Checkpoint Systems Has All Of Your Retail Theft Prevention Needs Covered

As we all know, you can’t completely prevent shoplifting, but we can hopefully reduce it. Shoplifting has been occurring since the 16th Century and only continues to grow more prevalent throughout time.  here are plenty of reasons why people shoplift; some enjoy the thrill of the act, others are professionals that steal for profit, and some steal out of convenience or a sense of entitlement. Many shoplifters don’t see it as a serious crime, or fear the consequences if they get caught, which only adds to the problem. Some even justify their actions based on the high cost/profit margin associated with the types of items they steal. Some people blame the economy because they work for a living, but still can’t afford the things they want or need. The higher rates of shoplifting are not limited to a small type or class of people. On the contrary we see people of various ages, sex, race, and even socioeconomic status committing these crimes. So if we can’t stop shoplifting, all we can do is reduce our risk and mitigate our loss, through the use of retail theft prevention devices and systems. Checkpoint Systems can supply your company with all the products you need to reduce theft and increase profits.     

If you are in Law Enforcement or Loss Prevention, you have probably seen some crazy and funny things throughout your career. In my 15 years in Law Enforcement, I have seen every variation of shoplifter, at some point, and have had some very interesting encounters. We know we can’t stop shoplifting because there are too many means and methods used to steal merchandise. That is why retail theft prevention is so important. We have loss prevention employees so we can try and prevent the blatant attempts to steal items on the retail floor. This helps to identify the old lady who intentionally removes and ingests one multi-vitamin a day because she refuses to pay full price for something her doctor says is important to her health and wellbeing. But we all know that loss prevention associates can’t be everywhere at once and can’t stop shoplifting singlehandedly. That is why we add security tags or labels to our merchandise so that we can be notified when Mr. Shoplifter decides to add a sweater to his wardrobe before trying to leave the store. Don’t be surprised to learn that he actually added the sweater over his existing clothing, so the hard tag was visible to anyone who paid him any attention. One of my favorite calls involved a teenage girl suspected of taking an inexpensive necklace. A plain clothes employee detained the girl after he believed she had concealed the item somewhere on her person. When I arrived, the employee informed me that the female refused to talk to him, and had not turned over the merchandise. It was soon discovered that she had concealed the necklace in her mouth; therefore talking was not an ideal option for her. Not sure how she saw that one playing out? Retail theft prevention is an inevitable way of life for any retailer who wants to protect their property and their pocket book, which is why Checkpoint Systems are essential to support your loss prevention program.  

Although we can’t stop shoplifting entirely, there are plenty of ways you can reduce your risk. As a member of the loss prevention and law enforcement community I have seen it all, but retail theft prevention is not impossible. Checkpoint Systems can provide you and your employer with all the loss prevention products you need to fight off shoplifters. While we joke about some of our personal shoplifting experiences, we also know that shoplifting is a growing problem in our industry, that can’t be ignored.    

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