Prevent Shoplifting

Sharing Alpha Tools and Ideas

September 11, 2015 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

Alpha Technology is very versatile for protecting a retailer’s inventory. I remember when our company first took the leap and bought Alpha Keepers for our razor cartridge refills. We used to merchandise them all in these big bulky display units. They were terribly heavy and difficult to correctly install. The customers had trouble figuring out how they actually dispensed the razors; they had to press a button and then open the coinciding door for their desired choice. If the door did not close properly it sounded an alarm over the PA system. Oh, and the doors would break so easily, then we had to disable the alarm or the constant sounding would drive us mad!

So there was this magic day when we got Alpha Keepers for them instead, so all we had to do was install some pegs, and just hang up the keepers. It made our work so much easier, and the customers were very pleased with the simplicity of the system.

I believe the next size Alpha Keepers we got was for our high retail stomach remedies. Every time one would announce it was going to become an OTC item, rather than prescription only, it was only a matter of time before they were targeted by thieves. Again, rather than some complicated system, or keeping them locked behind the counter, we had the option to just lock them in the clear boxes and put them right on the shelves.

We sell a little of many different categories. Once, we had a special purchase of small HD televisions. Our stores became famous on the local news for a sudden rash of thefts because people were grabbing the boxes, which conveniently had handles right on top, and running out the door with up to four at a time. Thankfully, our company’s next investment was the Alpha Spider Wraps. They stretch to fit the item you need to protect, and will alarm if there is an attempt to leave with them still attached, and can also self-alarm if someone tries to tamper with or cut the cables. I use these things on boxes of name brand hair regrowth, high retail electric toothbrushes, and even some other small electronics. (Thankfully we are no longer in the television business.)

Another store manager came to my store just the other day and was lamenting of the woman that keeps coming to her store and running out with large bottles of laundry detergent. I just happened to have a box of Alpha Cable Locks on hand. These are very easy to utilize on bottles like this; they just loop right around the handle and lock tight. The Alpha Cable Lock is very sturdy and offers alarm capability as well as the other tools. They are also a great visual deterrent. Luckily I do not have any issues with theft of my laundry items, and this box is just sitting in my office. So I gave it to this other store manager to use at her store instead.

I am super thankful for my company owners purchasing these items for our stores, and they have made a major improvement in stopping the losses we were incurring. All of these tools are easy to attach, easy to remove, and allow our customers the most easy experience shopping in our stores which is one reason they choose us in the first place.

For more information contact us: 1.770.426.0547 or Preventshopliftingloss.net

For more information contact us at Prevent Shoplifting Loss or call 1.770.426.0547.

Public Shaming and Shoplifting

September 8, 2015 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

The public shaming of criminals has been around for centuries. For a good part of the world’s legal history (and some still today) the punishment for crimes happened in public: pillories, pelting offenders in the stockades with rotten food and feces, hanging, ear nailing, branding, sandwich boards which proclaimed the crime, dunking stools, shunning, whipping posts, maiming, etc.

There’s a natural human desire for others to be recognized and brought to justice for their crimes. The emergence of public shaming via social media is a continuation of that desire and heritage. Social media is just a new, albeit broader reaching, component of a very old method of controlling crime and providing justice.

Retail has a centuries old history of public shaming, because up until recently most stores were mom and pop operations. Owners personally knew which customers weren’t paying their bills and who was stealing, and they had ways of letting others know too. Not long ago, owners posted bounced checks near the cash register, so everyone saw which neighbors were deadbeats.

Now store owners and managers are turning to public shaming again for their on-going, ever increasing problem with shoplifters. They’re frustrated, burnt out and angry, and are increasingly using social media to combat the issue. They’re posting pictures and video of alleged shoplifters and some caught in the act.

The motivations behind posting this information are varied — it’ll shame the criminal into stopping or at least staying out of the store; someone will identify the thief and they can be charged; it’ll shame law enforcement into “doing something” about the crime; other shoplifters will see the store is serious about crime and stay away; it gives the owner a feeling of control and not like a victim.

But, these new tactics have triggered a very old question, “Does it work?”. The answer is the same as it has always been, “Yes” and “No”. Both answers are correct, because it depends on the situation. The spectrum runs from — the shoplifter was mortified and didn’t do it again to the shoplifter became a celebrity in their social group and increased their stealing.

This strategy has always had mixed results, which is why store owners and managers should be thoughtful and cautious about using social media for public shaming or crime fighting. In addition, the legalities of it are murky at best and must be considered before posting pictures or video. Be sure to evaluate each situation on an individual basis before taking any action.

Nicole Abbott is a writer and psycho-therapist with over 20 years of experience in the fields of mental health and addiction. She’s an educator, consultant, lecturer, trainer and facilitator, who’s conducted over 200 workshops, trainings, presentations, college classes and seminars.

Filed Under: Shoplifting Prevention Tagged With: Alpha Nano Gate, Alpha Spider Wrap, anti-theft tags, Background checks, EAS Devices, Georgia Alarms systems, Georgia shoplifting prevention, Georgia shoplifting systems, Prevent Shoplifting, prevent shrinkage, Retail Anti Theft Devices, retail security, retail security and monitoring, security, security devices, shoplifting, Shoplifting Prevention, shoplifting statistics, shoplifting violence, surveillance

PROTECTING YOUR INVESTMENT FROM LOOTERS

September 8, 2015 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

I watch and read the news every single day. I like to stay abreast of things that are happening in my communication, as well as issues affecting the nation. Recently, I’m a bit fed up with what I see. It’s not what’s being reported that gets me so red hot, but the reactions of called “protesters” to perceived injustices. I will never understand how a protest against something can turn into a riot and spur mass looting.

Look at the recent cases of civil unrest in cities across the country and you’ll see one commonality. “Peaceful” protestors, that almost always evolve into gangs of thugs who choose to loot and destroy businesses. You see the cities on the nightly lights. You watch in horror as lawless bandits bust out shop windows and even see those walking down the street with big screen televisions sets, and even some cases, setting stores ablaze, for no practical reason at all. More disturbing to me is that the majority of these stores affected are small businesses, like yours.
So is there anything you can do to prevent your business from falling victim to this? Yes, Absolutely there is. Take a look at some ways to harden your building and make it difficult for not only looters, but the average burglar, or robber, to damage your store.
First and foremost, if you don’t already have a CCTV system installed, get one. I’m serious. Unfortunately, this is no longer a luxury, or a good idea. This is a necessity. A good system will only run you a few hundred bucks and I will personally guarantee that it will pay for itself over, and over and over again. There is not greater piece of evidence in a court of law than video of a crime being committed. Eyewitnesses get details wrong; a camera doesn’t lie.
Second, take a look at the exterior of your building. Do you have glass windows or doors? If you really want to protect your store, you should invest in a good roll-down type door. Not only are some of these virtually impenetrable to a person, they can be great for when Mother Nature rears her ugly head. At the first sign of trouble, a flip of a switch can all but guarantee the safety of your store. Additionally, lots of stores have concrete bollards in the front to prevent an automobile from driving through the front doors. Whether it be an accident, a “smash and grab robbery,” or during a looting incident, a good bollard can stop a car dead in its tracks.
Now those are some great ideas to the more common ways our businesses are impacted. Lots of store owners often overlook one very simple, but very important piece. Data. Chance are, in your store, you have an office. In that office is a computer with all sorts of proprietary information. Whether it be salary information, employee records, sales and financial data, or your customer’s information, you have an obligation to keep that secure. If I walked into your store right now and stole every computer and every hard-drive in sight, what would happen? If you aren’t backing up your data somewhere off-site, you could be in a world of trouble should this happen to you. I recommend to anyone, to always back up any data to a place that isn’t in your store. There are several hundreds of reputable and safe companies that can handle this for a very small fee. Trust me, it’s worth every penny.
While the very likelihood of your business falling victim to looting is slim, it can happen. You should be prepared for anything that may come your way. In the blink of an eye, your city and your street could be playing host to violence and destruction. You should always be prepared to protect yourself, your employees and the future of your business. Don’t let some gang of bandits bankrupt your business.

Filed Under: Featured Tagged With: Alpha 2 Alarm, Alpha 3 Alarm, Alpha High Theft Solutions, Alpha Nano Gate, Alpha Spider Wrap, Anti-shoplifting training, EAS Devices, Employee Theft, Georgia Alarms systems, Georgia shoplifting prevention, Georgia shoplifting systems, Loss Prevention Workshop, Prevent Shoplifting, Retail Anti Theft Devices, retail security and monitoring, security devices, Shoplifting Prevention, shoplifting statistics, shoplifting violence, surveillance

PROSECUTING EMPLOYEE THEFT

September 8, 2015 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

If you employ people, I can guarantee that one of them, at some point during their employment, will steal from you. It could be some office supplies, or perhaps a few reams of paper; or more commonly, money, or even your merchandise. We trust our employees from the time they are hired and throughout their tenure. Employees know our stores in and out. They know our strengths and more importantly, our weaknesses. This knowledge often leads the employee down the path of dishonesty. I’ve investigated hundreds of employee theft cases and nearly all of these employees say the same thing when they are interviewed. They say they stole because it was easy, or they had no fear of repercussions if they were caught, other than maybe just losing their jobs.

Personally, I don’t care if it’s a $3,000 watch, or a $1.50 bag of potato chips. If I have evidence that an employee willfully and purposefully has stolen from me, I’m going to terminated that employee and refer the matter to local law enforcement for prosecution. It doesn’t matter if that employee is an old man, young woman, or any color of the rainbow; everyone will get the same treatment. In my stores, it is very important that I create a deep understanding with my staff that there is a zero tolerance policy towards theft. You would be wise to do the same.

A few years ago, I came across an employee that had taken a couple of consumable items. It wasn’t much, probably under $10, but they knew they were stealing from me and did it anyway. After obtaining a written confession, I terminated that employee for theft. Due to the dollar amount being so low, I did not contact the police. Not long after, at this very same store, another employee was terminated after an investigation showed they had stolen over $10k in cash. This employee happened to be a different race and sex than that previous employee. Not long after that termination, my store received a lawsuit for wrongful termination. That employee claimed I prosecuted him based on his race and sex, and I let another employee, who was of a different race get off without being arrested. It was a long hard fight to prove our case (which we ultimately won), but it was a great lesson for me to learn. From that day, I adopted my “everyone who steals goes to jail policy”. It’s served me well ever since.

In addition to protecting yourself from employment related liabilities (like the one described above), prosecuting employees caught with their hands in the cookie jar serves one other great purpose. It’s a deterrent. It’s a huge deterrent to other employees who be entertaining the same idea. If Susie Q and I are both cash office employees and I see her get escorted from the store in silver bracelets after she stole a few hundred bucks, chances are, I’m never going to do the same. If your employees know that the consequence of stealing is always going to be jail, from day one, they are less likely to steal from you. If and when they do, you’ll be ready to set the example for the rest of your staff.

I know for some of you out there, making the decision to prosecute an employee, maybe even one of your most loyal and trustworthy employees, is a very emotional thing to go through. You may feel like you want to cut them a break and simply have them pay you back. I’m telling you from experience, that is not enough. They will eventually steal again. Moreover, your other employees will see how easy it is to get away with theft and may do the same thing. The way in which you react to catching an employee stealing should be exactly like how you get out of a bad relationship. Sever all ties, put your emotions aside and do what’s best for your financial future.

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, anti-thefts devices, EAS Devices, employee background checks, Employee Theft, Georgia Alarms systems, Georgia shoplifting prevention, Georgia shoplifting systems, Prevent Shoplifting, Retail Anti Theft Devices, Shoplifting Prevention, surveillance

Retail and the Digital Age

September 3, 2015 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

The retail industry has seen many changes over the years. Online shopping has grown and will likely grow more over the next few years, unfortunately, with that comes the real and costly problem of online fraud. Now retailers have to invest in security for their online and offline retail stores to ensure products and customer’s information are secured. On the bright side,the digital age has brought the ability for many retail stores to advertise and sell online to many people around the country that otherwise would not be able to do before. To read more about this and other topics follow the links below.

Retail Is About to Be Reinvented, Driven by Digital Technologies

The Retail Store of the Future Will Become the Hub of All User Data.

Since around the time Amazon Prime began offering recurring orders on things like toothpaste and dish soap, people have been predicting the death of traditional retail. The ease of e-commerce, coupled with the reliability and speed of shipping, made the future of local shops and already struggling suburban malls seem grim.

Recently, though, technological advancements in near-field communication (NFC), interactive display and mobile payments have been bringing buzz back to the retail store. With this technology, marketers are merging digital and physical worlds to create seamless, predictive, personalized, and delightful environments that increase sales and brand metrics. Retail is on the verge of total reinvention. And that reinvention is rooted in the user-centric practices of today’s most savvy digital agencies.

Facebook Is Retailers’ Favorite Social Network

Pinterest also of greater interest for retail advertisers than Twitter –

Retailers don’t appear to be holding back when it comes to ad investments in social media. According to June 2015 polling, half of US retailers will be spending more on paid media on Facebook in particular.

That’s what the National Retail Federation (NRF) found when it asked how many merchants would spend more on advertising on various social networks. Facebook had a commanding lead, but YouTube and Pinterest were also expected to see additional ad spending from 29% and 27% of respondents, respectively. Buying paid media on Twitter was less of a priority, with just 22% planning to spend more on that in 2015. Other research supports Facebook and Pinterest as bigger social shopping destinations than Twitter. UPS found in February 2015 that while 49% of US digital buyers also pinned products on Pinterest, and 48% “liked” retailers on Facebook, just 38% said they followed retailers on Twitter.

3 Retail Technologies That Cross Over E-commerce

Ever since the retail market of the Web exploded, the expectation was that brick and mortar was doomed. For some stores, such as Borders Books and Music, it met its fate as Amazon.com marched across the bookstore landscape and chewed up most of what was in its path.

However, for the rest of the industry, the lines blurred between online and offline sales and the numbers have never been better. In fact, new mobile technologies are sending more people into stores looking for deals with the same discounts they would get online without the wait.

Online retail still smaller than offline

According to Price Waterhouse Coopers Strategy&, online retail sales still only accounts for about 8 percent of total retail sales. The major sectors that remain untouched are automobiles, gas stations, and food which are items that don’t necessarily do well online as we learned with the death of WebVan all those years ago.

Still, these categories play a major role for almost half of total retail sales. The reality is that the larger the growth of using retail technology for online sales, the better it is for some the retailers.

Filed Under: Security News Tagged With: Alpha 2 Alarm, Alpha 3 Alarm, Alpha High Theft Solutions, Alpha Jewel Lok, Alpha Nano Gate, Alpha Security, Anti-shoplifting training, anti-theft devices, Employee Theft, Georgia shoplifting prevention, Georgia shoplifting systems, Prevent Shoplifting, Retail Anti Theft Devices, retail security, retail security and monitoring, Shoplifting Prevention

How To Combat Employee Theft In Your Business

August 21, 2015 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

A store no matter the size cannot avoid theft. Employee theft and shoplifting are major issues for the retail industry around the globe. Billions of dollars are lost due to this crime, and everybody is somehow affected.

The small business cannot weather the storm as well as the big retailers and could close their doors due to this issue, the honest buyer pays more their merchandise, everyone pays regardless of who commits the crime. So, what can you do to protect your business from shoplifting and employee theft.

Owners should set good example to help combat employee theft

Q. How can a small business avoid employee theft?

A. That’s a timely question because employee theft is more likely during a recession.

The risk is illustrated by a recent news story of a chief financial officer who embezzled $9.9 million over six years. Most employees are honest and loyal but a single dishonest employee can cause large losses.

The average loss when major employee financial theft occurs is about $190,000, enough to bankrupt a small business. Small businesses are more susceptible to employee theft. Owners tend to be too trusting and either are not skilled in financial management to catch theft or don’t have time to monitor financial transactions to avoid theft. Employee staffs are small and that makes it difficult to separate financial functions among employees to avoid theft and have financial controls. Owners need to strike the right balance between employee trust, which is essential for employee loyalty, and maintaining controls to avoid theft.

Walmart’s Shrinkage Problem Is Causing Earnings Headaches And A Lot Of Excuses

Thieves are creating a massive headache for Walmart’s bottom line and the company is now regularly blaming shrinkage for much of its earnings issues.

During the retail giant’s quarterly results call on Tuesday morning, the company spoke about shrinkage throughout the conversation. Shrinkage was mentioned 13 times on the call, as the company’s team quickly blamed theft for much of its lower than expected earnings.

The company says much of its writedowns occurred for inventory that just disappeared. Walmart employees claim that customers steal everything from meat to electronics.

According to Walmart’s chief financial officer, Charles Holley, the problem isn’t about to go away anytime soon. Walmart is restarting a program to teach employees how to spot thieves and the company is auditing its entire supply chain to “close gaps” while it adds staff to parts of store’s in which items tend to vanish. In many locations, new “receipt” checkers will even make sure items are not being snuck out after someone leaves the register.

Newport Grand employee arrested, fired for alleged theft at slots parlor

A Newport Grand employee has been arrested and fired from her cashier’s job for allegedly trying to steal $1,300 from the slots parlor.

Kimberley Albro, of 6 Union St., Warren, was arrested in April by Rhode Island State Police after Newport Grand alerted them to the theft. Albro subsequently was fired from her slots parlor cashier’s job and the R.I. Department of Business Regulation later revoked the state-required “operations employee license” needed to handle money at Rhode Island gambling venues, according to records of the two state agencies.

Albro apparently tried to get away with pilfering the money from her cashier’s drawer, but other employees noticed that her transactions were off, according to State Police Capt. Matthew C. Moynihan. A review of video recordings by Newport Grand security showed Albro taking the money.

“Security there is very tight,” Moynihan said.

Newport Grand alerted state police, who arrested Albro, Moynihan said. She was arraigned April 3 in Newport District Court on a felony charge of embezzlement of more than $100. The case remains open.

Filed Under: Shoplifting Prevention Tagged With: Alpha 2 Alarm, Alpha 3 Alarm, Alpha High Theft Solutions, Alpha Jewel Lok, Alpha Nano Gate, Alpha Security, Anti-shoplifting training, anti-thefts devices, Employee Theft, Georgia Alarms systems, Georgia shoplifting systems, Prevent Shoplifting, prevent shrinkage, Retail Anti Theft Devices, retail security, retail security and monitoring, security devices, Shoplifting Prevention, surveillance

Managerial Isolation = Fraud Opportunities

August 14, 2015 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

There’s been a lot of research conducted, Dilbert cartoons drawn and articles written about the isolating effects of the cubicle culture in business. This conversation has expanded lately to include increasing awareness of and concerns about the growing trend toward group management — managing people as a group rather than as individuals.

Proponents of this style suggest that supervising people as a group is a more contemporary, efficient way to allocate time and money. Communication is primarily done via emails, memos, texts, social media, conference calls and meetings. The thinking behind this concept is that people will become more independent with less oversight.

The premise that employees will step up and become more responsible through limited leadership or leaderless teams is actually an old one, which has been tried with limited or no success. The idea that people are just waiting for and will happily seize the opportunity to be honestly self-determining is flawed, because it ignores basic human nature.

Isolating managers from employees doesn’t take into account that, depending on the study, 75% — 85% of people say that given the right circumstance they have or would commit occupational fraud. That they have in the past and/or would in the future steal time, money and property from their employer, even one they like working for.

Occupational fraud is something most businesses have had, are having or will have. Involved, aware and reasonable management is the first and best line of defense in making sure the right circumstances (motive, means and opportunity) don’t occur. Good management requires knowing your people, a well thought-out and monitored security plan, and consistent checks and balances.

It’s common for employees to talk about how they “would do things better” if they had more power, don’t be fooled by it. Only 34% (CareerBuilder, 2014) want to be bosses, and many of them aren’t doing anything to make it happen. The reality is that most people want to do their jobs without increased responsibility for themselves, just for others.

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, EAS Devices, employee background checks, Employee Theft, Georgia shoplifting systems, Prevent Shoplifting, prevent shrinkage, Retail Anti Theft Devices, retail security, retail security and monitoring, security devices, shoplifting, Shoplifting Prevention, shoplifting statistics, shoplifting violence, surveillance

Shoplifting Prevention and Your Store Policies

August 13, 2015 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

Video surveillance has been considered for many stores a way to stay abreast criminal acts against their businesses. Shoplifting is crime that is constantly jeopardizing profits for many stores across the world, video cameras and other means to prevent shoplifting have helped stores fight this crime, but is always a battle that is changing with new technology coming into play. Posting and knowing the policies and procedures that govern your retail stores concerning shoplifting, can help keep your employees safe and your store from becoming a hang out place for shoplifters.

Read more about this and other topics by following the links below.

Macy’s employee stabbed trying to stop shoplifting at D.C. store, police say

A Macy’s employee was stabbed in the shoulder Tuesday afternoon as he tried to prevent a suspected shoplifter from leaving the store’s downtown location near Metro Center, according to D.C. police.

The worker was not seriously injured and the suspected stabber was arrested, police said. The incident occurred about 3:30 p.m. near the store’s entrance in the 1200 block of G Street NW, along a street lined with stores four blocks from the White House.

Lt. Sean Conboy said police could not immediately provide any information about the person who was arrested.

Taking steps to prevent shoplifting

In early July, $3,000 in designer dresses, slacks and jackets were stolen from ADORE Designer Retail Boutique in Cary, one of Nancy Alinovi’s two consignment shops in the Triangle. She still feels sick about it.

“It’s just this feeling in your chest,” she said. “It’s not a victimless crime.”

Alinovi said it will be two months before everything returns to normal at the family-owned boutiques, which cut prices in order to stay afloat after the theft. Her experience shows the toll shoplifting takes on small businesses, where margins are small and business is personal.

There were 582 calls to the Raleigh Police Department regarding shoplifting in the past year, said Jim Sughrue, department spokesman. They run the gamut from family-run gas stations to department stores, he said.

According to a National Retail Federation’s security survey, shoplifting accounted for 38 percent of the $44 billion in retail inventory loss due to crime in 2014.

Focus on shoplifting

Police nab thief with aid of video

Video surveillance was a key factor in the arrest of a Grand Falls-Windsor man Aug. 9 after he was caught on film on three separate occasions stealing from local businesses.

Grand Falls–Windsor RCMP arrested and charged the 27-year-old with theft under $5000. He was released from custody, placed on conditions and scheduled to appear in court at a later date.

Grand Falls-RCMP also dealt with a number of assault and disturbance cases among the 68 calls for service fielded at the detachment between Aug. 3 and Aug. 9.

On Aug. 4, the Grand Falls–Windsor RCMP arrested and charged a 30-year-old Grand Falls–Windsor resident for uttering threats. The male had written a letter threatening to kill a local female. The male is scheduled to appear in court at a later date.

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, EAS Devices, Loss Prevention Training, 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

It Takes A Well Rounded Manager To Prevent Shoplifting

August 11, 2015 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

We all work with difficult personalities, right? If you’re out there reading this and you don’t, well you should consider yourself very lucky. There hasn’t been a job, office, or store that I’ve worked in where I didn’t have at least one difficult personality to work with. One that stands out involved a store manager who was tired of shoplifting in his store. He would call me every week it seemed to complain about the theft problem and tell me that my department (LP) wasn’t doing enough to prevent shoplifting in his store. Being is that preventing losses was literally, all I did, I took it just a little personal. To make matters worse, this same store manager would resist every LP initiate that came down.

This particular store was having a huge issue with electronics being stolen at the store. As a way to prevent shoplifting of these items, I had our offices send him a few cases of Alpha Spider Wraps. A few weeks later, I was conducting some visits in stores and found that the cases were still sitting in the warehouse. The store manager told me that he didn’t have the payroll budget to spend in order for his employees to put those devices on the products that he, himself, was complaining about being commonly shoplifted. Would’ve taken 10 minutes and he could’ve saved thousands of dollars in shrink.

There are in fact some of you, right now, sitting at home, or in your office reading this, saying to yourself, “Wow… I’m kind of like that manager.” Even though you’ll never say it to anyone but yourself, you know it. It’s not because you want to battle, but it’s because you’re thinking too much like a manager. I used to think that a good LP professional had a background in law enforcement, or degrees in criminal justice. What I’ve learned is the opposite. Some of the best people that work for me now have MBA’s, degrees in marketing and even Human Resource management. I bring this up for one reason. In order to prevent shoplifting, you have see if from not only an LP perspective, but also from a business view as well.

You own your business. Someone comes to you and says, “Here’s this tool. If you implement this tool today, you will increase your profits.” Chances are, you’re going to use that tool. That exactly what EAS devices are to retailers. Tools to reduce losses, thus increasing your profits. Don’t be that manager anymore. Accept the tools available to you and prevent shoplifting losses before they ever happen.

For more information, contact us: Prevent Shoplifting, or call 1.770.426.0547

We all work with difficult personalities, right? If you’re out there reading this and you don’t, well you should consider yourself very lucky. There hasn’t been a job, office, or store that I’ve worked in where I didn’t have at least one difficult personality to work with. One that stands out involved a store manager who was tired of shoplifting in his store. He would call me every week it seemed to complain about the theft problem and tell me that my department (LP) wasn’t doing enough to prevent shoplifting in his store. Being is that preventing loss was literally, all I did, I took it just a little personal. To make matters worse, this same store manager would resist every LP initiate that came down.

There are in fact some of you, right now, sitting at home, or in your office reading this, saying to yourself, “Wow… I’m kind of like that manager.” Even though you’ll never say it to anyone but yourself, you know it. It’s not because you want to battle, but it’s because you’re thinking too much like a manager. I used to think that a good LP professional had a background in law enforcement, or degrees in criminal justice. What I’ve learned is the opposite. Some of the best people that work for me now have MBA’s, degrees in marketing and even Human Resource management. I bring this up for one reason. In order to prevent shoplifting, you have to see it from not only an LP perspective, but also from a business view as well.

For more information, contact us: Prevent Shoplifting, or call 1.770.426.0547

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

Real Time Anti-Shoplifting App For Your Mobile Devices

August 8, 2015 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

When I look at the Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS) marketplace there are two very distinct offerings: Checkpoint Systems and the “other guys”. I realize that this is a bold and maybe arrogant statement. Despite the fact that we are the largest nationwide Checkpoint Dealer for the small to medium size retailer in The United States and yes, I do favor Checkpoint Systems, it really is a true statement.

I wish I could take you on an inside tour of Checkpoint’s facilities from R&D to Manufacturing to Support to Service and everything in between. What you would learn is that there really is only Checkpoint Systems and the “ring the bell, light the light” crowd. Checkpoint Systems is so far advanced beyond the other guys, it is mind boggling.

So now Checkpoint has moved the EAS industry further again. EVOLVE-Store puts your Checkpoint Systems in your mobile device. An app delivers real-time information through a smartphone or tablet, providing real-time visibility and engagement with your EAS & ORC theft prevention systems.

The EVOLVE-Store app will also help to improve your consumer conversion rates through real-time visibility of the number of shoppers in your store and measures your policy compliance by managing response times to alarm events.

Combine this with Checkpoint Systems VisiPlus which is retail people counting at its best and you have a substantial retail theft management system available to you regardless of where you are. Seeing theft-related events that are affecting your store in real time gives you an edge.

I have been a retailer in the loss prevention world for over 30 years. I have personally apprehended hundreds of shoplifters, investigated over 2300 retail employees for theft, built and directed the Loss Prevention program for several major retailers. But I have never seen such significant advances in such a short period of time in the loss prevention field. But what make Checkpoint Systems so different is that all of this is not just designed for the major retailer. EVOLVE-Store is an affordable program for the small single store and medium sized retailer.

If you are interested in learning more about Evolve-Store and Checkpoint Systems EAS, please contact me, Bill Bregar at 1-770-426-0547.

Filed Under: Featured Tagged With: Alpha 2 Alarm, Alpha 3 Alarm, Alpha High Theft Solutions, Alpha Jewel Lok, Alpha Nano Gate, Alpha Security, anti-theft devices, anti-theft tags, anti-thefts devices, EAS Devices, Georgia shoplifting prevention, Georgia shoplifting systems, Prevent Shoplifting, prevent shrinkage, Retail Anti Theft Devices, retail security, retail security and monitoring, security, security devices, shoplifting, Shoplifting Prevention, shoplifting statistics, surveillance