E-Commerce Fraud:What You Need to Know

March 26, 2015 by Leave a Comment

theft (13)With the digital age came different types of fraud retailers were not used to encounter in their daily operations.  Shoplifters came to the store and the loss prevention team knew the policies and procedures to follow to apprehend the shoplifter.  Now, retailers fear online fraud and debate on how to keep customers information safe.  The most prevalent fraud retailers are to be aware of is card fraud. Keeping cardholder’s information safe is a top priority for online retailers, and monitor suspicious transactions has become a top priority for them.

To learn or read more about e-commerce fraud follow the links below.

e-Commerce Fraud: The Rapidly Growing Challenge for Retail Investigations

Just as the word “e-commerce” has come to refer to a menagerie of different specialized markets, so e-commerce fraud comes in many different guises. And as the great pace of retail evolution dictates that retailers’ transaction processes are constantly changing, so the frauds change with them.

In a bid to stand on the top of the heap competitively, retailers are offering as many options to consumers as possible when it comes to ways to buy. You can place an online order at an in-store kiosk to be shipped to your house. You can place an order from your mobile device to be picked up at a local store. You don’t like the color of the new curtains you ordered through the online customer rewards program? You can return them to the nearest brick-and-mortar store to save on shipping.

There are multitudes of different ways for customers to shop in the modern omni-channel retailing world. But this proliferation of transaction processes can leave behind more and more holes that malicious actors can exploit. “You have this almost complete melding of digital and physical worlds now, and the primary challenge is keeping pace with that evolution,” said Jerett Sauer, director of loss prevention at Gap Inc. “Awareness of risk has always been a core part of any great LP program, and historically, digital space was outside that sphere of awareness; the focus was on people touching a POS or physical merchandise.

Kount and Ethoca Join Forces to Help Ecommerce Merchants Eliminate More Fraud, Accept More Orders

Kount, a leading provider of fraud detection and sales boosting technology, and Ethoca, the industry standard for collaboration-based technology solutions that help card issuers and online merchants increase transaction acceptance and stop ecommerce fraud, today announced a strategic partnership to help ecommerce merchants increase their overall acceptance levels.

Ecommerce merchants aim to strike a delicate balance: eliminating as much fraud as possible, while maximizing the acceptance of good orders. With the increasing frequency of data breaches and online security threats, many ecommerce merchants are tightening their fraud tools to stop as much fraud as possible, but that often results in too many good orders that are wrongly rejected and result in lost revenue.

Through its partnership with Ethoca, Kount now offers merchant customers worldwide an additional, complementary service with Ethoca Alerts. These alerts provide a safeguard to catch fraud that has already been confirmed between the card issuing bank and the cardholder.

Smart Card Technology Will Affect Your Fraud Prevention Strategy

With large retail chains like Target, Neiman Marcus and Michaels experiencing massive data breaches, U.S. banks and brick-and-mortar merchants face serious pressure to increase credit card security measures by implementing smart card technology.

This shift to more secure card-present transactions at physical, smart-card ready terminals will impact ecommerce sites as fraudsters are stymied at brick-and-mortar stores and turn their attentions to card-not-present (CNP) transactions online.

As smart cards become standard in the U.S., forward thinking ecommerce merchants must prepare for the coming increase in online fraud. Now is the time for software companies to ensure that their fraud prevention system is ready.

Brick-and-Mortar Merchants Face Serious Pressure

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ShopliftingTricks You Should Be Aware of For Preventing Shrinkage

March 23, 2015 by Leave a Comment

shoplifting3

Haven’t you heard in police shows on TV how you have to think like a criminal to catch a criminal?  Well, in shoplifting prevention you have to know the methods these criminals are using to be able to protect your merchandise and your employees.  There are shoplifting rings that are professional and make their living stealing.  They may target a specific store or chain of stores, but they always have a plan and different people working to steal as much as they can without getting caught.  The shoplifting prevention team in your store may not be aware of some of these “methods,” and being aware of them may be the difference between a profitable store or one that is constantly loosing money.  For more news about this topic, follow the links below.

Suspects arrested after aluminum foil used in shoplifting

SNOHOMISH — Money-making schemes are a popular topic of conversation among the criminal community. One such scheme ended in three arrests earlier this month in Snohomish. A group of suspects was accused of working in tandem, using aluminum foil to defeat anti-shoplifting devices.

The trick is widely known among heroin addicts who pilfer goods to support their habit, Police Chief John Flood said. He credited the Nov. 2 bust at the Snohomish Station Kohl’s to increased anti-shoplifting patrols and proactive store security.
Snohomish police started seeing thieves trying the foil ruse about a year ago, Flood said. The crooks wrap bits of foil around the security tags.

Dubai shoplifters’ tricks: Cut magnetic tags

Two Egyptians, who allegedly fled with garments they stole from a shop after removing the magnetic tags, returned after 45 minutes to steal more, the Dubai Criminal Court heard.

AM, 27, truck driver and HS, 28, clerk were noticed roaming around in a well-known store by a security staff.

“I noticed two Arabs roaming around in the shop and kept an eye on them. They picked up a pair of shoes and a T-shirt and one of them entered the trial room while the other waited outside. Then the man came out of the room without the shoes and the garment.

“The two then stepped out of the shop and as the security device did not beep, I thought they had left the T-shirt and the shoes in the room,” the security staff told investigators.

However, the two returned to the shop after 45 minutes and picked up a pair of jeans, a wallet and two pair of shoes.

“One of them entered the dressing room and after they stepped out of the shop, the security gate did not beep this time too. I followed them and caught them near their car while calling police. When asked about the stolen items, they replied that they are in the car,” the security man said.

Retail Profiling Lawsuits: Businesses Would Rather Lose Merchandise Than Detain Potential Shoplifters

SAN FRANCISCO (KPIX 5) — Retailers lose $45 billion dollars annually to theft, about $10 billion of that to shoplifting.

Yet the last thing stores may want to do is catch a thief.

Chris Mcgoey knows all the tricks. He’s been in the loss prevention business for almost 40 years. On an undercover tour of a big box store he showed us how shoplifters stash things and how to pick out what he calls “likely candidates”, like women with big purses in shopping carts. Or shoppers with baby carriers.

Mcgoey admits it’s profiling. “It’s not based on race, religion, sex, age, any of those, it’s really based on behavior.  But he says these days some retailers would rather lose the merchandise than detain anyone. “America is  just shaking in their boots, they are scared. If you stop someone and they haven’t stolen anything you are sued.”

Earlier this year Barneys in New York paid half a million dollars to settle accusations it was singling out minority shoppers. The state launched an investigation after 19-year-old Trayon Christian sued the store for detaining him and questioning his ability to pay for an expensive belt.

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Video Surveillance In Your Store

March 9, 2015 by Leave a Comment

shoplifting2Surveillance in your store can be a big deterrent for shoplifting and employee theft.  The knowledge that your store is protected, or at least that there are cameras capturing images of employees and customers, can help you save thousand of dollars yearly.  Employee theft is costing the retail industry millions of dollars every year and installing a type of security in your store can help you reduce the shrinkage you are experiencing.

For more about shoplifting, follow the links below.

Surveillance best cure for shoplifting

Aside from the holiday seasons where people aimlessly weave through cart-to-cart traffic down aisles in department or convenience stores, it’s difficult to predict when there will be spike in theft.

Particularly, shoplifting.

As of Friday, the Hutchinson Police Department has worked two cases of shoplifting this month. Granted, only nine unpredictably cold and not-so cold days have scooted by in March. But January and February were hot months for shoplifting with officers responding to 61 combined reported cases of shoplifting, according to Hutchinson Police bulletin archives.

There were 24 reports of shoplifting in December. Numbers from the archive bulletin suggests the shoplifting occurs at three of the most recognizable stores in the city: Wal-Mart, Dillons and various Kwik Shops.

Hastings, Target, J.C. Penney and Kohl’s are also sprinkled on the list of popularly shoplifted stores.

But why the heart-monitor like spike in thefts recently? Police Lt. Martin Robertson isn’t sure of the answer himself.

US based company allows shoplifters to avoid the police by charging them for an online course

IN THE game of Monopoly, there’s nothing better (apart from maybe winning free parking) than turning over that community chest card to see the words “get out of jail free.”

Now imagine that someone hands you that card after you’ve committed a criminal act in real life.

That is essentially what one company based in the United States is doing.

The Corrective Education Company (CEC) is a start-up, and works with businesses to offer shoplifters an alternative path to reform other than the boring old legal system.

Founded by a pair of Harvard graduates, it offers the chance for apprehended shoplifters to pay $411 ($US320) in order to avoid a phone call to the boys in blue.

That money goes towards the cost of attending an online course which is run by CEC that claims to reduce the likelihood of recidivism for the individual.

The obliging shop owners who refer the shoplifters get a cut of about $US40 per offender, and according to Slate around 20,000 offenders have so far coughed up for the program.

That works out to be $7.2 million that CEC has profited by blatantly circumventing the established judicial system.

Walgreens Shoplifting Duo Captured On Surveillance

 

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Bad Stops are Bad for Business

March 2, 2015 by Leave a Comment

theft (1)If you’ve been in the LP profession for any length of time, chances are, you know someone who has had their career ended for making a “bad stop”. If you’ve never heard that term, great news for you. This is the term given when an LP agent makes a shoplifting apprehension outside of set guidelines and detains an individual, who in fact, did not partake in any illegal activities. Sounds like something that should NEVER happen, right? Unfortunately, it does and it can spell big legal trouble for your company. If you detain an individual who has not committed a crime, they have the legal right to file a lawsuit against you, your employee and your company. I’ve personally seen more than I would like in my tenure and they usually end with a large settlement and an employee or two in the unemployment line.

How does this happen? If you have an LP program, or policies relating to shoplifting apprehensions, you may ask how does an agent get to the point where they make such a bad decision. Just with any other job, no one is perfect. As a manager, or business owner, you need to have very strict rules and guidelines that are to be followed in regards to shoplifting apprehensions in order to protect not only the safety of your employees, but the very business you are running. Looking back at the incidents that I’ve personally dealt with, one common theme always stands out. An employee who will try to bend the rules as much as possible. When you develop and maintain adequate policies, you have to enforce them. Letting something slip by won’t do you any good. That employee does not have your company’s best interests in mind, and in your position, you have to make sure that your polices are followed to the letter.

One case that stands out happened a few years ago. One of my top performing agents saw a customer place something in her purse and walk out the store. He didn’t see exactly what the item was, but still made the apprehension. Once in the security office, he realized she had placed a shirt in her purse that she entered the store with. The customer had brought the item to compare colors to a new item she wanted to purchase. Understandably so, the customer was highly upset and sought legal action. After all was settled, my company had to pay a substantial settlement to keep the matter out of court and I had to release one of the best agents that ever had worked for me.

During the termination conversation, I asked him why he made the stop without knowing exactly what was concealed. His response was that he had done it several times in the past, and he was normally right. This was the one time he was wrong, and it cost him and my company in a big way. Due to that incident, we implemented more vigorous training programs and did a better job of documenting training with all LP agents in order to prove, it we needed, that all LP agents were trained according to a set policy and that anything done outside of that was the result of poor performance.

I would encourage anyone with a small business, or managers of small companies to adopt and implement a written policy regarding shoplifting apprehensions. If your store doesn’t have an LP department that has agents in store, your policies should state that only a salaried manager may initiate a shoplifting apprehension and only before going through some type of standardized training. This will protect your store not only from shoplifters, but it will go a very long way in keeping innocent customers from being detained by an ill-trained, or poor performing associate.

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Awareness and Steps to Prevent Shoplifting

February 18, 2015 by Leave a Comment

shoplifting4There are shoplifting rings that target stores all across our country. People get arrested and charged with shoplifting every day. Merchandise is stolen by customers and employees alike. It is quite impossible to prevent shoplifting 100% of the time, but you and your employees can take steps to prevent or mitigate some of the losses. Recognizing and understanding the items that are a clear target for shoplifters can help you establish some type of security around those items. Educating your management and employees about steps to help prevent shoplifting can help you deter possible shoplifters in the future.

Follow the links below for more information about shoplifting.

5 Quick and Low-Tech Tips To Prevent Shoplifting in Your Retail Store

As a small business retailer, it’s not always easy to just throw money at problems like shoplifting and take advantage of all the technology that big box retailers may be privy to. Whether it’s cameras, door scanners, or facial-recognition software, sometimes their big-ticket cost just doesn’t fit with your small business security budget.

But when you recognize facts like shoplifting costing retailers upwards of $13 billion each year, it’s important to identify it as a problem that needs to be dealt with.

So, what’s a boutique owner to do? In this post, I’ll be looking at cost-effective and low-tech tactics that you can start implementing right away.

Let’s dive in.

1. Keep Your Store Organized and Products Well-Placed

How easy should it be to identify whether something has gone “missing” from your store? Empty space on your shelves should be enough of a visual cue to signal something has gone wrong.

How to Prevent Shoplifting With Effective Retail Loss Prevention

Shoplifting occurs every day in retail stores around the world. There are times when the items truly are needed, but others, just have a need to break the law. Retail loss prevention teams and systems are available to prevent shoplifting from your retail store.

You cannot be too careful these days and reduced profits mean that the store is not making enough and the owner is not earning enough to support him or her family.

Plain Clothed Loss Prevention Team

Many retailers are using plain clothed security personnel to help loss prevention. These individuals watch suspicious customers and alert store staff.

The video cameras are closely monitored and if any items appear to be missing from their pile upon exiting the dressing rooms, the plain clothed security officer will detain the shoplifter.

10 Steps to prevent shoplifting

Theft is a serious threat to the bottom lines of retail businesses.  Shoplifting is prevalent due to the fact that is relatively easy to commit and has minimal risk when compared to other crimes.  Shoplifters come in the form of all races, ages and economic status.  In fact, in many cases shoplifters have enough money on their person to purchase the items they are attempting to steal.   Shoplifters look like everyday people.  In the case of shoplifting, shoplifters are everyday people who steal.  According to the National Association for Shoplifting Prevention   more than $13 billion worth of goods are stolen from retailers each year.   Shoplifting losses affect every retailer regardless of what they sell.  These losses result in profits and increased prices.  Here are 10 steps that retailers can take to prevent shoplifting from their stores.

  1. Post warning signs: Make those that enter your store aware of the consequences of stealing from your store.  Determine your shoplifting policy and communicate it to your customers with posted signs. Signs should warn that shoplifting will result in prosecution.
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Preventing Shoplifting

February 13, 2015 by Leave a Comment

shoplifting1Managers in your store can play an important role in preventing shoplifting. Being aware of the procedures to take when a shoplifting incident occurs protects your employees and your store alike. Shoplifting education programs through the NASP can help organizations prevent shoplifting and educate their employees. The rules and procedures to take by employees when a shoplifting incident occurs can save lives, medical bills and negative publicity occurring from a shoplifting incident. Follow the links below for more news about shoplifting.

Walmart Manager Says He Was Fired After Stopping Alleged Shoplifter

For several years now, Consumerist has reported on variety of stories where a former Walmart employee says they were fired either stopping a shoplifter or defending themselves in an altercation with customers. The latest such incident involves the manager of an Alabama Walmart who claims he was dismissed after stopping an alleged repeat offender from shoplifting again.

AL.com reports that the former manager was blindsided when he was fired a month after he chased and confronted a shoplifter attempting to steal nearly $1,000 worth of merchandise.

The man says the incident occurred during the night shift, when he heard an alarm signaling that an emergency door was open.

When the manager reached the door, he saw a man he described as an habitual shoplifter leaving with a cart full of merchandise.

“When I caught up to the individual he turned and grabbed me, struck me in the face and dragged me to the ground,” the manager says. “I got loose and was holding him down when security personnel from an apartment complex across the street came to help until police arrived.”

VIDEO: Teens ‘Terrorize’ Marysville Grocery Store

MARYSVILLE-

Five teenagers entered a Marysville Save Mart around 1:40 p.m. Wednesday and “terrorized the store,” police say.

A Marysville Police spokesperson told FOX40 four teenage girls and one teenage boy vandalized the store aisle by aisle, shouting out gang slogans and throwing grocery items on the ground. One of those items, according to police, was a bottle of oil, which caused a 64-year-old man to slip and fall.

The retired Air Force veteran was taken to Rideout Medical Center and treated for a potentially fractured elbow, according to police.

Store managers told officers on scene that employees tried to stop the teenagers, but one punched the manager in the face. At some point, police say the teenagers went to the liquor aisle, opened a bottle of alcohol, and started drinking.

The two officers who responded to the incident have minor injuries after one of the teen’s resisted arrest.

Arrests made in two Kroger shoplifting incidents

Two shoplifting incidents were reported Thursday at the Kroger grocery story on U.S. Highway 29, according to Athens-Clarke County police reports.

In one incident, Mary Ashley Moss, 22, of a Johns Creek, Ga., address was charged with shoplifting after swapping price tags on some items and concealing other items as she checked out of the store. According to a police report, Moss told Kroger managers “she did not think it was stealing since she was paying for something in the process.” According to police, Moss was attempting to take $50 worth of hygiene products. She was released from the Clarke County Jail after posting a $1,500 bond.

In the other incident, William Joseph Adams II, 47, of Timber Ridge Lane in Colbert, was charged with shoplifting after allegedly taking $75 worth of meat from the store.

Adams left the store in a blue Ford Fiesta that was stopped shortly after the incident, headed toward Madison County, by Athens-Clarke police. Adams was released from the Clarke County Jail after posting a $5,000 bond.

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Profit and Loss – It’s All About the Basics

February 13, 2015 by Leave a Comment

theft (11)Most people don’t mind doing what they should do when it’s easy or when it doesn’t get in the way of what they want to do. However, it takes discipline and maturity for people to do the things that should be done, whether they want to or not. Discipline and maturity are usually the differences between a successful manager and an unsuccessful one.

Successful managers know that being conscientious about preventing shoplifting is an on-going process of training and vigilance, which is why most unsuccessful ones don’t do it. Ineffective managers don’t develop and monitor the effective daily habits, for themselves and their employees, required to prevent shoplifting loss.

It’s unfortunate, because the margins between loss and profit are usually so tight that unaddressed loss can mean the difference between the business staying open or closing. There are many quick and practical ways that managers can help their employees develop the daily awareness and habits required to limit the opportunity for customer fraud. One of the most effective is also one of the most basic.

Most people are quick forgetters and they need on-going training (print, video, classroom style, one-on-one) to help them remember the company’s loss prevention plan. Once, during the orientation, is definitely not enough. Training modules which are short (about 15 minutes), monthly and topic specific (i.e. shoplifting techniques, proper confrontation of suspect, store’s prosecution policy) can be very productive.

Productive training makes sure everyone receives the same information and reinforces the company’s expectations and policies. It will, also, instruct, remind and reinforce the employee’s responsibility in preventing loss. Education and understanding is built on repetition, so repeatedly hearing who, what, when, where, how and why people steal can make workers more conscientious.

However, this is where the maturity and discipline of the manager is vital. If not conducted properly, training can hinder rather than help. The training time and materials shouldn’t be used for managers to pontificate, story tell or criticize, they should be teaching moments only. After all, it’s the failing of their managers when employees are expected to know things that they haven’t been told.

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 has conducted over 200 workshops, trainings, presentations, college classes and seminars.

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Economic Efficiency Award- Alpha Nano Gate

February 2, 2015 by Leave a Comment
When you are a small retailer, you are constantly on the look out for ways to reduce your overhead. Finding a cost effective way to prevent shoplifting is beneficial in not only reducing your operating costs, but to also increase your revenue through maximizing inventory availability.
One of the more cost efficient retail anti theft devices is the Alpha Security Alpha Nano Gate. The “Best Retail Product” award winner for economic efficiency in 2012, the Alpha Nano Gate is a small footprint antennae designed as an alternative to the larger EAS pedestals commonly found in the retail sector to prevent shoplifting.
The small design is easily installed with six screws and a battery to back up the system in case of power failure or intentional tampering.  This design makes it easy to be installed into the smaller entryways often found in specialty boutiques and locally owned retail establishments.
The device literally is plugged in and ready to go. Without a need for a service contract, bulky wiring, or tuning, it is easy to see why these retail anti theft devices won their award in the economic efficiency category.
Visit the Loss Prevention Store for Alpha 2Alarm, Alpha 3Alarm, Alpha Fashion2, Alpha Jewel Lok, Alpha Nano Gate,  Alpha Shark Tag, Alpha Spider Wrap and other retail anti-theft devices from Alpha Security to use in conjunction with your Electronic Article Surveillance or EAS system that can help you prevent shoplifting in your business.
For more information on how you can use Alpha Security retail anti-theft devices and your Electronic Article Surveillance or EAS system to prevent shoplifting contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 

When you are a small retailer, you are constantly on the look out for ways to reduce your overhead. Finding a cost effective way to prevent shoplifting is beneficial in not only reducing your operating costs, but to also increase your revenue through maximizing inventory availability.

One of the more cost efficient retail anti theft devices is the Alpha Security Alpha Nano Gate. The “Best Retail Product” award winner for economic efficiency in 2012, the Alpha Nano Gate is a small footprint antennae designed as an alternative to the larger EAS pedestals commonly found in the retail sector to prevent shoplifting.

The small design is easily installed with six screws and a battery to back up the system in case of power failure or intentional tampering.  This design makes it easy to be installed into the smaller entryways often found in specialty boutiques and locally owned retail establishments.

The device literally is plugged in and ready to go. Without a need for a service contract, bulky wiring, or tuning, it is easy to see why these retail anti theft devices won their award in the economic efficiency category.

Visit the Loss Prevention Store for Alpha 2Alarm, Alpha 3Alarm, Alpha Fashion2, Alpha Jewel Lok, Alpha Nano Gate,  Alpha Shark Tag, Alpha Spider Wrap and other retail anti-theft devices from Alpha Security to use in conjunction with your Electronic Article Surveillance or EAS system that can help you prevent shoplifting in your business.

For more information on how you can use Alpha Security retail anti-theft devices and your Electronic Article Surveillance or EAS system to prevent shoplifting contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 

 

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Prevent Shoplifting

January 29, 2015 by Leave a Comment

theft (13)Many retail businesses invest heavily in the security of their stores. Security guards afford an undeniable benefit to the protection of the goods in the store, although, they are not the only solution in many instances. Small businesses that cannot afford to hire full time security guards have to rely on video surveillance or other measures for protection against theft. Keeping your business safe from shoplifters or employee theft has become a security problem many retailers seem to have, and no solution has presented itself. For more information about how to keep your business safe and other news follow the links below.

Keep Your Business Safe: The Latest in Retail Theft Prevention

It’s not easy being a shoplifter these days. According to the 26th Annual Retail Theft Survey from Jack L. Hayes International, retailers are catching more thieves and dishonest employees than ever before. As apprehensions and recovered dollars increase the world of retail benefits, what’s contributing to these improvements in the industry? What tools and security measures are helping stores catch crooks faster and more effectively?

To help answer these questions, let’s take a look at some of the advanced security measures in place for retail theft prevention today and what they could mean for the coming year.

Video Security

As anybody in a high-cash-volume environment can testify, it’s hard to have eyes everywhere at once. Enter video security. With a digital video monitoring system, retailers have a way to see what’s happening at all times. If someone tries to swipe a product or if an employee tries to steal from the cash drawer, video surveillance makes it easy to catch the perpetrator and recover lost funds.

“Operation – Bundle Up Washington” Reduces Crime

While many of us were bundling up against winter weather, 20 7-Eleven stores in the Tacoma and Federal Way areas of Washington State were wrapping up a 30-day crime spree – thanks to a tremendous coordinated effort by the 7-Eleven, Inc.  Asset Protection team, franchisees, sales associates and local law enforcement agencies.
From Nov. 26 until Christmas Eve, one man committed crimes at 20 7-Eleven stores, as well as at other retail establishments in that area.  But on Christmas Eve, his luck ran out.  Thanks to consistent communication from 7-Eleven, local law enforcement and our retail partners were on the lookout for the perpetrator.  When he struck again, he was immediately identified and taken into custody.

“Franchisees, store managers and sales associates all played crucial roles in this case by quickly reporting incidents to the Asset Protection Hotline,” says Mike Aldridge, 7-Eleven Asset Protection Specialist & Law Enforcement liaison.  “The faster an incident is reported, the faster the Asset Protection team can respond and help bring resolution.”
The Dallas headquarters-based 7-Eleven Asset Protection team reviews all robbery incidents reported to the company’s Asset Protection Hotline.  The team analyzes surveillance video and images from each incident to help solve the case and prevent future incidents from occurring.

NOMi and March Networks deliver first integrated loss prevention and retail analytics solution 

NEW YORK CITY, NY, January 11, 2015 –– NOMi, the dominant in-store marketing and analytics provider, and March Networks, a leading provider of intelligent IP video solutions, today announced their first fully integrated solution for advanced loss prevention and retail analytics. This solution combines high definition (HD) streaming video from NOMi’s recently launched Brickstream 3D LIVE analytics sensor with March Networks’ new Searchlight video-based business intelligence software. It offers a single, easy-to-use platform that loss prevention, operations and marketing groups can use to improve store performance and profitability. March Networks is also the first NOMi alliance member to leverage the new Brickstream 3D LIVE sensor for loss prevention purposes.

Using Searchlight’s browser-based software interface, retailers can access the Brickstream 3D LIVE ONVIF compliant HD video, as well as integrated transaction data from the retailer’s point-of-sale system, to identify instances of potential theft and reduce investigation times from hours to minutes.

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Employee Theft and What’s Ahead For The Retail Industry

January 22, 2015 by Leave a Comment

theft (12)Well trained personnel in a retail store can be an asset for your business. Employees that are poorly trained and poorly rewarded are very unlikely to look for the best interest in your store. Employee theft is common, and a poorly rewarded employee with lots of responsibilities is likely to feel taken advantage of and not feel an obligation towards you or the business. Investing in your employees and the security of your store should be a goal for your business this year. Follow the links below for more information about the state of the retail industry and other stories.

The NRF BIG Show: What’s in Store for Retail in 2015?

Over the past several days the retail community has converged on New York City for Retail’s BIG Show 2015. More than 27,000 industry leaders were on hand at the Jacob J. Javits Convention Center to welcome the 2015 retail calendar in grand fashion.

“The retail industry continues to race forward with innovative models, more tightly integrated channels, and fresh ideas to win over consumers,” says Matthew Shay, President and CEO of the National Retail Federation. “But no matter what’s shaking up the industry, one thing doesn’t change: Retail’s Big Show is always a showcase for what’s new, a place to build partnerships and a look into the future of retail.”

The EXPO Hall

Approximately 700 solution providers and other vendors blanketed multiple levels of exhibition resources in the EXPO hall with the latest in new products and programs. There were fascinating demonstrations throughout the hall demonstrating everything from marketing tools and customer service products to analytics solutions, robotics, and an innovations center where many of the latest products were demonstrated.

Police: Serial shoplifter tries to steal thousands in clothes from Kennewick store

A Hermiston woman with a history of shoplifting arrested is suspected of trying to steal thousands of dollars of clothes from Macy’s at Columbia Center mall.

Jessica M. Reddick, 31, tried to leave the store Monday night with $2,000 worth of clothes, police said. She is banned from all Macy’s stores after several incidents where she allegedly stole items from various Tri-City stores.

A security officer stopped Reddick as she tried to leave through the men’s department, police said. She was arrested and booked into the Benton County jail on suspicion of theft and burglary.

Reddick also reportedly had four felony warrants out for her arrest — all related to theft or shoplifting.

Behind your back: How retailers can curb employee theft

Shoplifting is what makes the news but, according to the National Retail Federation, the number one source of retail theft in the United States is committed by a retailer’s own employees.

Respondents in the group’s U.S. Retail Fraud Survey ranked cash theft as the second biggest area of store loss, bookkeeping and other administrative errors third, and shoplifting the fourth. But the first? Employee theft, experienced by 38% of those surveyed.

Theft by retail employees costs companies $14.9 billion annually, more than 46% of losses, according to the ADT/ University of Florida study.

“Employee theft is often a more serious problem than customer theft, especially in retail and food service,” says Forrest Burnson, inventory management researcher at software review company Software Advice.

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