Staff Editor — Page 17

Shoplifting and Preventable Measures

November 15, 2017 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

As a manager of a retail shop, the layout of the store is probably out of your hands and there is nothing to do about it. You have no control if the changing rooms are way in the back of the store where the opportunity to shoplift presents itself with regularity.

There are several tactics to prevent shoplifting in your store, and even though the layout of the store is out of your hands, other preventive measures can be taken to prevent and deter shoplifting.

According to experts, these preventive measures can help you manage your store better:

Customer Service
Lighting
CCTV cameras
Staff training
Signage
EAS and Security systems

Each and every one of these preventive measures cannot solve the problem of shoplifting. But when a manager or owner of a store is vigilant and knows they need to use a combination of these measures to prevent shoplifting, then the results can be seen clearly.

Target has announced that as of October, they have increased the minimum hourly wage to $11. With this increase, they hope there will be a decrease in turnover and sick days and an increase in productivity from their hourly employees.

Whether they believe employee theft will decrease with this increase in minimum wage is still unclear. And research has not found to be the case.

For more about this and other stories about employee theft and shoplifting, follow the links below.

Target’s Minimum Wage Increased. What Does That Mean for Theft?

To reduce loss from theft, retailers need employees to be more honest. Could Target’s minimum wage bump help?

Employee theft is a source of loss simply too costly to ignore, which is why loss prevention practitioners are always on the lookout for novel ways to prevent it. But what if the best theft-prevention tool wasn’t a security measure at all? What if you just paid your store associates a little more money? Would that make a difference? To what extent can wages act as a loss prevention tool?

On Sept. 25, Target announced its plan to boost staff pay. “This October, we’re raising our minimum hourly wage to $11—and we plan to increase the minimum hourly wage for all team members over the next few years to reach $15 by the end of 2020,” the company said in an announcement. According to the consensus of research, Target may experience a range of benefits for its investment, including an increase in worker productivity and decline in turnover and sick days.

Hampshire businesses targeted 35 times a day by shoplifters study shows

NEW research has found that across Hampshire more than 35 incidents of shoplifting take place every day.

A study by OnBuy.com revealed that Hampshire Constabulary reported 12,578 shoplifting offences throughout 2016/2017.

The figures showed that the force had the eighth highest rate for the crime in England and Wales.

Of the 43 police forces within that area, Metropolitan Police Service had the highest rate with 47,580 crimes reported, where as the City of London Police were bottom with just 729 incidents.

Filed Under: Shoplifting Prevention Tagged With: Alpha 2 Alarm, Alpha 3 Alarm, Alpha High Theft Solutions, Alpha Jewel Lok, Alpha Nano Gate, Alpha Security, Alpha Spider Wrap, Anti-shoplifting training, anti-theft devices, anti-theft tags, anti-thefts devices, Background checks, CCTV cameras, EAS Devices, employee background checks, Employee Theft, Georgia Alarms systems, Georgia shoplifting prevention, Georgia shoplifting systems, Loss Prevention Seminar, Loss Prevention Training, Periodic inventory, prevent shrinkage, Retail Anti Theft Devices, retail security, retail security and monitoring, shoplifting, Shoplifting Prevention, shoplifting statistics, shoplifting violence, surveillance

Shoplifting Prevention

November 10, 2017 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

Kleptomania is a mental disorder. Not as serious as a more severe case of schizophrenia for example, but a mental disorder nonetheless. The inability of people suffering from this disorder to stop themselves from grabbing merchandise and stealing it is a problem mental health professionals try to understand and help these sufferers find a way to overcome.

The problems caused due to shoplifting are many. Police departments across the nation spend countless hours answering calls to retail shops where shoplifting incidents occur daily. Society as a whole loses the taxable merchandise lost to shoplifting, and the owners of some of these retail shops see their business crumble due to the heavy shoplifting they experience. But, we must remember that in some cases, these people need help, not jail.

Shoplifters Can Be A Danger To Your Customers And Employees; Deter Thieves From Coming To Your Store With Checkpoint Tags

November 10, 2017 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

Retail Theft Prevention-4 WC Blog 357

Checkpoint tags-4

Shoplifters Can Be A Danger To Your Customers And Employees; Deter Thieves From Coming To Your Store With Checkpoint Tags

When you think about merchandise protection and the importance of retail theft prevention have you ever considered the other benefits your business gets from using Checkpoint tags? While it isn’t necessarily an intended consequence, stores that employ measures to deter shoplifters also help protect their employees and customers. I have been involved in Retail Loss Prevention and retail in general for over 27 years. I have personally had to apprehend shoplifters who have had marijuana on their person, and were high when busted. I have fought with shoplifters who were high on cocaine, crack and at least one who was high on methamphetamine. I have apprehended shoplifters with brass knuckles and knives concealed in pockets, waistbands and shoes. I had one instance where a shoplifter lifted his shirt when I went to stop him, showing me the handle of a gun in the front of his pants. The implied threat was obvious, stop him and it could be deadly. There are two reasons for using Checkpoint tags, first to deter theft and second to detect it.

Anti-shoplifting tags have electronic article surveillance (EAS) capability built into them and use radio frequency waves to ensure protected merchandise will be detected by EAS towers. When a thief attempts to walk out with merchandise they are trying to steal, the towers pick up the signal sent out by the tags and an alarm in the tower sounds out a sharp, loud alert. Employees of the store who have been trained on proper alarm response go to the doors and retrieve the product. Often the thief will drop the item or make an excuse that they forgot they had it with them. The first thing the towers and tags do is deter the thieves who are well aware of what towers can do and prefer to avoid stores that use retail theft prevention measures.

Consider that, shoplifters prefer to avoid stores that are using Checkpoint tags. If there are other locations that are nearby where they can go to get merchandise to steal and reduce the chance they will be detected they will do so. Likewise, they also prefer to go to stores where there is little or no customer service. If no one is going to bother them it is easier to get away with theft. How does this keep your customers and employees safer? Not all but many shoplifters are into theft to support their habits. As I mentioned I have had quite a few that I have apprehended that had drugs on their person or where definitely under the influence of drugs. If they don’t want caught they are going other places so your customers are safer.

Another danger posed by shoplifters to your employees, customers and even the shoplifter or someone with them is when they attempt to flee the store. I recall one incident in which I was attempting to apprehend a shoplifter (who I later learned had illegal drugs on her) and she had her young daughter with her. This woman not only fought with me and my partner, she also grabbed her little girl by the arm and tried to run into the parking lot with her, cars driving by, the little girl screaming and us attempting to talk her out of running. I’ve had shoplifters run and jump into their car and speed out of the parking lot nearly hitting other cars and pedestrians. More than one shoplifter has sped out of the parking lot backwards to avoid security cameras or me from seeing their license plate number. In each of these situations people are endangered by the careless acts of a criminal trying to avoid prosecution. The stores I worked in used some retail theft prevention devices and Checkpoint tags but there are many more options on the market today. Protecting more merchandise means reduced options for theft and that means shoplifters go elsewhere.

Shoplifters are a drain on profits and a potential danger to those around them. Keeping thieves out of your stores means your customers feel safer and are more willing to browse and spend time shopping. That all adds up to more money for you. Use retail theft prevention devices on all of your goods and send shoplifters packing.

Need information on Checkpoint tags? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.

Filed Under: antishoplifting Tagged With: Anti-Shoplifting, Checkpoint tags, retail theft prevention

USE MORE THAN CHECKPOINT SYSTEMS TO SPOT A SHOPLIFTER – PT 3

November 1, 2017 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

USE MORE THAN CHECKPOINT SYSTEMS TO SPOT A SHOPLIFTER – PT 3

Ah, the final stretch. I sure hope you’ve enjoyed, and more importantly, learned something from my little mini-series on how to spot a thief in your crowds of customers. We’ll round things out with another 5 tips on how to spot a criminal and to ultimately Stop Shoplifting altogether. So, here’s some more behavioral indicators to look for in your stores.

#11. Draping clothes around a shopping basket

This is another one of those things that I’ve seen hundreds of times. A shoplifter will take several layers of clothing and drape them around the shopping cart, to prevent seeing into the cart. At the bottom of the cart, will be a purse, or bag and it’s here that they conceal product, making it difficult for you to see what they are doing. Anytime I see a shopper doing this, I immediately head over and begin making small talk about this week’s deals, or making comments on their selection of product. This will most often discourage their actions and save you some shrink.

#12. Asking dumb questions

Yes, contrary to what you were taught in school, there are in fact dumb questions. I’ve found that if you happen to startle a would-be shoplifter as they are concealing, or prepping to do so (whether intentional, or not) they often ask some really silly questions. I once turned the corner as this guy was about to conceal some pants, and he began asking me about home insurance policies. I’ve even had a guy ask me if our Checkpoint Tags were tracked by satellites. Granted, sometimes, you just have crazies that shop in the store, but distracting questions, overly odd questions and distracting behaviors could be a strong indicator of a potential thief.

#13. Wearing old and dirty shoes

This one is for all of you footwear retailers out there. If you notice a shopper come in the store with 1. No shoes or 2. Old dirty and worn out shoe, there’s a high chance they’re going to try and pull the old swithceroo. You know, where they leave you their nasty old shoes and leave with new ones, conveniently passing the cash registers. Sometimes, they don’t give two shakes if the shoes have Checkpoint Tags or not, since they’re running as soon as they hit the door. The best thing to do if you observe this is to provide the very best customer service possible. Don’t let them have a chance to swap the shoes.

#14. Bringing in bags from other retailers

Now, if you’re in a mall, this probably doesn’t apply to you. If you’re a stand-alone store, this is odd. If you’re going to Stop Shoplifting, your team has to be observant of this indicator, I’ve seen folks pull into my parking lot (stand-alone store), open their trunk and pull several (full) bags from other retailers from the trunk and then come into my store with them. Before long, they were slipping some of my product into their bags. Train your team to recognize this as a potential indicator and offer to hold the bags at the service desk, or create a policy that discourages shoppers from doing this.

#15. Getting angry at service levels

They’re not angry that there is no service, they’re angry because they’re TOO MUCH service. This is my absolute favorite indicator. Literally no honest shopper is going to turn away good customer service. I’ve had would-be shoplifter’s file corporate complaints against me because I gave them “too much” customer service. Usually, the DM and store manager thank me. 😊 If you have a customer that just gets madder than an old red hen about customer service, well, I suggest that you give them a little more. Chances are they want to be alone to steal from you!

I really hope you’ve learned something from these few tips. Often, we rely on fancy gadgets, technology and our Checkpoint Tags to identify criminals, when in reality, you can just look for a handful of behavioral indicators. While each of the previous 15 tips can help you to Stop Shoplifting, you should also understand that legitimate and honest customers can and do exhibit these same behaviors. Always use these tips as a guide and remember, providing great customer service will always win you praise from your shoppers and will make you a repellent for shoplifters.

For more information about Checkpoint Systems contact us or call 1.770.426.0547.

#11. Draping clothes around a shopping basketThis is another one of those things that I’ve seen hundreds of times. A shoplifter will take several layers of clothing and drape them around the shopping cart, to prevent seeing into the cart. At the bottom of the cart, will be a purse, or bag and it’s here that they conceal product, making it difficult for you to see what they are doing. Anytime I see a shopper doing this, I immediately head over and begin making small talk about this week’s deals, or making comments on their selection of product. This will most often discourage their actions and save you some shrink.

#12. Asking dumb questionsYes, contrary to what you were taught in school, there are in fact dumb questions. I’ve found that if you happen to startle a would-be shoplifter as they are concealing, or prepping to do so (whether intentional, or not) they often ask some really silly questions. I once turned the corner as this guy was about to conceal some pants, and he began asking me about home insurance policies. I’ve even had a guy ask me if our Checkpoint Tags were tracked by satellites. Granted, sometimes, you just have crazies that shop in the store, but distracting questions, overly odd questions and distracting behaviors could be a strong indicator of a potential thief.

#13. Wearing old and dirty shoesThis one is for all of you footwear retailers out there. If you notice a shopper come in the store with 1. No shoes or 2. Old dirty and worn out shoe, there’s a high chance they’re going to try and pull the old swithceroo. You know, where they leave you their nasty old shoes and leave with new ones, conveniently passing the cash registers. Sometimes, they don’t give two shakes if the shoes have Checkpoint Tags or not, since they’re running as soon as they hit the door. The best thing to do if you observe this is to provide the very best customer service possible. Don’t let them have a chance to swap the shoes.

#14. Bringing in bags from other retailersNow, if you’re in a mall, this probably doesn’t apply to you. If you’re a stand-alone store, this is odd. If you’re going to Stop Shoplifting, your team has to be observant of this indicator, I’ve seen folks pull into my parking lot (stand-alone store), open their trunk and pull several (full) bags from other retailers from the trunk and then come into my store with them. Before long, they were slipping some of my product into their bags. Train your team to recognize this as a potential indicator and offer to hold the bags at the service desk, or create a policy that discourages shoppers from doing this.

#15. Getting angry at service levelsThey’re not angry that there is no service, they’re angry because they’re TOO MUCH service. This is my absolute favorite indicator. Literally no honest shopper is going to turn away good customer service. I’ve had would-be shoplifter’s file corporate complaints against me because I gave them “too much” customer service. Usually, the DM and store manager thank me. 😊 If you have a customer that just gets madder than an old red hen about customer service, well, I suggest that you give them a little more. Chances are they want to be alone to steal from you!

For more information about Checkpoint Systems, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Checkpoint tags

Safety and Security For Your Retail Store

October 31, 2017 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

As the biggest shopping season of the year seems inevitable close, retailers across the world prepare themselves to not only have a great holiday season but a profitable one.

Merchandise is not the only aspect retailers need to prepare themselves for this season. Hiring employees and making sure security is in place are as important as the merchandise they plan to sell.

Retail shoplifting cannot be solved by having a simple solution only. Management, owners, and employees play an incredibly important role to combat shoplifting in their stores among security systems and loss prevention personnel.

CCTV systems cannot by themselves offer the solution for the growing shoplifting problems that are pervasive in the retail industry. Customer service, personnel training, or security systems cannot be the answer to this problem either if they are implemented by themselves.

A security system, excellent customer service, and trained personnel in the store can help you combat shoplifting if implemented together to offer a solution to the shoplifting in your store.

Having excellent customer service first and foremost has been found to help deter shoplifting in retail stores as well as any other security measure. Trained personnel at checkouts can stop customers from lingering too long and walking out with merchandise they have not paid because the lines were too long and didn’t want to wait any longer.

Implementing security measures to follow in case of a shoplifting incident can save lives. Is the security personnel team in your store trained and know what to do when approaching a shoplifter? Reviewing security measures with all your employees is paramount, but security personnel need to know what to do and when to do the approaching and apprehension of a shoplifter.

Keeping your employees and customers safe has to be your number one priority regardless of what the shoplifter is pocketing. By following the guidelines of the store, employees and customers alike can feel safe and can count on the store to protect their safety. No amount of merchandise that a shoplifter is pocketing is worth the lives of your customers or employees.

Have a safe and profitable season this year!

Filed Under: Shoplifting Prevention Tagged With: Alpha 2 Alarm, Alpha 3 Alarm, Alpha High Theft Solutions, Alpha Jewel Lok, Alpha Nano Gate, Alpha Security, Alpha Spider Wrap, Anti-shoplifting training, anti-theft devices, anti-theft tags, anti-thefts devices, Background checks, CCTV cameras, EAS Devices, Georgia Alarms systems, Georgia shoplifting prevention, Georgia shoplifting systems, loss prevention, Loss Prevention Seminars, Loss Prevention Training, Loss Prevention Workshop, Periodic inventory, Prevent Shoplifting, Retail Anti Theft Devices, retail security, Shoplifting Prevention, shoplifting statistics, shoplifting violence, surveillance

Fitting Room Theft

October 31, 2017 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

You know the drill. At the end of the day, you find your merchandise tags on the floor or hidden in your fitting rooms. Shoplifters bring your merchandise into a fitting room and put it on under their clothes. Sometimes many layers of your apparel are under the clothes they wore in.

One in ten people that walk through your doors is there to steal. It is a fact of retail life. Studies show that a large percentage of these thieves are female and under the age of thirty. This feeds into the fact that the average retailer’s inventory shrink from shoplifting is approximately 35%.

Shoplifters conceal your merchandise in a variety of ways, in a stroller, pockets, a booster bag, booster clothing or like mentioned above, simply wearing your merchandise out of your store under their clothing. All of these methods require one thing, privacy, even if only for a few seconds. What better place to get privacy in a retail store than a fitting room. Shoplifters can take their time. And because some fitting rooms are handicap accessible, it is not a problem to bring that shoplifting vehicle (stroller) right in with them.

What can you do to protect yourself from theft that a fitting room helps to facilitate? Start with fitting room design:

Fitting rooms should not be located in out of the way areas. I prefer high-traffic areas.
Walls should be smooth and continuous with no decorations, picture frames, signs… that a shoplifter can hide or dispose of a price tag.
Mirrors should be permanently attached to the wall and the edges should be caulked to keep the thieves from hiding labels behind them.
Avoid carpeting in the fitting room. Carpet can be pulled up and labels can be hidden there. If you have to use carpet, ensure it is one piece and the edges are securely glued to the flooring.
Doors should not go all the way to the floor. This still provides privacy but does not give the shoplifter a complete feeling of privacy.
Doors should have a lock that is called a “storeroom” style. This means that a key is always required to unlock the door and that cannot be changed by turning the knob on the other side.
Bright lighting helps your legitimate shopper but gives the shoplifter less of a feeling of privacy.
CCTV cameras in plain sight outside of the fitting room doors. The area outside of a fitting room is the perfect place for a public view monitor so customers see that the system is live.
Chimes that alert staff when a fitting room door opens.
Seating such as benches should be fixed or built in. Any seams, cracks should be sealed. The underside of the bench should be a smooth surface that will not facilitate the hiding of tags.
Cove base and shoe mold should be securely mounted, the edges glued and caulked.

Of course, all of this is worthless without proper procedures and a trained staff:

Consider fitting room attendants that count garments in/out.
Key control. Staff must never leave a key in the fitting room door.
For high volume and multiple fitting rooms use a number tag system.
Consider limiting the number of items a customer can take into the fitting room at one time.
Staff should be trained to keep an eye on anyone who they have let into a fitting room. This is not just a theft concern but also customer service. Your staff can keep track of merchandise and help the customer with different sizes.
Do not allow merchandise to build up outside the fitting room. Besides presenting a sloppy appearance, a disorganized area allows shoplifters to more easily conceal merchandise and tags.
Customer service, customer service, customer service…

Make sure that when you do have an incident that you bring it to the attention of all staff members so everyone can learn from it. Even though the key to preventing this kind of theft is customer service, you may still have more than acceptable losses. At that point, it is time for a Checkpoint System. The tags on the merchandise are working 24/7 and will alarm even if the stolen merchandise is under the shoplifters clothing.

Contact us at 770-426-7593 if you have any questions about this topic, would like our help or if you would like a quote on a Checkpoint System.

Filed Under: Featured Tagged With: Alpha 2 Alarm, Alpha 3 Alarm, Alpha High Theft Solutions, Alpha Jewel Lok, Alpha Nano Gate, Alpha Security, Alpha Spider Wrap, Anti-shoplifting training, anti-theft devices, anti-thefts devices, EAS Devices, Georgia shoplifting prevention, Georgia shoplifting systems, loss prevention, Loss Prevention Seminar, Loss Prevention Seminars, Loss Prevention Training, Loss Prevention Workshop, Perpetual Inventory, prevent shrinkage, racial profiling, Retail Anti Theft Devices, security devices, shoplifting, Shoplifting Prevention, surveillance

Helpers Hired For The Holidays May Take Advantage of You

October 31, 2017 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

I wonder if Santa Clause conducts background checks on his newly hired elves? I’ve been contemplating the chaos that would take place in Santa’s workshop if he just hired any old elf to work for him. Does Santa ever get into a time crunch right around June and bring in seasonal hires to help meet timelines to get all of the toys made? Imagine the pilferage that would ensue if Santa’s Helpers haven’t been properly screened for criminal activity before being brought on board. Defective dolls might be delivered to darling little girls who deserve better. No firetrucks for a little fella because a fiendish elf stole it. I have no idea what might happen at the North Pole but what I do know is that retailers DO get in a crunch for adding seasonal staff and that CAN lead to criminal activity and chaos.

There are times when employers hire staff for their busiest times of the year but they rush into it as if they had no idea it was coming. Poor strategic planning can lead to a hurry up and hire mentality. This leads to a myriad of issues:

Managers are no longer as selective as they would be if they were hiring at any other time of the year. Interviews are shortened and unless something glaring stands out on an application it is submitted to Human Resources with a request to hire.
The focus is on getting a candidate into “the system”. They can be included in orientation and trained in time to fill the holes in the schedule. This is prime time when other concerns fall by the wayside.
People are hired who may not truly have the competency to do the job they are hired for. Forget potential theft issues, these workers through no fault of their own may just not be good at their job. A new cashier may not know how to count back change. They may not understand when a short-change artist is trying to con them. They may not get enough training to understand the importance of looking at everything that comes through the lane. Each of these issues causes significant cash and or merchandise shortage to the store.
Pre-employment screening may not be done. Background information that might have uncovered a checkered past is never discovered because there wasn’t enough time to conduct a check and get the training started. Was a convicted felon just hired? Perhaps it was just a simple petty larceny charge on their record. It could be a conviction for assault was not reported on the application and the employer won’t know because there was no pre-employment screening.
Hiring on the fly may result in bringing in someone who has been fired for poor performance or insubordination and that attitude may carry into the new workplace.

The list can go on but the bottom line is that not making staffing plans for the busy season can impact more than you might think.

What is the solution? You have to get the store staffed and you will be competing against every other retailer for limited resources. Plan a stepped process for adding new team members to your store.

First, make a commitment that EVERY new hire will undergo a pre-employment screening NO EXCEPTIONS! Loss Prevention Systems Inc. can conduct thorough background checks that will minimize your chances of bringing in a poor candidate.
Determine how many new employees you need and add at least 5 to 10 to that number to account for attrition.
Establish where you will post your job ads and what date you will begin interviews. Build a realistic timetable that includes the length of interviews, length of time for conducting the background check and length of time to complete hiring paperwork and orientations and training.
Set a Firm “Do Not Hire After This Date” date. Make it firm and don’t allow other managers to make exceptions.
Allow at least one full week from the time the last person is expected to be hired and processed to get properly trained. Failing to do so sets the new employee up for failure.

Start early enough to make your plan achievable. Starting too early and making a hiring offer then making people wait to start working will cause those new workers to quit. They are working for a paycheck. Starting too late and you will struggle to find people let alone people you want to have working for you.

Santa may not have staffing issues, his team works all year long. You have real personnel concerns and have to hire more for the holidays. Plan ahead and make sure you are taking advantage of available workers don’t allow workers to take advantage of you.

Filed Under: Shoplifting Prevention Tagged With: Alpha 2 Alarm, Alpha 3 Alarm, Alpha High Theft Solutions, Alpha Jewel Lok, Alpha Nano Gate, Alpha Security, Alpha Spider Wrap, Anti-shoplifting training, anti-thefts devices, EAS Devices, employee background checks, Georgia shoplifting systems, loss prevention, Loss Prevention Seminar, Loss Prevention Training, mobile POS loss prevention, Perpetual Inventory, prevent shrinkage, preventing shoplifting in your store, Retail Anti Theft Devices, retail security, retail security and monitoring, security devices, shoplifting, Shoplifting Prevention, shoplifting statistics, surveillance

The Best Gift Boxes and Wraps

October 31, 2017 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

When we think of gift boxes and wraps during this time of the year we would probably think of robe boxes, shirt boxes or jewelry boxes. Wraps would bring to mind those colorful papers and foils that we use to hide the boxes and try to camouflage the gifts inside. Then there are the ribbons that tie everything together and make the packages beautiful. The whole purpose is to protect the items we have purchased from prying eyes and snoops.

Retailers have to protect their merchandise against more than just prying eyes, nosey relatives, and curious kids. Store owners have to think about theft issues that will be impacting them during the holidays. It is an unfortunate fact of life that during this time of the year criminal activity, especially shoplifting rises significantly. The harm that is inflicted by these criminals is more than simply the loss of a piece or two of merchandise. The business owners, store employees, and customers are all impacted by the actions of those who enter a store and steal from it.

The obvious effect theft has on the business owner is that a stolen piece of merchandise eats into the profit margin of the store. We use to estimate in Loss Prevention that for a big box retailer it required selling approximately 10 units of something to make up for the loss of one unit of the product. The small or medium retail owner is trying to be careful in how much to markup goods in order to stay competitive with the national chain stores. Consequently, these owners may have to sell a bit more to make up for a stolen item.

Employees are impacted by shoplifters because it could mean a storekeeper may not be able to hire an additional worker for the holidays, never mind for an entire year. Merchandise shortage may mean seasonal hires have to be let go a little earlier than a business owner truly wanted to release them. Shoplifting also means that shortage has to be considered when a store owner is deciding on employee pay. Knowing that theft is going to happen and it will hurt profits, a business owner has to keep expenses lower and one of the biggest expense areas to a store is payroll.

Customers are affected by thieves because many of the store markups are a direct result of shoplifter activity. Customers don’t want to pay more than they have to for an item and so they may take their business to a big box competitor or to online shopping if prices increase. Mom and Pop shop owners can’t afford to mark-up goods too much or they risk losing business. Not marking up to make up for losses means Mom and Pop stores have to sell more to customers. Customers they are already fighting to keep. To top it off, the shoplifters take merchandise that may have been available to a paying customer to purchase. The customer can’t buy what isn’t there and a vicious cycle ensues.

In order to combat shoplifting and larceny at all times of the year, the small retail owner should be using retail anti-theft devices. This is where the best boxes and wraps come into play and they aren’t the type we use for our gifts. The ones store owners should be using are those that will keep thieves and criminals from stealing in the first place. Small items can be protected in Alpha Keeper boxes while larger items are securely surrounded in Spider Wrap. Both devices allow owners to leave merchandise in the open and accessible to customers who can then carry items in the store or to a register. By the same token, the anti-theft devices keep criminals from being able to get access to merchandise and prevent them from getting products out of the store without causing alarm activations.

Business owners, you don’t need to experience empty shelves and cash drawers on the account of theft. Don’t allow crooks to victimize you, your employees and your customers. Box and wrap your products with retail anti-theft devices so your shoppers can have the merchandise they want at affordable prices. Your customers can enjoy more green in their pockets and you will see more green in your registers.

Filed Under: Featured Tagged With: Alpha 2 Alarm, Alpha 3 Alarm, Alpha High Theft Solutions, Alpha Jewel Lok, Alpha Nano Gate, Alpha Security, Alpha Spider Wrap, Anti-shoplifting training, anti-theft tags, anti-thefts devices, Background checks, CCTV cameras, EAS Devices, employee background checks, Employee Theft, Georgia Alarms systems, Georgia shoplifting prevention, Georgia shoplifting systems, Loss Prevention Seminars, Loss Prevention Training, Loss Prevention Workshop, preventing shoplifting in your store, surveillance

Dash Through The Snow But Not After Shoplifters

October 31, 2017 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

“Dashing through the snow in a one-horse open sleigh…” OH BOY, this is one of my favorite times of the year! Christmas time and the other holidays just make it special for me. The television specials, the music, the foods and treats and the decorations all combine to just give a warm feeling. I even feel like people tend to be friendlier and more helpful to each other. Then there is the shopping to do, going out to window shop or find that perfect gift for someone(s) special in our lives. Living in the South we don’t often get to dash through the snow but when you live up in the northern states you can add the winter frolicking to your holidays. Even if we haven’t experienced it almost all of us have seen pictures or movies with reindeer dashing through the snow pulling Santa’s sleigh. There’s something about it that evokes a bit of childhood magic.

While dashing may be magical and exciting when it comes to playing in a winter wonderland it isn’t good when the dashing involves the pursuit of shoplifters. The holidays may bring out the best in most of us but somehow it brings out other things too, like thieves and criminals. The holidays are a notorious time of the year for the increases in shoplifting. Professional shoplifters often use the crowds in stores to hide their activity. Casual shoplifters or spontaneous shoplifters come in and steal to get a thrill or because they want to impress their friends. It may be greed that drives these people because they want something they can’t afford. Whatever the reasons shoplifters make up for their crime the fact is they are still stealing and it makes no difference if they are professionals or amateurs. It is important for store managers and employees to try to deter the theft before it takes place. The use of retail anti-theft devices like a Checkpoint Security System and promoting excellent customer service are two ways to accomplish this.

When that deterrence fails however the objective becomes one of trying to get a shoplifter to dump the merchandise before they get to an exit door. Loss Prevention professionals have some tricks they may try to employ, pulling out radios, talking about the merchandise that is concealed, making it apparent they are following the person towards the door. The one thing they can’t (or shouldn’t) do is make an accusation they cannot support. It also may depend on the laws of a state about whether concealment alone and walking past cash registers is enough to constitute shoplifting. In any situation, care has to be taken on how much store personnel does to try to get a shoplifter to dump merchandise.

When all of these steps fail and a shoplifter refuses to drop merchandise they have concealed there is a good chance they will dash out the door and run to get away. It is a natural reflex for the store employee to have the urge to chase after the criminal. Having been in this situation more times than I can count as a Loss Prevention Associate and Manager, I know the feeling. It takes restraint and self-control not to follow the perpetrator when they run. Associates must understand that chasing can lead to someone being injured and that can turn into a lawsuit. A dash to catch a shoplifter can take an employee into a dangerous situation where they may end up facing a weapon. A shoplifter who runs has little or no regard for others and may trample someone, push them down or worse, get to their car and run into someone. Some people have gone so far to try to grab a shoplifter from their car and have wound up getting dragged by the vehicle. Believe me when I tell you there is nothing your store sells that is worth anyone getting hurt over.

Be smart and safe this holiday season. Use retail anti-theft devices on the merchandise you sell. Make customer service training a priority as you are training seasonal and even older staff members. Let them know how their service makes a positive impact on sales and prevents theft. Finally, make a point of emphasizing the dangers involved in dashing after a criminal. The only running to be done by employees is the running of cash registers as your cashiers are ringing up holiday sales.

Filed Under: Featured Tagged With: Alpha 2 Alarm, Alpha 3 Alarm, Alpha High Theft Solutions, Alpha Jewel Lok, Alpha Nano Gate, Alpha Security, Alpha Spider Wrap, Anti-shoplifting training, anti-theft devices, anti-theft tags, anti-thefts devices, Background checks, CCTV cameras, EAS Devices, Georgia shoplifting prevention, Loss Prevention Seminars, Loss Prevention Training, Retail Anti Theft Devices, retail security and monitoring, security devices, shoplifting, Shoplifting Prevention, shoplifting statistics, shoplifting violence, surveillance

Retail Anti-Theft Devices Could Have Prevented A Shoplifter From Biting Off More Than He Could Chew

October 24, 2017 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

Retail Anti-Theft Devices – 4 WC Blog 151

Alpha Ink Tag-4

Retail Anti-Theft Devices Could Have Prevented A Shoplifter From Biting Off More Than He Could Chew

Being a Loss Prevention Manager doesn’t mean you are always at work when the interesting shopliftings occur. Sometimes it’s your team that has to deal with the difficult situations such as the one that took place one afternoon at the store where I worked. Two of my team members were working this particular day when they began watching a suspect in the shoe department. The suspect in this case began trying on men’s work boots. We had no retail anti-theft devices on our shoes or boots such as an Alpha Ink Tag to deter theft. The subject in this case found a pair of boots, put them on and walked to the front of the store and watched the door. When he felt it was safe, he walked to the exit and as he started to leave, my two Loss Prevention Officers stopped him and brought him back in the store. As they neared the security office the subject turned to run and the officers grabbed him. The suspect then bit one of the officers and tried to throw a punch at him. Fortunately for the suspect the officers showed a bit of restraint and while he ended up with a bump on his head he was no worse for wear, aside from a ripped t-shirt. The officers called for local police and then notified me of the incident. Of course my concern was for my Loss Prevention Officer who had been bitten. I was also curious why the suspect had fought so hard over a pair of boots. It turned out the suspect had an extensive criminal history and was also identifying himself as his brother who was a detective in a nearby state. The point of this story is that retail anti-theft devices can and do deter theft. A store may or may not have Loss Prevention personnel but, the devices along with electronic article surveillance antennas can prevent shoplifting.

The Alpha Ink Tag can be applied to nearly all clothing items, as well as comforters, sheet sets, even purses and totes. The tag has one side with dye capsules built in that are designed to break if someone attempts to tamper with the tag and remove it on their own. The only way to take it off without risking damage to the merchandise is with a detachment key controlled by the store, usually secured at the point of sale. The tag is pinned to merchandise and makes a tight seal hindering attempts to pry them off. I have seen the results of ink ruining clothes after a shoplifter attempted to take an Alpha Ink Tag off of a pair of jeans. It leaves a mess that cannot be cleaned off of the garment and unless you are into tie-dye, you wouldn’t want to wear it.

It is my firm belief that retail anti-theft devices do deter theft, especially when they are placed in a prominent location on an item. In the situation my Loss Prevention Officers had to contend with, I believe that had our store used an Alpha Ink Tag on shoes the shoplifter would never had attempted to steal the boots in the first place. I can’t say he would not have tried to steal something else if ink tags had been used, but who knows? In this case had the criminal been deterred by a retail anti-theft device and left the store empty handed the Loss Prevention Officer would not have been bitten.

As a side note for those who would argue against Loss Prevention Officers because of rare instances like this, I would point out that in the vast majority of cases where we had two Loss Prevention department members available, we had few fights or injuries. The training program we had made officer and shoplifter safety paramount. There were other benefits the officers brought to the store such as helping find lost purses, cars and children. They built partnerships with police and store managers. While stores in our area and even next to ours were robbed, we never experienced one robbery in the nearly 14 years I worked there.

Oh, and what happened to the Security Officer after the bite? He had to go through a series of shots to ensure he did not acquire any blood borne pathogens. He did return to work and fully recovered, but it was not an experience he wanted to go through again.

Need information on retail anti-theft devices? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.

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