Shrink Losses in Baby Formula

February 15, 2012 by Leave a Comment

What do you do if you carry a popular theft item that is lightweight relatively small and easy to conceal? That is the question a lot of grocers and retailers are asking to stop shoplifting items like baby formula.

 Baby formula remains one of the high shrink (or merchandise loss) items. There is a huge resale market for baby formula. Due to its price, it is also big for personal use thefts. Parents and caregivers who use baby formula for their babies and infants require mass quantities (over time) to nourish their child.

 Checkpoint labels can help stop shoplifting in a couple of ways. The first being a visual deterrent of having a visible adhesive RF security label on the baby formula.   If you worry that the RF labels may be removed, you can hide them in a variety of ways.

 The RF security labels could be hidden under the lid of the container. They can also be disguised as bar codes or price labels. All of the labels are designed with superior adhesion to stick to a wide variety of materials, like the one on a baby formula canister.

 While there is no less of a need for baby formula, using items like the Checkpoint security labels can dramatically reduce losses. The numbers will provide the proof you need that RF labels can stop shoplifting.

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

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

 

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Retail anti theft devices for hardline product stores

February 15, 2012 by Leave a Comment

If you have a retail store, no matter what its primary product line is, you have shoplifters.  Just as sheep herders have to worry about wolves and fish in the ocean have to worry about sharks, store owners have to worry about thieves.  It is sad that it is such a hard fact of life but despite the consequences that thieves face they still seek to prey on people trying to make an honest living.  Therefore, to ensure you can keep the wolves at bay and try and keep your inventory secure there are dozens of viable options at your disposal to prevent shoplifting.

When it comes to protecting hardline items, things such as tool sets and televisions, there aren’t as many options out there as there are for clothing or fabric items.  Chief among the hardline retail anti theft devices are Spider Wraps, 2 Alarm tags, and 3 Alarm tags, of course partnered with Nano Gates at the door.

Spider Wraps are best utilized on items with rectangular or boxy shapes like televisions, tool sets, power tools, vacuums, et cetera.  Once the wrap has been tightened to form the only way to remove it is with the appropriate key, or to cut one of the cables securing it, which of course sets of a rather loud and irritating alarm.  The 2 Alarm and 3 Alarm tags are actually just that; tags.  They are fitted to the protected product using a braided metal cable which, like the Spider Wrap, if it is cut sounds an alarm.  On top of that, all units are hardened which protects them from thieves trying to pry them open or worse, chew them apart. 

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

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

 

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Clothing Security: Are You Seeing Every Facet?

February 15, 2012 by

Having a clothing alarm in your store is obviously the best clothing security device you can employ. That being said the system is only as good as the people and policies that work and are enforced within those same four walls. Being a multi unit loss prevention manager allowed me to see how good or how bad a clothing alarm could work depending on the store staffs. In the good stores the employees were trained from day one on the importance of clothing security, how to place security tags on clothes, how the clothing security tags functioned and how to properly react to a clothing alarm.

Knowledgeable store managers knew that having a Checkpoint system was a benefit that if worked with properly could reduce the store’s shrink. They also understood that the weakest employee would be their weakest link in shrink reduction. An inept employee could affect the clothing alarm system a number of ways; for example, they could improperly place security tags on clothes causing damage to the product or offering little or no deterrence to the potential shoplifter, they could simply forget to apply the checkpoint tags and they could improperly react to a clothing alarm by overreacting or not reacting at all. The good store managers are always on top of training and auditing compliance of the consistency and proper application of the checkpoint tags.

One of my stores was constantly having issues with attempts and successful defeats of the clothing security tags. This is a huge red flag that there are much larger problems within a store. I immediately called my district sales counterpart to review and crunch some numbers. We sat down and reviewed inventory counts as well as daily, weekly and monthly sales trends and quickly realized that shrink was trending up and sales were trending down. I knew this would be the case but I wanted my sales partner to be there when I put the two trends together so that he could see how I came about that conclusion from a few defeated checkpoint tags.

To forcibly attempt to defeat security tags on clothes you bring a lot of attention to yourself as well as make a lot of noise. Having this many repeated offenses within one store told me that the staff was not employing good customer service and had become task oriented as opposed to paying attention to their surroundings and more importantly to the customer. I invited my sales partner to sit in the LP office and watch the performance of his staff. Within an hour we had concluded that indeed a mass training effort was needed, and as a side note he helped me and one of my store detectives apprehend a shoplifter who had cut a couple checkpoint tags and stuffed shirts down his pants.

My sales partner could not believe we had found poor sales numbers and poor customer service practices as a result of finding defeated clothing security tags. I explained to him that the checkpoint system is helpful on many levels and every piece if studied can give you insight as to the entire business not merely loss prevention. From that point on we shared a great partnership that opened many insights for both of us into either side of the business. That type of partnership allows for deeper understanding of business decisions that on the surface you with which you may not agree. Clothing security is imperative and necessary but one must never forget to utilize every facet of the checkpoint system. I always tell my peers never doubt what a checkpoint system can do for your business.

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

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

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Critical Thinking

February 15, 2012 by

Critical thinking is defined in the 2009 Pearson Education as follows: A business leader who thinks clearly, sorts through the clutter and anticipates well is using his or her critical thinking skills. A large amount of companies are using a critical thinking assessment prior to hiring or promoting candidates for management positions. Using this definition, it is not so far fetched that background checks should be just as important as a soft skill like critical thinking.

Pre employment screening is critical to successfully hiring a candidate. Running a thorough and comprehensive background check lays the foundation for what you as a company require from your personnel. You are sending a message to all potential candidates that you expect and will only accept the best. Good behaviors in both professional and personal lives are required for your open position.

I always recommend following up pre employment screening with an additional background check before an employee is promoted. It continues to reinforce your acceptance of only the best person for the position. No one can loosen the reigns on their personal lives, just because they have been hired on to your company.

Going back to that definition of a critical thinker, each of those traits will shine through in a background check. Did they anticipate well for their financial future and stay out of uncontrollable debt? Did they think clearly in difficult or stressful situations and avoid run ins with the law? Were they able to sort through personal clutter to stay gainfully employed versus termination?

Use your assessments to find critical thinkers. Use background checks to reiterate their level of success.

 For more information on background check experts , background checks , criminal background checks , employee background checks or pre employment screening contact us at the background check company or call 1.770.426.0547 

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Security tags are not for eating!

February 13, 2012 by Leave a Comment

In our efforts to stop shoplifting it should come as no surprise that we become privy to some of the most ridiculous human behaviors on record.  I know for a fact that almost every loss prevention professional has a least one story that can shock and amaze anyone listening.  This particular event has puzzled even seasoned law enforcement officials.

My particular store makes use of both Checkpoint security tags and RF labels to safeguard product.  The Checkpoint security tags were affixed to a large quantity of clothing items (though not as many as my office would like) while the RF labels were generally found on perfumes and accessories.  On one particular day my team and I spotted a woman on the sales floor filling a childless stroller with high-end clothes and a few shoeboxes.  In the bottom basket of the stroller were a few large shopping bags, the type found at boutique clothing stores.  When the woman finally entered a fitting room with the stroller and its contents in tow we readied ourselves for the eventual stop.

She was in the fitting room for almost 45 minutes before emerging with the stroller but none of the items she had placed in it.  Upon checking the fitting room our loss prevention agents found only the three shoeboxes filled with the Checkpoint security tags from the items that were missing…all of the tags having been separated by the woman biting the pins off to remove them.  When we apprehended her the reason she gave us was that she didn’t want to be caught with ‘shoplifting tools’.

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

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

 

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Employee Theft Investigations: Patience & Persistence!!

February 13, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Conducting employee theft investigations can be a very tedious process especially for small to mid box retailers that do not have in-store loss prevention personnel. Most small to mid box retailers have field loss prevention employees that cover multiple locations and might office out of one store but they do not spend a lot of time in any one location. It then falls upon field loss prevention and operations management to utilize sales performance, inventory reports and store audits to uncover any type of internal theft that may be occurring.

Employee theft is hands down the highest source of loss in retail. In most small box retailers their high end product is not “live” on the sales-floor which pushes the internal theft percentage to an even high ratio. In these stores there is usually no more than five to eight employees on staff, if you have one employee stealing then roughly 1/5th of your store’s work force is committing employee theft. That is a scary revelation that should give any business owner the sense of urgency to have the best tools and people available to conduct employee theft investigations.

In smaller locations it is tempting to conduct an investigation that merely focuses on one or maybe two employees as a result of a report that may indicate they are the guilty party. When dealing with employee theft in this type of setting it is important to conduct an employee theft investigation with patience and persistence. The investigation must involve every employee in the store as well as every type of theft. There might be one or two people committing product theft however another employee might be conducting refund fraud and yet another may be conducting employee discount fraud. If you only address one of the issues the other theft will stop for a while and then continue unfettered once the employee theft investigation has ended. It is also imperative to note and address all performance issues, not just the internal theft. Poor performance can lead to theft.

It can be hard to watch theft occur while conducting a thorough employee theft investigation but when you are finished all performance and theft issues will be dealt with thus giving you a clean store to rebuild.

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

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Caveat Venditor – Let the Seller Beware

February 13, 2012 by Leave a Comment

When you work in either high-end retail or in a specialty store, presentation is one of the most important things. More conversations, meetings and conference calls take place centered on merchandising and visual standards than any other topic imaginable. It was always a caveat of any programs I was implementing that above all else, it MUST not impede the presentation.

 So there go big bulky tags, locked boxes, and tangled cords. So how do I sell my loss prevention strategies to prevent shoplifting? By getting the smallest most discreet retail anti theft devices possible. After some research, I found the Nano Gate.

 The Nano Gate is at the height of technological innovation. Not only does it do what the regular EAS pedestals do, but also it is nice to look at. A slim line, it can be put at the doors without the feeling of walking into Ft. Knox. It can also be used in smaller pads of the store. That expensive designer handbag wall? It can be placed near it to detect if someone wanders a bit to far away with a bag.

 The Nano Gate is perfect for stores with a small footprint. The compact design allows for versatility in placement. You can position it just about anywhere you want. It is a great way to get your upscale stores to realize that ways to prevent shoplifting don’t have to be ways to prevent sales.

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

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

 

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It’s in the Bag

February 13, 2012 by

I worked a case regarding a theft ring that was into designer handbags. I partnered up with one of the other retailers in the mall where we were anchor stores. They had suffered big losses in this department, and were sure that we would be next on the list.

Immediately we got to work on our clothing security. The checkpoint tags were already in the store for a different product group. It was the most obvious way to push clothing security into the handbag department.

In addition to the checkpoint tags, we talked to our handbag department, telling them to be extra vigilant. If they saw even the slightest thing that made them suspicious, they were to call us. We made extra visits to the department and made sure our CCTV covered the area completely. We were sure we were set.

Sure enough, a week later, the ring came into our store. It was right at closing time when the associates were finishing up for the day. There were five of them. They came in, each grabbed as many bags as they could and ran out the door. I heard the clothing alarm, raced to the door, and saw as the last one exited. They had a car waiting for them.

Not wanting to face a five to one showdown, I contacted the local PD and gave them the license plate number from their vehicle. I knew exactly what had been taken and had the video to back it up. Because of the checkpoint tags setting the clothing alarm off, we had an immediate reaction to the theft.

The PD was able to recover all but two of the bags because of this timely information.

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

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

 

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Preventing Possible Theft

February 13, 2012 by

When you think about employee background checks, you don’t often think about how they might stop internal theft. I had an issue a few years ago with a group of my employees who were stealing from our company.

 There was one associate who would make his purchases with his friend at the customer service desk. That was all within policy. What wasn’t in policy was the additional merchandise that was not rung up. It was thousands of dollars worth of merchandise. After we questioned him, he told us it was all being shipped back to his native country.

 When we went to question the other three associates involved, we could not locate them. They quit or walked out of the store while we questioned the first employee. We took the case to our local law enforcement who then began to search for these individuals.

 After several individuals were brought into the police station, it was clear that the employees we had hired used fake IDs with stolen information. We have yet to locate our ex- employees.

 Had we been background check experts, we might have been able to catch the discrepancy when these individuals first applied for jobs. Had we hired background check experts, they would have done what we could not. Running adequate employee background checks aren’t just about did they have any prior convictions. It is a way for pre employment screening to do its job and tell you the person you are hiring is EXACTLY who you think it is.

 If we had done this in the first place, we might have saved us thousands in stolen merchandise and valuable resources in tracking them down.

 For more information on background check experts , background checks , criminal background checks , employee background checks or pre employment screening contact us at the background check company or call 1.770.426.0547 

 

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Act and Intent

February 10, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Two things generally determine employee theft: Act and Intent. These qualifiers show that a crime is truly being committed. The act of removing company merchandise or other property (without permission) causes a tangible loss. This provides a concrete dollar amount to attach to the theft. It provides a total for restitution or even criminal proceedings, if the case goes to court.

The reason why Intent is important is it provides for motive. It shows that this loss wasn’t just some operational error, or a mistake. Intent says “Hey! I meant to steal form you”! That is a critical distinction in a court of law. Did this person really mean to cause a loss? Often in employee theft investigations, time is spent determining the intent of the employee. Generally if (through employee theft) they benefited in some way, one can say that there is intent.

Sometimes an employee is terminated for theft even if they didn’t have any intention of stealing.  I know of an employee who gave a customer an item that was known to be defective and against policy to sell. They genuinely thought they were providing good customer service by not telling this customer they could not have the item.

Because the employee did not profit, (no intent) it is not a true employee theft case. Nevertheless, there is a zero tolerance for violating the company policy that no item is to leave the store without a corresponding sale. Because of that specific policy violation, the employee was coded for employee theft and dismissed.

In this particular scenario, no legal action or restitution was taken due to the circumstances. There was an act, but no intent to cause a loss. The employee regrettably learned a very difficult lesson in judgement.

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

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