Staff Editor — Page 208

You can’t be there all the time, but bottle locks can

February 29, 2012 by Staff Editor

In the business of Loss Prevention, we have a saying. You can’t be there all the time. People usually used it as a cop out for losses that occur when they aren’t around, but it can also speak to why things like bottle security are so important. I’ve been using Alpha security products for my liquor bottle security needs for a long time, and it makes me feel comfortable that even when I’m not watching cameras, my merchandise is safe and secure with the EASy Bottle bottle lock system.

I spent a lot of time and stress frustrated with losses that were occurring just after I left work or just before I got there. There is nothing worse than walking in to an employee telling you, “You just missed a case! Five minutes ago there was this guy that…” you get the picture. The fact is that no matter how much you try or how many eyes you have watching, you are never going to catch 100% of the thieves that walk into your building. On the bright side, bottle locks can do a much better job of this. For starters, liquor bottle security is a huge deterrent. A shoplifter takes one look at that and says, “I’m going down the street to a place that doesn’t have a bottle locks.” And when you have that overly determined shoplifter willing to take the risk, they will soon realize that when they get outside, they still can’t open the bottle lock, and they won’t be back again. Bottle security deters theft, detects theft, and prevents those pesky repeat offenders all the time, not just when you’re there.

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

Filed Under: Security Tagged With: Alpha Security, bottle lock, bottle locks, bottle security, easy bottle, liquor bottle security

Can You Pass an Audit?

February 29, 2012 by Staff Editor

A very large portion of my job that doesn’t involve conducting investigations is performing audits. I am a whiz at audits. I can audit anything and everything, quantify the data and then present a very accurate look at the pulse of a store.

One of the biggest areas that I audit is security tags on clothes. When it comes to clothing security, having something like Checkpoint tags is really an industry standard. Having proper execution of those tags? Sometimes it seems like it is an optional program.

The first part of the audit is to know what the standards are for that type of clothing. Is it above $50? Only certain brands? The next step is to take a random sampling of that product group (say 25 or 50 items) and start counting how many Checkpoint tags are attached. Take note that the clothing security tags are in the right place on the garment.

You should now be able to convert your findings into a percentage. Is this an acceptable number? Some retailers expect at least 95% compliance. Others may only require 80 -85%.

I would compare these percentages against current losses, recovered tags, and apprehensions and see if there is a correlation to poor clothing security standards and current shrink trends. Generally there is a big solid line connecting the two.

I also look at associate engagement in those areas with high or increasing shrink, and poor clothing security. Again, there is usually a common denominator present.

The last thing is to take those findings to the management staff. Having concrete numbers to back up what I am trying to enforce goes a long way. It also helps my managers have something concrete if any sort of performance action is needed with the department’s associates.

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

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Checkpoint tags, clothing alarm, Clothing Security, clothing security tags, security tags on clothes

Nano Gate … A great new way to prevent shoplifting!!!

February 29, 2012 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

There are many retail anti theft devices on the market today that are aimed at helping retailers prevent shoplifting. Many of these retail anti theft devices and systems have been around for years and some are much newer. A relatively new system that I have found to be very useful is the Nano Gate (and 3 Alarm tags) by Alpha Security.

By this time I think we are all pretty familiar with standard EAS systems. You put sensor tags on merchandise and if it passes the door pedestals then an alarm sounds. We all hope we can prevent shoplifting by bringing attention to those who are setting off the system. Two problems have developed with this system. One, in many stores no one pays attention to this alarm anymore and it sounds all day with no response from employees or customers. When that happens the deterrent effect is lost. A second issue is that even if you do respond as an employee, you are limited in what you can search and what you can do to recover your product.

The Nano Gate and Alpha’s 3 Alarm tags address these problems. The first piece of the solution is the 3 Alarm tags. These retail anti theft devices are like standard hard sensor tags with the exception that they have an alarm built into the tag. If a would-be shoplifter tampers with the tag then the alarm will sound on the tag itself. This is great at deterring seasoned shoplifters who can quickly defeat standard EAS tags. The second part of the system is the Nano Gate. Unlike standard pedestals that just alarm, when the 3 Alarm tag passes by the Nano Gate the built in senor alarm sounds. When an employee responds it will be hard for a shoplifter to explain the alarm coming from their bag (or other places) as anything but theft.

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

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: 3 Alarm, Nano Gate, Prevent Shoplifting, Retail Anti Theft Devices

The smaller things in life: RF Security Labels can help

February 29, 2012 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

There are always times when your typical checkpoint labels or checkpoint security tags are too large or bulky to affix to certain types of merchandise. Jewelry, fragrances, and sunglasses are the first things that come to mind. This can make it difficult to secure these items and stop shoplifting with our typical resources. That is when RF security labels can come in handy. With RF labels you have the ability to print UPC’s and pricing labels directly onto the RF security tag. You are saving space and accomplishing two goals at once; securing your merchandise to stop shoplifting and providing your customers with the prices without covering up the packaging of the merchandise.

I remember before we discovered RF labels, I was catching a lot of flack for covering so much of the merchandise packaging. The fragrances were supposed to look good and attract the customer to the item. With the old checkpoint labels the packaging looked much worse having to make room for both the UPC and the checkpoint security tag. My team is much happier now that the RF security labels are integrated. We are also able to affix RF security labels to things that we previously couldn’t fit them on. Jewelry and sunglasses are now much more secure with the RF label containing the security tag as well. RF security tags are a big deterrent as well. With the security notice printed on the labels customers know that this item is protected and they will be far less likely to just stick it in their pocket and walk out the door.

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

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Checkpoint labels, Checkpoint security tags, RF label, RF labels, RF security labels, RF security tags, stop shoplifting

Tick- Tock

February 29, 2012 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

Sometimes you can’t figure it out fast enough. Any time you are working an employee theft investigation the clock is running. The longer it takes to build your case, the more shrink you will incur. The scope of your employee theft may go from just a few dollars to thousands seemingly overnight.

I had a case where I just knew in my gut that a few employees were stealing from us. It started after I saw a few suspicious returns on an employee. She purchased some clothes and later returned them. Company policy was to have a return slip and a check in with loss prevention prior to any employee returns being done.

I had never seen the clothes come back to the store. I asked her why she didn’t get a pass and she stated that she forgot. Well over the next few months I noticed that she was returning almost every item she purchased, never getting a return slip from my department. It was time to start compiling some surveillance for the employee theft investigation to help my case along.

I discovered that she always had the same associate do her returns. I then started looking at his accounts. He was having a large number of returns to his account, starting shortly after hers did. My case of employee theft had just doubled!

Well, after I started to mirror their schedules, I noticed that items were being rung up and taken out of the store. They weren’t having someone check their purchases, and I noticed the bags were rather large for the purchase.

As it turns out, the employees were in it together. They were making purchases and adding items to their bags. They would then bring the receipts in and credit their accounts. It was a double loss, but we were able to stop it before they got any other employees in on the scam.

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

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: employee theft, employee theft investigation, internal theft

Customer Service vs. Retail Theft Prevention

February 27, 2012 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

Throughout my time working in Loss Prevention, I have observed a constant struggle between stopping theft and giving customers the best shopping experience. As a person representing the anti-shoplifting side of retail, if it were up to me, everything in a store would be nailed down, in a case, or behind bars. This is why I don’t own a store and haven’t crossed over to a Customer Service department. Shoppers don’t want to be treated like criminals and they want to have an open merchandise experience where they can try on shoes, pick up purses, and test cosmetics. So how can retailers obtain a healthy balance between these two conflicting missions?

Enter Checkpoint Security Systems, a leader in anti-shoplifting solutions. All of the companies that I have worked for except one have used Checkpoint security tags to combat theft of live merchandise. While interviewing shoplifters at the retailer that didn’t utilize solutions from Checkpoint systems, all of them admitted that they chose our store over other retailers because we didn’t have any merchandise protection they would have to worry about defeating. While many professional shoplifters have tools to remove security tags, they still seek out stores that will make their job easier.

Checkpoint security tags also allow stores to offer their customers a live merchandise experience without the suspicion and worry that I constantly live with. With both hard and soft tags offered, shoppers can freely test and try on merchandise without bulky sensors getting in the way or tangled cables preventing them from removing the item from a rack. Retailers and shoppers each have more positive interactions with each other, and guests leave the store happier. The battle between Loss Prevention and customer service is over, with both sides coming out a winner.

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

Filed Under: antishoplifting Tagged With: Anti-Shoplifting, checkpoint security system, Checkpoint security tags, checkpoint systems, retail theft prevention

What the customer expects: Background Checks

February 27, 2012 by Staff Editor

Customer service has become possibly the most important factor in the business decisions that we make today. From our policies and procedures to how we staff our buildings, the customer comes first. In a tough economy, this becomes even more important. When a customer walks into the building they expect that we have hired the right people and completed pre employment screening of our employees. They expect that they are coming to a place where they can trust our employees and believe what we tell them because we are a business of integrity. If we do not complete criminal background checks of all our employees, we are opening up the door for this image to be tarnished. Most of all I want my customers to feel safe. Hiring a background check company gives me the confidence to know that my employees have never been convicted of a violent crime.

Background checks ensure we have the right people in place to serve our customers. Employee background checks make me comfortable that my employees are going to be honest with the customer and do their best to get the customer what they need. When I hire background check experts to conduct pre employment screening it reassures me that I have made the right hiring decision, and that my employees are going to act with integrity.

For the security of my business and the safety of my customers and employees, I owe it to them and myself to conduct employee background checks on all of my new hires.

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

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: background check company, Background checks, criminal background check, employee background checks, pre employment screening

Keep Kids Off the Wagon

February 27, 2012 by Staff Editor

According to a 2011 study on underage drinking conducted by the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation, shoplifting has become an increasingly popular method used by minors to illegally obtain alcohol. Underage drinking has an effect on the community as a whole, and it’s the duty of schools and parents to reduce opportunities for unsupervised parties and home access to alcohol. But what responsibilities are left to retailers? Legally, in most jurisdictions expectations of retailers extend to asking for identification and training their employees on spotting fakes and counterfeits. Socially, however, shouldn’t we be making it harder for the youths in our communities to illegally consume alcohol?

Based on the findings of this study, a national campaign called We Don’t Serve Teens is being promoted and sponsored by the Federal Trade Commission. This campaign stresses the role retailers’ can play in reducing underage alcohol access and consumption. The commission recommends that retailers not only take steps to decrease overall theft in their establishment, but especially theft by minors. One of their suggestions was for stores to have a more open floor plan to make it easier for store personnel to monitor their alcohol stock.

The commission also recommended retailers to increase their liquor bottle security and significantly reduce not only underage alcohol theft but all liquor shoplifting, by investing in bottle locks; an anti-theft device that is secured over the cap of the bottle and removed after the item is sold. Not only do these devices serve as visual deterrents, they physically prevent someone from accessing the bottle’s contents while it’s secured on the product. Not only do they help retailers with their problems of bottle security, but they help make them more socially responsible and responsive to the needs of their community by preventing underage alcohol theft.

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

Filed Under: Security Tagged With: Alpha Security, bottle lock, bottle locks, bottle security, easy bottle, liquor bottle security

The bright side of clothing security flaws

February 27, 2012 by Staff Editor

It’s not an ideal situation, but you’ve got to be kidding yourself if you don’t admit that the occasional security tag on clothes is missed. While we try hard to ensure total accuracy, it can be difficult to be 100% all the time. Fear not, there is a bright side to this situation. Recently while watching cameras in my store I observed a subject with a large bag browsing the denim. What tipped me off that this subject was suspicious was that the subject wasn’t just browsing for the right size or color; they were looking for the pairs that didn’t have checkpoint tags attached. After further observation I observed the subject concealing the merchandise and I was able to apprehend and recover our merchandise.

Checkpoint tags are not easy to defeat by the average shoplifter. However everybody knows that as our technology in clothing security advances, so does the professional shoplifter advance. Yet again, there is a bright side! A few weeks ago two individuals came into my store with bags from another retailer. The subjects began grabbing a large amount of merchandise very quickly and we barely had a chance to clear the fitting rooms before they got in. There was no time to get a detailed list of what they grabbed and they paid no attention to if the merchandise had clothing security tags or not. They must have known a way to remove the tags so that they didn’t set off the clothing alarm at the exit. All we knew was that they went in with about 30 items. When they came out it was tough to know for certain, but their bags seemed a bit larger. We rushed to the fitting room to find it a mess with about half the stuff they went in with. The biggest sign we had to know that they had stolen was the pile of about 10 clothing security tags hidden under some of the merchandise. After apprehending the subjects we were able to recover our merchandise and identify some professional shoplifters that had been terrorizing the area for some time.

The ideal situation is for clothing security to protect our merchandise from theft every time. But the bottom line is that everything can be defeated, and the key is to use the flaws of security tags on clothes to your benefit.

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

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Checkpoint tags, clothing alarm, Clothing Security, clothing security tags, security tags on clothes

Spider Wraps help defend a web of deceit.

February 27, 2012 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

Have you ever noticed empty holes on your shelf, but your inventory system says you should have the product? Have you ever found empty boxes in back corners of the store? Theft and loss is a major part of the retail industry. We all face theft and we all work hard to prevent shoplifting. In most cases we use some type of retail anti theft devices to help prevent shoplifting. Guess what … it still happens. So what do you do when traditional methods to prevent shoplifting stop working???

One suggestion is to check out products from Alpha Security. One top product that has paid huge dividends in my company is the Spider Wrap. Unlike traditional retail anti theft devices the Spider Wrap completely encompasses the product. I can’t tell you how many times I have had shoplifters peel EAS labels off of my boxed products and then steal them anyway. The Spider Wrap eliminates this by using a wire to cross all 4 sides of the box and hold a hard tag in place. This cannot be simply removed.

Another great function of the Spider Wrap is the built in alarm. If a would-be shoplifter tries to cut the wire then the alarm sounds and draws immediate attention to that person and associates can react while he/she is still in the store versus waiting until they are running out the door and it’s too late. Additionally, if you add the Nano Gate to your system then if a shoplifter tries to walk out with protected items then the Nano Gate will set off the sensor alarm on the product. It is easy to explain why a door alarm is going off; it is much harder to explain why your pants or bag are alarming. The Nano Gate and Spider Wrap are a great solution to prevent shoplifting when traditional methods fail.

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

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Nano Gate, Prevent Shoplifting, Retail Anti Theft Devices, Spider Wrap