Staff Editor — Page 30

TIPS TO PREVENT A ROBBERY

December 5, 2016 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

Can you believe we are in December already? This year has flown by and we’re in the home stretch. For many, many small and large businesses alike, this next month is crucial to profitability. Often times, the 4^th quarter can mean you stay open for another year, or it could mean that you didn’t make enough to pay your vendors. If you think that’s not a reality, do you remember a little electronics company by the name of Circuit City? So it becomes even more important to do every single thing you can to retain as much profit as possible. That means having the right product, providing the best service and definitely making sure your money makes it to the bank.

Holiday time brings an increase in sales, which in turns leaves you with a little (or a lot) more cash on hand than you normally would. This is great. We love to see money, right? Well, there can be a downside to all this extra green hanging around; a robbery. No one likes to think this can happen, or will happen to their store, but the reality is that it can. Criminals know this time of year means more cash in stores and it’s no secret that robberies tend to happen more frequently during the last few weeks of the year.

Last year, one of my stores were targeted very early in the morning. Thankfully, we were not open for business yet and none of my team members were hurt, but it exposed some holes in what we believed was a fool-proof procedure to deter these acts.

The first lesson is being vigilant. A good manager will always drive the perimeter of building when they first arrive. You should look for any signs of breach, or anyone who doesn’t belong in the area. If something stands out, don’t hesitate to call the local police. Better to be nothing than to walk into a robbery. Also, safety is in numbers. Managers should wait until all morning team members arrive before entering the store. This way, the store can remain locked and a manager isn’t opening the door several times throughout the morning.

Prepare for the worst. You don’t want it to happen to you, but it can. Train you managers, as well as your store team on what they should do in case of a robbery. You don’t want any heroes and you don’t want anyone to get hurt. You should constantly stress the importance of complying with the robber’s demands and getting them out of the store as quickly as possible. The very last thing you want is to have a hostage situation because the police responded while the robber was still inside. Remember, do what they say, give them what they want and get them out.

In my many years in LP, I have never seen a robbery happen in the middle of the day. Each one that took place in one of my stores happened either early morning, or late at night. At closing, a manager should head to the front of the store about 15-20 minutes prior to closing. Take a look at the parking lot. Are there any suspicious vehicles, or people hanging around? Once the last customer has exited, and it’s closing time, quickly lock your doors.

Try to avoid having team members leave the store at different times. If possible, schedule every to leave at the same time each night. That way, everyone can leave at once. You want to avoid opening/closing the door as much as possible. Robbers will stake out your store for days, or even weeks before hitting their target. If they know you open the door several times after close, you could set yourself up for a robbery attempt. By leaving all at once, in a group, you make the robbery less appealing to the criminal.

There’s no secret formula or magic wand that can be waved to completely prevent a robbery. You have to assume that at any time, it can happen to you. The best thing you can do is to work robbery prevention into your daily routine and most importantly be prepared for it. The last thing you want is to have your team faced with this reality and not know what to do. A simple conversation about expectations can very well be the difference between life and death.

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, EAS Devices, employee background checks, Employee Theft, Georgia Alarms systems, Georgia shoplifting prevention, Georgia shoplifting systems, Prevent Shoplifting, retail security and monitoring, shoplifting violence, surveillance

(SOME MORE) TIPS TO PREVENT ROBBERIES

December 5, 2016 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

In the previous article, I gave some great tips on how to prevent and prepare for a robbery. Like many things, it’s impossible to provide a solution that is all encompassing. After I penned that article I couldn’t help but think that there was more that I could share; more that I should share. I draw on over a decade’s time spent in the LP field and this is one of those topics that I just can never stress enough to my store managers. So, what else can you do to limit a robbery and/or cash loss?

When do you (or do you) conduct a cash drop? I know, some of you may be scratching your head after reading that. What’s a cash drop? Most stores have a safe where money from the day is stored prior to it being picked up by the armored carrier/dropped in the night deposit at the bank. When a cashier has so much money in the till, some cash is taken out, and then stored securely in the safe. Think about it, would you want any cashier to have several thousands of dollars in cash in their till? It’s December and Christmas is right around the corner. A few grand in cash in one till is not out of the realm of possibility.

If your store, or company does have a drop policy, then make sure your cashier leadership is following it. For the company I work for, we set the threshold at $500. Our cashiers start with a bank of $200. Once they have $500 above their original bank, they are required to get a supervisor to drop the additional funds. You should also monitor this throughout the week and coach those cashiers that are failing to meet the expectation. If by some chance, you don’t have this practice, I suggest implementing this yesterday.

Not only does this prevent a criminal from robbing a cashier, you also prevent yourself from being exposed to a quick-change artist. You may know them by a different name, but this guys and girls can quickly scam a cashier out of hundreds of dollars. The basic scam has them pay a small ticket item with a large bill ($100 mostly). After the cashier gives change and before the drawer is closed, they begin confusing the cashier by asking for different change. A quick palm and some sleight of hand later, you’re out a few hundred bucks.

Again, training and policies can help you to avoid this. First, as mentioned above, make sure to keep the amount of cash in the till at a minimum. Second, train your cashiers to immediately close the till once change is given. I see cashiers let their tills linger open far too long quite often. As soon as the change is removed and before they tear the receipt off the spool, that drawer needs to be closed. The criminal needs the drawer to remain open to steal your money. You can easily beat them at their own game. Second, forbid your cashiers from even giving change. That’s how it is at our stores. If a customer needs change, we’ll be more than happy to oblige, but they must walk to the service desk where a supervisor assists them.

Cash drops are an important tool to fight against a robbery attempt. They take away that added liability of excess cash in the drawer and help protect against quick change scams. Remember, they most important thing you can do to prepare for a robbery is to prepare for it, every day. Prepare by training your managers to open and close as a team. Prepare by teaching your staff to comply with a robber’s demand. Prepare by dropping excess funds in your safe. Prepare by training your cashiers to do something as simple as closing their drawer quickly. By taking a few simple steps, you can shrink the size of the target on your store.

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 Alarms systems, Georgia shoplifting systems, Loss Prevention Seminar, Periodic inventory, Prevent Shoplifting, prevent shrinkage, racial profiling, Retail Anti Theft Devices, retail security and monitoring, security devices, Shoplifting Prevention, shoplifting statistics, shoplifting violence, surveillance

TIPS TO SPOT A POSSIBLE DISHONEST EMPLOYEE

December 5, 2016 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

It’s official folks. It’s December and the year is almost over. It also means that you’ve probably hired some additional help around the store. Whether they be temporary, part-time or full-time employees, they all have one thing in common; they have the potential to steal from you. I hate to sound so cynical, but I’m a realist. With December historically being the biggest month for internal theft, I’d thought I’d share some of my tips on how to spot a potential dishonest employee.

Are they in their assigned department?

Just recently, I worked an employee theft case that I caught on to after seeing this warehouse worker spend a little too much time in the clothing department. Turns out, he was layering clothing in the fitting room stalls when no one was around. While a good manager will always encourage cross-training and the learning of other areas of the store, an employee that is always somewhere they shouldn’t be may be a red flag that their intentions are less than honest.

Break the rules much?

Do you find yourself always telling this one employee to tuck their shirt in, or put away their cell phone? Do you find that you have to keep “reminding” them of the store policies that they continue to break? While there is much to be said about the work ethic of some of today’s youth, sometimes this could be an indicator of a potential thief. I think back to every internal case I’ve ever worked and they all have the same thing in common. During the interview, when I ask do they know why they are talking to LP, most of them start rattling off the copious amounts of policies they’ve violated. People who can’t follow company rules can easily slip into theft without so much a thought. Always address store policy violations and weed out those who can’t seem to follow the rules.

Let’s talk work ethic

Now this one can really go two ways. First, the obvious; if you have a lazy employee, you have someone with the potential to steal from you. If they aren’t happy about their job, if they resent you or the management team, or they are simply not satisfied with life, it will show in their job performance. Poor performers almost always lead to internal theft. They couldn’t care less about anything, so why would they care if they steal a few hundred bucks worth of goodies, right?

Without sounding like I’m talking out of both sides of my mouth, I’ve also found that there are some occasions where a star employee is also doing a fantastic job of stealing from you. Everyone has that one employee that will give their heart and soul to the store. They stay late, come in early, work their off days, volunteer for projects, run the bake sale, clean the toilets and mow the lawn… granted, this is how some people are. I’m one of those people. I have often seen this trait in employees that operated some of the most sophisticated, complex and downright amazing internal theft schemes. I’m not saying that all your bad employees are thieves, and so are all of your good ones, but merely that this trait, along with any other inklings should be looked at.

Who cares when I get to work?

Poor attendance is also a great starting point when looking for dishonest employees. While some people just have a problem with being on time (present company INCLUDED), attendance falls right in line with work ethic and following the rules. Pay attention to those employees who just can’t do what’s expected.

No Money, Mo Problems

You have that one employee. You know the one. Every single store has that one employee. The one that constantly talks about how little money they have, how little hours they get and how they just can’t keep up with their bills. Everyone has financial trouble every now and then, but these employees take it to the extreme. You say, “Good morning, Susie” and Susie responds with, “well it would be good if I had more money…” Every time I have missing money in a store, I immediately have the management team point me in the direction of this employee.

Look, you could have an employee that exhibits all five of these traits and guess what? They may not steal so much as a bag of chips from you. Unfortunately, there is no loss prevention inspired crystal ball that can predict with certainty what employees will steal from you and which ones’ wont. As a manager, it’s up to you to know your employees. It’s up to you to spot those inconsistencies and raise those red flags yourself. It’s your merchandise and ultimately your profits at stake. Don’t let an employee theft ruin your 4^th quarter.

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

Protecting Yourself While Holiday Shopping

December 1, 2016 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

Retailers during this time of year prepare for the holidays by hiring more people to help them in their stores with customers, and with their security as well. This is a very busy time for the loss prevention team of a retail store, shopping mall’s security, and the local police.

Shoplifting occurs inside the stores, but theft also occurs when you leave the security of a shopping mall. Parking lots around shopping malls tend to be illuminated, but is always safe to take precautions when leaving a store at night, or to make sure other customers are leaving before venturing outside by yourself. Be safe and alert this holiday season.

Police: Shoplifting doubles near holidays

As shoppers hit area stores for the impending holidays, so will shoplifters, say area police.

“It probably doubles during the peak of the holiday shopping season,” said Logan Township Police Chief Tim Mercer, referring to the number of retail theft calls the township’s officers will handle.

Mercer said officers typically get one to two calls each week, and with the increase in retail thefts also comes increases in other crimes related to shopping, such as identity theft, where people are opening up credit cards in other people’s names, and thefts from vehicles.

Most of the incidents of retail theft and other thefts occur at two highly concentrated shopping areas — Logan Town Centre and the Logan Valley Mall, Mercer said.

Stores are reluctant to talk about shoplifting, either out of a fear of calling attention to their stores and becoming targets or because they don’t want to divulge exactly how they deal with retail thefts.

Crimestoppers: Be alert this holiday season

The holidays are upon us, and Christmas shopping often means an increase in crime.

The best way for businesses to prevent shoplifting is better customer service, according to Jackson Hole Crimestoppers.

“The best defense against shoplifting for merchants is to offer attentive service,” the nonprofit organization said in a press release. “Greet all shoppers as they enter the store and show an interest in helping the patrons find what they are looking for.”

The last thing a shoplifter wants is to be noticed, the release said. “Jackson Hole Crimestoppers points out that shoplifting hurts everybody, with increased costs of merchandise often resulting to help cover losses,” it said. “Both shoppers and merchants should remain alert for such thieves.”

Why Did CVS Employees Hide and Call the Cops When These Men Asked for Sliced Cheese?

Let’s kick this off with a Choose Your Own Adventure scenario. You’re a CVS employee who has just been stopped by a customer and asked whether the store carries sliced cheese. Do you A) shake your head no, but direct him to the refrigerated items anyway, B) show him a wide variety of shelf-stable snacks instead, or C) freak out and hide from him in a locked room in the back of the store?

If you selected C, you probably work at the CVS in Richmond, Virginia’s Carytown district. According to Ricky Berry, he and his roommate, Philip Blackwell, went to that particular drugstore on Thursday night to pick up a package of sliced cheese. The two of them asked an employee where to find the cheese and, after telling them that the store didn’t carry it, the evening took a turn toward the WTF.

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, EAS Devices, Georgia Alarms systems, Georgia shoplifting systems, Loss Prevention Seminar, Loss Prevention Workshop, mobile POS loss prevention, Retail Anti Theft Devices, security devices, shoplifting, Shoplifting Prevention, shoplifting statistics, shoplifting violence, surveillance

Without Checkpoint Tags Those Jeans Were Made For Walking!

December 1, 2016 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

JM Blog 03 – Clothing Security

Key words KW – Checkpoint tags 5

KW- clothing security 4

KW- clothing security tags 4

Without Checkpoint Tags Those Jeans Were Made For Walking!

While out shopping with the family recently I had occasion to tell a work story. After a few groans and eye rolls from my wife and 7year old, I began pointing out that much of the apparel they were looking at had clothing security tags, in particular Checkpoint tags. Big items, small items it didn’t matter clothing security was everywhere. Clearly this store, a run of the mill retailer who shall remain nameless, wasn’t messing around. They had realized that investing time and money upfront was going to pay dividends come inventory.

At this point the family was near mutiny so I began the actual story. It was my first year doing LP and my partners and I had returned from a meeting outside of the store. We were barely a few feet inside the doors when our fitting room associate called us over and informed us that a girl had been in the store since the doors opened and repeatedly went into the fitting room with the max of six garment. This process had been repeated dozens of times before she finally left without buying anything

Classic that this happened while we were gone but even worse we knew that the fitting room made the likely hood of making an apprehension very slim, unless of course she would be nice enough to exit it with less than she started with. This of course hadn’t been the case. After a quick review of the video we confirmed several hundred dollars in theft. Our lack of clothing security, in particular clothing security tags had allowed our guest to put on and wear out dozens of pairs of jeans, leggings and bras without leaving behind a single shred of proof.

I hate losing. Especially when a simple investment in Checkpoint tags, just very basic clothing security and it would have been avoided. Having the clothing security tags on the garments would have likely driven away the prospective thief. She had clearly been very concerned with detection and spent considerable time slowly building up the amount she was taking, all the while being very careful to not leave anything behind.

Checkpoint tags would have forced her to make some hard decisions, ones that would prevent her from remaining undetected. If she took the time to remove the clothing security tags on the sales floor she risked detection. Removing them in the fitting room would leave evidence and leaving them on would prevent her and out jeans from walking out the front door without triggering the alarm. It was a costly example of how a lack of clothing security exposes you to serious losses.

After that year’s inventory our apparel shrink had gone from the traditionally expected overage to a pretty steep amount of shrink. It was then that the they made the move to begin taking clothing security seriously and protect their inventory with Checkpoint tags. The results were immediate. Our clothing apprehensions increased but more importantly our recoveries by staff increased, very quickly accounting for a few thousand dollars in merchandise customers “forgot” they had put in their bags.

I concluded my story to thunderous applause, well more like the sound of my family running away from me but that doesn’t change the facts about clothing security and the success of the Checkpoint tags. In a world of $135 jeans and $30 designer underwear even a small amount of merchandise lost can be a significant hit to your bottom line. Don’t let your hard earned profits and your jeans go walking out the front door.

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

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

Making A Case For Using Alpha Spider Wraps On Cell Phone Cases

November 28, 2016 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

I have been working in retail for a LONG time now, the majority of those years being in Retail Loss Prevention. Even today as I work in the sales and customer service side of retail, I still draw on my Loss Prevention experience to prevent shoplifting. Just the other day I had an opportunity to stop someone from stealing a cell phone case. This wasn’t just an ordinary case, this has a built in charger that plugs into the mini-port on a phone so it can charge while still in the case. I began watching the suspect when he knelt down in the phone accessory aisle and began picking up phone cases. He reminded me of someone I had stopped from stealing phone cases a few weeks prior to this. As I watched the suspect for a few minutes I noticed that the guy was avoiding the cell phone cases wrapped in Alpha Spider Wrap.

The Alpha Spider Wrap is a retail anti-theft device that secures around a piece of merchandise. The device has wires that extend from a housing unit and are wrapped around an item and secured together with a clip. The units have tamper alarms that are set off if someone cuts one of the wires. the noise from the alarm is loud enough to be heard across a store, alerting employees to a possible theft in progress. The Alpha Spider Wrap also activate electonic article surveillance antennas if a piece of merchandise that is protected by a wrap is carried out of a store. The antenna alarms activate and employees are made aware a theft is taking place. Staff respond to the alarm and recover merchandise, OR in many cases, the alarm scares the thief and they drop the merchandise.

The “shopper” in my situation was looking at cell phone cases and examing them and then he started to take them out of the packages. While doing this he also looked around and appeared to be trying to make sure no one was watching him. He did finally seem to settle on a case and he removed it from the package. He put the package down then palmed the case in his hand and stood with his hand at his side next to the front pocket of his shorts. Based on experience I knew what he was going to do as he took one last glance around the store. I walked towards him and asked if the cell phone case in his hand was the one he wanted to purchase. The “shopper” was clearly startled and fumbled over his words as he tried to tell me he was making a decision about the case and if it was what his daughter needed for her phone. I engaged him in conversation as I would anyone else and at the same time picked up the empty package for the phone. He asked about the price of it and I scanned it and found it was almost $70.00. My friend was shocked, why he thought it was on clearance for about $6.00. After several minutes of conversation my customer said he might be back and met up with a woman he was with and they walked around for several minutes and left together. Because of our conversation, I believe this was the same person I stopped from shoplifting previously.

As I put the case back in the package I was surprised it was not protected with an Alpha Spider Wrap like other phone cases that were a few dollars more in price. As it turned out, the case my customer had his eye on did not fall into the price range of those that our company protects with retail anti-theft devices. Because of a few dollars difference, we almost experienced a loss due to a merchandise theft strategy that is not very flexible. It is my contention that retail anti-theft devices work, they just have to be used in order to do the job. In my opinion, setting a “price point” as a basis for protecting an item is not necessarily the best way to prevent shoplifting. Protect ALL of your products and you will see your merchandise shortage decrease significantly because of their ability to deter theft.

Invest in retail anti-theft devices such an Alpha Spider Wrap and you will prevent shoplifting. As you stop theft you will see your profit margin grow and your store in-stocks improve, allowing merchandise to be available to paying customers.

The Alpha Spider Wrap are important and we can help you with it. Call 1.770.426.0547 and let’s talk.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Alpha Spider Wrap, Prevent Shoplifting, Spider Wrap

Preventing Shoplifting During The Holidays

November 22, 2016 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

shoppers From Miami, Florida to Seattle Washington, police departments across the nation plan to increase police patrols and police officers around shopping malls, downtown, and most frequented shopping areas around their cities to ensure people feel safe when they come out to shop for the holidays. Another reason is also to ensure shoplifters know police officers are present and that their criminal activity will not go unpunished. Shoplifting during the holidays increases, and retailers and police departments try to mitigate it by implementing shoplifting measures that can help them keep shoplifting to a minimum.

For this and other topics, follow the links below.

How does Walmart’s latest anti-theft program work?

Walmart is taking a different approach to shoplifters.

The world’s biggest retailer is using the Restorative Justice Program to help reduce theft and police calls in their stores.

Walmart is often a hotspot for crime, according to an August Bloomberg report.

It’s not only petty crimes that plague Walmart stores all across the country, more than 200 violent crimes- including murders, attempted kidnappings and shootings- have happened in the nation’s 4,500 Walmart stores this year, according to the report.

While the Restorative Justice Program aims to cut down on shoplifting specifically, less petty crime often means less violent crime.

Restorative justice by definition, is a system of criminal justice that focuses on the rehabilitation of offenders through reconciliation with victims and the community.

Walmart aims to do just that.

“The program offers first time low risk offenders a second chance in order to make things right by participating in an educational course in lieu of prosecution.” said Delia Garcia, Director of Communications at Walmart.

The program launched in 2014 and is currently in effect in about a third of all Walmart stores, including in the Sacramento market, according to Garcia.

No retailer is immune to shoplifting

If you pay attention to court news, you know there’s a problem with serial shoplifters.

Many individuals are convicted of shoplifting three times or more. Sometimes, they try to steal from the same store.

In Grand Island, the majority of shoplifting violations reported this year have been at department or discount stores. That category is followed by grocery stores/supermarkets and then by convenience stores.

Businesses point out that theft translates into higher costs for customers.

A sign at Super Saver, for instance, says “To keep prices low we have installed an electronic inventory system.”

The number of thefts is probably proportional to the number of shoppers a store attracts, notes Capt. Jim Duering of the Grand Island Police Department. In other words, the greater the foot traffic, the bigger the number of shoplifters.

A Walmart spokeswoman points out that a company with multiple locations in a city will be victimized more than a single entity.

Walmart uses a multi-pronged approach to make sure the store is meeting “our customers and our associates’ expectations for a safe and enjoyable shopping experience,” says Delia Garcia.

Having a safe environment “begins with a very positive relationship with law enforcement,” Garcia said.

Mt. Juliet police increase patrols in shopping areas

Starting this week, Mt. Juliet police will increase patrols in Mt. Juliet’s retail areas for this year’s holiday shopping season.

On Thanksgiving afternoon, Black Friday and throughout the shopping season, more police officers will be concentrated near the primary shopping areas by Interstate-40, according to a release from the Mt. Juliet Police Department.

“The ultimate goal is to deter and prevent criminal activity,” Chief James Hambrick said. “We simply want Mt. Juliet’s shoppers to have a great experience at our area shopping destinations. Residents and visitors will see an increased police presence, and there will also be undercover officers that will not be easily noticed.”

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, EAS Devices, employee background checks, Georgia shoplifting prevention, Georgia shoplifting systems, Loss Prevention Seminar, Loss Prevention Seminars, Loss Prevention Training, Loss Prevention Workshop, mobile POS loss prevention, Prevent Shoplifting, prevent shrinkage, racial profiling, Retail Anti Theft Devices, Shoplifting Prevention, shoplifting statistics, shoplifting violence, surveillance

Bars And Grocery Store Businesses Aren’t The Only Establishments That Can Benefit From Using Bottle Locks: Part 2

November 16, 2016 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

Bottle Locks-4 WC Blog 187

Bottle Lock-3

Liquor Bottle Security-5

Bars And Grocery Store Businesses Aren’t The Only Establishments That Can Benefit From Using Bottle Locks: Part 2

In part 1 of this two part series I mentioned that I was surprised when I looked at a government website that listed a lengthy list of venues and businesses that sell alcoholic beverages, some beer only and others any number of spirits and/or wines. I discussed the businesses that one would expect to see selling wines and spirits, mainly, bars, clubs, grocery stores and package stores or state stores. I also reviewed how bottle locks, if used in these establishments could improve in-stocks, sales and profitability. As promised, in part 2, I am going to cover the not-so-obvious locations that may sell alcohol and could also benefit from the use of liquor bottle security.

As a reminder I just want to clarify for some who may have missed part 1 or are new to liquor bottle security, just what it is I am talking about. Liquor bottle security may sound like something a parent of teenagers is concerned with, like how to lock the liquor cabinet and keep the kids out. Well, in a manner of speaking, that is sort of what we are discussing. Bottle locks are a type of bottle security, but better than the family cabinet. A bottle lock is a locking cap that fits over a manufacturer’s lid or top. The lock is placed over the top and locks together preventing someone from being able to get to a bottle lid in order to open it. They are able to activate electronic article surveillance (EAS) antenna alarms if carried near or through the antennas. Some locks will even alarm if tampered with should someone attempt to break it off. Most thieves don’t want the hassle associated with trying to steal a protected product and if they are lucky enough to get it out of a business they don’t want to have to fight to get at the merchandise.

So, without further delay, here is a list from the governments’ Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau website listing businesses I had not thought of as being sellers of alcohol products:

• Airlines

• Airport lounges

• Amusement Parks

• Bed and Breakfast Inns

• Bingo Halls

• Boats (Pleasure)

• Bowling Alleys

• Casinos

• Catering Services

• Concession Stands

• Drug Stores

• Florist Services

• Fraternal Organizations

• Fundraising Organizations

• Gift Basket Dealers

• Golf Courses

• Grills

• Hospitals

• Hotels

• Inns

• Leagues

• Limousine Services

• Lodges

• Lunch Wagons

• Military Installations

• Pool Halls

• Race Tracks

• Recreation Centers

• Snack Bars

• Stadiums

• Trains

• Wine and Cheese (sellers)

What a list! If any of these places sells wines or spirits, they can use bottle locks to minimize the risk of loss due to customer OR employee theft.

You may be thinking to yourself, “I own a limousine service and I include a bottle of wine as a part of one of my packages. So if a client purchases a bottle of wine from me, how does a bottle lock benefit me?” The bottle lock in this case may not be to keep your client out of your supply, but rather, it may keep out potential dishonest employees. How many of your employees may have access to your wine cooler or cellar? By using locks in this situation you might not need to be as concerned about whether you left your cellar unlocked when you left for the day. Think about a stadium where you might have employees under the age of 21 at a counter that serves alcohol. Wouldn’t you feel better knowing that any alcohol bottles are secured with liquor bottle security such as Alpha bottle locks preventing under age workers from gaining access that could lead to trouble for you?

Liquor bottle security clearly prevents theft and may even prevent or limit business liability. Both of these can affect the bottom line for a company. Why not take a closer look and see if Alpha Security may be able to help you reduce risk and improve profits.

Need information on Bottle Locks? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.

So, without further delay, here is a list from the governments’ Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau website listing businesses I had not thought of as being sellers of alcohol products:

• Airlines

• Airport lounges

• Amusement Parks

• Bed and Breakfast Inns

• Bingo Halls

• Boats (Pleasure)

• Bowling Alleys

• Casinos

• Catering Services

• Concession Stands

• Drug Stores

• Florist Services

• Fraternal Organizations

• Fundraising Organizations

• Gift Basket Dealers

• Golf Courses

• Grills

• Hospitals

• Hotels

• Inns

• Leagues

• Limousine Services

• Lodges

• Lunch Wagons

• Military Installations

• Pool Halls

• Race Tracks

• Recreation Centers

• Snack Bars

• Stadiums

• Trains

• Wine and Cheese (sellers)

What a list! If any of these places sell wines or spirits, they can use bottle locks to minimize the risk of loss due to customer OR employee theft.

Need information on Bottle Locks? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.

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

Preventing Shoplifting This Holiday Season

November 15, 2016 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

Depending on what financial report you read, the average income for Americans fall between $45K and $54K a year. That’s before federal, state, and local taxes are taken out. Take out your mortgage payment, car payment, car insurance payment, living expenses and other monthly payments that you have, and you are left with a very little amount left over for saving for retirement or saving for your children’s college education. During the holidays, many people around the country are faced with the prospect of having no gifts for christmas, getting a loan to buy gifts, or in some instances shoplifting some gifts for the holidays. For retailers, this is a season where sales are at the highest, but shoplifting is as well. Preventing shoplifting during the holiday season is very important for these retailers, because their profits depend on having the least amount of shoplifting in their stores.

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How stores plan to fight organized retail crime during the holidays

With Halloween over, retailers are in full-fledged holiday season mode. Which means they’re gearing up for Black Friday, holiday staff schedules, stampedes of customers… and theft. That’s right — the holiday season might bring stores a nice sales bump, but it also brings an increase in shoplifting. And retailers are stepping up efforts to crack down on the crime.

We’re not just talking about customers stealing a pack gum in the checkout line. Loss prevention specialists have their eyes on a much bigger target.

Organized retail crime (ORC) is a strategic and highly sophisticated brand of shoplifting where a network of professional thieves work together to rip off retailers. According to a survey from the National Retail Federation (NRF), organized retail crime is on the rise, with 100% of retailers saying they have been a victim in the past 12 months. Furthermore, 83% said ORC activity had increased in the past year.

“There are existing crime organizations, like drug dealers, and these groups looked at the retail world and saw it was very lucrative to steal heavy volumes of merchandise and then sell it,” said Robert Moraca, vice president of loss prevention at the National Retail Federation. “The access to selling online has made it even easier.”

Along with organized retail crime, standard shoplifting and employee theft costs retailers approximately $42.5 billion in 2015.

Walmart Will Deploy Thousands of ‘Holiday Helpers’ to Shorten Checkout Wait Times

It was shoppers’ #1 request.

The next time you find yourself in a long wait for checkout at Walmart WMT -1.11% , don’t be surprised if a store worker clad in bright yellow and a Santa hat helps you find the shortest line.

Eager to build on recent improvements in its long-weak customer satisfaction scores and win shoppers’ favor during the peak shopping season of the year, Walmart is deploying “Holiday Helpers” to all of its 4,500 or so U.S. stores during the upcoming months. These workers, clad in yellow vests to make them easily identifiable to customers, will be tasked with speeding up checkout time by, among other things, fetching items that shoppers may have forgotten, so they don’t lose their places in line; helping to unload shopping baskets at the registers; and if it’s very busy, opening a cash register.

At the same time, these helpers, regular Walmart workers trained to use cash registers but looking to pick up some extra hours, will be there to add some fun to a retailer often seen as drab. These workers will be wearing festive Santa hats and bright red sashes inscribed with “Holiday Helpers,” and handing out candy canes. The no-frills shopping environment doesn’t cut it anymore, even for a discount retailer, and the helpers’ cheer will be all the more important given the lavish Christmas displays Target has planned.

Turkey and vodka most at-risk as retailers prepare for Christmas shoplifting spree

As Christmas shopping season looms, retailers across Europe are bracing themselves for increases in footfall and subsequent spates of theft. Groceries, including roasting joints and bottles of spirits, are the most at-risk products.

New research sponsored by Checkpoint Systems – provider of merchandise availability solutions to the retail industry – has revealed that retailers will see shoplifting erode their profits over the coming months, as they begin to gear up for a bumper Christmas period.

Apparel, luxury foods and electronic accessories are expected to be among the most stolen items this festive season, with higher quantities of merchandise put out on the shop floor, additional door displays, temporary staff and increased footfall all contributing to the high losses across the country.

The study, underwritten by an independent grant from Checkpoint Systems, was carried out by Ernie Deyle, a retail loss prevention analyst, and provides an analytical view of business risks that major retailers face during this holiday season. The 13 markets covered in the report span North America, Europe and Asia, and include the US, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, UK, Australia, China, Hong Kong and Japan.

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FLY AWAY WITH A CHECKPOINT SECURITY SYSTEM

November 10, 2016 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

To stay relevant in retail, you’ve got to change constantly to meet your customer needs. Electronics are no different. You have to keep up with changes customer preferences and tastes in order to maximize your sales. This is why retailers of all sizes seem to be stocking those hover-boards that are so wildly popular. No, not the Marty McFly kind… yet, but they’re still a ton of fun to play on. I want to show you how, with the help of Checkpoint Labels, I was able to save my company nearly $5,000 last week.

It was about 7pm and I heard Judge Judy calling my name. Not the T.V, but my ringtone for my work line. Like her, I take a no-nonsense approach to shrink. On the other end is a distraught store manager. She tells me that someone had just walked out of the store with 10 hoverboards that she had prominently displayed at the front of the store. She tried to stop the thief, but he told her that he had a gun. Moron went from a theft to an armed robbery in just 3 words. Obviously, my first concern is her well-being. Once I’m satisfied that she is going to be fine, just a bit shaken, I ask if she had secured the product with our Checkpoint Labels. I get another yes. Even though they were able to exit, I still may be able to track my product down. My work begins.

I come in the next morning and review the security footage. I immediately recognize the suspect from a law enforcement BOLO that had recently come down. I watched as he casually entered the store with a shopping cart, loaded up 10 boards and strolled out the door. He even stopped when the Checkpoint Security System alerted, but after his comment to the manager, his pace increased and he threw the loot into a waiting vehicle.

I start running every possible lead down that I can and as luck would have it, I come across a Craigslist ad posted the day after the theft. The hoverboards listed are the same style and color. I’m beaming. I know this is my guy. I call him and set up a meeting to purchase two. Deal is on; $280 cash. Little does he know at this point that I’ll be coming with police protection and that a little Checkpoint Label might just ruin his afternoon.

I immediately contact some of the city’s finest who are more than happy to lend a hand. I meet with three officers, give a rundown of what’s going on and they agree to set up a sting with me. They tell me that I first have to be 100% sure that the item belonged to my store. Lucky for me, our Checkpoint Security System will come to the rescue. Our labels had our store name and number printed on them. Once I confirm the sticker is still on the box, this guy is toast.

Right on time, McFly arrives with my two hoverboards just as promised. I inspect them, see my labels and buy the product. As soon as he pulls out of the parking lot, I give the signal to the waiting officers who conduct a traffic stop. Minutes later, he’s in cuffs, my money is back in my possession and within a few hours, I was able to recover all 10 hover boards. This would not have been possible without our Checkpoint Security System, and more importantly some well placed Checkpoint Labels.

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

Filed Under: antishoplifting Tagged With: Checkpoint labels, checkpoint security system