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.
I worked in Retail Loss Prevention for many years and during that time I had a lot of opportunities to stop shoplifting as the result of an electronic article surveillance alarm set off by a tagged piece of merchandise. Today I work in a library but still deal with alarms when patrons set them off as they exit or enter our building. The alarms are sometimes caused by items that are tagged but the tags have not been properly deactivated. In other cases it is the result of someone trying to sneak library materials out in order to steal them (sounds a lot like shoplifting doesn’t it?). It is necessary to investigate and resolve the source of any alarm until it is satisfactorily resolved. Just a few days ago a student was leaving the building and as she walked through our towers the alarm sounded. I used my Loss Prevention experience to stop the patron and talk to her about what may have caused the activation.
Whether it is a college library or a store, electronic article surveillance labels can prevent merchandise and property from being improperly removed from a building. In the case of a retail business those labels can make the difference between a profitable and successful enterprise and one that struggles. Sensormatic labels can prevent thieves from stealing but even with a system as good as Sensormatic’s a store must have employees available to respond to alarms. Those employees must also have the proper training to approach shoppers who set off alarms and the know how to resolve the alarms. It is not as easy as it may sound. I would like to offer some tips from my own experience so you can train your employees to identify what has set off an electronic article surveillance alarm system.
•An employee who approaches a customer that has set off an alarm should never begin the interaction assuming the customer was trying to steal something. The attitude exhibited by the employee influences the way the customer will respond. I have found that by making a statement that indicates a mistake happened rather than an attempted theft can calm a patron almost immediately. I will say something like, “Uh-oh, our system must not have deactivated a tag properly, I’m sorry.”
•I then begin the process of determining the cause of the alarm. In a store I will ask if the patron has made a purchase. If they say they did I ask if they could show me a receipt? If the patron said they bought something but they don’t have the receipt I ask if I can look in their bag. I follow up by asking what register they went through and after reviewing the transactions if I cannot locate the item I tell the customer we must have accidentally missed the item as we were scanning. No, I’m not throwing the cashier under the bus, I am giving the person an “out” so it does not appear I am accusing them of theft.
•If a look through a shopping bag does not reveal the cause of the alarm a bit if finesse will be required. You may have to try to get a peak in a purse, backpack or tote and that can be more difficult. People don’t like to have their personal belongings rummaged through. I like to say something that will make the person feel like I am helping them. If they have multiple bags I will suggest they walk one bag through the tower at a time. Through the process of elimination I find the bag that has the active tag in it. I then diffuse the situation further. I mention that I have had customers forget and put an item in a purse to see if it would fit (such as a wallet) and forget they put it in. Again, providing a ready-made excuse for the customer makes it easier to get an item back or the person to pay for it, I have encountered both. I also tell customers that sometimes people make purchases at other stores with electronic article surveillance systems and they fail to deactivate tags and it can set off our system.
A skilled employee who has been trained can stop shoplifting and even prevent unintentional missed merchandise from leaving the store.
If you don’t currently have a Sensormatic system in your store I strongly encourage you to get one. You will stop shoplifting and as you do you will see your instocks improve. THAT drives sales and profits. As evidence that my tips work, in the case of the library alarm, the student had two books in her backpack that she had forgotten about. I got them checked out and the student went on her way.
Need more information on electronic article surveillance, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.
I have been in retail a LONG time and somewhere around 18 of those years were spent in Loss Prevention. Today I still work in retail but I have the opportunity to continue to ply my Loss Prevention skills in recommending to my manager items I think should have electronic article surveillance tags on them. Better yet is when I get to use my experience to stop shoplifting in the store. I had just such an opportunity recently while I was working. I will share the story with you in a moment and there will be pertinent tips you can employ in your own store to put a halt to theft. Before I do that I want to point out that the situation could have been avoided if the store used more electronic article surveillance (EAS) devices on products than what the company currently dictates.
Electronic Article Surveillance is a system that uses radio frequency (rf) emitting tags and rf receivers called pedestals or towers to protect merchandise from theft. Pedestals are placed at the entrances and exits of stores in order to detect a person trying to leave with unpaid, TAGGED products. These are electronic article surveillance tagsI emphasize tagged because without a protective device an item can’t be detected and this is how so many stores experience climbing shortage. Let me clarify that statement too. Retailers that have electronic article surveillance systems that are not maintained, of poor quality or do not have a strong tagging program in place also experience increased shortage. When the tagged products are carried into the range of the pedestals the pedestals have an alarm that blasts out an alert and nearby employees respond to conduct receipt and package checks. The more a store tags the more effective the deterrence value of the system.
Getting back to my recent incident, I was walking to the store from my vehicle and a manager was returning from his lunch break and stopped me. He pointed out a pick-up truck that had two males sitting in it and the manager said they had been there for a while and he had watched a female leave and enter the store. The manager said that he had called the store manager and alerted him. I got into the store and got clocked in and immediately went to the floor and began offering customer service to the female suspect. I also looked into the shopping basket and noted several items in it and that none of them had EAS tags (electronic article surveillance tags) on them. Well, I offered service and would leave the immediate area and a manager would start to watch. It took a few minutes but one of the men from the truck entered the store. The man and woman met up and were still being watched by managers but I was getting tired of the cat and mouse game. The female had enough small items that it would have been easy for her to conceal some in her purse if he had blocked for her. Without electronic article surveillance tags the alarms wouldn’t sound when they left and that would prevent an excuse for a bag check. I walked into the aisle with the couple, put on my best salesman smile and offered additional assistance. I even offered to ring them up on my mobile device. Oddly, they began saying they were uncomfortable with all of the attention and felt like they were being watched! The man even said he felt I was being pushy to ring their transaction. I smiled and let them know that one of my faults was I have been a pushy salesman for my 7 years at this company. The woman said she would put the items back and leave because she was so uncomfortable. I let her know she didn’t need to go to the trouble and I took the basket and assured her I would put the items back for her. The couple left and the three of them jumped back in the truck and left. We saved over $200.00 in merchandise through employee awareness and great customer service.
Customer service is a great way to increase sales and decrease theft but it should never be the only theft prevention measure. Use EAS tags on everything and rely on Loss Prevention Systems Inc. EAS systems for reliable technology and support.
For more information about electronic article surveillance tags contact us or call 1.770.426.0547
Alpha High Theft Solutions is always on the cutting edge. We now have two more weapons in our arsenal when protecting liquor and wine. This is bottle security at its best.
Magna Guarde Bottle Cap – this bottle cap is designed for those extra-large bottle necks and uniquely shaped caps. Like all of Alpha’s bottle caps, Magna Guarde provides product denial. This means that not only is the bottle protected from shoplifters but it also keeps a person from opening the bottle in the store to pour off or consume. Magna Guarde is the same design style as EASy Guarde.
3 Alarm Omni Guarde Bottle Cap – WOW, this is a hot item. Imagine an Alpha Bottle Cap with a 3 Alarm sounder built in!!! An Alpha High Theft Solutions 3 Alarm Bottle Cap provides protection on three levels: first, if the shoplifter tries to remove the cap in store, the 95 db sounder goes off.
Second, if a shoplifter attempts to remove the bottle from the store, it will set the Checkpoint System or other EAS system off.
Third, if the product goes through the Checkpoint System, other EAS system or Alpha’s Nano Gate, the built in 95 db sounder goes off. This feature also provides a bit of entertainment as the shoplifter has no choice but to give you back the bottle hidden inside their coat or bag that is screaming out.
This combined with product denial makes the 3 Alarm Omni Guarde Bottle Cap the hot item in the bottle security market.
I am not quite sure when you conduct your periodic inventory count but let’s presume that you just completed the count and you noticed that you are missing $10,000 in inventory. This number might represent 100 percent of your monthly sales or maybe less than 1 percent of your monthly sales or anywhere in between. This inventory shrinkage might be substantial.
Let’s also presume that your average profit margin is 5 basis points or in other words 5 percent of each item you are selling. How much in additional sales will you need in order to make up for the shortfall in inventory?
From an accounting perspective you can just write the inventory losses off. However, from a business perspective what do you have to do in order to reduce your inventory shrinkage?
Once you have determined the reasons for the inventory shrinkage, you can develop a strategy. Some of the shrinkage might be due to accounting entries but some of it may be attributable to shoplifting. So what can you do to stop shoplifting and implement a means to start your retail theft prevention strategy?
A Checkpoint Security System could easily be incorporated into your retail theft prevention strategy and become the cornerstone to stop shoplifting. A Checkpoint Security System can be purchased from a Checkpoint Security System dealer and will cost a fraction of the inventory shrinkage you just experienced in one month.
A Checkpoint Security System must be installed by a certified technician with the correct tools and software to ensure that the system is properly tuned. Periodic maintenance and adjustments are highly recommended to keep the system at peak performance due to changes in your store layout. These systems are highly reliable and will provide many years of assistance in your retail theft prevention strategy.
Why would an armed robber choose your retail location? Because you have money or the perception that money is available.
Loss prevention security where there is a possibility of a robbery must be treated in a serious manner. Your security and loss prevention program should always include training for a robbery.
In most cases robberies only take one to two minutes from start to finish.
WHEN A ROBBERY OCCURS IN YOUR STORE OR AT THE NIGHT DEPOSIT, CONCENTRATE ON THE FOLLOWING:
* The safety of customers, employees and you is always top priority.
* Be cooperative.
* Be observant.
DO’S AND DON’TS DURING THE ROBBERY
* Heroics are uncalled for – Do not resist.
* The sooner it’s over, the better – Do keep it short.
* Do give up the money when the robber demands it.
* Do not argue.
* Do not try to grab the weapon or call out for help.
* Do not over react
* Do make every effort to remain calm. Set the example for other employees.
* Do pay attention. Listen to the robber and do exactly what you are asked.
* Do not make sudden movements. Try to warn the robber of any surprises or unexpected noises.
* Do expect strong/foul language.
* Do expect to be told to lay on the floor or ground.
* Be alert. Try to remember details of the robber’s appearance, clothing and/or speech.
* Do keep any holdup note, but do not allow people to handle it.
* If you can, watch the robber’s direction and method of escape.
* Do not go with the robber!
TAKE THE FOLLOWING STEPS AFTER THE ROBBERY:
* Immediately lock the front door or gate. Robbers have been known to return to the store.
* Call the police immediately!
* Close off the area where the robbery took place.
* Write down everything you can recall about the robbery. Provide this information to the police upon their arrival.
* Do not give the police an exact count of the money stolen. Tell them you will make an exact count and get back to them. You do not want this amount to show up in a police report, then the newspaper.
* Give the police any holdup note.
* Notify your supervisor or corporate office immediately.
* Fill out a company security and loss prevention report. Forward a copy to your supervisor.
* Refer any media questions to your corporate office or loss prevention security department.
For more information about robbery or loss prevention security contact us at security and loss prevention or call 1.770.426.0547 – Atlanta
The Fine Print – DISCLAIMER OF LIABILITY
The information provided is for informational purposes only. It is important that you follow your company’s policies and procedures. The techniques presented although conservative should still be compared with individual state and local laws before proceeding. You should consult your own legal counsel before adopting or using any of the recommendations made. Loss Prevention Systems, Inc. expressly disclaims any liability whatsoever, which may arise as a result of adhering to or failing to implement procedures discussed in this material.
