Alpha Spider Wraps Make Shoplifters Think Twice

July 25, 2016 by Leave a Comment
CA Blog 01
Alpha Spider Wraps- 5
Prevent Shoplifting- 3
Alpha Spider Wraps Make Shoplifters Think Twice
In the past decade or so, Organized Retail Crime (ORC) has seen a dramatic rise, affecting retailers of all sizes. ORC consists of “professional” groups of shoplifters who target specific items that are carried by retailers, to then re-sell online, at flea markets or on the Black Market. Many retailers are left scratching their heads on how to mitigate their risk of becoming victim to this seemingly never-ending cycle of theft. Retailers understand that they must keep good merchandising standards in place to improve sales, but also know they need to protect their merchandise to prevent shoplifting. This is where Alpha Spider Wraps come into play. Alpha Spider Wraps are a top of the line merchandise protection product, while leaving the items to have excellent shelf placement for consumers.
The product comes in various sizes, has a very loud audible alarm and secures around a product. The device cannot be removed without the alarm sounding unless a store employee removes it with a special Alpha Key, designed specifically for the device. One might now ask, “Won’t the shoplifter just walk out with the device on the product,” or “How does this prevent shoplifting?” After spending numerous years in Retail Loss Prevention, I can attest that this is a very uncommon practice as the device also works in conjunction with EAS towers, setting off their audible alarm upon as exit as well. What if the shoplifter cuts the device to remove it? This would be a very bold move on the part of the shoplifter. By doing so, the device starts its audible alarm, causing the subject in question to immediately discard the merchandise and exit the store embarrassed, and most likely knowing they should think twice about coming back. 
Whether a merchant wants to protect large, high value power tools or a smaller high value fragrance set, Alpha Spider Wraps will get the job done. Employees are easily able to attach the devices to the product without doing any harm to the packaging, along with the aesthetics of the merchandise. As stated above, the product comes in numerous sizes, and it is adjustable making it suitable for most applications.  When it comes time to remove the device from the merchandise, this is easily done in a matter of seconds by the cashier with the Alpha Key. If retailers are looking at cost, it is noteworthy that the Alpha Spider Wraps can be used countless times over, reducing the expenditures that come with constantly having to order other merchandise protection equipment. 
While at work, it’s a huge relief when I see a would-be shoplifter select an item that has an Alpha Spider Wrap placed on it. Gone are the days where I would run out to the floor to prepare for an apprehension. Now, all I essentially have to do is let the device prevent shoplifting! On the off chance that the shoplifter actually exits with the merchandise and the device, the EAS towers sound, and store associates are there to greet the suspected shoplifter- thus deterring the theft once again. Sometimes it can get quite comical watching shoplifters attempting to remove the devices, most of the time being unsuccessful. The device fits securely on the items so that it cannot be simply pulled off and discarded- but boy do people try their hardest! These devices certainly give store owners and employees less anxiety when it comes to protecting their merchandise, preventing shoplifting and losing profit, all while lowering costs of the merchandise protection plans. 
For more information about Alpha Spider Wraps contact us or call 1.770.426.0547


In the past decade or so, Organized Retail Crime (ORC) has seen a dramatic rise, affecting retailers of all sizes. ORC consists of “professional” groups of shoplifters who target specific items that are carried by retailers, to then re-sell online, at flea markets or on the Black Market. Many retailers are left scratching their heads on how to mitigate their risk of becoming victim to this seemingly never-ending cycle of theft. Retailers understand that they must keep good merchandising standards in place to improve sales, but also know they need to protect their merchandise to prevent shoplifting. This is where the Alpha Spider Wrap comes into play. Alpha Spider Wraps are a top of the line merchandise protection product, while leaving the items to have excellent shelf placement for consumers.

 

The product comes in various sizes, has a very loud audible alarm and secures around a product. The device cannot be removed without the alarm sounding unless a store employee removes it with a special Alpha Key, designed specifically for the device. One might now ask, “Won’t the shoplifter just walk out with the device on the product,” or “How does this prevent shoplifting?” After spending numerous years in Retail Loss Prevention, I can attest that this is a very uncommon practice as the device also works in conjunction with EAS towers, setting off their audible alarm upon as exit as well. What if the shoplifter cuts the device to remove it? This would be a very bold move on the part of the shoplifter. By doing so, the device starts its audible alarm, causing the subject in question to immediately discard the merchandise and exit the store embarrassed, and most likely knowing they should think twice about coming back. 

 

Whether a merchant wants to protect large, high value power tools or a smaller high value fragrance set, Alpha Spider Wraps will get the job done. Employees are easily able to attach the devices to the product without doing any harm to the packaging, along with the aesthetics of the merchandise. As stated above, the product comes in numerous sizes, and it is adjustable making it suitable for most applications. When it comes time to remove the device from the merchandise, this is easily done in a matter of seconds by the cashier with the Alpha Key. If retailers are looking at cost, it is noteworthy that the Alpha Spider Wraps can be used countless times over, reducing the expenditures that come with constantly having to order other merchandise protection equipment. 

 

While at work, it’s a huge relief when I see a would-be shoplifter select an item that has an Alpha Spider Wrap placed on it. Gone are the days where I would run out to the floor to prepare for an apprehension. Now, all I essentially have to do is let the device prevent shoplifting! On the off chance that the shoplifter actually exits with the merchandise and the device, the EAS towers sound, and store associates are there to greet the suspected shoplifter- thus deterring the theft once again. Sometimes it can get quite comical watching shoplifters attempting to remove the devices, most of the time being unsuccessful. The device fits securely on the items so that it cannot be simply pulled off and discarded- but boy do people try their hardest! These devices certainly give store owners and employees less anxiety when it comes to protecting their merchandise, preventing shoplifting and losing profit, all while lowering costs of the merchandise protection plans. 

 

For more information about Alpha Spider Wraps contact us or call 1.770.426.0547

 

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Protect Your Assets With Checkpoint Tags Before They Disappear

July 1, 2016 by Leave a Comment
CP Tags-4 , Clothing Security-3 , Security Tags On Clothes- 3
Protect Your Assets With Checkpoint Tags Before They Disappear
Since I have moved to a different location in my company, I have been plagued with theft from one particular group of women.  At first I started noticing that certain cosmetics were there one day and gone the next.  Lipsticks and liquid foundations trays would be completely empty.  The first time I thought it must be an issue with the inventory software we employ.  The previous manager hadn’t exactly been a steward of item management.  The second time it happened, however, I knew I was getting boosted and I took action.  I took a list of all the targeted items that were gone, and when they arrived in the delivery, I adhered Checkpoint Tags to every piece before I put them out for sale.  It worked.  For the next month, I had no issues and I figured we were good to go.  Then they came back.  I was working the floor and noticed two women come in, and when I greeted them they got awfully chatty and way too up close and friendly.  (I’m also a certified forensic interviewer, and since I did not know these women as regular shoppers, I could tell they were being deceptive and they were up to something.)  One put her giant bag in the shopping cart and the other diverted to the pharmacy area.  I stayed with the makeup lady; I wasn’t falling for that.  She went to all the sections with products that I had just covered in Checkpoint Tags.  She picked up pieces and quickly put them back, all the while keeping her eye on me.   She yelled at the other lady to come on, and they left.  It worked so well, my staff and I have turned that wall silver with all the Checkpoint Tags we have put out.  It’s not about catching the thief; it’s about preventing the loss.
The same concept can be applied by a wide variety of retailers, especially with security tags on clothes in clothing stores.  You don’t have to wait until you get hit by a thief though.  There is one sure fire way to know what items to pick to put Checkpoint Tags on.  If people are buying it, then people are stealing it.  There are flea markets and online sellers that specialize in selling stolen merchandise.  They have no overhead, no money invested in the inventory, and it is a lucrative business.  Clothing security is a huge opportunity.  Between people just running out the door and fitting rooms, clothing and accessories are stolen at an alarming rate.  Teenagers dare each other to come in and steal; some have blogs dedicated to showing off what they got and how they got away with it.  They list in these blogs all the types of clothing security the stores use.  Think ahead about what will likely be popular and what will make the “must-have” list for your shoppers.  Putting security tags on clothes before they become a target will save you a lot of trouble.  Believe me, going to court over a shoplifter is a pain, and in my opinion, they never get a tough enough punishment.  If you deal with clothing security in a proactive manner, you get ahead of the game.  Security tags on clothes are a fantastic deterrent.  Some people will steal no matter what, but your main goal is to stop those that will steal only if they are presented with the perfect chance to get away with it.   If you take away the criminal’s means to get away undetected, and beef up your clothing security, they will go steal from your competitor instead.  
Clothing Security is important and we can help you with it.  Call 1.770.426.0547 and let’s talk!

Since I have moved to a different location in my company, I have been plagued with theft from one particular group of women. At first I started noticing that certain cosmetics were there one day and gone the next. Lipsticks and liquid foundations trays would be completely empty. The first time I thought it must be an issue with the inventory software we employ. The previous manager hadn’t exactly been a steward of item management. The second time it happened, however, I knew I was getting boosted and I took action. I took a list of all the targeted items that were gone, and when they arrived in the delivery, I adhered Checkpoint Tags to every piece before I put them out for sale. It worked. For the next month, I had no issues and I figured we were good to go. Then they came back. I was working the floor and noticed two women come in, and when I greeted them they got awfully chatty and way too up close and friendly. (I’m also a certified forensic interviewer, and since I did not know these women as regular shoppers, I could tell they were being deceptive and they were up to something.) One put her giant bag in the shopping cart and the other diverted to the pharmacy area. I stayed with the makeup lady; I wasn’t falling for that.  She went to all the sections with products that I had just covered in Checkpoint Tags. She picked up pieces and quickly put them back, all the while keeping her eye on me.  She yelled at the other lady to come on, and they left. It worked so well, my staff and I have turned that wall silver with all the Checkpoint Tags we have put out. It’s not about catching the thief; it’s about preventing the loss.

 

The same concept can be applied by a wide variety of retailers, especially with security tags on clothes in clothing stores. You don’t have to wait until you get hit by a thief though. There is one sure fire way to know what items to pick to put Checkpoint Tags on. If people are buying it, then people are stealing it. There are flea markets and online sellers that specialize in selling stolen merchandise. They have no overhead, no money invested in the inventory, and it is a lucrative business. Clothing security is a huge opportunity.  Between people just running out the door and fitting rooms, clothing and accessories are stolen at an alarming rate. Teenagers dare each other to come in and steal; some have blogs dedicated to showing off what they got and how they got away with it. They list in these blogs all the types of clothing security the stores use. Think ahead about what will likely be popular and what will make the “must-have” list for your shoppers. Putting security tags on clothes before they become a target will save you a lot of trouble. Believe me, going to court over a shoplifter is a pain, and in my opinion, they never get a tough enough punishment. If you deal with clothing security in a proactive manner, you get ahead of the game.  Security tags on clothes are a fantastic deterrent. Some people will steal no matter what, but your main goal is to stop those that will steal only if they are presented with the perfect chance to get away with it. If you take away the criminal’s means to get away undetected, and beef up your clothing security, they will go steal from your competitor instead.

 

Clothing Security is important and we can help you with it. Call 1.770.426.0547 and let’s talk!

 

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Improved Inventory Results With Alpha Spider Wrap

June 29, 2016 by Leave a Comment

 

Alpha Spider Wrap-5                                                                                                                              WC blog 131
Retail Anti-Theft Devices-4
Prevent Shoplifting-3
Improved Inventory Results With Alpha Spider Wrap 
     As a former store Loss Prevention Manager I found inventory time could be a little nerve wracking because I never knew what surprises the inventory results would hold.  I usually felt fairly confident we would have good shrink results but my concern was seeing what our top shortage departments would be. Were the major items that we were losing due to theft or operational issues? What would those items be?  Sometimes there would be items that were almost guaranteed to be on the Top 10 shortage department lists, such as cosmetics and DVDs.  Occasionally something would show up that made me scratch my head trying to figure out what in the world I was going to do to prevent shoplifting of the item and prevent a recurrence the next year.  One such item that made the list one year was vacuum cleaners.  The fix for us came when we started using Alpha Spider Wrap to protect our high end vacuums.
     Alpha Spider Wrap uses aircraft grade steel cable housed in a cinching device to protect merchandise.  The wires can be loosened to fit around a boxed item and then tightened to create a snug fit and keep it from being slipped off.   These retail anti-theft devices come in different sizes so even though we used the larger wraps for our vacuums, we had smaller wraps available for other merchandise in the store.  Alpha Spider Wraps are available in several models with different features.  They are all radio frequency sensitive to work with store electronic article surveillance systems.  Some are tamper proof so they will sound an alarm if someone attempts to cut a wire to remove the device.  There are also wraps available in a 3 alarm design that will self-alarm if someone were to get a protected item out the doors, past electronic article surveillance antennas.
     In the case of our vacuum cleaner issue, we knew there had been some attempts to roll out vacuums past the cash registers, but we did not know how many thefts had taken place over the year.  To prevent shoplifting we had placed our closed circuit television cameras on the aisle where the vacuums were merchandised.  We had also attempted to use retail anti-theft devices such as EAS tags and tamper-proof security tape on the boxes. Finally, I tried to staff my front end security team members at times we suspected shoplifters were trying to conduct roll-outs.  Obviously the results spoke for themselves and it was apparent we had not done enough to curb the thieves.  They were cleaning house (pun intended) and I needed a new tactic, especially when I learned from Loss Prevention Managers in other stores that they were experiencing the same problem.  
     Our company had recently started purchasing Alpha Spider Wrap and sending them to stores.  I had our merchandise protection specialist and our security team members start securing the vacuums with these new retail anti-theft devices.  At this point we were also tracking sales and on-hand counts of our high end vacuums and as we wrapped merchandise we started to notice that the in-stocks were improving.  Major improvements were seen in the decrease of empty shelf spaces and much to the chagrin of my Loss Prevention peers; I was hearing they were still experiencing significant losses.  It seemed the steps we were taking were shifting shoplifter activity to other stores and away from us.  By the next inventory we saw a drastic decline in the shortage dollars for this department, due in large part to the use of these wraps.
     Retail anti-theft devices such as Alpha Spider Wrap can prevent shoplifting in your store, lik it did on ours.  Why wait for inventory results before protecting your products?  Be proactive now and watch your profits grow.
Need information on Alpha Spider Wrap? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
     

As a former store Loss Prevention Manager I found inventory time could be a little nerve wracking because I never knew what surprises the inventory results would hold. I usually felt fairly confident we would have good shrink results but my concern was seeing what our top shortage departments would be. Were the major items that we were losing due to theft or operational issues? What would those items be? Sometimes there would be items that were almost guaranteed to be on the Top 10 shortage department lists, such as cosmetics and DVDs. Occasionally something would show up that made me scratch my head trying to figure out what in the world I was going to do to prevent shoplifting of the item and prevent a recurrence the next year. One such item that made the list one year was vacuum cleaners. The fix for us came when we started using Alpha Spider Wrap to protect our high end vacuums.

Alpha Spider Wrap uses aircraft grade steel cable housed in a cinching device to protect merchandise. The wires can be loosened to fit around a boxed item and then tightened to create a snug fit and keep it from being slipped off. These retail anti-theft devices come in different sizes so even though we used the larger wraps for our vacuums, we had smaller wraps available for other merchandise in the store. Alpha Spider Wraps are available in several models with different features. They are all radio frequency sensitive to work with store electronic article surveillance systems.  Some are tamper proof so they will sound an alarm if someone attempts to cut a wire to remove the device. There are also wraps available in a 3 alarm design that will self-alarm if someone were to get a protected item out the doors, past electronic article surveillance antennas.

In the case of our vacuum cleaner issue, we knew there had been some attempts to roll out vacuums past the cash registers, but we did not know how many thefts had taken place over the year. To prevent shoplifting we had placed our closed circuit television cameras on the aisle where the vacuums were merchandised. We had also attempted to use retail anti-theft devices such as EAS tags and tamper-proof security tape on the boxes. Finally, I tried to staff my front end security team members at times we suspected shoplifters were trying to conduct roll-outs. Obviously the results spoke for themselves and it was apparent we had not done enough to curb the thieves. They were cleaning house (pun intended) and I needed a new tactic, especially when I learned from Loss Prevention Managers in other stores that they were experiencing the same problem.  

Our company had recently started purchasing Alpha Spider Wrap and sending them to stores. I had our merchandise protection specialist and our security team members start securing the vacuums with these new retail anti-theft devices. At this point we were also tracking sales and on-hand counts of our high end vacuums and as we wrapped merchandise we started to notice that the in-stocks were improving. Major improvements were seen in the decrease of empty shelf spaces and much to the chagrin of my Loss Prevention peers; I was hearing they were still experiencing significant losses. It seemed the steps we were taking were shifting shoplifter activity to other stores and away from us. By the next inventory we saw a drastic decline in the shortage dollars for this department, due in large part to the use of these wraps.

Retail anti-theft devices such as Alpha Spider Wrap can prevent shoplifting in your store, lik it did on ours. Why wait for inventory results before protecting your products?  Be proactive now and watch your profits grow.

 

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

     

 

 

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Petty Theft Is A Pretty Big Problem – Clothing Security Can Prevent Loss and Improve Profit

June 1, 2016 by Leave a Comment

How much clothing do you think a shoplifter can steal from your store in one incident? A purse filled with items? Perhaps a shoplifter could get away with a large shopping bag full of merchandise? The reason I ask the questions is that if a store owner or manager isn’t thinking about it, the inclination can be to think of a shoplifter as a person stealing a couple of items and getting away with it. If people are only stealing a couple of items, addressing clothing security may not seem to be a significant problem. Sure, no one wants people stealing from them, but the solution seems to be more of a hassle than just letting a few items get out the store, right? Wrong, theft impacts a store a lot more than just the loss of a few items at a time. It’s also easier than you might think to prevent clothing theft by using clothing security tags.

 

Clothing security tags prevent theft through visual deterrence when they are placed in a location on an item that makes it visible. For example, Checkpoint tags hanging from the cuffs of shirt sleeves will be seen by the customer who walks up to the garment while it is on the rack. A tag hanging on the waistband of a pair of dress slacks will draw someone’s eyes to the security tag and they will recognize what it is. Checkpoint tags also activate electronic article surveillance alarm antennas if someone attempts to walk out of a store with a piece of merchandise which has the tag attached. This makes tags a physical deterrence to theft as well as a visual one. A shoplifter may try to roll up an item, place it in a purse or bag and walk out through the doors, but hidden or not the sensor can still read the tags. 

 

Another aspect of using clothing security tags that make them an easy theft prevention tool is that they are not difficult to use. The two piece design means they are quick to attach to garments and fasten. There are also options available for clothing to be source tagged by the vendor, saving your store time and payroll by not having to use store personnel to do the tagging process.  From a merchandise branding point of view, source tagging also ensures uniform placement of tags, making it easier for cashiers to not hunt for tags at the point of sale. Tags are also re-useable so you are not constantly purchasing new ones on a regular basis.

 

I mentioned previously that many store managers and owners only think about the shoplifter as a petty thief and therefore, while a pain in the neck, their impact to the bottom line is negligible. I would like to share one of my experiences from my years as a Loss Prevention Manager. I had two young ladies in our store pushing around shopping carts, one containing a baby stroller box, the other a diaper disposal box. They were shopping in children’s clothing and then the young misses department. I noticed that they were stopping every so often and then some of the clothes would be gone. Their activity continued so I turned my full attention to them and as I watched, I began to see they were filling the boxes with the clothes. It turned out they had removed the contents of the boxes and left them somewhere else in the store and were box stuffing. How much did my petty shoplifters have stuffed in their boxes? The two had filled over $500 in clothing in one box and $300 in the second box. Some of the merchandise was tagged, but most was not since we did not use Checkpoint tags on clothes as much as I would have liked. The system did work and the alarm did activate, however we already were watching so the two were apprehended. Smaller stores probably cannot afford store security so clothing security may be the only way to have an opportunity to recover merchandise from thieves.

 

Shoplifting is no joke and it frequently involves more that an item or two in a bag or worn under clothing. Clothing security should be taken seriously and investing in Checkpoint tags can help make a significant improvement to store profitability.

 

Clothing security is important and we can help you with it.  Call 1.770.426.0547 and let’s talk.

 

 

 

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ALPHA SPIDER WRAPS ARE SHOCKINGLY EFFECTIVE AGAINST THEFT

May 31, 2016 by Leave a Comment

 

ALPHA SPIDER WRAPS ARE SHOCKINGLY EFFECTIVE AGAINST THEFT
Early last year, my company began carrying a line of electric dog training collars. Being a pet specialty store, it was important for us to have a very open merchandising concept for our customers. We needed our customers to be able to have as much access to the products as possible, in order to maximize sales all while maintaining very tight payroll budgets. The problem? No one listened when I screamed about a product protection plan. Now, we’re playing loss reaction as we scramble to get Alpha Spider Wraps out to all of our stores. 
When our buyers first set out to purchase the new line, which included price points from $99 as the lowest, up to $699 for the top of the line model, no one (but LP) thought there would be a theft problem, so all conversations discussing how to prevent shoplifting were met with an all too common phrase by company management that went something like, “we don’t foresee this being a shrink producer.” Then why on Earth did you invite me to this meeting and ask for my opinion?! 
I tried over and over again to make my case; scouring data from any place I could pull it. I even had a spreadsheet that listed all stores that our vendor was supplying and then a cross reference with online retail sites that somehow were getting their hands on the product. Still, I got very little buy in on methods to deploy in order to prevent shoplifting in this category. So, I did what I’ve done more times that I care to say with the corporate guys. I sat back and I waited; waited for them to see what a disastrous idea it would be by failing to protect these items. 
It obviously didn’t take long for my stores to start reporting issues with theft. By mid-year, the buyers and merchants were in a literally tizzy. They weren’t profitable. They were (imagine that) losing more of these items than they were selling. Guess who they came running to? Oh, it wasn’t a cordial, “can you please help us”, it was more like, “Why is LP allowing so much theft to happen? Aren’t you guys supposed to prevent shoplifting?” It was about this time that I compiled every email, every note and every meeting agenda I could find from the past 6 months and showed where I had tried (valiantly I may add) to offer suggestions for protection before these units ever had hit the floor. Of course there was the inevitable meeting to “discuss shrink”. I showed up with nothing more than an Alpha Spider Wrap. 
Moral of the story; listen to the people that you employ to protect your store’s inventory. We all understand the importance of open concept merchandising and the ability for the customer to touch and feel an item. YOU have to understand that for us, it’s just as important to keep that same product in the store and available only for our paying customers. So when your LP team tells you to use an Alpha Spider Wrap, go ahead and listen to them, they usually know what they’re talking about. 
 
For more information about Alpha Technology, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.

Early last year, my company began carrying a line of electric dog training collars. Being a pet specialty store, it was important for us to have a very open merchandising concept for our customers. We needed our customers to be able to have as much access to the products as possible, in order to maximize sales all while maintaining very tight payroll budgets. The problem? No one listened when I screamed about a product protection plan. Now, we’re playing loss reaction as we scramble to get Alpha Spider Wraps out to all of our stores. 

 When our buyers first set out to purchase the new line, which included price points from $99 as the lowest, up to $699 for the top of the line model, no one (but LP) thought there would be a theft problem, so all conversations discussing how to prevent shoplifting were met with an all too common phrase by company management that went something like, “we don’t foresee this being a shrink producer.” Then why on Earth did you invite me to this meeting and ask for my opinion?! 

 I tried over and over again to make my case; scouring data from any place I could pull it. I even had a spreadsheet that listed all stores that our vendor was supplying and then a cross reference with online retail sites that somehow were getting their hands on the product. Still, I got very little buy in on methods to deploy in order to prevent shoplifting in this category. So, I did what I’ve done more times that I care to say with the corporate guys. I sat back and I waited; waited for them to see what a disastrous idea it would be by failing to protect these items. 

 It obviously didn’t take long for my stores to start reporting issues with theft. By mid-year, the buyers and merchants were in a literally tizzy. They weren’t profitable. They were (imagine that) losing more of these items than they were selling. Guess who they came running to? Oh, it wasn’t a cordial, “can you please help us”, it was more like, “Why is LP allowing so much theft to happen? Aren’t you guys supposed to prevent shoplifting?” It was about this time that I compiled every email, every note and every meeting agenda I could find from the past 6 months and showed where I had tried (valiantly I may add) to offer suggestions for protection before these units ever had hit the floor. Of course there was the inevitable meeting to “discuss shrink”. I showed up with nothing more than an Alpha Spider Wrap. 

 Moral of the story; listen to the people that you employ to protect your store’s inventory. We all understand the importance of open concept merchandising and the ability for the customer to touch and feel an item. YOU have to understand that for us, it’s just as important to keep that same product in the store and available only for our paying customers. So when your LP team tells you to use an Alpha Spider Wrap, go ahead and listen to them, they usually know what they’re talking about. 
 

For more information about Alpha Technology, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.

 

 

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Don’t Chase Shortage – Use Checkpoint Tags

May 3, 2016 by Leave a Comment

 

Checkpoint Tags-5                                                                                                                         WC blog 91
Clothing security-4
Clothing security tags-3
Don’t Chase Shortage – Use Checkpoint Tags
      The use of clothing security tags in department stores and clothing specialty retail stores has expanded significantly since my early days in loss prevention.  When I started working as a Loss Prevention officer for a department store we did not use much in the way of clothing security.  The store used some tags on high end coats and jackets and a few designer dresses but for the most part clothing security was in the form of closed circuit television surveillance and customer service.  Had we used Checkpoint tags on more items they would have made a big difference in our shortage results.  On those pieces of clothing to which they were applied, we saw a significant reduction in theft and attempted theft. 
     Checkpoint tags prevent shoplifting when attached to clothing.  When pinned on to a piece of merchandise they are extremely difficult to remove without a removal device, and if tampered with can result in damage to the garment.  Placing the device in a highly visible location on an item provides a visible deterrent to potential shoplifters.  The Checkpoint tags are designed to activate an electronic article surveillance system if someone tries to leave with tagged clothing.  When properly trained, store employees can react to alarms and tactfully recover unpaid merchandise and save a store from incurring a loss. Tags may be ordered to work with radio frequency or acoustic magnetic systems, depending on what type of system a store has in place.      
     As I mentioned previously, when I worked for a department store as a Loss Prevention officer, we had very few items that we used Checkpoint tags on and as a result we experienced a lot of theft.  This also led to some funny shoplifting cases.  In those days we had very few rules for catching shoplifters and we were able to chase shoplifters in order to recover merchandise and place the culprit in jail.  I would like to mention that most stores today do not permit security personnel to pursue shoplifters for a number of valid reasons.  One being the danger posed to the security officer, the shoplifter who is fleeing, and possible by-standers who could be injured in the course of a pursuit.  Another reason is the liability incurred by a store should someone be injured during a pursuit, whether it is the security officer or yes, even the shoplifter.  That being said, we did pursue shoplifters and we had some doozies! 
     One particular incident that stands out in my mind was a young man I was observing on our camera system.  It was a warm, sunny day and this “customer” was wearing a nylon wind suit (very popular in the day).  The young man selected a number of Levi jeans and entered the fitting room.  Knowing exactly how many pair he entered with, I knew when he finally exited the fitting room how many pair he should have had.  The customer had no jeans in his possession but he certainly looked a lot bigger when he exited than when he went in.  After a quick inspection of the fitting room revealed there was no merchandise inside I knew where the jeans went.  I stopped the shoplifter as he exited the store and he ran.  The young man made it a couple of blocks and was stopped at a construction site by a couple of workmen who saw me chasing him.  At that point the shoplifter was totally winded and flopped on the ground and simply gave up.  Wearing several pair of jeans under a wind suit was not good planning on his part.  The merchandise was recovered and the shoplifter went to jail.  We did not use clothing security devices on this merchandise and the point of my telling this story is that had we used clothing security tags this incident might not have taken place.
     Using clothing security tags will reduce the theft in your store and that in turn will increase your profits.  Invest in Checkpoint tags and enjoy the benefits of not ‘chasing’ after shortage.
For more information on Checkpoint Tags, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.

The use of clothing security tags in department stores and clothing specialty retail stores has expanded significantly since my early days in loss prevention. When I started working as a Loss Prevention officer for a department store we did not use much in the way of clothing security. The store used some tags on high end coats and jackets and a few designer dresses but for the most part clothing security was in the form of closed circuit television surveillance and customer service. Had we used Checkpoint tags on more items they would have made a big difference in our shortage results. On those pieces of clothing to which they were applied, we saw a significant reduction in theft and attempted theft.    

 

Checkpoint tags prevent shoplifting when attached to clothing.  When pinned on to a piece of merchandise they are extremely difficult to remove without a removal device, and if tampered with can result in damage to the garment. Placing the device in a highly visible location on an item provides a visible deterrent to potential shoplifters. The Checkpoint tags are designed to activate an electronic article surveillance system if someone tries to leave with tagged clothing. When properly trained, store employees can react to alarms and tactfully recover unpaid merchandise and save a store from incurring a loss. Tags may be ordered to work with radio frequency or acoustic magnetic systems, depending on what type of system a store has in place.      

As I mentioned previously, when I worked for a department store as a Loss Prevention officer, we had very few items that we used Checkpoint tags on and as a result we experienced a lot of theft. This also led to some funny shoplifting cases. In those days we had very few rules for catching shoplifters and we were able to chase shoplifters in order to recover merchandise and place the culprit in jail. I would like to mention that most stores today do not permit security personnel to pursue shoplifters for a number of valid reasons. One being the danger posed to the security officer, the shoplifter who is fleeing, and possible by-standers who could be injured in the course of a pursuit. Another reason is the liability incurred by a store should someone be injured during a pursuit, whether it is the security officer or yes, even the shoplifter. That being said, we did pursue shoplifters and we had some doozies! 

One particular incident that stands out in my mind was a young man I was observing on our camera system. It was a warm, sunny day and this “customer” was wearing a nylon wind suit (very popular in the day). The young man selected a number of Levi jeans and entered the fitting room. Knowing exactly how many pair he entered with, I knew when he finally exited the fitting room how many pair he should have had. The customer had no jeans in his possession but he certainly looked a lot bigger when he exited than when he went in. After a quick inspection of the fitting room revealed there was no merchandise inside I knew where the jeans went.  I stopped the shoplifter as he exited the store and he ran. The young man made it a couple of blocks and was stopped at a construction site by a couple of workmen who saw me chasing him. At that point the shoplifter was totally winded and flopped on the ground and simply gave up. Wearing several pair of jeans under a wind suit was not good planning on his part. The merchandise was recovered and the shoplifter went to jail. We did not use clothing security devices on this merchandise and the point of my telling this story is that had we used clothing security tags this incident might not have taken place.

Using clothing security tags will reduce the theft in your store and that in turn will increase your profits. Invest in Checkpoint tags and enjoy the benefits of not ‘chasing’ after shortage.

 

For more information on Checkpoint Tags, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.

 

 

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Get the Biggest Bang For Your Buck, Invest In Alpha Security Products

April 28, 2016 by Leave a Comment

 

Alpha Security – 5                                                                                                                            WC blog 69
Prevent Shoplifting-5
Retail Anti-Theft Devices-4
Get the Biggest Bang For Your Buck, Invest In Alpha Security Products
     Retail shortage is a huge problem and seems to get worse every year.  According the 2015 Global Retail Theft Barometer total retail shrinkage in North America during 2014-2015 was $36.79 billion dollars.  Shrinkage increase reported by respondents, who participated in both the 2013-2014 and 2014-2015 surveys, went from 1.28% in 2013-2014 to 1.87% in 2014-2015.  So what can a store owner do to drive down shortage?  Let me preface this by letting you know I have roughly 20 years of loss prevention experience and over 25 total years of retail experience.   Regardless of the size of your store, there are steps that any retailer can take to improve shortage results and, in the process improve profits.  It may surprise some readers that I am not going to say customer service is at the top of my list.  While customer service is important and it is a deterrent to prevent shoplifting and it does a great deal to improve sales, it does not have the same impact that a security system has when it includes retail anti-theft devices such as Alpha Security products.
     Here is what I mean.  Customer service deters shoplifting.  That’s wonderful and I am the first to insist that a business MUST establish a culture of customer service excellence.  The payoff is going to be a returning customer base, word of mouth promotion, increased sales and this also leads to a happier staff.  I could go on about the benefits of customer service but that will be another time.  The problem I see is that it only truly impacts one facet of shrinkage.  A security system built around retail anti-theft devices and closed circuit television will not only prevent shoplifting, but it deters employee theft and vendor theft as well.  The only area of retail shrinkage it does not impact is administrative loss, such as vendor billing errors, keying errors on receipts, mis-scanning product, etc.  A well designed system makes all thieves aware that theft is not going to be tolerated from the moment they walk in the door of a retailer.  Alpha security products include hard tags to protect clothing and accessories, hardware and electronics.  Alpha Spider Wrap allows the display of electronics products and accessibility to the customer.  Alpha Keepers prevent the theft of a multitude of products from health and beauty items to DVDs and videogames.  These retail anti-theft devices have visual deterrence value because thieves, whether shoplifters or employees recognize the challenge they will have if they choose to try to steal merchandise that is protected.  This may be trying to remove a clothing security hard tag and damaging merchandise in the process or it could be trying to cut an Alpha Spider Wrap and activating a tamper alarm.  The harder it is for a criminal to get what they want, the more likely they are to leave something alone.  
     The other protection offered by Alpha Security devices is that they do work with an electronic article surveillance system and when passed through an EAS antenna, these products activate the alarm.  A well trained staff knows how to properly respond to an alarm activation and can recover merchandise that was secured by a device.  Yes, I have had vendors and employees exit a store with merchandise that was not paid for and an alarm was activated.  EAS systems are not installed simply to prevent shoplifting but employee and vendor theft as well.   Many of the Alpha Security products can be purchased in either a 2 alarm or 3 alarm version, the 3 alarm adding an additional layer of protection in that the third alarm is an audible alarm built in the device itself.  In case someone exits with a 3 alarm device they set off the EAS antenna alarm and if they get to a certain point the internal alarm actually built in the unit activates (the third alarm is the tamper alarm). 
     Customer Service is a great way to prevent shoplifting and all associates should be trained on it and expected to deliver.  It will prevent a significant amount of shoplifting theft, but not all of it. It also has negligible effect on internal theft and vendor theft.   Retail anti-theft devices can deter and prevent shoplifting, vendor theft and employee theft.  Invest in Alpha Security products and know that you will start to see immediate return on investment with the impact on all areas of retail theft.
For more information on Alpha Security, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 

Retail shortage is a huge problem and seems to get worse every year. According the 2015 Global Retail Theft Barometer total retail shrinkage in North America during 2014-2015 was $36.79 billion dollars. Shrinkage increase reported by respondents, who participated in both the 2013-2014 and 2014-2015 surveys, went from 1.28% in 2013-2014 to 1.87% in 2014-2015. So what can a store owner do to drive down shortage? Let me preface this by letting you know I have roughly 20 years of loss prevention experience and over 25 total years of retail experience. Regardless of the size of your store, there are steps that any retailer can take to improve shortage results and, in the process improve profits. It may surprise some readers that I am not going to say customer service is at the top of my list. While customer service is important and it is a deterrent to prevent shoplifting and it does a great deal to improve sales, it does not have the same impact that a security system has when it includes retail anti-theft devices such as Alpha Security products.

Here is what I mean. Customer service deters shoplifting. That’s wonderful and I am the first to insist that a business MUST establish a culture of customer service excellence. The payoff is going to be a returning customer base, word of mouth promotion, increased sales and this also leads to a happier staff. I could go on about the benefits of customer service but that will be another time. The problem I see is that it only truly impacts one facet of shrinkage. A security system built around retail anti-theft devices and closed circuit television will not only prevent shoplifting, but it deters employee theft and vendor theft as well. The only area of retail shrinkage it does not impact is administrative loss, such as vendor billing errors, keying errors on receipts, mis-scanning product, etc. A well designed system makes all thieves aware that theft is not going to be tolerated from the moment they walk in the door of a retailer. Alpha security products include hard tags to protect clothing and accessories, hardware and electronics. Alpha Spider Wrap allows the display of electronics products and accessibility to the customer. Alpha Keepers prevent the theft of a multitude of products from health and beauty items to DVDs and videogames. These retail anti-theft devices have visual deterrence value because thieves, whether shoplifters or employees recognize the challenge they will have if they choose to try to steal merchandise that is protected. This may be trying to remove a clothing security hard tag and damaging merchandise in the process or it could be trying to cut an Alpha Spider Wrap and activating a tamper alarm.  The harder it is for a criminal to get what they want, the more likely they are to leave something alone.       

 

The other protection offered by Alpha Security devices is that they do work with an electronic article surveillance system and when passed through an EAS antenna, these products activate the alarm. A well trained staff knows how to properly respond to an alarm activation and can recover merchandise that was secured by a device. Yes, I have had vendors and employees exit a store with merchandise that was not paid for and an alarm was activated. EAS systems are not installed simply to prevent shoplifting but employee and vendor theft as well.  Many of the Alpha Security products can be purchased in either a 2 alarm or 3 alarm version, the 3 alarm adding an additional layer of protection in that the third alarm is an audible alarm built in the device itself. In case someone exits with a 3 alarm device they set off the EAS antenna alarm and if they get to a certain point the internal alarm actually built in the unit activates (the third alarm is the tamper alarm). 

 

Customer Service is a great way to prevent shoplifting and all associates should be trained on it and expected to deliver.  It will prevent a significant amount of shoplifting theft, but not all of it. It also has negligible effect on internal theft and vendor theft.  Retail anti-theft devices can deter and prevent shoplifting, vendor theft and employee theft. Invest in Alpha Security products and know that you will start to see immediate return on investment with the impact on all areas of retail theft.

 

For more information on Alpha Security, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 

 

 

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You Can’t Always Count The Hangers

April 1, 2016 by Leave a Comment

 

Clothing Security-23, Checkpoint Tags-3 , Security Tags On Clothes-3
You Can’t Always Count The Hangers
Whether you are in a big box store or in a compact store front, if you are in the clothing business, you need some type of clothing security to keep your inventory from walking out the door.  It doesn’t matter if it’s all new fashions, second hand vintage, or even a specialty boutique.  There are blogs dedicated to educating people on how to steal, and they are very popular online reads.  It amazes me when I read them and so many readers participate in the ongoing conversations about what they have gotten away with.  They post the names of the stores they pilfer from, so word spreads quickly on which stores are easiest to steal from.  They post pictures of their hauls and there are plenty of admirers and followers of these blogs.  Almost all of these threads teach people how to remove security tags on clothes while in the fitting rooms.  They are basically playing a game of cat and mouse, and daring one another to get the most merchandise.  This new alarming trend of daring and brazen clothing thefts are on the rise.  If your store gets named on one of  these blogs, you better get ready for an onslaught of shoplifting attempts.
My daughter was shopping in a couple clothing stores just yesterday.  This was a new small store that had just opened in a strip mall, and they had done a good job of making sure everything was protected.  I was impressed with their commitment to putting security tags on clothes.  We shopped several different little stores, just browsing and enjoying the day.  But, as always, I was on the prowl for new innovative ideas for asset protection methods.  It’s always good to steal and duplicate the best ideas at my own store, which is a small retail pharmacy.  There was one store in particular that I had to just chalk up as a fail though, for their complete lack of clothing security.  There were no signs of security tagging, very few staff on the sales floor, and very lax monitoring of the fitting rooms.  My daughter picked out a couple things to go try on and the guy letting people in back there counted her items and told her to make sure she brought the items back out on their hangers.   I thought that might be a good system.  But when she came back out, he was nowhere around to make sure she had the same number she went in with.  I’m sure it won’t be long before that store gets very popular on one of those blogs.
Clothing security really needs to be a priority, not an option.  Attaching security tags on clothes, like Checkpoint tags, is paramount.  They can be adhered to the price tag like stickers for an obvious presence.  Or they can be placed in seams and hidden in pockets.  Either way, if someone attempts to leave with clothing that still has active tags attached, the staff will be quickly alerted.   Checkpoint tags are also available in other options, like hard tags that can be pinned on or attached via lanyard.  The lanyard option is great for items like handbags, belts and shoes.  Also remember, if you offer fitting room services, you need to monitor their use.  Check on your shoppers going in and coming out.  If you can’t always be there to count the hangers though,  you can still count on Checkpoint tags to help deter thefts.  
For more information on Clothing Security, contact us or call: 1.770.426.0547

Whether you are in a big box store or in a compact store front, if you are in the clothing business, you need some type of clothing security to keep your inventory from walking out the door. It doesn’t matter if it’s all new fashions, second hand vintage, or even a specialty boutique. There are blogs dedicated to educating people on how to steal, and they are very popular online reads. It amazes me when I read them and so many readers participate in the ongoing conversations about what they have gotten away with. They post the names of the stores they pilfer from, so word spreads quickly on which stores are easiest to steal from. They post pictures of their hauls and there are plenty of admirers and followers of these blogs. Almost all of these threads teach people how to remove security tags on clothes while in the fitting rooms. They are basically playing a game of cat and mouse, and daring one another to get the most merchandise. This new alarming trend of daring and brazen clothing thefts are on the rise. If your store gets named on one of  these blogs, you better get ready for an onslaught of shoplifting attempts.

 

My daughter was shopping in a couple clothing stores just yesterday. This was a new small store that had just opened in a strip mall, and they had done a good job of making sure everything was protected. I was impressed with their commitment to putting security tags on clothes. We shopped several different little stores, just browsing and enjoying the day. But, as always, I was on the prowl for new innovative ideas for asset protection methods. It’s always good to steal and duplicate the best ideas at my own store, which is a small retail pharmacy. There was one store in particular that I had to just chalk up as a fail though, for their complete lack of clothing security. There were no signs of security tagging, very few staff on the sales floor, and very lax monitoring of the fitting rooms. My daughter picked out a couple things to go try on and the guy letting people in back there counted her items and told her to make sure she brought the items back out on their hangers. I thought that might be a good system. But when she came back out, he was nowhere around to make sure she had the same number she went in with. I’m sure it won’t be long before that store gets very popular on one of those blogs.

Clothing security really needs to be a priority, not an option. Attaching security tags on clothes, like Checkpoint tags, is paramount. They can be adhered to the price tag like stickers for an obvious presence. Or they can be placed in seams and hidden in pockets. Either way, if someone attempts to leave with clothing that still has active tags attached, the staff will be quickly alerted.  Checkpoint tags are also available in other options, like hard tags that can be pinned on or attached via lanyard. The lanyard option is great for items like handbags, belts and shoes. Also remember, if you offer fitting room services, you need to monitor their use. Check on your shoppers going in and coming out. If you can’t always be there to count the hangers though,  you can still count on Checkpoint tags to help deter thefts.  

 

For more information on Clothing Security, contact us or call: 1.770.426.0547

 

 

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THE ULTIMATE REVIEW – ALPHA INK TAG

March 29, 2016 by Leave a Comment

 

THE ULTIMATE REVIEW – ALPHA INK TAG
Continuing on my journey of outlining some of my favorite (and not so favorite) security tags, let me introduce you to my best friend, the Alpha ink tag. We’re old buds really, going back to my college days. If I needed someone to be there for me, I could count on this guy to get the job done. Someone stealing my shirts? He had my back. My shoes? Yeah, he had my feet, too. And what if someone did manage to steal my jeans? Well, he went ahead and made sure they couldn’t really enjoy it. 
Key features
1. This tag is designed for one thing. To prevent shoplifting. Specifically designed for apparel merchandise and accessories, it is my gold standard in protective merchandising. 
2. Great physical deterrent – when a booster sees an ink tag, they don’t bother. It really is that effective. 
3. Easily applied/removed – easy to apply at the warehouse, or at store level. The tags also come right off at the POS with no headache. 
4. Benefit denial – I really like that phrase. You wanna know why it will prevent shoplifting so well? It’s the ink, or rather it’s the knowledge of the shoplifter that if they tamper with the tag and try and remove it, they will end up with a stain that cannot be removed. (**Pro Tip – apply the tags in the back collar of your shirts. That way any potential release of the ink makes it incredibly noticeable. Thieves hate that!)
Uses
1. Apparel – I’ve used ink tags on every imaginable apparel item there is out here. Shirts, denim jeans, hats, accessories, purses and even socks. Every time, I have the same result. Less shrink. 
2. Footwear – a while back we began placing ink tags on the tongue of our shoes. We were having huge losses in the stores on the US/Mexico border. We went from losing 200 pairs of shoes a week, to virtually none. 
3. Handbags/ purses – these commonly lifted goods are a hot commodity due to their ease of resale. 
Pros
1. Visible deterrent – Thieves see an ink tag, and they don’t try to steal it. 
2. Even if a thief does get away with a theft, the ink will ruin their garment, denying them the benefit of the theft. 
3. Small and compact – I can seriously put them on anything. I’m still finding ways today to make use of them. 
Cons
1. This is another one of those products that I really don’t have anything negative to say. Although, I would enjoy it if the tag would explode upon exit. (Think ink bombs during bank robberies. How awesome would that be?)
All in all, if you’re looking for a way to really prevent shoplifting, this is a great device. I’ve had so much success with it during my career, I don’t think I’ll ever find a tag more versatile and effective. They are the standard for securing apparel, but have so many other uses. From handbags and purses, to duffle bags and winter gloves, this tag really can make a difference in your store. I’ve used this tags for years and it has never let me down. Where other tags have fallen short, I can always count on the Ink tag to clean up theft. 
For more information about Alpha Ink Tags, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547

Continuing on my journey of outlining some of my favorite (and not so favorite) security tags, let me introduce you to my best friend, the Alpha ink tag. We’re old buds really, going back to my college days. If I needed someone to be there for me, I could count on this guy to get the job done. Someone stealing my shirts? He had my back. My shoes? Yeah, he had my feet, too. And what if someone did manage to steal my jeans? Well, he went ahead and made sure they couldn’t really enjoy it. 

 

Key features

1. This tag is designed for one thing. To prevent shoplifting. Specifically designed for apparel merchandise and accessories, it is my gold standard in protective merchandising. 

2. Great physical deterrent – when a booster sees an ink tag, they don’t bother. It really is that effective. 

3. Easily applied/removed – easy to apply at the warehouse, or at store level. The tags also come right off at the POS with no headache. 

4. Benefit denial – I really like that phrase. You wanna know why it will prevent shoplifting so well? It’s the ink, or rather it’s the knowledge of the shoplifter that if they tamper with the tag and try and remove it, they will end up with a stain that cannot be removed. (**Pro Tip – apply the tags in the back collar of your shirts. That way any potential release of the ink makes it incredibly noticeable. Thieves hate that!)

 

Uses

1. Apparel – I’ve used ink tags on every imaginable apparel item there is out here. Shirts, denim jeans, hats, accessories, purses and even socks. Every time, I have the same result. Less shrink. 

2. Footwear – a while back we began placing ink tags on the tongue of our shoes. We were having huge losses in the stores on the US/Mexico border. We went from losing 200 pairs of shoes a week, to virtually none. 

3. Handbags/ purses – these commonly lifted goods are a hot commodity due to their ease of resale. 

 

Pros

1. Visible deterrent – Thieves see an ink tag, and they don’t try to steal it. 

2. Even if a thief does get away with a theft, the ink will ruin their garment, denying them the benefit of the theft. 

3. Small and compact – I can seriously put them on anything. I’m still finding ways today to make use of them. 

 

Cons

1. This is another one of those products that I really don’t have anything negative to say. Although, I would enjoy it if the tag would explode upon exit. (Think ink bombs during bank robberies. How awesome would that be?)

 

All in all, if you’re looking for a way to really prevent shoplifting, this is a great device. I’ve had so much success with it during my career, I don’t think I’ll ever find a tag more versatile and effective. They are the standard for securing apparel, but have so many other uses. From handbags and purses, to duffle bags and winter gloves, this tag really can make a difference in your store. I’ve used this tags for years and it has never let me down. Where other tags have fallen short, I can always count on the Ink tag to clean up theft. 

 

For more information about Alpha Ink Tags, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547

 

 

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Stop Shoplifting In The Future-Get All The Details

March 2, 2016 by Leave a Comment

 

Stop Shoplifting-4
Stop Shoplifting In The Future-Get All The Details
I just love the days we catch a thief at our store.  There is the rush of adrenaline right before making the stop, the return of valuable merchandise, and the satisfaction of seeing them taken away in handcuffs.  That’s what does it for me anyway.  Your business gets the reputation that you stop shoplifting, and word will start spreading in the community that your store takes action.
Then you have those days and weeks where it seems none of your anti-shoplifting measures are working.  You find empty packages or, even worse, empty shelves.  There seems to be a fresh new way thieves have come up with to get away with large amounts of high end items, and so far it has been pretty lucrative for them.  The thieves are working together, but not in the traditional manner where one is a lookout while the other is the bag stuffer.  Now thief #1 comes in and just goes through the store grabbing anything they want, stuffing it all into a bag, and absolutely not caring who is watching.  Then they go to the bathroom with the bag.  At this point, thief #2, whose presence you were not even aware of, takes the bag and runs out the door.  In some instances they are making this exchange at the front door right near the Checkpoint System.  When the alarm sounds, it is thief #1 that gets stopped, empty handed, while it is actually thief #2 that is getting away.
Unless you have that moment of pure luck where the police arrive at the exact right time and catch thief #2 with the stolen merchandise, this is going to be a tough one to defeat.  In this case, you may only have a reactive option, at least for the first instance.  There are steps you need to take if this does happen though, because it is still imperative that we all do our part to stop shoplifting.
1. Report the theft.  Even if you didn’t recover any merchandise, you need to make an official police report.  You can’t just wait and hope it doesn’t happen to your store again.  If these start occurring on a regular basis, a pattern may be seen.  They are more likely to be caught, and the police will have an easier time putting all the charges together.
2. Get every detail about the shoplifters.  Try to recall everything you can, whether from direct sight or through reviewing the video.  Did they have any visible tattoos or piercings?  Did they move or walk in an unusual way?  The day of the incident you obviously need to know what they were wearing, but don’t concentrate too much on things that can be changed.  Sometimes you do have that one thief that always wears the same ball cap or hoodie for every incident, so definitely try to identify any specific logos on their clothing.  
This includes their getaway car.  The color, make, and model are obvious things to look at. However, look for body damage, dents and paint color differences.  Is there a pin stripe down the side or not?  White wall or black wall tires?  Are all the tires the same?  They may not stop that vehicle the day of the theft, but the police will still have put out a BOLO, so you need all these specifications noted.
3. Call your other store locations within driving range.  Call your competition that sells similar items.  They want to stop shoplifting as much as you do, and if the thieves go there later that day, you have a better chance of recovering your merchandise before it is resold or incurs any possible damage.  Have this call chain set up and ready to put into action.  
Even when you and your team are doing everything you can to monitor your inventory, and using every anti-shoplifting tool at your disposal, you will still occasionally have the ones that get away.  And frankly, once the thieves get caught and see you have figured out this new method, they will come up with something else.  Get every detail you can about the people involved, the car they used, and get the word to their next potential target.  This will help stop shoplifting, and the better days will come more often where you get to go home and brag about the ones you did catch.
For more tools you can use to stop shoplifting, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547

I just love the days we catch a thief at our store. There is the rush of adrenaline right before making the stop, the return of valuable merchandise, and the satisfaction of seeing them taken away in handcuffs. That’s what does it for me anyway. Your business gets the reputation that you stop shoplifting, and word will start spreading in the community that your store takes action.

 

Then you have those days and weeks where it seems none of your anti-shoplifting measures are working. You find empty packages or, even worse, empty shelves. There seems to be a fresh new way thieves have come up with to get away with large amounts of high end items, and so far it has been pretty lucrative for them. The thieves are working together, but not in the traditional manner where one is a lookout while the other is the bag stuffer. Now thief #1 comes in and just goes through the store grabbing anything they want, stuffing it all into a bag, and absolutely not caring who is watching.  hen they go to the bathroom with the bag. At this point, thief #2, whose presence you were not even aware of, takes the bag and runs out the door. In some instances they are making this exchange at the front door right near the Checkpoint System. When the alarm sounds, it is thief #1 that gets stopped, empty handed, while it is actually thief #2 that is getting away.

Unless you have that moment of pure luck where the police arrive at the exact right time and catch thief #2 with the stolen merchandise, this is going to be a tough one to defeat. In this case, you may only have a reactive option, at least for the first instance. There are steps you need to take if this does happen though, because it is still imperative that we all do our part to stop shoplifting.

1. Report the theft. Even if you didn’t recover any merchandise, you need to make an official police report. You can’t just wait and hope it doesn’t happen to your store again. If these start occurring on a regular basis, a pattern may be seen. They are more likely to be caught, and the police will have an easier time putting all the charges together.

2. Get every detail about the shoplifters. Try to recall everything you can, whether from direct sight or through reviewing the video. Did they have any visible tattoos or piercings? Did they move or walk in an unusual way? The day of the incident you obviously need to know what they were wearing, but don’t concentrate too much on things that can be changed. Sometimes you do have that one thief that always wears the same ball cap or hoodie for every incident, so definitely try to identify any specific logos on their clothing.  

 

This includes their getaway car. The color, make, and model are obvious things to look at. However, look for body damage, dents and paint color differences. Is there a pin stripe down the side or not? White wall or black wall tires? Are all the tires the same? They may not stop that vehicle the day of the theft, but the police will still have put out a BOLO, so you need all these specifications noted.

 

3. Call your other store locations within driving range. Call your competition that sells similar items. They want to stop shoplifting as much as you do, and if the thieves go there later that day, you have a better chance of recovering your merchandise before it is resold or incurs any possible damage. Have this call chain set up and ready to put into action.  

Even when you and your team are doing everything you can to monitor your inventory, and using every anti-shoplifting tool at your disposal, you will still occasionally have the ones that get away. And frankly, once the thieves get caught and see you have figured out this new method, they will come up with something else. Get every detail you can about the people involved, the car they used, and get the word to their next potential target. This will help stop shoplifting, and the better days will come more often where you get to go home and brag about the ones you did catch.

For more tools you can use to stop shoplifting, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547

 

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