Prevent Shoplifting

Preventing Shoplifting With Training

September 6, 2016 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

A woman is fired by a grocery store chain after merging with another chain, and changing their shoplifting policy because she chased a shoplifter. Employees at the biggest retail store chased and killed a shoplifting man and now they faced murder charges. Employees at retail stores, grocery stores, and specialty stores all over the country chase and try to stop shoplifters, when even the store policy where they work says “No chase, No Touch.” When hiring a new employee, management should be absolutely clear about the policies regarding shoplifting, and the store in general. Remind older employees about the policies as well, so they can have a clear understanding of what it is expected of them when a situation of this nature occurs. The safety of your employees and customers is a paramount responsibility you cannot ignore.

To read more bout shoplifting news, follow the links below.

Low Prices, High Crime: Inside Walmart’s Plan to Crack Down on Shoplifting

The nation’s largest retailer is taking justice into its own hands.

The Walmart Supercenter in Camden, S.C., is a 24/7 retail oasis in an area with few options. There are Walmarts in nearby counties, but some of them aren’t open 24 hours a day. Camden’s location—close to Lake Watertree and a nearby river with few bridges—makes it difficult for residents to go anywhere other than the sprawling complex for everything from bread to tires to electronics. And it’s a place the Camden Police Department knows well. In the first six months of 2016, 14% of the department’s police reports originated at Walmart, most for shoplifting—a figure that could be much higher if you ask the town’s police chief.

“Sometimes they don’t call us,” says Camden Police Chief Joe Floyd. “They call us when they make an apprehension of a shoplifter. But they don’t call us every time something happens there.”

Woman works at Ballard Safeway for 12 years, fired for trying to stop vandal, shoplifter

After 12 years of working for Safeway, Samira Othman, 48, never thought she would be fired for trying to prevent a shoplifter and vandal from taking liberties while on her watch, but that’s just what happened last May.

Othman told the Ballard News-Tribune that she has been a merchandise stocker at the store for years. She moved here from Jerusalem back in 2001 and got a job at a Capital Hill Safeway, but after a year she moved back to Jerusalem to care for her mother. She later returned in 2004 and asked her previous manager for a reference in order to get hired at the Ballard Safeway (1423 NW Market St.). She said she was hired immediately and stocked the shelves for over a decade.

“I’m very hard working, and I worked like a dog for them for years,” said Othman.

But she was known for doing much more than stocking the shelves; she also busted shoplifters. For years Othman said she saved the store thousands of dollars by catching thieves and retrieving store products. She said she was rewarded for her efforts with gift cards from the corporate office.

Dear CEO: How Immune Is Your Business To The Risk Of Fraud?

Dear CEO: How Immune Is Your Business To The Risk Of Fraud? – Adeniyi Bamgboye

The success of every businessman depends on his ability to make a decent return on investment and make reasonable profit while the hallmark of every professional lies in his or her ability to commercial his skills, knowledge and expertise. We all know how challenging doing business in our clime can be. Not to mention issues such as unstable electricity, poor transportation system and lack of infrastructural facilities plaguing our economic growth and development as a nation. Adding the risk of fraud which is the subject matter of this article would be tantamount to adding salt to injury of a typical Nigerian entrepreneur because he already has enough giants to contend with.

This piece was written by Adeniyi Bamgboye Emmanuel. The views and opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of 360Nobs.com.

Fraudulent activities within an organisation will not only serve as a clog to the wheel of progress of such an entity in terms of causing a drastic reduction in its profitability on the short term, and its ability to continue to operate as a going concern in the long term.

Filed Under: Shoplifting Prevention Tagged With: Alpha 2 Alarm, Alpha 3 Alarm, Alpha High Theft Solutions, Alpha Jewel Lok, Alpha Nano Gate, Anti-shoplifting training, anti-theft devices, anti-thefts devices, Georgia shoplifting systems, loss prevention, Loss Prevention Training, Loss Prevention Workshop, Periodic inventory, Prevent Shoplifting, prevent shrinkage, racial profiling, Retail Anti Theft Devices, retail security, retail security and monitoring, security, security devices, shoplifting, Shoplifting Prevention, shoplifting statistics, shoplifting violence, surveillance

Do You Hear What I Hear? You Do If It’s The Noise Of An Alpha Cable Lock

August 30, 2016 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

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Do You Hear What I Hear? You Do If It’s The Noise Of An Alpha Cable Lock

Owning and operating a retail business is a big undertaking and takes a lot of sweat and toil to make it successful. Each time someone enters a store and shoplifts it eats into the profits of the store and ultimately hurts all employees. Finding the right retail anti-theft device to protect merchandise can be hard if you don’t know where to begin your search. You could purchase several attack dogs and let them loose in the store, but that might keep customers away. When I was a Loss Prevention Manager I once suggested armed guards in towers to my District Manager, however he nixed that idea pretty quickly. I proposed a moat surrounding the store filled with alligators but once again I was quickly turned down. And my suggestion to attach mouse traps on high value merchandise was frowned upon. One type of retail anti-theft device that does work to prevent shoplifting (and is less extreme) is the 3 – Alarm Alpha Cable Locks.

Alpha Cable Locks are just what the name implies, cables with a locking mechanism that has a built in alarm designed to activate an electronic article surveillance antenna. The cable can be placed on merchandise to allow customers to handle the item but in the event someone tries to walk out of the door with a protected item, several alarms are activated. The antenna sounds an audible alarm, lights built into the antenna light up and with a 3-alarm version cable lock, the tag has its own audible alarm that activates if the tag is removed from the store. The alarm in the tag also works as a tamper alarm should a thief attempt to cut the cable.

You might be wondering how much noise one tag can emit if someone were to try to tamper with it or walk through an EAS antenna with it. Well let me provide you with some common items you are already familiar with. According to the website chchearing.org, the items listed make noise at the following levels:

• Vacuum Cleaner 60 – 85 decibels (dBA)

• Alarm clocks 65 – 80 dBA

• Garbage disposal 70 – 95 dBA

• Whistling Kettle – 80 dBA

• Power lawnmower 65 – 95 dBA

• Tractor 90 dBA

• Electric Drill 95 dBA

• Heavy traffic, Noisy restaurant 85 dBA

• Truck, Shouted conversation 90 dBA

• Blender 80 – 90 dBA

The 3-Alarm Alpha Cable Locks sound a 95 dBA screeching alarm signal when tampered with or when someone attempts to exit the building with merchandise still protected with a lock. I am certain that no one is interested in causing this kind of volume and attracting all the attention one of these alarms is capable of doing.

One other thing about cable Locks, these retail anti-theft devices don’t simply prevent shoplifting they also improve sales. Merchants frequently lock up merchandise considered high theft in order to prevent shoplifters from picking up items and walking out with them. Lock up display cases keep merchandise secure but require a sales person to unlock and show a piece and/or sell an item. One example of this can be seen in department stores with high priced purses. The expensive purses are displayed in show cases and require constant attention from a store associate. By using Alpha Cable Locks, purses can be openly displayed with the knowledge that the lock will activate an EAS antenna if carried an attempt is made to steal it. If someone attempts to cut the cable, the retail anti-theft device sounds its’ own alarm. More merchandise can be displayed with fewer employees required to monitor it and because it is accessible, more people will make purchases.

Use Alpha Cable Locks to improve sales, prevent shoplifting and drive down shortage and the only 95 decibel noise you will hear will be your shouts of joy as you see your profits rise!

Get more information on Alpha Cable Locks, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.

• Vacuum Cleaner 60 – 85 decibels (dBA)

• Alarm clocks 65 – 80 dBA

• Garbage disposal 70 – 95 dBA

• Whistling Kettle – 80 dBA

• Power lawnmower 65 – 95 dBA

• Tractor 90 dBA• Electric Drill 95 dBA

• Heavy traffic, Noisy restaurant 85 dBA

• Truck, Shouted conversation 90 dBA

• Blender 80 – 90 dBA

Use Alpha Cable Locks to improve sales, prevent shoplifting and drive down shortage and the only 95 decibel noise you will hear will be your shouts of joy as you see your profits rise!

Get more information on Alpha Cable Locks, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Prevent Shoplifting

Tips To Stop Shoplifting In Your Store

August 23, 2016 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

Some of the advice security and loss prevention personnel give to retailers and small businesses is that greeting a customer and asking if they need help, are some of the easiest and cheapest methods to prevent shoplifting in their stores. Having a clean, well lit store is helpful and can help employees keep track of customers entering and leaving the premises. If your store is dealing with shoplifting cases in a regular basis, invest in having security cameras installed, anti-theft tags on the merchandise, or anti-theft devices at the entrances. Preventing shoplifting is a necessity that most retailers have to take seriously, and take adequate measures to mitigate their loses.

For more about this and other stories, follow the links below.

Juneau police give retailers tips on stopping shoplifters

“Greet your customer.”

That’s the most important piece of advice Juneau police Officer Ken Colon wanted his audience to remember at the end of his presentation on Friday. He was meeting with nearly 20 people in the backroom of Alaskan Dames, a consignment shop in the Mendenhall Valley.

“Shoplifters, they do not like being greeted. It hinders their ability, it takes away the opportunity and it reduces the desire to commit the crime,” Colon said.

Juneau police have reported burglary and theft rates significantly higher last year than in previous years, and they’re stepping up efforts to help residents discourage thieves before a crime is committed.

Colon has been on the Juneau police force for almost 11 years. He’s experienced the increase in property crime firsthand. He said when he responds to a theft, he looks for holes in the victim’s security so he can explain ways they can prevent the same thing from happening again. Now he’s taking the next step.

Theft is erasing some of self-checkout’s benefits

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A study of self-checkout kiosks in Belgium, the Netherlands, the UK, and the US found that self-service checkout technology likely increases shoplifting, according to The New York Times.

The study, which was conducted by the University of Leicester, audited one million shopping trips between December 2013 and February 2015 in detail, and found that out of 6 million items, 850,000 were not scanned. That represents a loss of 4% of total purchase value.

Some of self-checkout’s benefits could be reversed because of the increase in petty theft they might cause.

Retailers may turn to self-checkout because they want to save labor costs and boost sales. By substituting self-checkout for regular checkout lanes, stores hope to limit staff they need working and save on personnel expenses, though this isn’t always the case. These kiosks can also allow for easier implementation of loyalty programs and give stores access to consumer data. These devices can also increase average ticket size — at Cinemark movie theaters, self-checkout helped drive 32 consecutive quarters of increases in per-person concession orders, according to Kiosk Marketplace. That might be because without direct human interaction, consumers are more likely to purchase items that are hard to pronounce or that they’re embarrassed about, according to data from Kiosk Marketplace and the Harvard Business Review.

Springfield Police, Wal-Mart Cooperate In Attempt To Reduce Theft At Stores

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Police departments across the country are getting a little annoyed about how often they have to respond to calls at Wal-Mart.

According to an analysis by Bloomberg, a violent crime has taken place on a Wal-Mart property in the U.S. almost every day this year.

In 2013, Springfield Police responded to more than 900 shoplifting incidents at the city’s supercenters.

That accounted for about two-thirds of all shoplifting calls that year, and prompted police to ask the world’s largest retailer to take action.

After taking a closer look at where property crime occurs in Springfield, Major Kirk Manlove decided police needed a rollback on time spent at Wal-Mart.

“We’ve recognized since 2013 that the 5 Wal-Mart Supercenters were taking an enormous toll on police services,” Manlove said.

In 2013, Manlove sat down with corporate reps and asked them to do more to either prevent shoplifting, or catch thieves on their way out the door.

For about a year, he did not get the response he was looking for.

“It’s a huge corporation, no secret there and so to get decisions made down at the asset protection level is probably difficult, and budget driven,” Manlove said.

Manlove now meets with Wal-Mart quarterly, and feels the company is trying to address the concerns of local law enforcement.

Filed Under: Shoplifting Prevention Tagged With: Alpha 2 Alarm, Alpha 3 Alarm, Alpha High Theft Solutions, Alpha Jewel Lok, Alpha Nano Gate, Alpha Security, Alpha Spider Wrap, anti-theft devices, anti-theft tags, anti-thefts devices, EAS Devices, Employee Theft, Georgia Alarms systems, Georgia shoplifting systems, Loss Prevention Seminar, Loss Prevention Workshop, Periodic inventory, Perpetual Inventory, Prevent Shoplifting, retail security and monitoring, security, security devices, shoplifting, Shoplifting Prevention, shoplifting statistics, shoplifting violence, surveillance

Stopping Shoplifting In Your Store

August 17, 2016 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

Retailers around the world lose billions a dollars every year due to shoplifting and employee theft. And while the big retail chains can financially deal with the problem, there are many small businesses that cannot afford it, nor can they fight it for long.

The laws concerning shoplifting vary by state, and therefore you have to be aware of the steps you need to do while apprehending a shoplifter or an employee caught stealing. Prevention and safety should be some of the most important steps when dealing with shoplifting in your business.

To read more about this and other stories about shoplifting, follow the links below.

To stop a thief: Shoplifting is a daily battle for retailers

On any given day, more than $35 million worth of merchandise is stolen from retail stores across the country by shoplifters – amateurs and professionals alike – who steal clothing, jewelry, electronics and a host of other items, including food.

Some sneak quickly and quietly with the merchandise, others make bold getaway attempts.

In Tupelo, the retail and financial hub of Northeast Mississippi, the Tupelo Police Department gets hundreds of reports each year.

In 2014, TPD took 483 reports related to shoplifting, according to TPD Public Information Officer Chuck McDougald. Last year, that number fell to 260. So far this year, the department has taken 162 calls.

“Higher shopping volume days correspond to more shoplifting calls,” he said. “Those include weekends and holidays.”

As for the timing of when shoplifters are busiest, apparently they’re not early risers.

Low Prices, High Crime: Inside Walmart’s Plan to Crack Down on Shoplifting

The nation’s largest retailer is taking justice into its own hands.

Police Officer Found Guilty Of Manslaughter In Shooting Of Unarmed Black Man

Stephen Rankin becomes one of the rare officers convicted of murder or manslaughter for on-duty conduct.

A white Virginia police officer was convicted of voluntary manslaughter Thursday in the fatal shooting of an unarmed black 18-year-old accused of shoplifting.

A circuit court jury found former Portsmouth police officer Stephen Rankin guilty for the killing of William Chapman in April of last year. It was the second time Rankin had killed an unarmed man while on duty. He now faces up to 10 years in prison, although the jury recommended just 2 1/2 years.

Earlier on Thursday, lawyers for Rankin had unsuccessfully urged the judge to declare a mistrial, citing video evidence showing a friend of Chapman’s family speaking to a juror. Rankin’s defense described this as a deliberate attempt to influence the outcome of the trial ― a charge that the friend denied.

Rankin, who was fired while he awaited trial, had originally been charged with first-degree murder and using a firearm to commit a felony.

Filed Under: Shoplifting Prevention Tagged With: Alpha 2 Alarm, Alpha 3 Alarm, Alpha High Theft Solutions, Alpha Jewel Lok, Alpha Nano Gate, Alpha Security, Alpha Spider Wrap, Anti-shoplifting training, anti-theft devices, anti-thefts devices, EAS Devices, Georgia shoplifting systems, Loss Prevention Seminar, Perpetual Inventory, POS ROI, Prevent Shoplifting, prevent shrinkage, racial profiling, Retail Anti Theft Devices, retail security and monitoring, security, security devices, shoplifting, Shoplifting Prevention, shoplifting statistics, shoplifting violence, surveillance

Sometimes We Simply Do Not See The Obvious

August 3, 2016 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

Sometimes we simply do not see the obvious even when it is right in front of us. For many years we have worked really hard to hide or disguise Checkpoint Labels. The thought being that the shoplifter will not be able to locate and possibly defeat the label.

But new studies show that although that is still a great strategy, you should also look at the opposite. Putting a clearly identified label in plain sight with a warning on it.

Here is a good example using one of the newer clear, Checkpoint Systems stock labels. The trademarked “lock” and wording has been tested extensively.

Rather than bore you with all the details of the study, I will simply tell you that it works and works well. Visible tagging can increase sales and reduce loss. The last study found:

As many of you know I, Bill Bregar have been in the loss prevention field most of my career. So now putting that hat on let’s look at this from another view. We know that shoplifters are broken into three distinct groups; Impulse, Amateur and Professional.

The bulk of shoplifters you encounter are Impulse. I teach this in my shoplifting classes, which by the way I conduct live, in person or by webinar and are FREE of charge to Loss Prevention Systems customers. I always explain that Impulse shoplifters are easily deterred with employee contact. In other words if you greet the Impulse shoplifter with eye contact, a simple hello and “can I help you”, many studies show that the Impulse shoplifter will most likely NOT shoplift during that visit.

Well if we now apply the thought of a Checkpoint Systems visual deterrence label it makes sense. Given the same circumstances where the Impulse shoplifter has not been greeted but is faced with a visual deterrence label it casts enough doubt into their minds that they do not steal.

Well if that is the case then why doesn’t a sign like this work?

Besides being funny to us I have learned that signs do very little. Probably because of sign “pollution”. They either don’t see it or it is really not a threat. But a specific label on the merchandise they are considering stealing, casts doubt. They do not know what other element may be protecting that merchandise.

Something to consider! If you would like some samples of these labels just reach out to us. We will get them in the mail to you at no charge.

Filed Under: Featured Tagged With: Alpha 2 Alarm, Alpha 3 Alarm, Alpha High Theft Solutions, Alpha Jewel Lok, Alpha Nano Gate, Alpha Security, Alpha Spider Wrap, Anti-shoplifting training, anti-theft devices, anti-theft tags, anti-thefts devices, EAS Devices, Employee Theft, Georgia Alarms systems, Georgia shoplifting prevention, Georgia shoplifting systems, Loss Prevention Seminar, Loss Prevention Training, Loss Prevention Workshop, mobile POS loss prevention, Prevent Shoplifting, racial profiling, Retail Anti Theft Devices, retail security, retail security and monitoring, security, security devices, shoplifting, Shoplifting Prevention, shoplifting statistics, shoplifting violence, surveillance

STEP NINE

August 2, 2016 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

It’s a normal day at the office. I’m working on a few cases and an email comes across from a manager at one of my stores. There’s not much to it; just says “John” called the store looking for you, here’s his number. Curious to who John is, I immediately give him a call. In my mind I’m thinking it could be a detective, or an Assistant District Attorney maybe.

Two rings and John answers with a very chipper, “Hello!” I tell him who I am and that I am returning his phone call. John was very vague. He said he wanted to tell me something, but really wanted to do this face to face. I had no earthly idea who this guy was and asked if we had ever met. He said no and after a bit of coercing, John tells me that it involves shoplifting and that he really wants to speak with me in person. I agree to have him come to the store the next day.

Not knowing what I may encounter, I asked a Sheriff’s Deputy friend of mine to be in the store, just in case. Turns out I didn’t need him, though. I finally met John the next afternoon. He gave me a hearty handshake, looked me directly in the eyes and thanked me for meeting with him. What happened over the next 40 minutes is something I’ll never forget in my entire life.

John is in his mid-thirties. On the outside, he’s an unassuming guy. Clean cut, well dressed and well spoken. Once the door was closed, he took a deep breath and told me that he was a recovering heroin addict and that he had stolen from my store in the past. See, John has been clean for 19 months and part of his treatment is to make amends for the wrongs he’s done.

I was interested in John’s story and how he cleaned himself up. As with any addict, he had to hit rock bottom. The final straw was living in a trailer, with no plumbing with 15 other addicts. John told me that using the restroom consisted of sharing a bucket. One evening he passed out after shooting up and woke up with both hands in that bucket. That was it for him. He went home and asked for help. 19 months later, he is clean, working and starting to support himself again. Those of you that have experienced what heroin can do to a person should realize just how much of an accomplishment this is. Most people don’t or can’t get clean.

Heroin is an epidemic that is destroying our neighborhoods. It is prevalence and ease of access is making a prolific comeback across the country. A good majority of addicts turn to shoplifting to help fuel their addiction. John was of those.

John told me that it started by making returns for other users of stolen goods. They’d get a gift card and run it to a pawn shop for quick cash. As time went on, John worked up the courage to steal. The very first thing he took from my store was a pair of shoes. “Stealing itself is an addiction as bad as the heroin” he recalled. From there he moved on to clothing and other high dollar items. He even would take orders for other dealers. He could trade items or gift cards for the heroin. This went on for months. He was never caught.

He reached into his top pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper. He handed it to me and it was a list of everything that he could remember taking from the store, along with its approximate value; Nearly $8,000. John again looked me in the eye and said, “I’m going to pay you back every penny that I took from you.”

Speechless I stared blankly for a second. Never in my career have I been faced with something that has truly touched me in such a way. I felt inspired by his story. If this guy can get his life together and make things right, then any little problem I was having that week just seemed so insignificant. I had to stress that he was under no legal obligation to pay us, but he insisted. The feeling of a weight being lifted off of your chest was how he described finally coming into the store and having this conversation. For him, this put him one step closer to completing his treatment, and ultimately getting his life completely back. While I don’t often have a soft spot for shoplifters, John, for me is something more than that. He’s a person and he’s helped me understand how I can be more effective in protecting my company from loss while also understanding that the people that I come into contact with all have their own set of demons.

Filed Under: Featured Tagged With: Alpha 2 Alarm, Alpha 3 Alarm, Alpha High Theft Solutions, Alpha Jewel Lok, Alpha Nano Gate, Alpha Security, Alpha Spider Wrap, Anti-shoplifting training, anti-theft tags, EAS Devices, employee background checks, Employee Theft, Georgia shoplifting prevention, Georgia shoplifting systems, Loss Prevention Training, Loss Prevention Workshop, Prevent Shoplifting, prevent shrinkage, Retail Anti Theft Devices, security

Localize Your Loss Prevention Efforts

August 2, 2016 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

“Think globally, act locally” is a saying associated with the Green Movement. It encourages people to be aware of the environmental needs of the whole planet, while taking positive action in their own communities to promote its health. Over the years the idea, and the phrase, has been co-opted to discuss other issues.

One of these other issues is the problem of loss prevention. It’s a national problem that can only be solved on a local level. It’s becoming clearer to law enforcement and loss prevention specialists that while broad, generalized recommendations have validity, they’re only the place to start. True prevention success depends on how they’re applied on a city by city, store by store basis.

Here are some things to think about when assessing the needs of your particular store and its loss prevention requirements.

High-risk goods – What are they? Where are they displayed vs where they should be for tighter security? Who should be responsible for monitoring them and how should they be tracked? What are their margins and what’s the ROI (return on investment) to protect them?

Thief profile – Who’s stealing from you? How much of your problem is internal (employees) vs external (shoplifters)? Does your merchandise attract petty thieves or professional ones, and how should you deal with the different types?

Risk tolerance – How much risk can you tolerate financially, systemically and personally? Where are you comfortable putting your efforts and money (i.e., guards, staff training and hiring practices, technology/equipment, aggressive prosecution)?

Community resources – How involved and interested is your local police department in the problem? What help and resources do they provide? What community resources can you draw on (Chamber of Commerce, merchant organizations, neighborhood block watch, Better Business Bureau)?

Store layout – Do you know your store’s blind spots? How can they be covered? Do goods disappear from one area more than another? When was the last time you really evaluated the lay out for security holes? Do you need someone with fresh eyes to look it over?

There are a lot of good loss prevention ideas and recommendations available. But, they’ll work better if you adapt them to the specific needs of the store, its customer base and merchandise. They’ll also be more effective if you combine them with the community’s resources, where your combined local efforts just might impact the global good.

Nicole Abbott is a professional writer who’s had over 200 articles published. She’s a business consultant and former psycho-therapist with over 20 years of experience in mental health, business and addiction. She’s a coach, lecturer, trainer and facilitator. She has conducted over 200 workshops, trainings, presentations, seminars and college classes.

Filed Under: Shoplifting Prevention Tagged With: Alpha 2 Alarm, Alpha 3 Alarm, Alpha High Theft Solutions, Alpha Jewel Lok, Alpha Nano Gate, Alpha Security, Alpha Spider Wrap, Anti-shoplifting training, anti-theft tags, anti-thefts devices, Background checks, Georgia Alarms systems, Georgia shoplifting prevention, Georgia shoplifting systems, Loss Prevention Training, Prevent Shoplifting, retail security and monitoring, shoplifting statistics, shoplifting violence

LP Personnel And Safety

July 28, 2016 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

The billions of dollars the retail industry loses every year due to shoplifting and employee theft have not decreased, but rather will likely continue to increase every year. Deaths due to shoplifting are not rare anymore. News about managers and employees getting shot while trying to stop a shoplifter is commonplace now. Training your LP staff to follow strict regulations when approaching a shoplifter should be a top priority for your business.

Read more about this topic by following the links below.

To stop a thief: Shoplifting is a daily battle for retailers

Some sneak quickly and quietly with the merchandise, others make bold getaway attempts.

In Tupelo, the retail and financial hub of Northeast Mississippi, the Tupelo Police Department gets hundreds of reports each year.

“Higher shopping volume days correspond to more shoplifting calls,” he said. “Those include weekends and holidays.”

As for the timing of when shoplifters are busiest, apparently they’re not early risers.

RETAIL INVENTORY SHRINKAGE INCREASED TO $45.2 BILLION IN 2015

The 2016 National Retail Security Survey, conducted in collaboration by the National Retail Federation and the University of Florida, reveals that retailers’ inventory shrink averaged 1.38 percent of retail sales, or $45.2 billion in 2015, up by $1.2 billion from 2014.

According to the report, 47 percent of retailers surveyed reported increases in overall inventory shrink in 2015, with shoplifting accounting for the greatest cause with an average loss of $377 per incident (39 percent), up nearly $60 from 2014.

Robberies continue to be a growing expense for retailers, costing an average of $8,180.17, up from $2,465. The rise in robberies in 2015 was driven by an increase in jewelry stores reporting extremely high average losses.

“With a constantly evolving retail landscape, loss prevention becomes more complex every day,” said NRF Vice President of Loss Prevention Bob Moraca. “LP professionals have been working diligently to find advancements in technology aimed at deterring crime in our industry, sometimes even before it happens – but as our techniques get more sophisticated, so too do the criminals.”

Shoplifting: Retail’s $45 Billion Problem

Retailers are struggling to keep tabs on shoplifters who are increasingly becoming their top source of loss, averaging $377 per incidence, up $60 from the year before.

At 39 percent, shoplifting was found to be the biggest contributor among factors that led to overall inventory shrinkage in 2015 causing a $45.2 billion loss across the United States, according to NRF’s 2016 National Retail Security survey. The new numbers reflect a $1.2 billion increase in losses from 2014.

The inventory shrink averaged 1.38 percent of retail sales and saw 47 percent of retailers reporting losses in 2015.

Another factor adding to inventory shrinkage was a rise in robberies that exclusively targeted jewelry stores. The average loss reported by robbed stores increased from $2,465 per incidence in 2014 to $8,180.17 last year.

“Loss prevention professionals continue to do an exceptional job at locating the issues and finding solutions to prevent additional loss in their retail stores,” said Dr. Richard Hollinger, University of Florida criminology professor and lead author of the NRSS. “It is important for retailers to continue building relationships with law enforcement and leverage new technologies that can further provide protection to their assets, customers and employees.”

Filed Under: Shoplifting Prevention Tagged With: Alpha 2 Alarm, Alpha 3 Alarm, Alpha High Theft Solutions, Alpha Jewel Lok, Alpha Nano Gate, Alpha Security, Alpha Spider Wrap, anti-theft tags, anti-thefts devices, Employee Theft, Georgia Alarms systems, Georgia shoplifting systems, Loss Prevention Seminar, Loss Prevention Seminars, Loss Prevention Training, Loss Prevention Workshop, Prevent Shoplifting, prevent shrinkage, racial profiling, Retail Anti Theft Devices, retail security, retail security and monitoring, security, security devices, shoplifting, Shoplifting Prevention, shoplifting statistics, shoplifting violence, surveillance

Alpha Spider Wraps Make Shoplifters Think Twice

July 25, 2016 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

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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.

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

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Alpha Spider Wrap, Prevent Shoplifting, Spider Wrap

Local Police and Their Communities

July 15, 2016 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

shopliftingdollarsign The amount of calls reported by Walmart stores to the local police are staggering. According to the Tampa Bay Times, Walmart stores in Tampa report an outstanding 16,800 calls in only one year and in only 4 counties. That’s 2 calls per hour, every hour, 24 hours a day. That’s your taxes working for Walmart. While the lack of police surveillance of other neighborhoods can affect those communities, Walmart monopolization of the police force should be analyze, and stopped for good.

For more about this and other stories, follow the links below.

Retail Loss Prevention and Law Enforcement – Can They Work Together?

Law enforcement and LP should work together on retail theft prevention.

For years, there have been those that have questioned whether retail loss prevention and law enforcement can effectively work in partnership with one another. For example retail loss prevention professionals have often felt frustrated that law enforcement wasn’t concerned about helping them with their business. In reality, detectives may have been focusing on other pressing crimes, such as a rash of burglaries, sexual assaults, or other crimes against people.

Consider the aftermath of a “grab and run” incident. From a law enforcement perspective, the number of people who had access to a particular area when a loss occurs may be very high, with little or no available means to identify who the perpetrators might be. Some believe that law enforcement has the ability to further clarify and zoom in on video already recorded to extract a better image.

Walmart

Thousands of police calls.

You paid the bill.

Police come to shoo away panhandlers, referee parking disputes and check on foul-mouthed teenagers.

They are called to arrest the man who drinks a 98-cent iced tea without paying and capture the customer who joyrides on a motorized shopping cart.

The calls eat up hours of officers’ time. They all start at one place:

Walmart.

Law enforcement logged nearly 16,800 calls in one year to Walmarts in Pinellas, Hillsborough, Pasco and Hernando counties, according to a Tampa Bay Timesanalysis. That’s two calls an hour, every hour, every day.

Local Walmarts, on average, generated four times as many calls as nearby Targets, the Times found. Many individual supercenters attracted more calls than the much larger WestShore Plaza mall.

When it comes to calling the cops, Walmart is such an outlier compared with its competitors that experts criticized the corporate giant for shifting too much of its security burden onto taxpayers. Several local law enforcement officers also emphasized that all the hours spent at Walmart cut into how often they can patrol other neighborhoods and prevent other crimes.

N.C. law enforcement, retailers to combat organized retail crime.

CORCA is aimed at bringing together local law enforcement agencies and the N.C. Retail Merchants Association to better communication retail theft that is more complex than shoplifting.

At Thursday’s press conference, the alliance leaders stressed the difference between organized retail crime and shoplifting. Organized retail crime usually involves complex schemes and is organized to convert illegally obtained merchandise or cash into financial gain by theft or fraud.

“These are criminals,” Steve Walker, the asset protection director at Walgreens, said. “They are not shoplifters.”

Raleigh Police Department Detective Scott Womack added that often these thefts are connected to drug abuse, street crime and even terrorism.

Filed Under: Shoplifting Prevention Tagged With: Alpha 2 Alarm, Alpha 3 Alarm, Alpha High Theft Solutions, Alpha Jewel Lok, Alpha Nano Gate, Alpha Spider Wrap, Anti-shoplifting training, anti-theft devices, anti-theft tags, anti-thefts devices, Background checks, employee background checks, Employee Theft, loss prevention, Loss Prevention Seminar, Loss Prevention Training, Loss Prevention Workshop, Periodic inventory, Prevent Shoplifting, racial profiling, Retail Anti Theft Devices, retail security, retail security and monitoring, security, security devices, shoplifting, Shoplifting Prevention, shoplifting statistics, shoplifting violence, surveillance