A generation ago, bottle security was allowing the clerk to keep a baseball bat behind the counter. We could shake down anyone who we thought might be stealing from us. If we were wrong, well, that was ok. We would just yell at them to never come back and send them on their way.

Times have changed. Bottle security is vastly different, as are the legal confines that we need to act within. If we accuse someone of stealing, not only do we need to be right, but also we have to be able to prove that they stole from us. Otherwise we can be found liable in a court of law, and who wants to have to pay a shoplifter who was stealing from us?

Bottle security is about adapting and adjusting to today’s business climate, not wallowing in how things used to be. Advancements in technology allow our bottle security to do some of the work for us. Instead of confronting every person we suspect of shoplifting, we can use bottle locks, like the EASy Bottle, to deter them from the start.

If the Alpha Security EASy Bottle lock is not removed an alarm will sound as the person exits with a bottle. That gives us cause to approach, not accuse, but to approach them and ask them to pay for the product.

Visit the Loss Prevention Store to purchase EASy Bottle bottle locks by Alpha Security and your Electronic Article Surveillance or EAS system.

For more information on Alpha Security, Bottle Lock, Bottle locks, Bottle Security, EASy Bottle or Liquor Bottle Security and how they can work with your Electronic Article Surveillance or EAS system contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 

One of the advantages a state run liquor store has is the ability to limit those can come into their store. They have the ability to mandate that no one under the age of 21 can step foot into the store. It’s a pretty effective form of bottle security, eliminating the risk of theft by minors.

Unfortunately, for many of us who are left, we are not just a liquor store. We are stores that sell liquor, amongst other items. It is not as practical for us to completely eliminate the under 21 crowd, as many of them do buy our other merchandise. If we shut them out completely, we will loose our other sales.

What we can do is take their ideas for bottle security and incorporate them into our store layouts. By creating a store in store area, we can limit which customers enter this now restricted area.

Some options are to completely close an area off and have a door securing the space from the rest of the store. It would be more expensive, but it would also easier to regulate. Another, less costly way, is to section an area off using existing shelving runs and aisles. This uses the supplies you already have, while still delineating a spot for your liquor to be sold from.

Even adding a designated area that can closely be monitored by where your employees normally are stationed (such as by the registers) help the employees maintain visual bottle security on the merchandise. I would not suggest merchandising the liquor right by an exit door, since it could be a prime target for grab and run thefts.

Visit the Loss Prevention Store to purchase EASy Bottle bottle locks by Alpha Security and your Electronic Article Surveillance or EAS system.

For more information on Alpha Security, Bottle Lock, Bottle locks, Bottle Security, EASy Bottle or Liquor Bottle Security and how they can work with your Electronic Article Surveillance or EAS system contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 

Most retail stores are set up to a specific diagram and adjacencies based upon which vendors are paying for prime real estate inside the store. Liquor stores are no different. The big name brands want their products in the most prominent locations so they can maximize on their sales, not necessarily the liquor stores.

So what do you do if this is actually causing other problems for you? These particular vendors might be increasing their sales, but what if it is negatively impacting your store in other ways?

One example is the big display stands and signage that some vendors are requiring. It might be to big, or placed in such a way that you now have a blind spot in the back of your store that shoplifters are taking advantage of.

Maybe because one vendor wants their items placed up front, it caused you to push other products to these back corners and you are having an issue with their losses?

Don’t feel like you are trapped into these negative impact situations solely on these vendor requirements, just so you can continue to sell their brands. Evaluate your store layout and see what you can do to remerchandise the problem areas.

Work with your vendors and explain specifically why you have a problem, and then outline what you would like to do as an alternative. They might come up with a different suggestion, but any reputable vendor should work with you to solve the problem.

Visit the Loss Prevention Store to purchase EASy Bottle bottle locks by Alpha Security and your Electronic Article Surveillance or EAS system.

For more information on Alpha Security, Bottle Lock, Bottle locks, Bottle Security, EASy Bottle or Liquor Bottle Security and how they can work with your Electronic Article Surveillance or EAS system contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 

When a customer is ready to check out, the last thing they want to do is to wait in line unnecessarily. Even if the customer understands the need for bottle security, they are not prepared to have their time wasted because of it.

That means bottle security needs to be quick, and efficient as not to impede the customer’s check out time. One of the best solutions is to use the Alpha Security EASy Bottles for your preferred brand of bottle locks.

Alpha Security has worked tirelessly to develop bottle locks that can be removed quickly at the point of sale. There are no complicated pieces to take off and separate into different bins to be reused later. The locks are one piece that is removed with a detacher key.

The detacher key can be either an attached key at the check out counter, or can be a handheld key assigned to each employee who needs one. This helps you control exactly who has access to removing the bottle locks and who doesn’t.

It also helps you determine which locks you would like to use in your store. Most of the different locks are universal to the detacher keys available. This allows you even more freedom to have multiple kinds of locks specialized for your different liquor bottle inventory, without the need for multiple kinds of detacher keys to slow your and your customers down at checkout time.

Visit the Loss Prevention Store to purchase EASy Bottle bottle locks by Alpha Security and your Electronic Article Surveillance or EAS system.

For more information on Alpha Security, Bottle Lock, Bottle locks, Bottle Security, EASy Bottle or Liquor Bottle Security and how they can work with your Electronic Article Surveillance or EAS system contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 

It is not uncommon for liquor stores to have bypassed using electronic article surveillance as an inventory security measure. These EAS devices and systems, while effective at reducing inventory losses from theft, can be seen as an unnecessary expense.

The truth is, without having an actual estimate done, and cross referenced against your current inventory accuracy and merchandise costs, you can never really understand how much you might need an inventory security system.

The first step is to determine what your losses actually are. If you were not in the habit of taking an inventory, now would be a good time to start. Many small businesses that do not take an inventory on a regular (semi annual or annual) basis are often surprised at just how off their numbers are in their heads versus what they actually do physically have on hand.

The important piece of doing an inventory is in knowing your accuracy. If you have an accurate inventory, you can effectively tell what is missing. You will be able to resolve the theft issues faster, and with greater certainty.

I have been called to many locations that swear they have a theft issue, only to find out that the product was actually missing due to miss management. When an accurate inventory took place, they discovered that the shoplifters were taking a completely different item that they were completely unaware of.

Visit the Loss Prevention Store to purchase EASy Bottle bottle locks by Alpha Security and your Electronic Article Surveillance or EAS system.

For more information on Alpha Security, Bottle Lock, Bottle locks, Bottle Security, EASy Bottle or Liquor Bottle Security and how they can work with your Electronic Article Surveillance or EAS system contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 

I went to my local liquor store the other day to get a particular kind of beer. They didn’t carry it because they were trying to stay in stock with the ever-changing flavors of local brews and IPAs. It was even harder for him because he had to devote so much of his capital to renewing his stolen inventory due to his lack of bottle security.

I ended up doing a consultation for him and realized that he was spending more on replenishing stolen product than what he realized. It wasn’t that he had so many seasonal brews monopolizing his inventory capital it was the stolen product.

We immediately developed a plan to keep a secondary entrance closed during business hours. He was propping the door open to generate foot traffic. What he didn’t know was that he also opened the door to people walking in and stealing the bottles closest to the door. Since no one monitored the door, and there was no other bottle security, it was very easy. After making a few shoplifting apprehensions, we discovered there were several residents of a nearby apartment complex that had gotten word that this was the place to go for free booze.

Next we installed the Alpha Security EASy Bottle bottle locks to send a message to the community that the bottles were no longer up for the taking.

Visit the Loss Prevention Store to purchase EASy Bottle bottle locks by Alpha Security and your Electronic Article Surveillance or EAS system.

For more information on Alpha Security, Bottle Lock, Bottle locks, Bottle Security, EASy Bottle or Liquor Bottle Security and how they can work with your Electronic Article Surveillance or EAS system contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 

With the increase in popularity for IPA and special brew beers and ciders, many liquor and grocery stores are offering mixed boxes of bottles. For one price, a customer can pick their own six-pack or case of beers, as long as they are from a certain cooler, or designated area of the store.

The problem can arise if a customer starts to take bottles from other areas, or out of pre packed cases. When those cases or packs are tampered with, the store cannot sell the case as full. They might not be able to sell it as a case at all. They are then left with a shortage on that particular item, and might have to take a margin loss by selling the bottles cheaper in a mix pack.

It is not just beers that can fall victim to a customer’s ingenuity and creative picking. Wine bottles are also sold by the case in some stores. The same rules apply in which the bottles of wine are from specific vendors, or comparable price points.

Any store that allows these customer mixed packs understands that it is a great selling point. Customers can try a variety of tastes and brands that they might not other wise purchase. It allows customers to try out multiple varieties without making a large commitment to something they might not like.

Visit the Loss Prevention Store to purchase EASy Bottle bottle locks by Alpha Security and your Electronic Article Surveillance or EAS system.

For more information on Alpha Security, Bottle Lock, Bottle locks, Bottle Security, EASy Bottle or Liquor Bottle Security and how they can work with your Electronic Article Surveillance or EAS system contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 

Wine bottles need the same bottle security that liquor and spirits do. They are susceptible to theft and sampling. When wine bottles are left out in the open for sales and customer satisfaction, they still need to have bottle locks to protect them.

Alpha Security has created bottle locks dedicated to wine bottle protection. With a high level of security, the 1 Alarm Wine Guard bottle cap is a perfect solution. It takes great pride in its ease of use- a one-handed removal process helps ensure an efficient check out process. It is the same one-handed application process that makes it quicker and less frustrating for your employees to put the bottle locks on from the start.

From a security standpoint, the wine guard fits over 90 percent of wine bottles currently being sold on the market. The 1 Alarm means the locks can be used in conjunction with an in store EAS system. There is also a dual spring locking mechanism that further ensures a strong lock between the bottle and the lock, making it less likely that the lock can be pried off and defeated. The cap grips in two separate spots for the best fit possible.

Additionally, the wine guard goes beyond just bottle security from theft. There are the benefit denial properties. Finally, the clear cap allows the tax and stamp information to be easily read and audited.

Visit the Loss Prevention Store to purchase EASy Bottle bottle locks by Alpha Security and your Electronic Article Surveillance or EAS system.

For more information on Alpha Security, Bottle Lock, Bottle locks, Bottle Security, EASy Bottle or Liquor Bottle Security and how they can work with your Electronic Article Surveillance or EAS system contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 

Making the decision to use EASy Bottle for your preferred brand of bottle locks probably was a very time consuming decision. Not only did you need to evaluate the cost/ benefit of implementing bottle security, you also had to make a determination as to which brand to use.

The decisions, however, are not over yet. The next step you need to complete is how to manage the keys for your Alpha Security bottle locks. Obviously, you can’t just leave them out in the open for anyone to use. You need to have a better plan in place.

The first consideration is who has access to the keys? Is it all of your employees or only a select few? If you only allow certain people (managers, store key holders) to have unlocking capabilities, how does that impact your customer service? Will they be prompt in responding to calls to unlock bottles at the POS? If there would be a negative impact, can all cashiers use the keys?

For some small businesses, there might only be one employee working at any given point during business hours. If this is the case, they absolutely have to have access. They can’t very well tell a customer they are unable to sell certain items because they do not have access to the control key.

Either path you choose needs to have a clear outline of the expectations each key holder will be held accountable to, ensuring success with your bottle security.

Visit the Loss Prevention Store to purchase EASy Bottle bottle locks by Alpha Security and your Electronic Article Surveillance or EAS system.

For more information on Alpha Security, Bottle Lock, Bottle locks, Bottle Security, EASy Bottle or Liquor Bottle Security and how they can work with your Electronic Article Surveillance or EAS system contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 

Most retailers are aware that there are two main kinds of Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS for short) systems. One is based off of Radio Frequencies (RF) or Electromagnetic compatibilities. The question is: what if you don’t have a bottle security system in place? Do you have to have one to utilize bottle locks?

A simple evaluation will help guide you to the next step, which would be enhancing your liquor store’s bottle security. Think about the following questions:

Do you see the biggest inventory losses coming from theft (either from shoplifters or employees)? Or…

Do you have an issue with unauthorized in- store sampling (opened bottles, customers/ minors caught drinking inside your store)?

Or do you have a problem with both?

If you have a theft issue, especially if there is employee theft of merchandise, you probably want to invest in a complete bottle security system. Employees and shoplifters are less likely to steal when there are operational and inventory controls in place. A full EAS system will be worth your investment and provide reasonable ROI.

 If you are having an issue with in store sampling, look primarily to bottle locks. Alpha Security bottle locks provide consistent and successful product denial benefits, without the need to attach them to an EAS system.

 If you have an issue with both, then you have an absolute need to invest in bottle locks that will alarm with an EAS system while providing product denial at the same time.

Visit the Loss Prevention Store to purchase EASy Bottle bottle locks by Alpha Security and your Electronic Article Surveillance or EAS system.

For more information on Alpha Security, Bottle Lock, Bottle locks, Bottle Security, EASy Bottle or Liquor Bottle Security and how they can work with your Electronic Article Surveillance or EAS system contact us or call 1.770.426.0547