Providing exceptional customer service seems like it should start at the front doors when a customer enters a store. That’s when it seems like it should start but I would argue that exceptional customer service should start before the customer enters your building. Customer service should begin by filling your store with the clothing a customer wants and keeping adequate quantities of that merchandise on hand. If a store can’t meet the needs of the clientele the clients will stop shopping there. Sometimes that lack of goods is due to a poor replenishment system and failing to fill the floor. What operations are in place to monitor on hand quantities? Do you have the sizes in clothing that customers are seeking to purchase? You may have a lack of certain sizes or styles because you have been ordering the most popular sizes patrons want. If that is the case you are doing a nice job of being in tune with your customers. On the other hand, what if you are running out of popular sizes because that is what shoplifters want? Thieves steal what everyone else is buying. Sometimes that theft is for personal use and the criminal wants to wear the trendiest items. Occasionally shoplifters steal to resell merchandise and they are going steal those items that other people will want. This means the stolen items will be the popular sizes and popular styles. If you are not using clothing security tags on merchandise you are not providing the exceptional customer service that will distinguish your business from all others.  You will be out of the garments your valued customers want to purchase.

So what can a store owner do to improve clothing security? The most effective step is to start using Checkpoint tags on softlines products. When used with electronic article surveillance antennas (EAS), Checkpoint tags are an effective deterrent to shoplifting. These clothing security devices are two-pieces, one side with a pin that is pushed through an item and clipped snuggly in place by the second piece. Once the pieces are connected it is extremely challenging for a shoplifter to pull it off.  Should a shoplifter decide to attempt to steal the clothing, the garment is usually damaged and much of the appeal is lost. The EAS antenna is built to sense EAS tags when they are carried close to the doors. Once the sensor detects a tag EAS alarms within the tower are activated. Alarms begin to sound and lights flash as a thief is caught off guard, frequently dropping merchandise and scurrying off to find a more vulnerable shop. If the alarm does not cause the shoplifter to drop the merchandise a thorough bag check by a trained employee can usually result in recovered goods.

Back to my point. How does using Checkpoint tags or other clothing security tags begin the process of creating an atmosphere of great customer service? Again I point to in-stock clothing. If thieves are stealing the most popular items, they are limiting the choices you can provide to your regular or most loyal customers. I’ll give you an example. I like a particular brand of blue jeans. Unfortunately I am kind of short and that can make it a bit of a challenge for me to find the specific size I am looking for. It may be that if a store is out of this product it is a sign that sales are just that good. But what if the merchandise is stolen? If it is stolen, the store loses not only profit from the merchandise, but cost as well. Another loss for them may be my future business if they are failing to keep merchandise that I, the consumer, am wanting. Why waste another trip when I can find the item elsewhere? Clothing security is not difficult but in order to create a shopping experience where the customer service is a top priority for you, it must be taken seriously.

Start focusing your service on your customers before they even hit the door. Use Checkpoint tags to make sure you have the clothing your customers are wanting to buy. Attaching clothing security tags to product will make your customers happy with your instocks and improve your profit line.

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

I don’t go to the mall very often and I wouldn’t call myself a fashion connoisseur by any stretch of the imagination. I tend to look for sales and shop at stores that offer clothing at a much more reasonable price, but often times I end up leaving empty handed. I realize that paying more for quality items that fit properly, is often times necessary, in order to satisfy my own personal preferences. Although, with that being said I tend to not shop often and only shop for things I feel I need, rather than things I want. I assume I am outside the norm in that respect since the clothing industry has skyrocketed to some of the highest levels we have seen in years. The amount of clothing sold in this country has increased substantially over the last decade. The clothing industry has increased sales by 400% over the last ten years, selling over 80 billion pieces each year. The prices continue to inflate with production and have reached an astronomical rate; with the top four fashion brands increasing sales by over 20 billion between 2013 and 2014. The increase in pricing and production in the clothing industry also increases theft rates, which results in a retailer’s need to better protect their products. In 2014, the retail industry reported a 44 billion dollar shrinkage, which would account for all missing inventory, including employee theft. As a retail owner/manager/employee it is our responsibility to protect our merchandise, in order to reduce shrinkage, and improve profits. The local store owner has a very small profit margin, which increases the need to incorporate clothing security, into their loss prevention program.  

Clothing is a high pilfered item in the retail market, which is why clothing security is necessary to protect your financial success. It is imperative that we use clothing security tags to protect our merchandise through deterrence and detection. Checkpoint tags can be attached to any clothing item, to include clothing accessories such as: shoes, purses and other items. There are various choices when it comes to clothing security tags, and each option should be carefully considered, to find the most cost efficient means to protect your inventory. Checkpoint tags are attached to the garments, or other merchandise at the store level, and can be equipped with EAS technology. This provides a visual deterrent and an audible notification if someone attempts to remove the tag or leave the store with the item. The clothing security tags are easily removed at the time of sale to allow for a smooth and uninhibited shopping experience.  Checkpoint tags are a reusable and cost efficient means of providing clothing security for any retailer. In this day and age we can’t be too careful when it comes to protecting our interests, which is why it is important to be aware of the security options available. 

Inflation on items, such as clothing, have resulted in a need for added security awareness and improved loss prevention programs, throughout the industry. The significant increases in clothing production rates, and increased pricing for designer clothing, will continue to affect clothing security needs.  That is why it is important to be well informed and to understand your security options. Clothing security tags provide a cost-efficient means to protect all of your clothing items. By protecting your merchandise you can deter theft, thus pushing thieves to other competitors. This will decrease shrinkage and allow for increased profits and future sustainability. Don’t take my word for it, research Checkpoint tags for yourself, and see how they can provide the added security you need. 

For more information about clothing security, contact us or call 1.770.214.0547.

While out shopping with the family recently I had occasion to tell a work story. After a few groans and eye rolls from my wife and 7year old, I began pointing out that much of the apparel they were looking at had clothing security tags, in particular Checkpoint tags. Big items, small items it didn’t matter clothing security was everywhere. Clearly this store, a run of the mill retailer who shall remain nameless, wasn’t messing around. They had realized that investing time and money upfront was going to pay dividends come inventory.

At this point the family was near mutiny so I began the actual story.  It was my first year doing LP and my partners and I had returned from a meeting outside of the store. We were barely a few feet inside the doors when our fitting room associate called us over and informed us that a girl had been in the store since the doors opened and repeatedly went into the fitting room with the max of six garment. This process had been repeated dozens of times before she finally left without buying anything.

Classic that this happened while we were gone but even worse we knew that the fitting room made the likely hood of making an apprehension very slim, unless of course she would be nice enough to exit it with less than she started with. This of course hadn’t been the case.  After a quick review of the video we confirmed several hundred dollars in theft. Our lack of clothing security, in particular clothing security tags had allowed our guest to put on and wear out dozens of pairs of jeans, leggings and bras without leaving behind a single shred of proof. 

I hate losing. Especially when a simple investment in Checkpoint tags, just very basic clothing security and it would have been avoided. Having the clothing security tags on the garments would have likely driven away the prospective thief. She had clearly been very concerned with detection and spent considerable time slowly building up the amount she was taking, all the while being very careful to not leave anything behind. 

Checkpoint tags would have forced her to make some hard decisions, ones that would prevent her from remaining undetected. If she took the time to remove the clothing security tags on the sales floor she risked detection. Removing them in the fitting room would leave evidence and leaving them on would prevent her and out jeans from walking out the front door without triggering the alarm.  It was a costly example of how a lack of clothing security exposes you to serious losses. 

After that year’s inventory our apparel shrink had gone from the traditionally expected overage to a pretty steep amount of shrink. It was then that the they made the move to begin taking clothing security seriously and protect their inventory with Checkpoint tags. The results were immediate. Our clothing apprehensions increased but more importantly our recoveries by staff increased, very quickly accounting for a few thousand dollars in merchandise customers “forgot” they had put in their bags. 

I concluded my story to thunderous applause, well more like the sound of my family running away from me but that doesn’t change the facts about clothing security and the success of the Checkpoint tags. In a world of $135 jeans and $30 designer underwear even a small amount of merchandise lost can be a significant hit to your bottom line. Don’t let your hard earned profits and your jeans go walking out the front door. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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