Put The Freeze On Cooler Theft (And Other Merchandise) With Alpha Cable Locks

December 27, 2016 by Leave a Comment

 

Alpha Cable Lock-5                                                                                                                  WC blog 228
Prevent Shoplifting-4
Retail anti-theft device-4
Alpha Security-4
Put The Freeze On Cooler Theft (And Other Merchandise) With Alpha Cable Locks 
     As I was preparing to write an article on Alpha Security products, my wife came to me with a newspaper article and asked if I had seen the story about a name brand cooler that has become the target of thieves.  I had not, so I was interested in what the report had to say.  I was surprised that anyone would be interested in stealing coolers until I saw that the newspaper reported the price range of these items from $250.00 to $1,300.00!  Well, this was a local newspaper so I had to put on my investigator hat and start digging a little more.  Was this a local issue, or is it impacting other regions of the country?  I was finding reports of this item being stolen in Georgia, Louisiana, South Carolina, North Carolina, Alabama and Texas.  That was enough to convince me this is a major problem for retailers.  I had one more thing I wanted to verify.  I went to the company’s web site and wanted to confirm the prices of the coolers, yes indeed, I found the prices ranging from $299.99 – $1,299.99!  What advice would I give to any retailer that is selling this product (or high ticket product for that matter) to prevent shoplifting?  I would recommend using an Alpha Cable Lock to protect the merchandise against theft.
     Many Alpha Security retail anti-theft devices come in 2-alarm and 3-alarm styles and this includes the Alpha Cable Lock.  The 2-alarm version provides electronic alarm system (EAS) protection by causing EAS antennas to activate when a tagged piece of merchandise is carried into the area of the door where the antennas are located.  They are also tamper proof, sounding a built in alarm if someone tries to cut the cable or defeat the device.  The 3-alarm version of the Alpha Cable Lock has an added feature that activates an internal alarm in the lock if someone gets out the door with merchandise protected by this retail anti-theft device.  Concerned that someone could try to cut the cable to the lock?  You can be confident that this would not be an easy task.  The locks are made of 7×7 aircraft grade coaxial cable.  How strong is this?  According to the Fastenal website https://www.fastenal.com/products/details/45501 the breaking strength of 7×7 galvanized aircraft cable is around 480 lbs. 
           In addition to the strength of the Alpha Cable Lock and the 3-alarm feature, I also like this retail anti-theft device for this product because it can prevent box stuffing of this cooler.  My concern as a Loss Prevention Manager was not so much the theft of a cooler, ours were never in this price range, I was concerned with merchandise being stuffed inside and the customer getting it past the cashier.  The coolers, as I am looking at the images and information, have holes for a small padlock to secure the lid to the frame.  This hole could fit a cable through it, leaving some slack in the cable so that a customer can look inside, but not enough room to hide merchandise.  If used strategically, a store could prevent shoplifting and box stuffing with the Alpha Security device.
     Lest I leave you thinking that the cable locks are one trick ponies these retail anti-theft devices also prevent shoplifting of other merchandise.  They can be used to secure coats, bicycles, baseball gloves, even high priced detergent bottles with handles.  Anything that has a place the cable can be looped through is a candidate for being secured with a cable lock.
     I don’t know whether your store carries high priced coolers that may be targeted by crooks, but I feel certain that you need to prevent shoplifting of some type of merchandise.  Before you get cleaned out by thieves, contact Alpha Security and find out more about the 2 alarm and 3 Alpha Cable Locks.  
Alpha Cable Locks are important and we can help you with it.  Call 1.770.426.0547 and let’s talk.
     

As I was preparing to write an article on Alpha Security products, my wife came to me with a newspaper article and asked if I had seen the story about a name brand cooler that has become the target of thieves. I had not, so I was interested in what the report had to say. I was surprised that anyone would be interested in stealing coolers until I saw that the newspaper reported the price range of these items from $250.00 to $1,300.00! Well, this was a local newspaper so I had to put on my investigator hat and start digging a little more. Was this a local issue, or is it impacting other regions of the country? I was finding reports of this item being stolen in Georgia, Louisiana, South Carolina, North Carolina, Alabama and Texas. That was enough to convince me this is a major problem for retailers. I had one more thing I wanted to verify. I went to the company’s web site and wanted to confirm the prices of the coolers, yes indeed, I found the prices ranging from $299.99 – $1,299.99! What advice would I give to any retailer that is selling this product (or high ticket product for that matter) to prevent shoplifting? I would recommend using an Alpha Cable Lock to protect the merchandise against theft.

 

Many Alpha Security retail anti-theft devices come in 2-alarm and 3-alarm styles and this includes the Alpha Cable Lock. The 2-alarm version provides electronic alarm system (EAS) protection by causing EAS antennas to activate when a tagged piece of merchandise is carried into the area of the door where the antennas are located. They are also tamper proof, sounding a built in alarm if someone tries to cut the cable or defeat the device. The 3-alarm version of the Alpha Cable Lock has an added feature that activates an internal alarm in the lock if someone gets out the door with merchandise protected by this retail anti-theft device. Concerned that someone could try to cut the cable to the lock? You can be confident that this would not be an easy task. The locks are made of 7×7 aircraft grade coaxial cable. How strong is this?  According to the Fastenal website https://www.fastenal.com/products/details/45501 the breaking strength of 7×7 galvanized aircraft cable is around 480 lbs. 

In addition to the strength of the Alpha Cable Lock and the 3-alarm feature, I also like this retail anti-theft device for this product because it can prevent box stuffing of this cooler. My concern as a Loss Prevention Manager was not so much the theft of a cooler, ours were never in this price range, I was concerned with merchandise being stuffed inside and the customer getting it past the cashier. The coolers, as I am looking at the images and information, have holes for a small padlock to secure the lid to the frame. This hole could fit a cable through it, leaving some slack in the cable so that a customer can look inside, but not enough room to hide merchandise. If used strategically, a store could prevent shoplifting and box stuffing with the Alpha Security device.

Lest I leave you thinking that the cable locks are one trick ponies these retail anti-theft devices also prevent shoplifting of other merchandise. They can be used to secure coats, bicycles, baseball gloves, even high priced detergent bottles with handles. Anything that has a place the cable can be looped through is a candidate for being secured with a cable lock.

I don’t know whether your store carries high priced coolers that may be targeted by crooks, but I feel certain that you need to prevent shoplifting of some type of merchandise. 

 

Alpha Cable Locks are important and we can help you with it. Call 1.770.426.0547 and let’s talk.
     

 

 

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: ,

Without Checkpoint Tags Those Jeans Were Made For Walking!

December 1, 2016 by 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

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: , ,

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

November 28, 2016 by 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: , ,

Shoplifters Are Stealing Clothes; Tips On What To Look For And How Checkpoint Tags Can Help Prevent It

November 2, 2016 by Leave a Comment

What are some of the ways shoplifters steal clothes from your store(s)? It may sound like a silly question, but clothing security is an important matter. In the United States merchandise shrinkage totaled $36.79 BILLION dollars (2014-2015 Global Retail Theft Barometer pg. 20).  Globally, apparel specialist retailers experienced a 1.8% shortage rate among all respondents to the survey (2014-2015 GRTB pg. 23). The only retail category to experience higher shrinkage was the pharmacies/drugstores at 1.99%. Knowing how criminals are stealing from your store(s) and how to protect your products from theft will keep your business profitable. 

 

Before I discuss how shoplifters are stealing, I would like to talk about how to protect clothing with Checkpoint tags. Based on my years of experience as a Loss Prevention Associate and a Loss Prevention Manager, I have seen the best and worst merchandise protection strategies. Doing nothing and wishing a problem away is obviously the worst option and yes, I have seen it happen. The best protection is to use clothing security for merchandise.  The Gen 2 and Gen 3 Checkpoint tags for clothes are outstanding choices for preventing theft. They are anti-theft devices with electronic article surveillance (EAS) capability. Built with radio frequency (rf) technology, they are designed to cause an EAS antenna to activate alarms when a tag is carried into the sensor field of the antenna. Employees responding to alarms conduct receipt checks and recover merchandise that has not been paid for or the alarm causes a shoplifter to drop the clothes they were trying to steal.  Clothing security tags also have deterrence value by simply being attached to garments. Shoplifters tend to leave merchandise alone when they see a tag knowing that the tags are difficult to remove without a Checkpoint detachment key. Attempts to force a tag off will likely damage product and shoplifters know this as well. Clothing security tags deter theft and actively detect attempts at theft making them the best means of shrinkage control.

 

That brings me to my point about how thieves are stealing clothes from stores. The methods most people are familiar with are when thieves take clothes to a fitting room, and wear them under their own clothes. Another way the shoplifter steals is as simple as hiding it in a handbag, or backpack and walking out with the merchandise concealed from employees. There are other means of stealing garments that store owners should be training employees to look for and these are not as common as the methods I have mentioned.

  • Box Stuffing – Shoplifters will look for large boxed merchandise, remove the product and fill the box with clothes. They reseal the box and take the box to the register where they may try to be “helpful” and hold the box or tip it so the cashier can scan a UPC barcode. I have seen this done with infant strollers, shop vacs, and diaper disposal units. Employees should be alert for unboxed merchandise sitting out and cashiers should be handling all merchandise. If a box feels too heavy, it should be opened. 
  • Comforter Stuffing – This is similar to box stuffing, but clothes are stuffed into the folds of a comforter so they can’t be seen. Checkpoint tags may be used to pin the two zippers of a case together or if there is only a single zipper, pinning the zipper to the comforter case itself.  If the zippers are tampered with when the comforter gets to the register, it is a good sign there may be merchandise inside.
  • Hiding clothing in a baby stroller. As distasteful as it may seem, that cooing baby held by mom as she shops may be in her arms so she or a partner can fill the stroller with clothes and cover them with a blanket in the carriage. I have even seen clothes hidden UNDER the baby and covered by a blanket. 
  • Piecing together items on a hanger. Some items are sold as sets, a suit jack, vest and slacks, or shirt and tie. Shoplifters will try to be clever and bring an item to the register and it appears to be a set, when in reality they have put the ensemble together themselves.   Using clothing security tags on all pieces of individual items will prevent shoplifters from being able to use this tactic. Cahiers will know that if brought a “set” and Checkpoint tags are on each piece, the customer has manipulated the clothing to try to steal a piece. 

By using clothing security tags, even if merchandise is concealed, the tags will activate EAS antennas. 

 

Clothing security is necessary to protect profits and doing nothing only invites more theft. Use clothing security tags to deter criminals and keep shrinkage low. 

 

Get more information on Checkpoint Tags. Contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.

 

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: , ,

TV For Free Thanks To Me? What Alpha Spider Wrap Would Have Saved Me From?

October 27, 2016 by Leave a Comment

In my professional life I take pride in being a detailed investigator, brilliant interviewer and all around excellent LP teacher.  I love telling good stories, using real world experiences to instruct others. That is unless the story involves me and my being human. Those stories, where an oversight while applying an Alpha Spider Wrap turned into a hard lesson, I wish I didn’t have to tell.

 

As those of us in the loss prevention community know we do far more than just prevent shoplifting. Many of us also serve as compliance officers, enforcing policy. We work as safety captains, checking fire doors and clearing hazards and we work as process auditors, making sure company programs for using devices like an Alpha Cable lock are in place and 100% correct. Retail is a tough world and it is much easier to protect the sale you have already made then it is to find a sale to replace it.

 

Yearly inventory is a gauge of our success in LP. Inventory results can accelerate or derail an LP’s path forward. Preventing inventory shrink is why we prevent shoplifting, why we use Alpha Cable Lock devices to secure display TV’s and laptops. It’s why we use an Alpha Spider Wrap to protect Vacuums, Printers and TVs from theft. Or at least why we are supposed to use them.

 

Inventory is a crazy time for everyone, LP included and no one is immune to being overwhelmed and losing focus. I was clearing out cancelled layaway merchandise and it was a nightmare. Besides the storage area being heat wise just shy of the surface of the sun and slightly warmer than Death Valley in July, I was running about a million miles an hour.

 

I hadn’t done anything to prevent shoplifting in about two weeks and I was flat out worn down. Imagine my delight when I found a dozen TV sets just sitting in a stockroom completely forgotten. The fact that I had prevented a miscount was little consolation as I dragged the pallet of TVs across the store to put them out on display. I remember talking with associates who were busy securing electronics to the counter with Alpha Cable lock devices and asking if they had any Alpha Spider Wraps with them. They had some but not enough and I secured what I could before heading to the back.

 

I never made it.  One associate question, led to another which led to issue after issue. With all the fires around I finally understood why the store was so hot.  It wasn’t long before I had forgotten that we even sold electronics much less that I was stocking them. Overloaded and with my stomach on empty I decided that lunch was a matter of life or death and with everything else forgotten I left for lunch.

 

And there sat a trio of lovely TVs that I failed to use the Alpha Spider Wrap on. You can guess where the story ends. I walk back into frantic manager who informs me that we had a pushout of three TVs a few minutes after I left. Just perfect. My mistake didn’t prevent shoplifting it had enabled it!

 

It was a costly lesson. The subject was in my store under three minutes and the only thing they had taken was the three TVs I left unprotected. Had I maintained focus and applied the last three Alpha Spider wrap to the TVs I’m sure this story would have had a different ending. In the end we have to accept that we cannot see everything, cannot prevent every loss but what we can do is to ensure that what needs to be protected is, even when we aren’t there. 

 

Need information on Alpha Spider Wrap? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now

 

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: , ,

CAN YOU FIND ME NOW – CLOTHING SECURITY

October 2, 2016 by Leave a Comment

 

CAN YOU FIND ME NOW – CLOTHING SECURITY
I was at a recent conference with various LP departments across the retail industry not too long ago. I struck up a conversation with an LP manager from a high end clothing store. As conversations do, we ended up swapping stories about shoplifters and the latest technology out there to combat them. Being from the apparel business, I asked what type of clothing security they use on some of the most expensive items they carry. His response was killer!
My stores have a rather large apparel footprint; however we are not exclusive to that category. We also have a rather large hardgoods section, so my clothing security experience was limited to a few Checkpoint tag varieties. Personally, if I’m having a problem with a certain item that we’re really getting hit hard on, I go to the ink tags. I don’t know what it is about those tags, but the thieves just hate them! Wait… you’re not reading this to hear about my tags; you want to know what my apparel buddy is using, don’t you?
Imagine having a store where you carry a dress that retails for $3,000. Maybe you are that retailer, or perhaps are familiar with one. What can be done to really secure that dress? Sure, you can put a Checkpoint tag front and center and it will most likely deter anyone from trying to steal it. Well what happens if someone, even after you secure the product, is able to steal it? Will your staff be alert enough to get a license plate number? Is your camera system good enough for the police to run the image through facial recognition? All three of those are a big, fat maybe… if you’re lucky. What if you could install a tiny GPS tracker in your most expensive items? That’s exactly what this retailer is experimenting with. 
How awesome is that? Someone comes in, steals something from you, but you don’t fret. You just log into your computer and alert the local authorities to its exact location. Bad guy goes to jail, you get your product back, and everybody wins. I honestly think this is the future not only for clothing security, but retail LP in general. It’s a fascinating new technology and ideas that will no-doubt prove itself over time. Probably within 5-8 years, the technology will be small enough and cheap enough that it will be within financial reach of all retail outlets, no matter their size. 
For now, that technology is a ways off, even if some high end folks are testing it out. For now, the gold standard and go to clothing security device for me will still be Checkpoint tags. For now, I’ll just dream about the day when a Checkpoint tag will come standard with GPS tracking. Just imagining the look on the shoplifter that thought they got away is priceless!
 
Get more information on Clothing Security, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.

I was at a recent conference with various LP departments across the retail industry not too long ago. I struck up a conversation with an LP manager from a high end clothing store. As conversations do, we ended up swapping stories about shoplifters and the latest technology out there to combat them. Being from the apparel business, I asked what type of clothing security they use on some of the most expensive items they carry. His response was killer!

 

My stores have a rather large apparel footprint; however we are not exclusive to that category. We also have a rather large hardgoods section, so my clothing security experience was limited to a few Checkpoint tag varieties. Personally, if I’m having a problem with a certain item that we’re really getting hit hard on, I go to the ink tags. I don’t know what it is about those tags, but the thieves just hate them! Wait… you’re not reading this to hear about my tags; you want to know what my apparel buddy is using, don’t you?

 

Imagine having a store where you carry a dress that retails for $3,000. Maybe you are that retailer, or perhaps are familiar with one. What can be done to really secure that dress? Sure, you can put Checkpoint tags front and center and it will most likely deter anyone from trying to steal it. Well what happens if someone, even after you secure the product, is able to steal it? Will your staff be alert enough to get a license plate number? Is your camera system good enough for the police to run the image through facial recognition? All three of those are a big, fat maybe… if you’re lucky. What if you could install a tiny GPS tracker in your most expensive items? That’s exactly what this retailer is experimenting with. 

 

How awesome is that? Someone comes in, steals something from you, but you don’t fret. You just log into your computer and alert the local authorities to its exact location. Bad guy goes to jail, you get your product back, and everybody wins. I honestly think this is the future not only for clothing security, but retail LP in general. It’s a fascinating new technology and ideas that will no-doubt prove itself over time. Probably within 5-8 years, the technology will be small enough and cheap enough that it will be within financial reach of all retail outlets, no matter their size. 

 

For now, that technology is a ways off, even if some high end folks are testing it out. For now, the gold standard and go to clothing security device for me will still be Checkpoint tags. For now, I’ll just dream about the day when Checkpoint tags will come standard with GPS tracking. Just imagining the look on the shoplifter that thought they got away is priceless!
 

Get more information on Clothing Security, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.

 

 

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: ,

5 MORE ITEMS YOU SHOULD BE USING ALPHA SPIDER WRAPS ON

September 29, 2016 by Leave a Comment

I recently gave some advice on the top 5 items (in my opinion) that should be protected with an Alpha Spider Wrap. After writing my thoughts, I went to power down my laptop for the night, but I couldn’t. While those 5 items were at the top of my priority list, I couldn’t help but think of 5 more. I’d be remised if I didn’t share them with you.

 

6. Electronic Razors

I recently replaced my aging shaver, and quickly realized that costs have gone up over the past 2 years. I guess I could’ve waited until Christmas, but I’m not going for the Duck Dynasty look. I noticed that all these clippers were well above the $50 price-point, but the store was not taking any measures to prevent shoplifting. A simple Alpha Spider Wrap would be the perfect solution if thieves are clipping you daily.

 

7. Printers/Printer Ink

These are targets for organized crime rings. They are expensive, hard to secure and easy to resell. Most retailers opt to keep the ink behind glass cases and the printers behind cages. Great idea to prevent shoplifting, but customers are probably leaving empty handed if they can’t track down an employee to open those cases.

 

8. Headphones

Little square boxes that sell for $200+. The better the sound quality, the higher the price. The higher that price, the more likely it is to be stolen. If you aim to keep your product accessible to customers, the Alpha Spider Wrap is the sure fire bet to keep you from hearing about all that loss from shoplifters.

 

9. High-end Cookware

Ever go out and purchase a good pot, or pan? It’s likely to set you back a few dollars. Additionally, most individual units aren’t packaged in any type of box, but are mostly open so the customer can marvel at high quality metal. So how are you supposed to secure a $100+ single item that no traditional tag can? The Alpha Spider Wrap can be a great solution to this problem, as they are perfect for those awkwardly shaped items!

 

10. Televisions

People steal TV sets more often than you would ever imagine. One thing that seems to deter this activity is a physical security measure in place. The most effective method I’ve seen to prevent shoplifting is the Alpha Spider Wrap. I’ve seen criminals completely bypass TVs that were secured and steal the smaller ones that were not. Needless to say, we use them on all boxed TV sets that we display on the sales floor!

 

Get more information on Alpha Spider Wraps, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: , ,

WHO NEEDS CLOTHING SECURITY TAGS ANYWAY?

September 1, 2016 by Leave a Comment

I love my job and the industry that I work in. It provides me not only a good living, but my days are never the same; I’m constantly challenged and always looking for ways to improve store processes to reduce losses. What really ticks me off is when stores can’t or won’t follow simple steps that can save them untold thousands of dollars in shrink. My biggest pain in the side is when my stores fail to properly utilize their clothing security tags.

 

Take for example a few weeks ago. I get to one of my stores and the manager just starts lambasting a new line of active wear that she received. She’s going on about how the margins are too low and that they’ll end up being a magnet for shoplifters. Well, (LP) had already considered that prior to the product launch and shipped all stores a case of Checkpoint Tags, as well as sending the stores an email regarding placement of those tags. I went ahead and just assumed that this manager didn’t read that email.

 

I politely asked her if she had received that case of Checkpoint Tags, to which I was met with a resounding, “OF COURSE I HAVEN’T!” Lucky for us, I could very easily track the shipment and wouldn’t you know it… that very same store manager did in fact sign for the delivery days prior. A quick search of her office revealed the hidden loot. I get it, folks. We’re all very busy people. We’re also human, so it’s completely plausible that things can get overlooked in our hectic day. No problem. I uncovered the box and I even helped install those clothing security devices on all the new items she had. Problem solved… or so I thought.

 

The great thing about the Checkpoint Tags is that they are durable, which means the store can use them over, and over, and over, and over again. Which is what you should do if you don’t want thieves stealing your clothing. It’s quite a simple process; apply tag, sell garment, remove tag, get new garment in, re-apply tag. Rinse, lather repeat. With any good clothing security program, the name of the game is consistency. You have to make sure your initial stock is secured, and then make sure you have a solid process at the register to recycle the tags and get them re-applied to new arrivals. What do you think I found when I went back to that same store 2 weeks later for a follow up visit? You got, it… No tags!

 

That’s right. Even after what I discussed with her. Even after the corporate email with very clear instructions, the manager discarded the Checkpoint tags after one once. People, they’re not disposable! So just for kicks, I asked the store manager where all those nice clothing security tags were and she tells me that she sent them back, just like I told her!!

 

Guys and girls out there reading this please don’t be like this manager. Take some ownership of your store and at the very least, follow the established control measures that are already in place. If your office, or your owner want product “x” secured with an EAS device, then make sure product “x” is locked down like Fort Knox. You can’t very well complain about high losses if you don’t do all that’s in your power to control what you can inside your four walls.

 

For more information about Clothing Security contact us or call 1.770.426.0547.

 

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: , ,

Do You Hear What I Hear? You Do If It’s The Noise Of An Alpha Cable Lock

August 30, 2016 by Leave a Comment

 

Alpha Cable Locks-5                                                                                                                           wc blog 177
Prevent shoplifting-3
Retail anti-theft devices-4
Do You Hear What I Hear?  You Do If It’s The Noise Of An Alpha Cable Lock
     Owning and operating a retail business is a big undertaking and takes a lot of sweat and toil to make it successful.  Each time someone enters a store and shoplifts it eats into the profits of the store and ultimately hurts all employees.  Finding the right retail anti-theft device to protect merchandise can be hard if you don’t know where to begin your search.  You could purchase several attack dogs and let them loose in the store, but that might keep customers away. When I was a Loss Prevention Manager I once suggested armed guards in towers to my District Manager, however he nixed that idea pretty quickly.  I proposed a moat surrounding the store filled with alligators but once again I was quickly turned down. And my suggestion to attach mouse traps on high value merchandise was frowned upon.  One type of retail anti-theft device that does work to prevent shoplifting (and is less extreme) is the 3 – Alarm Alpha Cable Locks.
     Alpha Cable Locks are just what the name implies, cables with a locking mechanism that has a built in alarm designed to activate an electronic article surveillance antenna.  The cable can be placed on merchandise to allow customers to handle the item but in the event someone tries to walk out of the door with a protected item, several alarms are activated.  The antenna sounds an audible alarm, lights built into the antenna light up and with a 3-alarm version cable lock, the tag has its own audible alarm that activates if the tag is removed from the store.  The alarm in the tag also works as a tamper alarm should a thief attempt to cut the cable. 
     You might be wondering how much noise one tag can emit if someone were to try to tamper with it or walk through an EAS antenna with it.  Well let me provide you with some common items you are already familiar with. According to the website chchearing.org, the items listed make noise at the following levels:
• Vacuum Cleaner 60 – 85 decibels (dBA)
• Alarm clocks 65 – 80 dBA
• Garbage disposal 70 – 95 dBA
• Whistling Kettle – 80 dBA
• Power lawnmower 65 – 95 dBA
• Tractor 90 dBA
• Electric Drill 95 dBA
• Heavy traffic,  Noisy restaurant 85 dBA
• Truck, Shouted conversation 90 dBA
• Blender 80 – 90 dBA
The 3-Alarm Alpha Cable Locks sound a 95 dBA screeching alarm signal when tampered with or when someone attempts to exit the building with merchandise still protected with a lock.  I am certain that no one is interested in causing this kind of volume and attracting all the attention one of these alarms is capable of doing.
     One other thing about cable Locks, these retail anti-theft devices don’t simply prevent shoplifting they also improve sales.  Merchants frequently lock up merchandise considered high theft in order to prevent shoplifters from picking up items and walking out with them.  Lock up display cases keep merchandise secure but require a sales person to unlock and show a piece and/or sell an item.  One example of this can be seen in department stores with high priced purses.  The expensive purses are displayed in show cases and require constant attention from a store associate.  By using Alpha Cable Locks, purses can be openly displayed with the knowledge that the lock will activate an EAS antenna if carried an attempt is made to steal it.  If someone attempts to cut the cable, the retail anti-theft device sounds its’ own alarm.  More merchandise can be displayed with fewer employees required to monitor it and because it is accessible, more people will make purchases.
Use Alpha Cable Locks to improve sales, prevent shoplifting and drive down shortage and the only 95 decibel noise you will hear will be your shouts of joy as you see your profits rise!
Get more information on Alpha Cable Locks, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.
     

Owning and operating a retail business is a big undertaking and takes a lot of sweat and toil to make it successful. Each time someone enters a store and shoplifts it eats into the profits of the store and ultimately hurts all employees. Finding the right retail anti-theft device to protect merchandise can be hard if you don’t know where to begin your search. You could purchase several attack dogs and let them loose in the store, but that might keep customers away. When I was a Loss Prevention Manager I once suggested armed guards in towers to my District Manager, however he nixed that idea pretty quickly. I proposed a moat surrounding the store filled with alligators but once again I was quickly turned down. And my suggestion to attach mouse traps on high value merchandise was frowned upon. One type of retail anti-theft device that does work to prevent shoplifting (and is less extreme) is the Alpha Cable Locks.

Alpha Cable Locks are just what the name implies, cables with a locking mechanism that has a built in alarm designed to activate an electronic article surveillance antenna. The cable can be placed on merchandise to allow customers to handle the item but in the event someone tries to walk out of the door with a protected item, several alarms are activated. The antenna sounds an audible alarm, lights built into the antenna light up and with a 3-alarm version cable lock, the tag has its own audible alarm that activates if the tag is removed from the store. The alarm in the tag also works as a tamper alarm should a thief attempt to cut the cable. 

You might be wondering how much noise one tag can emit if someone were to try to tamper with it or walk through an EAS antenna with it. Well let me provide you with some common items you are already familiar with. According to the website chchearing.org, the items listed make noise at the following levels:

• Vacuum Cleaner 60 – 85 decibels (dBA)

• Alarm clocks 65 – 80 dBA

• Garbage disposal 70 – 95 dBA

• Whistling Kettle – 80 dBA

• Power lawnmower 65 – 95 dBA

• Tractor 90 dBA• Electric Drill 95 dBA

• Heavy traffic,  Noisy restaurant 85 dBA

• Truck, Shouted conversation 90 dBA

• Blender 80 – 90 dBA

The 3-Alarm Alpha Cable Locks sound a 95 dBA screeching alarm signal when tampered with or when someone attempts to exit the building with merchandise still protected with a lock. I am certain that no one is interested in causing this kind of volume and attracting all the attention one of these alarms is capable of doing.

One other thing about cable Locks, these retail anti-theft devices don’t simply prevent shoplifting they also improve sales. Merchants frequently lock up merchandise considered high theft in order to prevent shoplifters from picking up items and walking out with them. Lock up display cases keep merchandise secure but require a sales person to unlock and show a piece and/or sell an item. One example of this can be seen in department stores with high priced purses. The expensive purses are displayed in show cases and require constant attention from a store associate. By using Alpha Cable Locks, purses can be openly displayed with the knowledge that the lock will activate an EAS antenna if carried an attempt is made to steal it. If someone attempts to cut the cable, the retail anti-theft device sounds its’ own alarm. More merchandise can be displayed with fewer employees required to monitor it and because it is accessible, more people will make purchases.

 

Use Alpha Cable Locks to improve sales, prevent shoplifting and drive down shortage and the only 95 decibel noise you will hear will be your shouts of joy as you see your profits rise!

 

Get more information on Alpha Cable Locks, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.

     

 

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With:

Don’t Make Displays Look Half Empty To Minimize Theft; Use Checkpoint Tags And Fill ‘Em Up!

August 2, 2016 by Leave a Comment
Checkpoint Tags-4                                                                                                                    WC Blog 178
Clothing security tags-3
Don’t Make Displays Look Half Empty To Minimize Theft; Use Checkpoint Tags And Fill ‘Em Up!
     When I first started working in Loss Prevention about twenty-six years ago, I remember that the focus in our department was on keeping merchandise secure and if it was trendy or high priced clothing, minimize the quantities on the sales floor.  I started out working in a department store that carried a number of high priced designer clothing lines, including Nautica and Polo. We had some electronic article surveillance security tags on clothes, but not in great quantities at that time.  Mostly coats, suits and some dresses were protected with clothing security tags and those were usually in the higher price ranges.  The departments would place stacks of men’s polo-style shirts on tables and my Loss Prevention Manager would complain and try to get the department to minimize the number of shirts displayed.   Denim jeans posed a similar problem with their popularity and high prices.  If we had access to the Checkpoint tags now on the market we could have secured more merchandise and been comfortable filling the floor.
     Checkpoint tags are available in hard tag designs that can be clipped onto merchandise or soft tags with adhesive that can be applied to hang tags.  All Checkpoint tags are radio frequency (RF) tuned so they will activate an Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS) antenna if they are brought within range of the antennas.  Stores that have EAS systems have deactivation pads at the point of sale for the soft tags and special detachment keys for hard tags.  At the time clothing is purchased, tags are de-tuned or removed so the customer can leave without causing an alarm to activate on the antennas. Checkpoint tags are a strong visual deterrent to thieves, which, in itself prevents theft but the hard tags are especially popular since the designs make them extremely difficult to tamper with and damage merchandise if someone tries to pry them off.
     The conundrum we were faced with at the time I started in Loss Prevention was one of availability of merchandise to the customer versus the very real necessity to protect again theft.  When more products were placed on the floor, there were more opportunities for shoplifting, and especially what I called bulk shoplifting.  Organized Retail Crime was not as well-known as it is today, but we still had criminals entering the store and stealing significant quantities of merchandise at one time.  The store management wanted more items on the floor so people could have more to choose from and buy.  We in Loss Prevention wanted fewer products on the floor so if a grab and run took place the shortage impact would not be as great.  
     There were a number of incidents that took place in our store that involved just this scenario.  I had an occasion where two rather robust women entered out Polo department.  They went to a display table with stacks of shirts on them and each took handfuls of shirts, rolled them up and concealed them under their clothing.  The concealment was done quickly and no one in the department had a clue what had happened.  After checking each other for anything that would indicate they had the stolen merchandise hidden on them, they proceeded to exit the store.  Fortunately we made the apprehension, brought the shoplifters back in and recovered over $500 in stolen shirts.
     Since we had no clothing security tags on the shirts, no EAS alarm sounded as they exited.  Had we not been watching this high theft area on camera, the recovery would not have been made resulting in a financial loss to the store.  We had a justification for wanting limited quantities of certain garments on the sales floor.  Clothing security tags would have been a reasonable compromise between the needs of the store and the needs of Loss Prevention.
     I encourage retailers today to use security tags on clothes to protect merchandise.  There are a number of solutions to help reduce theft while increasing profit through product availability.  Checkpoint tags are an affordable solution that can fit the needs of any clothing retailer.
Need information on Checkpoint tags?  Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now. 

When I first started working in Loss Prevention about twenty-six years ago, I remember that the focus in our department was on keeping merchandise secure and if it was trendy or high priced clothing, minimize the quantities on the sales floor. I started out working in a department store that carried a number of high priced designer clothing lines, including Nautica and Polo. We had some electronic article surveillance security tags on clothes, but not in great quantities at that time. Mostly coats, suits and some dresses were protected with clothing security tags and those were usually in the higher price ranges. The departments would place stacks of men’s polo-style shirts on tables and my Loss Prevention Manager would complain and try to get the department to minimize the number of shirts displayed.   Denim jeans posed a similar problem with their popularity and high prices. If we had access to the Checkpoint tags now on the market we could have secured more merchandise and been comfortable filling the floor.

 

Checkpoint tags are available in hard tag designs that can be clipped onto merchandise or soft tags with adhesive that can be applied to hang tags. All Checkpoint tags are radio frequency (RF) tuned so they will activate an Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS) antenna if they are brought within range of the antennas. Stores that have EAS systems have deactivation pads at the point of sale for the soft tags and special detachment keys for hard tags. At the time clothing is purchased, tags are de-tuned or removed so the customer can leave without causing an alarm to activate on the antennas. Checkpoint tags are a strong visual deterrent to thieves, which, in itself prevents theft but the hard tags are especially popular since the designs make them extremely difficult to tamper with and damage merchandise if someone tries to pry them off.

   

The conundrum we were faced with at the time I started in Loss Prevention was one of availability of merchandise to the customer versus the very real necessity to protect again theft. When more products were placed on the floor, there were more opportunities for shoplifting, and especially what I called bulk shoplifting. Organized Retail Crime was not as well-known as it is today, but we still had criminals entering the store and stealing significant quantities of merchandise at one time. The store management wanted more items on the floor so people could have more to choose from and buy. We in Loss Prevention wanted fewer products on the floor so if a grab and run took place the shortage impact would not be as great.  
     

There were a number of incidents that took place in our store that involved just this scenario. I had an occasion where two rather robust women entered out Polo department. They went to a display table with stacks of shirts on them and each took handfuls of shirts, rolled them up and concealed them under their clothing. The concealment was done quickly and no one in the department had a clue what had happened. After checking each other for anything that would indicate they had the stolen merchandise hidden on them, they proceeded to exit the store. Fortunately we made the apprehension, brought the shoplifters back in and recovered over $500 in stolen shirts.
     

Since we had no clothing security tags on the shirts, no EAS alarm sounded as they exited.  Had we not been watching this high theft area on camera, the recovery would not have been made resulting in a financial loss to the store. We had a justification for wanting limited quantities of certain garments on the sales floor. Clothing security tags would have been a reasonable compromise between the needs of the store and the needs of Loss Prevention.
     

I encourage retailers today to use security tags on clothes to protect merchandise. There are a number of solutions to help reduce theft while increasing profit through product availability. Checkpoint tags are an affordable solution that can fit the needs of any clothing retailer.

 

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

 

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: , , ,
« Previous Page
Next Page »