So a friend of mine decides he wants to open a “package store” which is essentially a liquor store. He is one of these guys that “sees” more on a big picture level as opposed to worrying about the details. We all know the saying “the devil is in the details”. Well one of those “devils” is bottle security. This was a detail that he ignored wholeheartedly while planning his business. I don’t think my friend ever gave one thought to the fact I spent almost 15 years in the loss prevention field when he was setting up his business. In fact I don’t think he gave any thought to security at all in his “business plan”. He had the idea, he had money and away he went to open his business. That is where the trouble began.
I watched him from afar wondering how he would employ liquor bottle security over his product. I secretly started doing my own research knowing eventually the flickering fluorescent light bulb over his head would eventually blink on and he would get the idea to call me for help. My research started with looking for a company that had some type of a bottle lock or liquor bottle security device. I came across a company called Alpha Security that had created some pretty innovative products. They had the EASy bottle bottle lock system which employed bottle locks that had their own alarms as well as an embedded rf chip that would alert the alarm pedestals at the front of the store if the product with alarm was removed from the store without deactivation. The bottle locks by alpha security were impressive to say the least, strong, sleek and not cumbersome. I envisioned any attempt at liquor bottle security would involve a big clunky piece that would inhibit any useful way of storing or marketing the bottles. I was thankfully wrong and with my initial research on Alpha Security being very promising I chose to delve deeper into the EASy bottle bottle lock system.
At this point in time my friend was feeling the first pangs of inventory loss. Since he had almost no form of bottle security tools he fast became the neighborhood’s easy theft target. His version of a liquor bottle lock was to take all of his expensive bottles and lock them up in the storage room. This hurt him due to having limited representation of that product on the sales floor as well as needing additional personnel to pull the product from the stockroom when a customer did desire the product. Another form of bottle security he employed was putting handwritten signs around the store which stated “If you steal you go to jail”. Besides the fact they were handwritten they did not give the good customers a “warm fuzzy” feeling about shopping in his store. My friend was really struggling trying to invent his own version of liquor bottle locks when it finally dawned on him to call me to discuss a strategy to lower his shrink.
Knowing my friend and his stubbornness is why I let him finally get to the point of realizing he needed my help, otherwise anything I said would have fallen on deaf ears. Don’t we all know someone like that?? I quickly brought him up to speed about the EASy bottle system which was developed by Alpha Security. I showed him a picture of the liquor bottle lock that I thought would best suit his business. He could not believe that this lean and sleek lock had an embedded alarm as well as the fact that if someone attempted to defeat the liquor bottle lock it would render the product inconsumable. He immediately jumped at the idea and purchased the EASy Bottle Bottle Lock system. I helped him set the system up as well as ensured that the staff was fully trained on how to install, audit, deactivate and remove the liquor bottle locks. I also spent extra time training my friend and his staff on how to properly react when any alarms sounded.
Now my friends business is booming due to proper product representation, good marketing and fully secured product. I am just wondering when he will decide to cut me a check for helping him out!! Anyway I was glad to help out a friend in need.
Visit the Loss Prevention Store to purchase EASy Bottle bottle locks by Alpha Security.
For more information on Alpha Security , Bottle Locks , Bottle lock , Liquor Bottle Security , bottle security or EASy Bottle contact us or call 1.770.426.0547
