the store it does not appear there are EAS towers in use but the image could be misleading. If bottle locks are being used they should be used on all alcoholic beverages. Limiting what is tagged in a store only sends a would-be shoplifter to an item of a lower price point but you won’t prevent shoplifting from taking place. Finally, using bottle locks without an EAS system in place severely limits the effectiveness in theft prevention.
Alcohol theft is nothing to laugh about even if the thought of someone clinking out of a store with eighteen bottles hidden under their clothes and in a purse is amusing to consider. Don’t be a victim yourself, use Alpha Security bottle locks and an EAS system in your store to prevent shoplifting and keep profits up.
Need information on Alpha Security? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
Alcohol theft is a concern for stores that sell beer, wine and spirits and trying to find a solution to prevent shoplifting. You may operate a small retail store and sell alcoholic beverages in your establishment. You may have even experienced a shoplifter trying to steal a bottle or can here or there. As a Loss Prevention Manager for a national retail store that carried wine, I had the experience of stopping a few customers trying to steal alcohol. It was relatively new for our company to carry spirits so I did not see a lot of theft in this department but there was some. I knew a bottle or two could be concealed in a jacket or a purse, and I would even believe a thief could put one down their pants based on other items I had caught people stealing. I was shocked when I came across a story on the internet and confirmed by several websites of a shoplifter who stole 18 bottles of liquor by concealing them in her purse and under various parts of her clothing! http://fox6now.com/2017/08/23/watch-woman-caught-on-video-stealing-18-bottles-of-liquor-in-her-clothes/. The story was posted by Fox 6 now on August 23, 2017 and shows a store surveillance video of the woman as she was stealing. This theft as well as several others I found that were interesting may have been prevented if the stores had used electronic article surveillance (EAS) and Alpha Security tags to deter or detect the thefts.
If you do not use an EAS system in your store or are unfamiliar with it and Alpha Security tags allow me to explain what they are and how they prevent theft. EAS systems function by the use of radio frequency waves transmitted by hard and soft tags to activate tower alarms usually located by a store entrance and exit. You have probably observed these towers in stores regularly and simply not known what they are or what they do. If merchandise that is tagged with a hard or soft tag comes too close to a tower an alarm built into the tower is set off. The alarm elicits a response from store employees who conduct receipt checks and recover merchandise to prevent shoplifting (it also helps in recovering merchandise that is missed by a cashier during the checkout process which otherwise leads to operational shortage). Soft tags are peeled from rolls and can be applied to a variety of products and surfaces such as cardboard manufacturer hang tags, plastic blister packs and cellophane and shrink wraps. Hard tags either pin or clip to merchandise or in the case of bottle protection clamp over the bottle cap and part of the neck. In the situations I am describing above involving alcohol bottle thefts, the use of a lock such as the Alpha Security Versa Guard would have deterred the shoplifter or would have caused an alarm at the door as she neared it to leave.
Lest you think the case of the thirsty thief I discussed above was an isolated incident, in another story from sonomanews.com, November 9, 2017 by Bill Hoban, “Sonoma Market’s wine-stealing trio still at large”, the reporter refers to a case in which, “Sonoma Police are looking for three woman who are suspected of walking out of a Sonoma Market on Nov. 4, with more than $1,150 of high priced wine.” The story goes on to say that employees reported 22 bottles missing. http://www.sonomanews.com/news/7620008-181/wine-stealing-trio-at-large. That is roughly 7 bottles per person to not only conceal but carry out of a store. I have never visited this store but I can say that from the pictures I was able to view it does not appear Alpha Security bottle locks are being used or if they are it is in a limited manner. I will also say that from the picture of the three suspects leaving the store it does not appear there are EAS towers in use but the image could be misleading. If bottle locks are being used they should be used on all alcoholic beverages. Limiting what is tagged in a store only sends a would-be shoplifter to an item of a lower price point but you won’t prevent shoplifting from taking place. Finally, using bottle locks without an EAS system in place severely limits the effectiveness in theft prevention.
Alcohol theft is nothing to laugh about even if the thought of someone clinking out of a store with eighteen bottles hidden under their clothes and in a purse is amusing to consider. Don’t be a victim yourself, use Alpha Security bottle locks and an EAS system in your store to prevent shoplifting and keep profits up.
Need information on Alpha Security? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
