Reactionary Protection

March 7, 2012 by Leave a Comment

We don’t always know what items are going to be the next hot theft item or what merchandise we are going to need to focus on to prevent shoplifting next. Sometimes it takes a few losses to realize how desirable something has become to a shoplifter. The best that we can do before theft becomes noticeable is to protect our most expensive merchandise with a Spider Wrap, Jewel Lok, Shark Tag, or one of the many other retail anti theft devices that are available on the market.

When deciding what to spider wrap after assessing price points, my typical strategy is to focus on things that are easy to steal and easy to sell. Any high dollar item with packaging that has a handle shoots straight to the top of my spider wrap priority list. High dollar small or easy to conceal items are typically first on my spider wrap list as well. Sometimes browsing local resale shops or online resale websites can help to identify what merchandise is being targeted.

When determining what merchandise to shark tag, I will typically tag merchandise seasonally or as I am noticing trends in used merchandise returns on specific types of merchandise. The most common time that we utilize a shark tag is during school dance seasons such as prom or homecoming. Affixing a shark tag to all high dollar dresses helps to prevent people from purchasing and using the item for their big event and then returning afterward. We will also use a shark tag on our leather coats to prevent seasonal wearers who purchase an expensive coat at the beginning of the season and return it once the cold season is over.

Visit the Loss Prevention Store for retail anti theft devices that can help you prevent shoplifting in your business.

For more information on how you can use retail anti theft devices to prevent shoplifting contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 

 

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Frequency

March 7, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Checkpoint security tags come in many forms giving you the ability to choose what is best for your business. What is sometimes overlooked is what you can do with the RF security tags once you choose your best option.

Some RF security tags can be set at varying frequencies allowing you to change what happens when a particularly frequency passes a certain point or antenna. We have set our antennas to detect two separate frequencies. When one RF label frequency is passed by the antennas at the exit they flash red, and a slow beeping noise is emitted. This is used for the majority of our merchandise. However, when our second RF label frequency passes through the antennas they flash blue, and a faster beeping noise is emitted. This frequency is used for our jewelry merchandise.

Adjusting the frequency for particular items can be very helpful to identifying what types of merchandise are being stolen and ultimately stop shoplifting. By using a separate frequency for small expensive items such as jewelry, you can identify potential shoplifters to keep your eye out for in the future. You can identify subjects who may be purchasing some less expensive items and conceal other higher dollar merchandise in order to use the merchandise they purchase as an excuse to set off the alarm. If you are having major issues with the theft of a very specific item you can tag that item with different frequency RF labels and identify when that item is leaving your store. The options and uses of checkpoint labels are endless.

Visit the Loss Prevention Store to purchase Checkpoint labels, Checkpoint security tags, and other RF labels that can help you stop shoplifting in your business.

For more information on Checkpoint labels, Checkpoint security tags, RF labels, RF security labels, RF security tags and how to stop shoplifting contact us at RF label or call 1.770.426.0547 

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Is employee theft of cash ruining your profits?

March 7, 2012 by Leave a Comment

There are many things that employees can steal, but the most sought after item is cash.  Unlike merchandise, it can be used anywhere.  Cash is often the easiest item to steal.  It does not have sensor tags applied, it is small and employees handle it all day.  So how is internal theft of cash happening at your business and what are you doing to stop it?

There are several ways that employee theft of cash can occur and there are various things to consider when conducting an employee theft investigation into these losses.  The most basic is taking money directly from the drawer.  You will notice the effects of this internal theft the next day when your accounting department shows missing money from the drawer.  When you conduct your employee theft investigation I suggest starting with reviewing “No Sale” functions.  Generally speaking, most associates do not take cash during an actual transaction as there are witnesses (i.e. the customer) present.  Instead, many will wait until no one is around, conduct a “No Sale” function and then pocket the cash.  They think the absence of witnesses helps them get away with it, but in reality it is usually easy to pinpoint.

Another way is by conducting voids.  This is much harder to catch, but possible.  In this employee theft scam the associate will void a transaction and take the cash.  Since the register thinks the sale did not happen then it will not show short since the cash “should not have been there” according to the register.  Again, routinely look for associates conducting a lot of voids followed by “No Sales”.  Since they voided the transaction the cashier has to use the “No Sale” function to open the drawer and make change for the customer.  You can also just pull random voids and review the video to see if the merchandise, in fact, stays in the store or does the customer take it.  If the customer takes it then the cashier is stealing from you.

There is no easy solution to internal theft, but a quality employee theft investigation will help eliminate a problem and prevent future loss.

For more information on employee theft , employee theft investigation or internal theft contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 – Atlanta Georgia

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Spider Wrap vs. Shoplifter: The Man in the Pillows

March 5, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Checkpoint security tags, Spider wraps and other checkpoint systems can be a pretty useful tool when it comes to retail theft prevention. Checkpoint systems will deter most people from shoplifting, but every once and a while you get a shoplifter determined to defeat any anti shoplifting methods you’ve used. Over the years I have acquired many stories about such endeavors. Today I’ll tell you a little story about the man in the pillows.

I was working late one night finishing up putting checkpoint security tags on a new shipment when I saw this guy walk in. The man was on a mission, and I was pretty sure that mission was to steal. I ran back to the office and started watching cameras on my checkpoint security system. The man was clearly looking for something specific. Once he found the electronics, I could tell that was it. Luckily I knew everything there had all their retail theft prevention measures in place, so I wasn’t too worried about a grab and run. The next thing I knew the man had a digital camera in hand despite the anti shoplifting methods we had in place. He headed for the bedding area. Once he got there the man took out a knife and started going at the wire of the spider wrap! I couldn’t believe it. I grabbed the phone and immediately called the police. While I was on the phone the knife snapped through the wire and set off the spider wrap. I knew the spider wrap went off because the man was obviously panicking. He grabbed the wrap by its speaker and squeezed. It muffled the sound I’m sure, but it wasn’t enough. The man then threw the wrap on the ground and began to stomp on it. This didn’t work either. He picked it up and buried it behind some pillows. Now this appeared to work, at least enough for him to get away. He grabbed all the pillows he could find and piled them on and around where he had stashed the wrap. Then he picked up the camera, stuffed it down his pants and made a beeline for the doors. By this time the police had arrived and were waiting for him to exit. Busted, my checkpoint security system and I had won.

 Visit the Loss Prevention Store to purchase retail anti theft devices from Checkpoint Systems.

For more information on Anti Shoplifting , Checkpoint Security System or Checkpoint Security Tags contact us at Retail theft prevention or call 1.770.426.0547

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Bad things happen when you don’t check references

March 5, 2012 by

So you have a candidate for a job sitting before you.  He is well dressed, his resume is glowing, and his work history is a perfect fit for your company’s needs.  As the interview progresses he says everything you could ever want to hear, answering each question flawlessly and without hesitation.

Usually when something is too good to be true it is.

An example would be at an automotive service center attached to one of my stores.  It is a part of the company that suffers from a high turnover rate for a variety of reasons too long to list here.  At this particular center, the employee attrition rate was so high that the center manager had given up on performing background checks and went by what he saw in front of him.  He was trying to fill vacancies which were crippling his ability to keep the center viable.

One day an applicant sat down with him for an interview with a resume that said he was capable and experienced as a technician and the references listed all gave him amazing reviews.

Less than a week into this individual’s career at the center he was tasked with performing a belt replacement on a car; something he claimed to have experience with.

The engine blew within seconds of being started.

The individual had never done a belt change before and ‘just winged it’.  Because of the incident a background check had to be done and it was found he had never worked ANYWHERE he had claimed and his references were all personal acquaintances posing as former supervisors.  These were all details easily discovered with pre employment screening.

Basically the moral of this story is if the center manager had requested an employee background check, or even used one of the company background check experts he could have avoided hiring the fraud and kept himself from getting fired for his mistakes.

For more information on background check experts , background checks , criminal background checks , employee background checks or pre employment screening contact us at the background check company or call 1.770.426.0547

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Bottle Lock Technology and Liquor Privatization:

March 5, 2012 by

Alpha Security has a product that should be used by every retailer that sells liquor.  Liquor Bottle Security is going to be come a necessity in the state of Washington, as private retailers will now be able to sell hard liquor at their stores.  Like any product, liquor is a desirable theft item.  To prevent your profits from shrinking as well as your inventory, bottle locks should be a must have item for you retail outlet.

The privatization of liquor will bring a whole new element to both the grocery and warehouse grocery industries.  In the state run liquor stores, bottle locks have not been used on average price point merchandise.  This was partially due to the relatively small size of the state liquor stores and the penalty of stealing from a state owned store.  Bottle lock technology will become a real solution for the private storeowner.  Bottle security will be paramount to the financial health of these stores.  Without the deterring factor of the state store, small business owners will need to really think about Liquor bottle security, not only from a theft perspective, but also from financial impact due to liability issues.

Alpha Security has developed a product known as the EASy Bottle.  This bottle lock has been effectively used in other states where liquor sales are done in your neighborhood store and supermarket.  The EASy Bottle takes a proactive approach to liquor bottle security.  The bottle lock secures the opening of the product.  The bottle lock requires a special key for removing the item at the point of sale.  The acts a deterrent and prevents employees and shoplifters from stealing your merchandise.  This approach to liquor bottle security is far less intrusive to the customer, as it still allows them to make selection of the product.  The new outlet for liquor should also include bottle security.  Bottle security can and should include bottle locks.  Bottle security can save the retailer time and money.

Visit the Loss Prevention Store to purchase EASy Bottle bottle locks by Alpha Security.

For more information on Alpha Security , Bottle Lock , Bottle locks , Bottle Security , liquor bottle security or EASy Bottle contact us or call 1.770.426.0547

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On Line Advantage

March 5, 2012 by

In order to stay competitive in the retail market, many companies are starting to focus more on their Internet sales. By eliminating the need for the brick and mortar overhead, Internet sales are increasing the overall profit of a company by huge increases in overall margin. What is yet to be determined is the long-term scope of clothing theft in the warehouses or by fraudulent activity at the store level.

When you look at on line orders there are two major players at work. The first being there is no customer physically present at the time of purchase. That makes things difficult because it eliminates the check and balance system of having another eye watching a particular transaction.

The second part is that on line orders are generally shipped out. Having a clothing alarm will not necessarily help deter this sort of theft. What I have seen in the past is either additional product put into the box for shipment, or a duplicate receipt on a shipment to give the illusion that the product is for a legitimate customer.

To eliminate the scope of fraudulent shipments, try to have a few policies in place. Validate the receipts to the product in the box prior to sealing it. Validate the receipts attached and log the names and addresses. Look for any changes in the address a package is shipped to that occur after it has left the store.

Hopefully you already have clothing security tags in use. If someone other than the person in charge of your on line orders is responsible for detaching the Checkpoint tags, you add another set of eyes to the process. They can look for duplicate items or items not on a receipt.

Checkpoint tags will still prove to be a helpful deterrent against clothing theft. Even without a customer in your store, the tags provided a way to protect your profits.

Visit the Loss Prevention Store to purchase a clothing alarm or clothing security tags.

For more information on Checkpoint tags, clothing security, clothing alarm, or clothing security tags contact us at security tags on clothes or call 1.770.426.0547

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Fashion Forward

March 5, 2012 by Leave a Comment

When you work in clothing sales you have to be acutely aware of current trends. When you work loss prevention for a clothing retailer, you have to be equally aware of the trends, and not just the obvious ones.

 The fashion industry is constantly changing, and the “IT” item this week may not be the same one two weeks from now. Knowing what is the hot item will help you know what should be placed up front and on display. It should also let you know what you need to be aware of from a shrink perspective. Not everyone who is fashion forward will pay the legitimate price. 

To prevent shoplifting of those items, you have to first be aware of what they are. I remember a holiday broach that we left out on a display table one year. My Store Manager told me to watch to make sure none were stolen. Three weeks later they were all still there- not only had they not been stolen, but they also had not sold. I joked with my manger that I guessed they were too ugly to even be stolen.

 Conversely, the cashmere scarves by a popular designer were flying off the shelves. The sales rate was extremely high, as were the attempts by shoplifters. We spent a lot of time making sure that item had retail anti theft devices like hard tags on them. We even put a Shark Tag in the middle to prevent someone from trying to wear it out the door.

 Without knowing the popular fashion trend, we would have suffered some serious merchandise losses. We also would have lost out on sales by not having the right product in place at the right time.

 Visit the Loss Prevention Store for retail anti theft devices that can help you prevent shoplifting in your business.

 For more information on how you can use retail anti theft devices to prevent shoplifting contact us or call 1.770.426.0547

 

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How RF Security Labels Can Help To Stop Shoplifting

March 5, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Retail Loss Prevention is involved in a stop shoplifting war.  With retail security as an ally, retailers actually have a means to defeat the onslaught of shoplifters who pilfer merchandise day after day.

 The weapons provided with an EAS (Electronic Article Surveillance) system are a powerful defense in the battle against thieves.  RF Labels and RF Security Tags attached to highly desirable merchandise repel shoplifters like there is a virtual wall around it.  Since most shoplifters have a leaning toward self-preservation, that is not being caught, they tend to attack weaker targets, those with weaker defenses that have no Checkpoint Security tags or Checkpoint labels protecting the objective merchandise.

 The merchandise is openly displayed and available to legitimate customers. The defensive tactic of applying an RF label and RF security tags only affects those attempting to remove merchandise from the store without paying for it first.  The stop shoplifting measures – Checkpoint security tags and RF security labels – must first be removed or deactivated by an employee at the point of sale.  Without this happening, the EAS technology will detect the protected merchandise when it comes into proximity of the RF label antennas located near the exit.  When the retail anti theft devices sound the alert, store staff can address the situation and correct it, preventing yet another shoplifting.

 The combination of active EAS detection and passive deterrence of the presence of retail anti theft devices is a powerful weapon in the war against shoplifting.

 Visit the Loss Prevention Store to purchase Checkpoint labels, Checkpoint security tags, and other RF labels that can help you stop shoplifting in your business.

 For more information on Checkpoint labels, Checkpoint security tags, RF labels, RF security labels, RF security tags and how to stop shoplifting contact us at http://www.losspreventionsystems.com/site.cfm/Contact-Us.cfm or call 1.770.426.0547 – Atlanta Georgia

 

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Have you considered using Integrity Shops as a part of your employee theft investigation???

March 5, 2012 by Leave a Comment

There are many times that it is necessary to perform an employee theft investigation in your business.  The sad reality is that employees steal … a lot!!  In fact, most studies agree that internal theft (also called employee theft) accounts for 50-70% of retail shrink.  One of the hardest parts of the job is investigating employees because we all want to trust our employees.  It is very hard to accept that one or more are going behind your back and stealing, but it is the reality.  In order to catch internal theft an employee theft investigation must be done when money and merchandise start missing.

There are several things to do during an employee theft investigation.  The first is to review reports.  Many losses can be solved by tracking cash over and shorts, reviewing refund and void trends as well as researching ordering and inventory change histories.  When these don’t work then we turn to cameras.  Cameras are a great tool at catching employee theft. Whether it is by using standard cameras on the sales floor or covert cameras in offices, these tools can often times conclusively show you who your thief is.  Unfortunately, there are times when none of these work.  I have on several occasions found myself at wits end having a strong suspicion of an employee, but not having actual proof.  Here is where an Integrity Shop can be a benefit.

In order test a suspected employee’s integrity you can create a circumstance for an employee to do the “right thing” and thus prove one way or the other what type of integrity they have.  You may put some extra money in the till or drop a gift card by the register and then watch cameras to see what that employee does with the extra money or gift card.  What they should do is turn it in since it does not belong to them.  If they take the money or card then they have proven they cannot be trusted and that gives you leverage when talking to them about the other shortages showing up in their work station.

For more information on employee theft investigation, employee theft or internal theft contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 – Atlanta Georgia

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