Uncategorized — Page 123

It takes a CULTURE to truly prevent shoplifting.

September 22, 2011 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

We use the word “culture” a lot in business. As we have all gotten a little smarter we have realized that all initiatives, in order to be successful, have to have the buy in of the associates at large. To prevent shoplifting there is no exception.

There are many tools to help prevent shoplifting. Retail anti theft devices such as EAS tags, Keepers, CCTV, etc. are all useful tools to aid in your shoplifting problem. In truth though, it takes much more than these. It takes a culture of awareness and commitment to protect the merchandise.

For example, I have several stores where the managers don’t really believe in the value of our retail anti theft devices. In turn, the associates are not diligent in ensuring the tags are on the products and the systems work properly. Additionally, they do not pay any attention when the EAS alarm goes off. It is no coincidence that these stores are my high shrink and high theft stores.

On the other hand I have several stores where this is a focus. The whole associate base (down to the baggers) knows what to look for in a shoplifter and they know the right kind of “customer service” to give suspicious characters. They test their Checkpoint EAS systems daily to ensure functionality. They also ensure that all items on the tagging list are protected. To no surprise, they do a fantastic job in protecting the product. When they do get thieves, they are typically not professionals and they “spook” a lot of potential thieves away by being alert.

In order to really get at the root of shoplifting you have to create a culture of awareness and understanding. Then you will really see the value of your retail anti theft devices in action.

Visit the Loss Prevention Store for retail anti theft devices that can help you prevent shoplifting in your business.

For more information on how you can use retail anti theft devices to prevent shoplifting contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 – Atlanta Georgia

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Prevent Shoplifting, Retail Anti Theft Devices

Checkpoint tags a hit among specialty boutiques

September 22, 2011 by Staff Editor

Everyone expects to find security tags on clothes at your major department stores and chain stores. Many don’t really expect to find clothing security tags on products at specialty boutiques. The reason is simple. In reality many specialty boutiques don’t use clothing security. As to be expected these stores are often targeted by thieves and are much more likely to go out of business than the major chains.

It is hard to be an independent business owner in retail. The larger stores and chain stores certainly have an advantage of being known and their brands trusted. This puts smaller stores behind from a sales standpoint, but they are often put further behind because of theft. Thieves are generally equal opportunity bad guys. They don’t discriminate when it comes to who they steal from. (Progressive I know). With that said it is important that boutiques know that they too can enjoy the same clothing security that the big boys use.

Checkpoint tags and clothing alarm systems are more reasonably priced than they have ever been. Like all parts of a business the system is an investment. It is an expense up front that has the expectation that you will save more in stolen product than you paid for the system. Checkpoint tags also come in a variety of sizes and types so you can customize a solution that is right for your business. It is important that you still get to display your merchandise how you want and with Checkpoint tags that will never be a problem. Whether you use hard tags or sensor tags built into the price tag, you can easily add clothing security to your store.

While the goal of being a specialty boutique is to stand out from the crowd, don’t let that statement to be that you are an easy mark for theft.

Visit the Loss Prevention Store to purchase a clothing alarm or clothing security tags.

For more information on security tags on clothes, clothing security, clothing alarm, or clothing security tags contact us at Checkpoint tags or call 1.770.426.0547

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

Reduced sales linked to employee theft – Atlanta Georgia

September 20, 2011 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

Many business leaders contribute low profits to employee theft. What you may not know is low sales can also be an indicator of employee theft (or internal theft in the retail world). If you are noticing the same customer count, but decreased sales volume it’s time to launch and employee theft investigation.

Sure. The answer could be that the employees just aren’t selling enough. This could be due to standards like not getting the add-on’s, not suggestive selling or not merchandising to maximize appearance. The answer could also be internal theft. There are several ways that employees can steal that will directly impact sales results. One way is through voids. Associates can void individual items, but still allow the “customer” (i.e. their friends and family) to leave with the product. You now lost the inventory, but your customer also purchased less. Associates can also void whole transactions after a customer leaves. This allows them to take the cash and the system thinks the sale never happened. Again, you lost the inventory, but you also lost the sale as it is no longer in the system.

Another main way that employee theft occurs is through “sweet hearting”. This is the LP term for “hooking up” others. A cashier can do this a few ways, but the main ones are underringing and pass offs. In underringing the cashier changes the price to charge someone significantly less than what they should be paying. Again, this will cause less sales than if the items left at full price. The associate can also bag items without ringing them up and let a friend, family member or other employee leave with the product.

Internal theft is the main causal factor for most retail loss, but it can also significantly sales. I recommend using a trained LP Professional to conduct a routine employee theft investigation to ensure sales and profits remain high.

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

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: employee theft, employee theft investigation, internal theft

Know Your Carry for RF Security Labels

September 20, 2011 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

A lot of people who have EAS (Electronic Article Surveillance) systems are unaware that the direction the RF label is facing will effect how well the RF label is detected. There are three primary ways that RF labels and RF security tags face when they pass through the system.

The first way is referred to as a front carry. This is where the RF security labels are vertical and parallel to the front of the store. The vertical posts on the antennas primarily detect this carry. Because of how the RF field is created the strongest part is usually around three feet above the floor. As the tag gets higher or lower it will not detect as well as it does in the middle.

The second carry is a side carry. This is where the RF security tags are vertical and perpendicular to the front of the store. This is usually the strongest of the three carries because both the vertical and horizontal posts are detecting it.

The third carry is a top carry. The Checkpoint labels, in this carry, are horizontal to the floor as they pass through the RF field. In general, only the horizontal bars are detecting the Checkpoint security tags. This means that the detection will be greatest when the tag is in line with one of the crossbars. With older/cheaper systems you will notice that there is a crossbar at about fifty-two inches and a second one about fourteen inches off the ground. With these systems the top carry is the weakest of the three carries.

That is why with newer systems you will notice several horizontal bars. The new design of antennas help to alleviate “dead zones” and pockets where a tag can pass through without being detected. If you keep this information in mind when you are tagging your products it will significantly help you stop shoplifting from occurring at your store.

Visit the Loss Prevention Store to purchase Checkpoint labels, Checkpoint security tags, and other RF labels that can help you stop shoplifting in your business.

For more information on Checkpoint labels, Checkpoint security tags, RF labels, RF security labels, RF security tags and how to stop shoplifting contact us at RF label or call 1.770.426.0547

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Checkpoint labels, Checkpoint security tags, RF label, RF labels, RF security labels, RF security tags, stop shoplifting

ENGAGED associates prevent shoplifting.

September 20, 2011 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

Now this does not mean that your associates need to be on the cusp of marriage to prevent shoplifting. What this does mean is that your associates need to be ENGAGING customers in order to prevent shoplifting. Many companies have a “Greet within 10 feet” slogan or something to that effect. This goes beyond good customer service and actually helps deter shoplifting as well.

Shoplifters don’t want to be given attention or acknowledged. They want to come in, do their dirty deeds and then leave. Just the engagement of the associate lets the potential shoplifter know that they are not just a ghost moving around the store and that goes a long way to deterring theft. Secondly, you want to add retail anti theft devices to the mix. This slows down a shoplifter and gives that good ENGAGING associate more time to find them.

A shoplifter tries to average being in and out of the store in under 2 minutes. If you have a number of customers your associates may not be able to greet that potential shoplifter in that 2 minute time frame. If you have retail anti theft devices such as EAS tags or Keeper cases then you just added time to the shoplifter’s trip. Most shoplifters who know what they are doing will try to remove the retail anti theft devices prior to stealing the product. Now that they have to try to remove the EAS tag or Keeper case your associates now have more time to find them, greet them and customer service them right down to your competitor. We all say two heads are better than one and in the same respect the combination of ENGAGED associates and anti theft tools are the best way to prevent shoplifting.

Visit the Loss Prevention Store for retail anti theft devices that can help you prevent shoplifting in your business.

For more information on how you can use retail anti theft devices to prevent shoplifting contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 – Atlanta Georgia

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Prevent Shoplifting, Retail Anti Theft Devices

Clothing security a must for your intimate things…

September 20, 2011 by Staff Editor

There are numerous clothing retailers who specialize in intimate apparel. Most of the rest generally have a section of undergarments in the store. These can be some of the hardest products to keep safe in a store. The clothing security I recommend for these products are Checkpoint tags.

Everyone knows that good quality undergarments are quite expensive. They are also small and easy to conceal. This is double trouble for us retailers. I think it is necessary to put clothing security tags on these items. Now I know that when we started putting security tags on clothes many years ago there was only one size of tag. This made protecting the intimate apparel hard because the tags were too big for the product and it made it impossible for customers to try items on. Now Checkpoint tags come in a variety of sizes. There are small tags that are perfect for adding clothing security to you products.

The Checkpoint tags work with the Checkpoint clothing alarm. This allows you to be alerted whenever your tagged merchandise walks out the door. This is a huge deterrent to many shoplifters. Just seeing the clothing alarm will cause many to rethink their actions. Once they discover you have added clothing security tags to you undergarments then you will find a lot less theft from that part of the store.

Of course, it is important to remember good service. If the employees don’t respond to the clothing alarm then the deterrent effect is reduced. Employees play a major role in clothing security solution, but the security tags on clothes do the bulk of the work.

Visit the Loss Prevention Store to purchase a clothing alarm or clothing security tags.

For more information on clothing alarm, Checkpoint tags, clothing security, or clothing security tags contact us at security tags on clothes or call 1.770.426.0547

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

A new season and a new reason to stop shoplifting

September 17, 2011 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

As we are headed into the season change from summer to fall many retailers are already getting their new lines of products. Whether you sell clothes, hunting gear or groceries you know that the new season brings about new reasons to shop. FYI, it also brings on new reasons to steal as well. In order to stop shoplifting of your new product I recommend using RF security tags and RF security labels.

RF security tags and RF security labels are what you may commonly know as sensor tags. But these aren’t just your run of the mill sensor tags. Checkpoint security tags and Checkpoint labels work on an RF frequency that can be tuned specific for your store. The reason this is important is that many of the older and lower quality EAS programs have problems with any electronic device causing false alarms. How many times have you heard that a cell phone or keyless entry has triggered a false alarm? The newer technology used with RF labels and tags is designed to prevent these false alarms.

You want to consider this for several reasons. One, it is less wearing on your associates and customers if the alarm is not going off all day due to false alarms. Two, your deterrent effect (which is what will actually stop shoplifting) is reduced when you can’t distinguish between false alarms and actual alarms. Checkpoint labels and Checkpoint security tags are some of the best in the business and will go a long way toward helping you protect you merchandise.

Visit the Loss Prevention Store to purchase Checkpoint labels, Checkpoint security tags, and other RF labels that can help you stop shoplifting in your business.

For more information on Checkpoint labels, RF security tags, Checkpoint security tags, RF labels, RF security labels, and how to stop shoplifting contact us at RF label or call 1.770.426.0547

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Checkpoint labels, Checkpoint security tags, RF label, RF labels, RF security labels, RF security tags, stop shoplifting

Loss Prevention Agents are the best way to prevent shoplifting.

September 17, 2011 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

There is no better solution to prevent shoplifting than utilizing Loss Prevention Agents. LP Agents are best utilized in addition to standard retail anti theft devices. Here is how.

Catching shoplifters is a hard task to do properly. If done improperly the store can face expensive litigation for false imprisonment, defamation of character, etc. This is why I strongly urge companies to use LP Agents who are trained in the legal and technical aspects of apprehensions as opposed to allowing store personnel to make these detentions. One of the hardest parts of catching good shoplifters is to see them taking and concealing the products. Here is where retail anti theft devices comes in.

The experienced shoplifters are generally going to try to defeat the retail anti theft devices. This is a time consuming process and really makes a shoplifter stand out from other customers. You may have seen that shoplifter picking at the EAS tag or walking around with pliers in their hand. The fact that they have this obstacle really helps the LP Agents pick out the shoplifters and also helps give them the time to get all the necessary steps to making apprehensions.

For many companies you may not have the resources to properly staff and train an LP staff. For this I recommend using contract Loss Prevention. You can still get trained LP Agents and you reduce your own liability in apprehensions as the 3^rd party agent is making the detentions and not the store directly. It is a win-win.

There is no easy answer to prevent shoplifting, but the combination of anti shoplifting devices and LP Agents gives you your greatest advantage.

Visit the Loss Prevention Store for retail anti theft devices that can help you prevent shoplifting in your business.

For more information on how you can use retail anti theft devices to prevent shoplifting contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 – Atlanta Georgia

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Prevent Shoplifting, Retail Anti Theft Devices

Clothing security tags are a must for your new fall line.

September 17, 2011 by Staff Editor

As summer is coming to an end, most clothing retailers are starting to prepare for the new fall merchandise. One critical element to protecting your new line is utilizing clothing security tags and a clothing alarm.

There are several important reasons to put security tags on clothes. First, we all know that traditionally, cold weather merchandise is more expensive than warm weather. It takes a lot more fabric and insulation to make the cold weather products like jackets and such versus a skimpy swim suit. Another critical reason why it is more necessary to use clothing security in the fall and winter is because it is easier to steal. If someone comes in with a t-shirt and shorts in the summer, there in not much they can easily conceal. Conversely, in the winter someone with a large jacket can conceal quite a large amount of merchandise without raising much suspicion.

I rely on Checkpoint tags as my form of clothing security. Checkpoint tags can be placed on all of the items I carry. I generally don’t use clothing security for all items, but rather strategically place tags on high dollar and high theft items. When someone tries to take these items the clothing alarm at the door will sound and give me the chance to react. Now it is true that some will continue to run out and get away with product. The advantage of having the clothing alarm is that I now know who that person is and my staff can be on the look-out the next time they come in. Secondly, that person knows that we use security tags on clothes and they are less likely to risk trying to steal from me again.

Visit the Loss Prevention Store to purchase a clothing alarm or clothing security tags.

For more information on Checkpoint tags, clothing alarm, clothing security or clothing security tags contact us at security tags on clothes or call 1.770.426.0547

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

Internal theft of coupons on your radar? It should be.

September 15, 2011 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

I already here the questions. Are you really concerned about coupon fraud? My answer. YOU BET!! Employee theft, also called internal theft, comes in many different forms. With today’s economy more and more people are looking for coupons in order to save money. This can be a big bonus for stores; especially if you work in a business that uses a lot of coupons as you can grow incremental sales this way. On the downside it is just one more way to incur employee theft.

Internal theft of coupons can do a few negative things. One, it cuts into profits by causing a cash loss. Most manufacturers will reimburse the stores for coupons redeemed. If a customer redeems a coupon and then the employee takes it and uses it for their purchase, or a friends purchase, then you will only get reimbursed once. The other time the coupon was used it just came out of your pocket. The second issue with this type of internal theft is vendor relations. Some companies, like grocery, conduct too many coupon transactions for each one to be individually counted by the manufacturers. What they generally do is spot audit individual days and just assume the numbers are right. If you have a lot of coupon fraud then the manufacturers may be reimbursing you for coupons you don’t actually have and when they find that on the spot audits it puts mud on your face as a company and calls your ethics into question.

The only way to prevent this is to routinely conduct an employee theft investigation looking for coupons fraud. The first place to start is by looking at cashiers that are well above everyone else on coupon transactions. The second is look at employee purchases with coupons. Both of these could lead you to a founded case of coupon fraud.

I know an employee theft investigation is time consuming, but they don’t make a coupon to “save” you from internal theft.

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

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: employee theft, employee theft investigation, internal theft