Anti shoplifting devices are a must for hardware items.

January 18, 2012 by Leave a Comment

When I first started working Loss Prevention at a major hardware retail chain I did not expect the theft to be as rampant as it was.  I always assumed that most issues at a hardware store would be related to paperwork errors and safety claims.  I soon realized that thieves hit hardware stores in a big way.  Not only do hardware stores suffer from opportunistic thieves, but they are being targeted by Organized Retail Crime (ORC) rings and employee theft as well.  One of the biggest wins that we had in the fight against theft was utilizing anti shoplifting devices.

The major anti shoplifting device we introduced was Checkpoint security tags, which are produced by Checkpoint Systems.  Checkpoint security tags can be placed on a large variety of items.  Since most items in a hardware store are in boxes and packages the sticky Checkpoint security tags were the primary tags we used.  Checkpoint systems offers a variety of sticky tags.  The one I like the best is where you can have your logo put on the tag.  This serves two purposes.  The first is that with the Checkpoint security tags applied the door alarm would sound when someone tried to walk out without paying for product.  The second benefit is the store identifier is a great retail theft prevention mechanism for ORC.  In many jurisdictions the police can question and seize product from flea markets and small stores if the stolen property can be tracked back to the original owner and the store can prove the items are being sold below retail.

Retail theft prevention is not easy.  Since different shoplifters have different agendas and different experience it is hard to find a “one size fits all” system to prevent theft.  Checkpoint systems offer many different solutions to help customize the right solution for each business.

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

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

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By the Numbers

January 18, 2012 by

With the holidays behind us, many companies are starting to tally up their final numbers for the year. Among those numbers are the dollar amounts lost to shrink. According to the statistics released by the Global Shrink Barometer for 2011, total shrink in the United States comes in at a whopping $41.691 BILLION dollars. Thats right, Billion! That’s a lot of money to be lost. They then go on to state that 44.2% comes from employee theft.

How much of those dollars are coming out of your store at the hands of your own employees?

With sobering statistics like this, it’s hard not to want to pull every associate into the office, shine a bright light in their face and make them confess every secret they ever held! That, of course, would be a HR nightmare. How about as an alternative – running Employee background checks?

Pre employment screening, done by reputable background check experts, will eliminate the obvious bad applicants. At the very least, the Background Check Company should run a criminal background check during the course of their pre employment screening.

Background Checks point out the obvious indicators such as previous convictions or bad credit. Background check experts will sort through the information compiled on an applicant. Their knowledge will help give you a better chance at hiring the person with the lowest risk of becoming a dishonest employee. This allows you to focus on their other skills and merits that qualify them for your open positions.

Hiring a Background Check Company seems much more reasonable than being faced with $41.691 Billion dollars in losses due to employee theft.

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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Loss Prevention Solutions for Grocery Retailers: Alpha Security

January 18, 2012 by

Grocery retailers are becoming more and more aware of the impact of shrink.  Shoplifters often target high dollar items for the purpose of resale.  In the grocery sector liquor is one of the more sought after items for theft.  Knowing this has caused many retailers to use Liquor bottle security.  Bottle locks have quickly become the go to Liquor bottle security solution for many national, regional and local grocery retailers.

The impact of bottle lock technology can be immediately seen in a grocer’s shortage numbers.  By employing bottle locks, a business can create an environment that deters shoplifting.  Bottle lock technology works in a fashion that secures the stores merchandise, but is not intrusive to the customer.  Alpha security provides a product called EASy bottle.  The EASy bottle is a product that is great for grocery retailers and for service industry businesses.  The EASy bottle allows the owner to limit access to the contents of liquor and wine bottles.  The EASy bottle is attached to the cork or bottle opening to secure the product from being opened.  The bottle lock is released with a key that is specific in design for the lock.   This bottle lock is currently being used for liquor bottle security in grocery, restaurants and bars.

Bottle locks can also be useful in liquor bottle security for internal theft.   By controlling product with bottle locks, you can limit your employees’ access to liquor.  Internal theft is an unfortunate element of any business.  By using Alpha Security’s EASy bottle, employees will be less able to remove product from the store.  This will work best if the bottle locks are secured and only accessible to your management staff.  Bottle security should be a focus for any management team, business, corporation, or grocery.  Bottle security can help secure your product and limit access by unwanted thieves.

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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The Great Debate

January 18, 2012 by

Have you ever heard a clothing alarm go off in a store? Did you wonder if the security tags on the clothes are doing more good than harm? Clothing Security is often a popular debate amongst Loss Prevention Personnel and Store Management. Here is one look at how to answer those questions.

Checkpoint tags are designed to enhance clothing security. They are meant as a deterrent to shoplifters. Most of the theft retailers see comes from small timers. They are the ones who see an opportunity and take it. Having clothing security tags eliminates some of that opportunity.

When properly controlled by store associates, clothing security tags pose no additional inconvenience to the customer. An associate easily and quickly removes them at the POS. False alarms are not from faulty tags, but rather from poor customer service by an associate.

The clothing alarm that does go off is also a good chance for the store to show their commitment to eliminating shrink from theft. If an alarm goes off from a clothing security tag, quick response from the associates set the stage. Any potential shoplifters will be watching to see what happens. If the associates respond, it is another strong warning that this store will not be victimized by theft.

Over the years of apprehending shoplifters, I hear two common themes regarding clothing security. The first is “they don’t respond to the alarms”. The second is “ this (item of merchandise) didn’t have a tag, so I took it”.

I hope this answers the questions with a resounding YES that clothing security tags are doing more good than harm.

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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An Ounce of Prevention is Worth a Pound of Profit

January 18, 2012 by Leave a Comment

A sure way to increase the profits in your store is to decrease the theft in your store.  One way to do this, is by adding retail anti theft devices to your merchandise.  These devices can be very effective when you are trying to prevent shoplifting in your store.  To prevent shoplifting in your stores, you must be diligent and have a plan.  It is not a good business practice to think that you will be immune to the growing problem of shoplifting.

            Shoplifting is a serious problem now and has been for a long time.  Many retailers have turned to the use of retail anti theft devices as their way to prevent shoplifting.  These devices makes it harder for would be shoplifters to take merchandise from the stores.  Retailers need all the help they can get in this economy.  Retailers are aware that they have to have product in the store to sell, if they want to make a profit.  This can not happen if shoplifters are constantly coming in and taking their products. 

            This is the reason that prevention devices have become so popular among retailers.  Clothing retailers are especially pleased with the results they are seeing from utilizing security tags on their clothes.  Placing these security tags on items that are consistently targeted by shoplifters, like clothing and electronics, is especially important. Retailers are willing to invest in retail anti theft devices because they provide the theft deterrence they need to keep the shoplifters out, so honest customers can come in and buy their merchandise.

            In order to prevent shoplifting retailers must be proactive.  Retailers have to know that this problem will not simply go away.  An investment in retail anti theft devices gives the retailer the theft prevention they need, in order to see the profits they want. 

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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Stop Shoplifting With RF Technology

January 18, 2012 by Leave a Comment

The retail business is littered with complications and issues that can affect the bottom line.  This can add significant stress to an already tight budget, during these difficult economic times.  Fortunately, some of these issues are preventable with the use of proper tools.  Once such issue is shoplifting.  By stopping shoplifting a retailer can limit their financial loss and create a more profitable environment.   To prevent shoplifting in your store, the use of Checkpoint labels, Checkpoint security tags, RF security labels, and RF security tags can be employed.  The use of these counter-measures discourages and eventually can stop shoplifting.

 I have seen first hand the effectiveness of RF labels, RF Security labels/tags.  During my career in loss prevention, the use of this technology has greatly deterred many shoplifters and in some cases almost completely stopped shoplifting.  One company that I have worked with extensively is Checkpoint security.  The use of Checkpoint labels and Checkpoint security tags has had a positive impact for shortage reduction and safety in the stores.  The Checkpoint security tags and Checkpoint labels in the traditional fashion like most RF labels and RF security tags.  These devices give an audible notification if they are removed beyond your controlled access points.  This audible notification allows the store personnel to recover the merchandise, as well as, the RF labels and RF security tags.  This ability to recover the merchandise not only limits your theft loss, but also creates an environment that discourages shoplifting.  By preventing this type of loss, your business is better set up to run as a profitable organization.

 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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Stop Your Business From Bleeding Profits

January 18, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Employee theft is unfortunately part of the reality of operating a small or large business.  Employee theft is measured at being responsible for over half of all retail industry shortage.  Any business owner should be aware of this activity and take the appropriate measure to address it.   Employee theft can manifest itself through internal collusion or assisting in the theft by an external party.  Most often though internal theft is the primary form of employee theft that impacts businesses.

Internal theft happens in many different ways.  Most retail businesses have cashiers.  These cashiers have access to many assets.  Retail cashiers have access to the register funds.  Their access to this and the level of direct supervision often create and environment that is conducive to internal theft.  It is just not a business’s cashiers that can cause a loss.  Any employee in your organization has access to assets.  The stock workers have access to your inventory, the facilities staff often work unsupervised and afterhours, and the management staff has direct access to the safe and reserve funds.  As demonstrated, every employee could potentially cause a loss.

If a business is experiencing employee theft, the next step should be to begin employee theft investigations.  An employee theft investigation should begin when an owner or leader notices that a loss has occurred or as a routine measure.   The employee theft investigation’s goal should be to uncover and resolve internal theft issues.  The employee theft investigation can employ the use of loss prevention personnel, interviewers, CCTV systems, personnel surveillance, and controlled auditing.  Whatever the leaders choice, the end goal should not only be removing the guilty party, but also identify any control or supervision issues.   The employee theft investigation can also support an course correction that might be needed.

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

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How do you say Anti Shoplifting– Physical Security!!

January 15, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Over the years of working in both large and small retailers it was always interesting to me to break down the actual shrink losses past just the dollars and overall percentages. Frequently retailers spend so much time attending to internal theft that they forget that retail theft prevention should be applied to all forms of loss. Smaller business locations seem to be the victims of this tendency.

External theft, shoplifting, can be perpetrated a variety of different ways. Regardless of the shoplifting method a business with a Checkpoint security system always has a deterrence effect upon potential shoplifters. From various post theft interviews I have conducted over the years with shoplifters I have learned that the vast majority of thieves look for the easiest target. They avoid stores with Checkpoint systems. When the potential thief sees the pedestals at the front of the store and the checkpoint security tags attached securely to product they avoid the location like a car thief avoids a car with an alarm and or the “club”. As one suspect stated “Why waste the time when I can go down the street and steal the same product from a company without any means of retail theft prevention?”.

I have to admit in all of the companies that I worked for who properly utilized the Checkpoint systems; their shrink percentage breakdown of product categories that were tagged consistently and properly with Checkpoint security tags were always lower than other companies who sold the same product and did not use any anti shoplifting tools.  Small businesses tend to believe that they either can’t afford the Checkpoint security system or that the Checkpoint system will not be cost effective. Many believe that they can handle retail theft prevention “in house” stating that their business is just to small to be on the radar of thieves. This tends to be a costly mistake. Once an inventory count has been conducted; a business owner is left with shrink loss that is compounded by the loss of the sale of the stolen product.

By no means is any anti shoplifting tool guaranteed to eliminate external theft. When you buy and employ a Checkpoint system it is important that everyone on the sales team from part timers to management are trained to properly use the checkpoint security tags on specified product, audit all product categories that have been tagged, report and investigate any defeated tags and react correctly when the Checkpoint system alarm has been activated.  Physical security using an anti shoplifting tool such as the Checkpoint security system is a must if a business is to prevent external losses via shoplifting.

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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The importance of quality employees and how to prevent loss before it happens.

January 15, 2012 by

As economic times have continued to become more difficult, many employers are now using every method available to ensure they are hiring the right people.  The hiring process has become more important than ever.   Many successful companies are now using background check companies and background check experts.  These background checks include criminal background checks, employee background checks.  These pre-employment screening tools allow the employer to control who enters into their talent pool.

By employing a background check company or background check expert, the employer can access very important information regarding the candidate’s history.  These background checks can reveal other wise private information such as, criminal background checks.  This gives the employer visibility to information that can speak to the quality of employee and can reveal any disqualifying information.  These background check companies and background check experts can also process employee background checks.   These employee background checks provide the prospective employer a look into the candidate’s quality of work and relationship with previous employees.  This is a good measure in projecting the behavior of the candidate while under employment.  A company that is looking to hire can also take the process one step further by using pre employment screening.  Pre employment screening can include all of the above-mentioned criteria, but can also include competency based pre employment screening.  This screening can identify candidates that have the technical and behavior based skills to be successful in your business.

Having worked in the retail industry for a number of years, I have not only been the subject of the practice of background checks and pre employment screening.   The process is very fluid and not intrusive.  It has also provided me the opportunity to work for a few great companies, but more importantly it has guided me in developing myself to be competitive for higher-level positions.  These screens have included background checks, criminal background checks and employee background checks.

 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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Bottoms up!

January 15, 2012 by

A few years ago I went into the local grocery store after a hard days work. I was wandering the aisles meaninglessly, when out of the corner of my eye, I saw it. A man had been lingering by the corner of a back aisle with a bottle of whiskey. He didn’t see me at first and proceeded to stuff the bottle down his pants! It was wrong on so many levels.

Up until that day, I never gave liquor bottle security much thought. I then began to wonder about what type of bottle security was even out there. As it turns out, there is more bottle security than what one might think.

The most common type of bottle security is the EASy bottle bottle lock by Alpha Security. The EASy bottle is a cap that is placed over the neck to prevent someone from opening the liquor bottle. You would have to break the neck to open the bottle up. No one really needs shards of glass in their cocktail, so it is pretty effective at keeping someone out.

There are several different styles of EASy Bottle locks to choose from. Each one is designed to accommodate the real customer, while deterring the thief. These bottle locks will not only work for liquor bottles, but for wine bottles as well.

If the grocery store I had visited had used this sort of liquor bottle security, I doubt they would have lost that bottle of whisky and many more like it.

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

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

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