Stores Are Safer With EAS Systems In Place

August 21, 2018 by Leave a Comment

 

Retail Theft Prevention – 3                                                                                                      WC Blog 544
Checkpoint Systems – 5
Stop shoplifting -5
Stores Are Safer With Checkpoint Systems In Place
     Retail theft prevention should be part of a larger store security and safety strategy for your business. Stores that fail to take appropriate actions to prevent criminal activity from taking place put more than the store’s property, money and merchandise at risk. Owners and managers that fail to properly manage risk factors also endanger their employees and customers. In an article in Loss Prevention Media by Garrett Seivold, “A Security Lawsuit Is a Legal Landmine”, the author makes some excellent points regarding retail safety. Mr. Seivold references a convenience store robbery which had taken place in Rochester, New York. During the robbery, a Security Guard was shot in the face and suffers severe injuries today because of the shooting. The lawsuit included several complaints that led the jury to find the parent company of the convenience store responsible. The writer mentions the following factors which contributed to the jury decision:
• In the ten years before the incident six shootings and 126 robberies had taken place at this store and others in the area
• Money was not regularly transferred to a bank
• Store employees had access to the safe rather than the use of a drop box accessible only to armed security personnel
• “The parking lot was too dark.”
The defendant responded to these points but according to the article, in the end the jury awarded approximately 1.2 million dollars to the plaintiff. The lesson to store owners is that you have to show you are taking active measures to protect your staff and your customers. One way to do this is to take steps to stop shoplifting with Checkpoint Systems. 
     I know there are some of you who are wondering how you increase safety and security in a store with the installation of Checkpoint Systems. Other readers may not even know what the systems are and so I will briefly explain it before I move on. Checkpoint Systems are retail anti-theft devices that stop shoplifting through deterrence and theft detection. Systems are comprised of towers, tags and detachment tools or deactivation pads. The towers are placed near the exits of a building and can detect security tags on merchandise. Regardless of whether tagged merchandise is in the open or concealed the towers can pick up the radio frequency waves sent out from the tags. When a security tag is within a certain distance of the tower an alarm is activated and employees respond. Trained responders check receipts and manage a situation which usually results in a would-be shoplifter returning products or purchasing the items. The detachment tools and deactivation pads are the parts of Checkpoint Systems that remove hard tags or “turn off” soft electronic article surveillance tags at the points of sale. This prevents a legitimate customer from inadvertently causing a false alarm at the towers.
     I want to get back to the part where efforts to stop shoplifting are relevant to maintaining a safe and secure retail business. In stores where shoplifting is rampant it is not unusual to find other criminal activity taking place also. For example in the 2013 National Retail Federation’s Organized Retail Crime Survey they report on page 12, “…more companies this year report that the level of violence has grown in the past three years, both on the intimidation of sales associates and those who attempt to apprehend boosters.” They go on to say, “according to the survey, approximately two in 10 (18.3%) apprehensions now lead to some sort of violence…” There also appears to be an increase in the number of shoplifting cases related to the opioid crisis. When stores incorporate retail theft prevention steps to stop shoplifting the associated criminal activity also dries up.
     As seen in the case I referenced at the beginning of the article there are numerous areas that should be reviewed in a safety and security plan. Exterior lighting of the building and parking lots should be a top priority. Cash handling procedures should be reviewed. How are cash drops handled and are bank deposits regularly made? Guidelines need to be established for the maximum amount of funds held in a store and in cash registers. Associates should be limited in how much money they have access to. These suggestions only scratch the surface and should be part of a comprehensive security plan.
     Loss Prevention Systems Inc. can help you with a retail theft prevention program starting with Checkpoint Systems to stop shoplifting. Remove that criminal element and you will take a leap in the right direction of eliminating other crime in your area. As the bad guys begin to move out your environment will begin to become safer for your customers and employees. THAT will also help to increase your sales and improve your profit line.
Retail theft prevention is important and we can help you with it. Call 1.770.426.0547 and let’s talk.

Retail theft prevention should be part of a larger store security and safety strategy for your business. Stores that fail to take appropriate actions to prevent criminal activity from taking place put more than the store’s property, money and merchandise at risk. Owners and managers that fail to properly manage risk factors also endanger their employees and customers. In an article in Loss Prevention Media by Garrett Seivold, “A Security Lawsuit Is a Legal Landmine”, the author makes some excellent points regarding retail safety. Mr. Seivold references a convenience store robbery which had taken place in Rochester, New York. During the robbery, a Security Guard was shot in the face and suffers severe injuries today because of the shooting. The lawsuit included several complaints that led the jury to find the parent company of the convenience store responsible. The writer mentions the following factors which contributed to the jury decision:

• In the ten years before the incident six shootings and 126 robberies had taken place at this store and others in the area

• Money was not regularly transferred to a bank

• Store employees had access to the safe rather than the use of a drop box accessible only to armed security personnel

• “The parking lot was too dark.

”The defendant responded to these points but according to the article, in the end the jury awarded approximately 1.2 million dollars to the plaintiff. The lesson to store owners is that you have to show you are taking active measures to protect your staff and your customers. One way to do this is to take steps to stop shoplifting with electronice article surveillance (EAS) systems. 

I know there are some of you who are wondering how you increase safety and security in a store with the installation of EAS systems. Other readers may not even know what the systems are and so I will briefly explain it before I move on. EAS systems are retail anti-theft devices that stop shoplifting through deterrence and theft detection. Systems are comprised of towers, tags and detachment tools or deactivation pads. The towers are placed near the exits of a building and can detect security tags on merchandise. Regardless of whether tagged merchandise is in the open or concealed the towers can pick up the radio frequency waves sent out from the tags. When a security tag is within a certain distance of the tower an alarm is activated and employees respond. Trained responders check receipts and manage a situation which usually results in a would-be shoplifter returning products or purchasing the items. The detachment tools and deactivation pads are the parts of EAS systems that remove hard tags or “turn off” soft electronic article surveillance tags at the points of sale. This prevents a legitimate customer from inadvertently causing a false alarm at the towers.

I want to get back to the part where efforts to stop shoplifting are relevant to maintaining a safe and secure retail business. In stores where shoplifting is rampant it is not unusual to find other criminal activity taking place also. For example in the 2013 National Retail Federation’s Organized Retail Crime Survey they report on page 12, “…more companies this year report that the level of violence has grown in the past three years, both on the intimidation of sales associates and those who attempt to apprehend boosters.” They go on to say, “according to the survey, approximately two in 10 (18.3%) apprehensions now lead to some sort of violence…” There also appears to be an increase in the number of shoplifting cases related to the opioid crisis. When stores incorporate retail theft prevention steps to stop shoplifting the associated criminal activity also dries up.

As seen in the case I referenced at the beginning of the article there are numerous areas that should be reviewed in a safety and security plan. Exterior lighting of the building and parking lots should be a top priority. Cash handling procedures should be reviewed. How are cash drops handled and are bank deposits regularly made? Guidelines need to be established for the maximum amount of funds held in a store and in cash registers. Associates should be limited in how much money they have access to. These suggestions only scratch the surface and should be part of a comprehensive security plan.

Loss Prevention Systems Inc. can help you with a retail theft prevention program starting with EAS systems to stop shoplifting. Remove that criminal element and you will take a leap in the right direction of eliminating other crime in your area. As the bad guys begin to move out your environment will begin to become safer for your customers and employees. THAT will also help to increase your sales and improve your profit line.

 

Retail theft prevention is important and we can help you with it. Call 1.770.426.0547 and let’s talk.

 

 

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Low-cost Loss Prevention Tips and Suggestions

August 13, 2018 by Leave a Comment

The retail industry loses an approximate $45 billion a year due to shoplifting, organized retail crime, merchant, and clerical errors. For the small retail owner, any loss due to shoplifting puts a financial strain on their ability to do business, hire more personnel or invest and grow their business.

The competition in every industry is brutal, and the retail industry is no different.  The online option the customer has of buying whatever they need or want with the click of a button is especially hard for a small retail owner.  Their inventory and profit margins they’re dealing with are nothing compared to the big-box chains’, and any loss they suffer is particularly painful for their profits.

There are many businesses that cannot afford to invest in new technology to deter or prevent shoplifting, and they are left with the option of losing more cash and inventory or close their doors permanently, all due to this crime. But, if they cannot invest in technology, and they cannot hire more personnel, what are some low-cost options they can implement in their store to deter or prevent shoplifting?

  1. Customer Service

One of the great assets these small retail stores have compared to the big chains or online stores is the customer service they can provide to their customers.  Providing the customer with a greeting when they walk into your store and offering them great customer service has shown to decrease shoplifting and increase customer satisfaction.

A satisfied customer is also more likely to promote your business.  In today’s social network platforms, a bad experience can potentially reach thousands of customers with disastrous backlash for you and your store, but a good experience can also do the same, it can reach many potential customers that want to do business with you.  Treat your customers as a business ambassador for your business, and you will see the results in your profits.

2. Inventory

Keeping a good inventory of what’s selling and the number of items you are missing-whether they were sold or stolen-from the shelves can help you keep an accurate count of the merchandise.

Do you know at a minute’s notice what inventory you have on hand? There are software solutions that help retailers keep track of such matters, and allows them to have reports daily and online to help them make adjustments, order more inventory if necessary, and know at a moment’s notice the state of their inventory.

3. Organization

The design, cleanliness and how well your product displays are kept are important in keeping shoplifting at a minimum.  Well lit aisles, merchandise displayed properly and organized can make the shelves look pretty and the items displayed can allow you and your employees to account for the merchandise with a quick look to the shelves.

4. Diligence

Your employees are your best bet to deter and prevent shoplifting.  Research has shown happy employees are the best asset your company has for success, and in this case to deter and prevent shoplifting.  Salaries are not the only incentive your employees look for when entering a new business, treating them with respect and allowing them the ability to prove and express themselves are key to the success of any business.

Shoplifting affects every citizen and every member of society. The way you respond to a shoplifting accident and the way you treat shoplifters reflect on how you conduct yourself and your business.

Filed Under: Shoplifting Prevention Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Improve Retail Theft Prevention Through Recognition

August 9, 2018 by Leave a Comment

 

Retail Theft Prevention- 5                                                                                                           WC Blog 500
Stop Shoplifting-3
Improve Retail Theft Prevention Through Recognition
     I LOVE celebrations for victories in stores, be it for a successful retail theft prevention program, a great customer service initiative or some other achievement I truly believe in celebrating accomplishments. I am sold on the power of recognizing individual achievements and group achievements and celebrating them with the entire store. In this article I want to talk about how you can make your store successful and a big part of that is recognition of your store team individually and as a group. As a former Loss Prevention Manager with nearly 27 years of retail experience and as a shift supervisor in a college library I can share with you observations I have gleaned over the years through my experiences.
     I will talk at length about celebrations but I do want to stop for a moment and touch on retail theft prevention and what it entails. Retail theft prevention is the ability of a retailer to recognize that theft is going to occur in their store, understand there are steps they can take to stop it and in doing so it will make the business more prosperous. It is the use of anti-shoplifting devices such as Checkpoint security pedestals at the doors and tags on all merchandise. It is also the training of employees on their responsibilities in regard to proper tagging methods, alarm responses, providing exceptional customer service and teamwork that will stop shoplifting and drive sales. The implementation of all of these factors is what is required for a retail owner or manager to stop shoplifting and keep merchandise in the store for customers and that is what helps drive up sales.
     It may seem a bit unusual to be talking about celebrations and retail theft prevention but they do tie together and help to build a strong shortage culture in the store. Additionally recognition is a powerful tool to developing teamwork amongst employees. An example of this can be seen in the store I work in now. For quite some time there has been a program for giving out recognition cards that are used in a monthly drawing. For the most part they were given out by managers to employees for different reasons. Over a period of time there was a slow progression of cards being given out by employees to each other. Recently, employees had the cards removed from a box they were kept in and placed on a door for everyone to see. The participation is pretty amazing to see. Most cards are given out for one employee assisting another on a task or in a work center. If you don’t quite see the power in this consider that for each card someone gives out to a fellow worker it reduces the giver’s chance for winning the monthly drawing. That’s quite a statement about the power of recognition. How does this relate to retail theft prevention? If employee recognition includes recognizing people for going above and beyond expectations in assisting customers it will influence more associates to offer help on the sales floor. That level of service will deter thieves from trying to steal in your store.
     When I was a Loss Prevention Manager I made sure I recognized employees who caught hidden merchandise at the checkout stands or those who reported suspicious patrons to me. I also made sure that employees who reported a tip to me about another employee they suspected was stealing had their information submitted to our store hotline number. In this way a couple of employees were rewarded by the company for cases they initiated and were closed by me based on their information. I couldn’t celebrate the individuals due to confidentiality but I could share the win with the store team in general terms. I found that employees were more willing to report suspicious behaviors to me. This included internal and external theft identification.
     Recognition is more impactful that you may have realized. Congratulating an employee for closing a large sale, signing someone up for a store reward program, making a recovery from an electronic article surveillance alarm receipt check are all a way to recognize performance. When an associate can stop shoplifting through customer service and notification of management of suspicious people the entire store benefits. Heartfelt, genuine recognition will lead to continued performance that helps to drive up sales and reduce shortage. If you don’t do it already look for ways to recognize and praise your team. You will see a payoff in shortage reduction, profit growth and increased morale.
Need information on retail theft prevention? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
     

I LOVE celebrations for victories in stores, be it for a successful retail theft prevention program, a great customer service initiative or some other achievement I truly believe in celebrating accomplishments. I am sold on the power of recognizing individual achievements and group achievements and celebrating them with the entire store. In this article I want to talk about how you can make your store successful and a big part of that is recognition of your store team individually and as a group. As a former Loss Prevention Manager with nearly 27 years of retail experience and as a shift supervisor in a college library I can share with you observations I have gleaned over the years through my experiences.

I will talk at length about celebrations but I do want to stop for a moment and touch on retail theft prevention and what it entails. Retail theft prevention is the ability of a retailer to recognize that theft is going to occur in their store, understand there are steps they can take to stop it and in doing so it will make the business more prosperous. It is the use of anti-shoplifting devices such as electronic article surveillance (EAS) security pedestals at the doors and tags on all merchandise. It is also the training of employees on their responsibilities in regard to proper tagging methods, alarm responses, providing exceptional customer service and teamwork that will stop shoplifting and drive sales. The implementation of all of these factors is what is required for a retail owner or manager to stop shoplifting and keep merchandise in the store for customers and that is what helps drive up sales.

It may seem a bit unusual to be talking about celebrations and retail theft prevention but they do tie together and help to build a strong shortage culture in the store. Additionally recognition is a powerful tool to developing teamwork amongst employees. An example of this can be seen in the store I work in now. For quite some time there has been a program for giving out recognition cards that are used in a monthly drawing. For the most part they were given out by managers to employees for different reasons. Over a period of time there was a slow progression of cards being given out by employees to each other. Recently, employees had the cards removed from a box they were kept in and placed on a door for everyone to see. The participation is pretty amazing to see. Most cards are given out for one employee assisting another on a task or in a work center. If you don’t quite see the power in this consider that for each card someone gives out to a fellow worker it reduces the giver’s chance for winning the monthly drawing. That’s quite a statement about the power of recognition. How does this relate to retail theft prevention? If employee recognition includes recognizing people for going above and beyond expectations in assisting customers it will influence more associates to offer help on the sales floor. That level of service will deter thieves from trying to steal in your store.

When I was a Loss Prevention Manager I made sure I recognized employees who caught hidden merchandise at the checkout stands or those who reported suspicious patrons to me. I also made sure that employees who reported a tip to me about another employee they suspected was stealing had their information submitted to our store hotline number. In this way a couple of employees were rewarded by the company for cases they initiated and were closed by me based on their information. I couldn’t celebrate the individuals due to confidentiality but I could share the win with the store team in general terms. I found that employees were more willing to report suspicious behaviors to me. This included internal and external theft identification.

Recognition is more impactful that you may have realized. Congratulating an employee for closing a large sale, signing someone up for a store reward program, making a recovery from an electronic article surveillance alarm receipt check are all a way to recognize performance. When an associate can stop shoplifting through customer service and notification of management of suspicious people the entire store benefits. Heartfelt, genuine recognition will lead to continued performance that helps to drive up sales and reduce shortage. If you don’t do it already look for ways to recognize and praise your team. You will see a payoff in shortage reduction, profit growth and increased morale.

 

Need information on retail theft prevention? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.

     

 

Filed Under: antishoplifting Tagged With: , ,

STRANGE INCIDENT IN RETAIL STORE SHOWS IMPORTANCE OF EAS LABELS!

August 1, 2018 by Leave a Comment
STRANGE INCIDENT IN RETAIL STORE SHOWS IMPORTANCE OF EAS LABELS! 


 EAS Labels-   4                  ML Blog 24
 Stop Shoplifting – 3
        
       Working as Loss Prevention Manager shows you all aspects of inventory control. One of the most tedious tasks you’ll face in managing a retail store is keeping up with your stock. Each day you’ll spend a significant part of your day tracking inventory. A thorough inventory system will make it simple to meet the needs of your shoppers and minimize your losses. Each day as you are managing your location, you never know what will happen or what situation you will come across. Some days you run into extremely strange situations that make every day just plain interesting! Just last month, I had a strange incident with EAS Labels involving inventory counts! My store now uses them every day to prevent daily loss. 

       There are multiple advantages of a having a superior inventory system. It provides theft controls, product tracking, customer service advantages, and managing your financials. Without an inventory system, it’s impossible to know how much is stolen by customers or employees until completely after the fact. You can also steer clear of running out of stock and keep track of how you’re doing. It makes no sense to go long periods of time without knowing the actual status of your stock! Each day I complete perpetual counts of our high dollar, most stolen products. Completing this task daily helps stop shoplifting by being able to immediately track a missing item, and have CCTV of who stole the merchandise! If I count 3 days in a row a specific high theft item, and it disappears on day 4 without any product sales, I will know what time frame the theft happened. Once I have a hot theft item, I usually will place one of my PTZ cameras pointed specifically at that product. I also place EAS labels on them to protect the product. There are extensive benefits of utilizing EAS Labels versus just constant surveillance. Even though I catch a high amount of thieves, I can’t be there 24-7. They help stop-shoplifting by deterrent methods.  Retailers can confidently open-display their products which helps with sales. Anytime I start at a new location, I ensure they are utilizing these tags to stop shoplifting. One morning I was completing my daily perpetual counts, and had a subject enter the store acting very suspicious. He paced the sales floor for close to 20 minutes, looking for associates and acting extremely strange. This is a behavior I know too well from shoplifters, so I had to be patient and continue to observe. The subject finally selects 2 of our high dollar products and heads into a corner of the store that is semi-blocked by a tall fixture. At this point, I keep CCTV on him and was thinking I 100% had a shoplifter.  I see the subject appear to be in a sitting stance, and stays like that for a few minutes. The subject stands up, looks around, but still has all the high dollar product. The product is still in the packaging and it does not looked messed with at all. The subject ends up leaving the products at our register and walks out of our exit. I quickly run to the area to look for any tags or figure out if I missed something the subject may have concealed. I get to the corner of the store, to find my worst nightmare. Let’s just say I figured out why the subject was acting strange and went to the corner. The subject went to the bathroom inside the store!!! They selected product to look normal in case anyone walked by. So I spent an hour of my time on a stomach issue, than a shoplifting issue. Even though this was an epic fail, at least I know I am on top of anyone selecting our high theft items.  I knew at this point, this was going to a long, crazy day! I still continued to do my perpetual counts and finally had a missing item on another product. I was able to view sales history and find on CCTV a known subject come in and try to wipe out an item. They selected the item and went into the fitting room, trying to remove the security tag from the product. The attempt failed and they left the item in the fitting room, so we were able to find and recover the product. It was definitely a win, that day!  EAS Labels saved us from taking a loss on this product! After this incident, I had several other occurrences where the labels worked to stop shoplifting. Less worry, but more product on the shelf for customers. Another positive element is how extremely easy they are to apply, and work as an inexpensive fix.

       My store management team and I still laugh about the disaster day I had. But the payoff was massive being able to later see how EAS Labels do work, and the importance of inventory controls. This was a strange day, but showed everyone that we are on top of ensuring our product stays on the shelf. You will see a decrease in theft trends once you utilize the same security device program and tracking system that I use. 

   Need information on EAS Labels? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now. 
.                                                        




Working as Loss Prevention Manager shows you all aspects of inventory control. One of the most tedious tasks you’ll face in managing a retail store is keeping up with your stock. Each day you’ll spend a significant part of your day tracking inventory. A thorough inventory system will make it simple to meet the needs of your shoppers and minimize your losses. Each day as you are managing your location, you never know what will happen or what situation you will come across. Some days you run into extremely strange situations that make every day just plain interesting! Just last month, I had a strange incident with EAS Labels involving inventory counts! My store now uses them every day to prevent daily loss. 
       

There are multiple advantages of a having a superior inventory system. It provides theft controls, product tracking, customer service advantages, and managing your financials. Without an inventory system, it’s impossible to know how much is stolen by customers or employees until completely after the fact. You can also steer clear of running out of stock and keep track of how you’re doing. It makes no sense to go long periods of time without knowing the actual status of your stock! Each day I complete perpetual counts of our high dollar, most stolen products. Completing this task daily helps stop shoplifting by being able to immediately track a missing item, and have CCTV of who stole the merchandise! If I count 3 days in a row a specific high theft item, and it disappears on day 4 without any product sales, I will know what time frame the theft happened. Once I have a hot theft item, I usually will place one of my PTZ cameras pointed specifically at that product. I also place EAS labels on them to protect the product. There are extensive benefits of utilizing EAS Labels versus just constant surveillance. Even though I catch a high amount of thieves, I can’t be there 24-7. They help stop-shoplifting by deterrent methods.  Retailers can confidently open-display their products which helps with sales. Anytime I start at a new location, I ensure they are utilizing these tags to stop shoplifting. One morning I was completing my daily perpetual counts, and had a subject enter the store acting very suspicious. He paced the sales floor for close to 20 minutes, looking for associates and acting extremely strange. This is a behavior I know too well from shoplifters, so I had to be patient and continue to observe. The subject finally selects 2 of our high dollar products and heads into a corner of the store that is semi-blocked by a tall fixture. At this point, I keep CCTV on him and was thinking I 100% had a shoplifter.  I see the subject appear to be in a sitting stance, and stays like that for a few minutes. The subject stands up, looks around, but still has all the high dollar product. The product is still in the packaging and it does not looked messed with at all. The subject ends up leaving the products at our register and walks out of our exit. I quickly run to the area to look for any tags or figure out if I missed something the subject may have concealed. I get to the corner of the store, to find my worst nightmare. Let’s just say I figured out why the subject was acting strange and went to the corner. The subject went to the bathroom inside the store!!! They selected product to look normal in case anyone walked by. So I spent an hour of my time on a stomach issue, than a shoplifting issue. Even though this was an epic fail, at least I know I am on top of anyone selecting our high theft items.  I knew at this point, this was going to a long, crazy day! I still continued to do my perpetual counts and finally had a missing item on another product. I was able to view sales history and find on CCTV a known subject come in and try to wipe out an item. They selected the item and went into the fitting room, trying to remove the security tag from the product. The attempt failed and they left the item in the fitting room, so we were able to find and recover the product. It was definitely a win, that day!  EAS Labels saved us from taking a loss on this product! After this incident, I had several other occurrences where the labels worked to stop shoplifting. Less worry, but more product on the shelf for customers. Another positive element is how extremely easy they are to apply, and work as an inexpensive fix.
       

My store management team and I still laugh about the disaster day I had. But the payoff was massive being able to later see how EAS Labels do work, and the importance of inventory controls. This was a strange day, but showed everyone that we are on top of ensuring our product stays on the shelf. You will see a decrease in theft trends once you utilize the same security device program and tracking system that I use. 
   

Need information on EAS Labels? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.                                                        

 

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Is There A Real Difference: EAS Tags & Labels?

August 1, 2018 by Leave a Comment

You think that you may be scoring a great deal on cheap, knock-off Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS) hard tags and labels, however, over time you find that you are missing shoplifters due to poor pick rates or hard tags that are easy to defeat. Why? To make real, quality EAS hard tags and labels it takes more effort and time. The materials and sophistication of the circuit is not something that can be easily done by a slave laborer in some dark factory in a third world nation. The labels we sell are all high-quality EAS labels and tags that are both Sensormatic and Checkpoint Systems compatible.

For example, we see hard tags that can be simply pried apart with a screwdriver. Or labels that fall off when the adhesive dries up. So what standards should you be applying to both EAS labels and hard tags?

LABELS:

  • High-quality labels have a high pick rate (sensitivity) at your EAS system. Our labels have some of the highest pick rates around.
  • Quality control is critical! Not every label manufactured meets the high standards that we set. That’s why Loss Prevention Systems’ labels that do not pass QC are marked. Those labels will probably work but we suggest that you do not use them. However, every roll of our labels has 2000+ labels. How do we do that? See the next point.
  • Better value! Because the QC mark does show up from time to time, we want to make sure that you get at least 2000 labels on a roll. To achieve that target we actually add approximately 2% more labels to each roll. It is rare to have 2% marked labels on a roll and so you end up with more good labels.
  • Aggressive adhesive! When you put our label on your merchandise, it is there to stay. After about an hour the adhesive sets up and that label is not going to fall off.
  • Variety! We stock many sizes and shapes labels that are Sensormatic or Checkpoint Systems compatible. One type of Checkpoint compatible RF label you should check out is our clear label. It can be applied directly over your merchandise barcode and your scanner can scan right through it. This helps disguise the label and it does not cover up vital information such as directions on your merchandise packaging.
  • Our labels will not reactivate after they have been deactivated! When you pass our label over a quality deactivation unit, it kills the label and the label stays dead. It will not reactivate after your customer leaves the Point-Of-Sale (POS) cash register and before your front door. Cheap labels can and will do this in many cases at an alarming rate. This causes an unnecessary alarm that you have to deal with, embarrassing your good customers.
  • Most of our labels are faced with Thermal Transfer (TT) paper. That means you can print on them with your TT printer which you use to print your store pricing labels. This also helps disguise the EAS label.

HARD TAGS:

  • Look at the seams of a hard tag. Are the seams welded together so that they are smooth and cannot be pried apart with a tool? Our hard tags have a tightly welded seam.
  • Snag clothing? Poorly made hard tags can have a rough seam that will snag your clothing merchandise.
  • Our hard tags come in a wide range of unique styles, sizes, and colors.
  • The clutch mechanism in our hard tags grabs the pin and does not let go easily. The best hard tag in the world is useless unless the tag can securely hold the pin.
  • We have some of the smallest hard tags on the market. They can not only be used for protecting many types of jewelry but can be used on any other product that you can clip it onto.

So don’t cut yourself short. You paid for and installed an EAS system; do not let your investment give you an inadequate return because you use cheap labels or tags. Interested in samples of Loss Prevention Systems’ labels and hard tags? Contact us for a free sample pack.

Filed Under: Featured Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Influences That Made A Difference In My L.P. Career

August 1, 2018 by Leave a Comment

In every career, there are people, places, and things that help to shape who you become in that career. A Retail Loss Prevention career is no different. My career in Loss Prevention goes back nearly 27 years. A long time ago in a department store not far away I was hired as a Loss Prevention Associate with only my military experience and a college degree in hand. I had absolutely no Loss Prevention background. There have been lessons learned along the way that shaped the way I approached Loss Prevention and the way I developed my style of working with people and managing others.

     Coming from a military police background I first approached Loss Prevention with a law enforcement perspective. Unbeknownst to me, a former supervisor of mine from my old unit was working part-time at the store to which I was applying for a job. He saw my application and encouraged the L.P. Manager to hire me. I was trained by this co-worker and the L.P. Manager who also had a military background. We formed a strong team and were very good at catching shoplifters. I learned a lot about identifying suspects and even learned some aspects of investigating an internal crime. What we didn’t do as well I learned later in my career was having a more global outlook on the role of L.P. in the store.

     A little over four and a half years later I found myself hired as a Loss Prevention Manager for another company. Because I was in the same city I brought along my police partnerships, knowledge of the crime in the area and my same perspective. I viewed the work as closely related to police work. It was in this store that I found I had to earn the trust and respect of a Store Manager who had over twenty years of experience with this company. I did not report directly to this manager but rather to a District L.P. Manager who did not get along well with the store manager. I was new to the company, opening a brand new store in a remote market and caught between these two bosses. There were a number of lessons I learned during the tenure of these two. I found there are times you have to learn how to do a delicate balancing act between two managers making demands of you and your team. I learned from the store manager to expect excellence from your team. From the District LPM, I learned to be confident in my interactions.

     After a year a new DLPM took over and from him, I learned that there is more to the L.P. business than saving money. I found out that based on my experience and degree I was hired at a much lower salary than I should have been when I was made a job offer. This new manager went to bat for me and got a mid-year pay increase for me that I had not sought and learned were rarely awarded. While I often disagreed with this supervisor over some of his directions I always respected him for what he did for me though he had only known me a brief time.  Being fair and treating people with respect were valuable takeaways from this manager that I never forgot.

      As the years went by I found my own perspective on what the role of Loss Prevention in stores should be and it changed how I interacted with the others in the store management team. I began to see our department as less a policing department and more of a shortage reduction department. That included the traditional efforts to deter and/or catch shoplifters as well as investigating dishonest employee activity. I also focused on many of the factors that impacted operational shortage, the markdown process, product out of date issues and even employee best practices with freight unloading. As I spent time in other departments I learned more ways to make an impact on overall store shortage.

     Today, my Loss Prevention experiences are used to help me drive sales and deter theft as a retail sales associate. I have carried the management skills into a library supervisor position. I also have the opportunity to provide insights into Loss Prevention and improving sales and how Loss Prevention Systems Inc. can assist businesses in becoming more profitable. As you read this article I would challenge you to look at your own career, whether it is in Loss Prevention or in retail or just in life and reflect on how you have adapted your style and who has influenced your career.

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Seasonal checklist of items to increase sales and/or help with inventory

August 1, 2018 by Leave a Comment

  How many times have you caught yourself in a conversation with another manager or a supervisor discussing a seasonal merchandise question or an inventory preparation question and found yourself saying, “I think we did it this way” or “ It seems to me customers were buying such and such last year”? It can be frustrating, especially when the discussion may influence whether an item should be carried or if it was carried the prior year was it a flop? The same thing happens with inventory. Did we start prepping 5 days out? No? Maybe it was 3 days out. Having checklists can make these conversations fewer in number and improve productivity as well as sales performance.

     How do you get those checklists? There has to be a starting point and that is going to be a brainstorming session with the management team. If you have no empirical data saved from the past year you will need to begin anew and then establish a baseline for what information you will collect over the next year. Planning will be easier and you can modify your checklist at next year’s planning meeting making adjustments based on what worked and what didn’t work (you may even call it a “What Worked/What Didn’t Work” session. Begin this season start listing the things you have done to prepare for this year. Here is a short list of some of those things you might consider placing on that list:

  • What seasonal merchandise did you bring in? Sunglasses, coolers, flip-flops, swimwear might be items some of the items you normally would not carry but added to your store in April or May. If you carry groceries you may have added more sports drinks, cold desserts or traditional summer favorites such as watermelon, cantaloupe, corn on the cob, or apples. Maybe you tried some vendor suggested drinks in your front checkout lane coolers. List those items and keep track of your sales for them.
  • Where is your product placement for new/seasonal items? Have you set up new fixtures? Did you have fixtures stored and if so where did you store them? It is important to sketch these things out. If a change in personnel takes place by next year someone should be able to pull out those plans and understand them assuming those plans worked and incorporate them in next year’s checklist.
  • If you have brought in new seasonal merchandise, what did you do to make room for it? Did you relocate other goods to a stockroom? How did you do that and where did you place it? Map out where goods are stored in the stockroom so your team can replicate it next summer.
  • Did you change or extend your hours of operation for the summer to increase sales? If so you need to review the sales data and determine if those extended hours truly helped increase sales. When did you start the hours and when will you resume standard operating times? If extended hours did not make a big difference don’t rule out the strategy until you take a look at how you advertised those time changes. Question results whose outcomes were not what you were hoping to achieve. If you have thoroughly reviewed the strategy and it could not have been improved then discard it. Don’t be afraid to try new things just be honest about results and don’t make excuses if you don’t see the results you expected. Pride can bring down a store quickly.
  • Look at staffing. Did you hire additional summer help and if so, when did you hire them and how many? Prior to deciding to just release them look at your sales information, including dollars per transaction and your total transactions. You may release them this year but keep that information and use it for future planning.

As you and your management team begin strategizing and asking these questions you will find you open doors to more questions that will help drill down further. The more points you can identify the better your checklist will be.

     Once the plans are made, it will be easier to know which numbers you are going to track. You will have documentation that will serve as the blueprints for building a winning strategy that will be a basis for future years. You and your team will find it a less challenging task when it is time to identify and discard losing strategies. Come inventory time or the next summer sales season your store will be ready to roll out a playbook that will make your store a success!

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Make Inventory Preparation Fun For Everyone

August 1, 2018 by Leave a Comment

     “It’s INVENTORY time let’s go have FUN!” There’s a phrase you will never hear. Let’s face it anyone who has been through an inventory knows that it is drudgery. Aside from the counting of merchandise, there is all the preparation that leads up to it. If done properly it is time-consuming and tedious. You and your team are standing on ladders looking on top of fixtures, digging through boxes, in cabinets, and behind fixtures for items that have been misplaced. There is also kneeling to look under gondola base decks, cashier stands or under soft drink coolers for that one little piece of merchandise that rolled under there months ago. Then there are the painstaking tasks that need to be completed such as going through merchandise to make sure everything is properly ticketed. Someone should be spending some time contacting vendors with cut-off dates for bringing in a new product or providing credits for merchandise they are removing. Store managers have to make sure all of the tasks are being planned out, assigning who will complete them and follow up on them. ALL of this is BEFORE inventory night even takes place. Oh did I mention you still have to keep your store operating while you get these projects done? No, it really is not a fun prospect and if your employees get grumpy or dirty and dusty while doing these things they may not be thorough in their assignments. Do your inventory overnight and employees get tired and frazzled and you could wind up having more shortage than you should. Finding methods to get your team on board and keeping them fired up requires making inventory fun.

     How do you make inventory fun and interesting for your employees? There is a variety of ideas store managers can introduce to make the process more engaging for their staff.

  • Almost every business has that one person who is creative and let’s face it super-energetic about fun activities. Find that person, make them your inventory “Fun Captain” and cut them loose. You may even give them a small budget to work with so it is more fun for them too and they feel empowered to make decisions. It will be a load off of your plate. Just be sure that there are brief status meetings you two hold so you can help keep things on track. Sometimes these folks can have grandiose ideas that can be tough to reign in if you don’t stay a little involved.
  • FOOD! Everyone loves food and it can pump up the mood of a team. If you have a “Fun Captain”, ask them to come up with a week of food ideas for each day of prep and inventory night. It doesn’t have to be fancy maybe “Doughnut Monday”, “Candy Corn Tuesday”, “Pretzel Wednesday” and so on, you get my drift. Inventory day should be a bit more special. I have seen everything from fruit, coffee, and soda brought in for energy overnights to sub sandwiches and chips. One place I worked for the store manager brought in breakfast foods at the start of the day and pizzas that afternoon. Be creative!
  • Music. I saw one store that did inventory overnight and since there were no customers they played upbeat music over the P.A. system. Someone from that store would occasionally get on the microphone or phone and pretend to be a DJ. It was lively, it didn’t cost anything and the “DJ” was entertaining and funny.
  • Hold contests. Who doesn’t enjoy being part of a contest? It may be giving a prize to the person who can find merchandise stuck in the oddest location. Maybe it is retail trivia questions focused on shortage and safety issues. A correct answer can be rewarded with a “fun-sized” candy bar. You can purchase those bags in any grocery store and if you sell them then requisition a bag.

There are other ideas you or your “Fun Captain” will come up with, the key is to make it enjoyable for your team. Remember, the more engaged your team is and the more they understand why they are preparing for inventory the better the overall results will be when shrinkage numbers come back.

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DON’T LET THIEVES FLY AWAY WITH YOUR DRONES

July 26, 2018 by Leave a Comment

 

DON’T LET THIEVES FLY AWAY WITH YOUR DRONES – USE AN ALPHA SPIDER WRAP
The drone business is set to be a multi-billion dollar a year industry and this shopping season should see sales take-off like never before. As with any hot new and exciting product, you have to Prevent Shoplifting if you want to keep yourself profitable. Whether you plan to stock the very best high-end camera platforms, or some inexpensive toys, these products are guaranteed to be a hit this year and can really add a significant amount to your bottom line. So, let’s talk strategy, shall we?
Last year around the holidays, my store purchased tons of drones. Small ones, big ones, cheap ones and expensive ones. They were an absolute hit and we sold them hand over fist. We also lost quite a bit to both internal and external theft. This was our first year really buying into the category, and we really dropped the ball in securing them. This year, we bought a few hundred Alpha Spider Wraps to get us through the season. Here’s why we made that decision this year and why you should consider it as well. 
With the drone category, you really have to give your customer’s access to the product. The open-sell concept is what really drives the business in this category. You can’t have the product behind a case, or a have just a display box on the shelf. You have to let the customer see the product, hold it in their hands, and yes, even let them play with it. (I set up a little indoor area for customers to play with some of the more popular ones. Great way to blow out of them). What I didn’t do was use an Alpha Spider Wrap in order to Prevent Shoplifting. 
Within the first week that we set our displays out, we had lost two. In another week, I had lost 10. By the time Black Friday rolled around, I was down nearly 25 units. I stationed an employee at the display center, but you know how it is during those busy days. There’s just no way that you can keep up with everyone. All told, I lost about 100 units last year. You can bet that my stores are not going to lose that much again this year. I’ve got my retail utility belt on and I’m primed and ready to Prevent Shoplifting. 
If you’re thinking about adding some cool new drones to your store’s holiday assortment this year, you’d be remiss if you didn’t at least consider the Alpha Spider Wrap. While I never expect any singular product to completely Prevent Shoplifting, I fully expect to see between 50-60% less theft than last year. Go ahead, give them a try. 
 
For more information about Alpha Tech contact us or call 1.770.426.0547.

The drone business is set to be a multi-billion dollar a year industry. As with any hot and exciting product, you have to Prevent Shoplifting if you want to keep yourself profitable. Whether you plan to stock the very best high-end camera platforms, or some inexpensive toys, these products are guaranteed to be a hit this year and can really add a significant amount to your bottom line. So, let’s talk strategy, shall we?

 Last year around the holidays, my store purchased tons of drones. Small ones, big ones, cheap ones and expensive ones. They were an absolute hit and we sold them hand over fist. We also lost quite a bit to both internal and external theft. This was our first year really buying into the category, and we really dropped the ball in securing them. This year, we bought a few hundred wrap tags  to get us through the season. Here’s why we made that decision this year and why you should consider it as well. 

 With the drone category, you really have to give your customer’s access to the product. The open-sell concept is what really drives the business in this category. You can’t have the product behind a case, or a have just a display box on the shelf. You have to let the customer see the product, hold it in their hands, and yes, even let them play with it. (I set up a little indoor area for customers to play with some of the more popular ones. Great way to blow out of them). What I didn’t do was use an wrap tag in order to Prevent Shoplifting. 

 Within the first week that we set our displays out, we had lost two. In another week, I had lost 10. By the time Black Friday rolled around, I was down nearly 25 units. I stationed an employee at the display center, but you know how it is during those busy days. There’s just no way that you can keep up with everyone. All told, I lost about 100 units last year. You can bet that my stores are not going to lose that much again this year. I’ve got my retail utility belt on and I’m primed and ready to Prevent Shoplifting. 

 If you’re thinking about adding some cool new drones to your store’s holiday assortment this year, you’d be remiss if you didn’t at least consider the retail anti-theft devices. While I never expect any singular product to completely Prevent Shoplifting, I fully expect to see between 50-60% less theft than last year. Go ahead, give them a try. 

 
For more information about retail anti-theft devices, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547.

 

Alpha spider wraps

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Use Checkpoint Tags To Improve Instocks

July 10, 2018 by Leave a Comment
Checkpoint Tags- 5                                                                                                      WC Blog 454
Stop Shoplifting-3


A Decline In Sales May Be More Than A Decline In Customers; Stores May Need To Use Checkpoint Tags To Improve Instocks

     My youngest son is currently a business major in his senior year of college. The other day we were discussing a paper he had recently turned in on the topic of “Needs Assessment”. I asked about what the term meant in the context of the class. He told me the basis of a Needs Assessment as they had talked about it was, in a sense, determining what the real root causes of a problem are and solutions to fix it. I am probably simplifying it a bit but an example he gave was of a make believe company that needed some accountants. Since that was not the focus of the business the company went out and hired recent college graduates who had graduated at the top of their classes but in areas of study other than accounting. The idea of hiring non-accountants was that these students were smart and would be able to learn the accounting job that needed done. In this scenario the business begins to experience financial problems but management begins to look at surface issues such as not enough time was spent training these new accountants. They didn’t dig into the underlying issues and assess what the needs of the business truly were. The problem as analyzed by my son was that it was the hiring of the non-accountants to fill a specific role, one which required a specialized skill set. The workers were bright, but not equipped for this particular job. I would argue that many times we in retail can be like this. We have a slide in our sales and rather than do a true needs assessment, we make assumptions and try to make our pre-conceived notions fit the problem. What if a slip in sales isn’t due to a lack of customers? What if sliding sales are due to a failure to stop shoplifting? More customers may not be the real issue the need for more Checkpoint Tags may be part of the real problem.

     What are Checkpoint Tags you may be asking? They are tools designed to prevent thieves from emptying store shelves of merchandise. The tags utilize electronic article surveillance technology that combines a radio wave signal emitted from a tag to be picked up by a receiving tower usually located near the entry/exit doors of a store. If a piece of merchandise with a tag attached to it is carried within the reception range of the tower, alarms are set off alerting associates that an item is being carried out that has not been paid for yet. Even concealed merchandise can be detected when Checkpoint tags are in place. Today the tags have become so popular among major retailers that most shoplifters are familiar with them and steer away from trying to shoplift items with a tag attached. 

     How then can a tag that will stop shoplifting be the answer to a store that is experiencing a slip in sales? Here are a few things for your consideration:
• If shoplifters are removing merchandise from shelves and fixtures those items are no longer available for purchase. That directly impacts sales.
• Stolen merchandise is not accounted for through a point of sale. For many stores this means a system of checking counts and making adjustments is necessary for replenishment to occur. Does your store have some system in place to ensure replenishment takes place?
• Many large retailers use acronyms to help cashiers remember things to look for that impact shortage. One is B.O.B. or Bottom of Buggy. If cashier miss all of the items in a cart it can certainly lead to shortage. Checkpoint Tags on merchandise will cause an alarm from towers, resulting in a receipt check and recovery of merchandise or the purchase of the item(s).
Stores that use retail theft prevention devices stop shoplifting from taking place and impact operational shortage as well. When the tags are used, merchandise stays in the store where it is available for the paying customers. As one who has shopped in stores with bare shelves I get very frustrated at not finding what I want and have left empty handed on more than one occasion.

     If your store is experiencing a decline in sales take the time to conduct a true Needs Assessment. Consider all of the factors that may be impacting your business. Look at everything from new businesses in the area to changes in your policies or even empty shelves that may indicate a need to start using Checkpoint Tags. Dig into what needs done to drive sales.
Get more information on Checkpoint Tags contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.

My youngest son is currently a business major in his senior year of college. The other day we were discussing a paper he had recently turned in on the topic of “Needs Assessment”. I asked about what the term meant in the context of the class. He told me the basis of a Needs Assessment as they had talked about it was, in a sense, determining what the real root causes of a problem are and solutions to fix it. I am probably simplifying it a bit but an example he gave was of a make believe company that needed some accountants. Since that was not the focus of the business the company went out and hired recent college graduates who had graduated at the top of their classes but in areas of study other than accounting. The idea of hiring non-accountants was that these students were smart and would be able to learn the accounting job that needed done. In this scenario the business begins to experience financial problems but management begins to look at surface issues such as not enough time was spent training these new accountants. They didn’t dig into the underlying issues and assess what the needs of the business truly were. The problem as analyzed by my son was that it was the hiring of the non-accountants to fill a specific role, one which required a specialized skill set. The workers were bright, but not equipped for this particular job. I would argue that many times we in retail can be like this. We have a slide in our sales and rather than do a true needs assessment, we make assumptions and try to make our pre-conceived notions fit the problem. What if a slip in sales isn’t due to a lack of customers? What if sliding sales are due to a failure to stop shoplifting? More customers may not be the real issue the need for more hard tags may be part of the real problem.
     

What are hard tags you may be asking? They are tools designed to prevent thieves from emptying store shelves of merchandise. The tags utilize electronic article surveillance technology that combines a radio wave signal emitted from a tag to be picked up by a receiving tower usually located near the entry/exit doors of a store. If a piece of merchandise with a tag attached to it is carried within the reception range of the tower, alarms are set off alerting associates that an item is being carried out that has not been paid for yet. Even concealed merchandise can be detected when hard tags are in place. Today the tags have become so popular among major retailers that most shoplifters are familiar with them and steer away from trying to shoplift items with a tag attached. 
     

How then can a tag that will stop shoplifting be the answer to a store that is experiencing a slip in sales? Here are a few things for your consideration:

     • If shoplifters are removing merchandise from shelves and fixtures those items are no longer available for purchase. That directly impacts sales.

     • Stolen merchandise is not accounted for through a point of sale. For many stores this means a system of checking counts and making adjustments is necessary for replenishment to occur. Does your store have some system in place to ensure replenishment takes place?

     • Many large retailers use acronyms to help cashiers remember things to look for that impact shortage. One is B.O.B. or Bottom of Buggy. If cashier miss all of the items in a cart it can certainly lead to shortage. hard tags on merchandise will cause an alarm from towers, resulting in a receipt check and recovery of merchandise or the purchase of the item(s).

Stores that use retail theft prevention devices stop shoplifting from taking place and impact operational shortage as well. When the tags are used, merchandise stays in the store where it is available for the paying customers. As one who has shopped in stores with bare shelves I get very frustrated at not finding what I want and have left empty handed on more than one occasion.
     

If your store is experiencing a decline in sales take the time to conduct a true Needs Assessment. Consider all of the factors that may be impacting your business. Look at everything from new businesses in the area to changes in your policies or even empty shelves that may indicate a need to start using hard tags. Dig into what needs done to drive sales.

 

Get more information on hard tags contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.

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