At one time, many retailers who were baffled with finding a system that would prevent shoplifting simply started to lock their small, high dollar, and/ or high shrink items away. This method undoubtedly dramatically reduces shrink; but at what cost in lost sales? 

From a customer service standpoint, this system is terribly ineffective AND costly. It is not surprising that this style of loss prevention is often referred to as “lost sales”.

There have been times as a consumer that I have needed to purchase an item  that has been locked up. In today’s meager payroll world, spending time to track down an associate, wait while they find another associate who has the key, and then wait for the item to be unlocked for purchase is highly frustrating and time consuming.

Most consumers in this “culture on the go” either don’t have the time or willingness to spend the time waiting for this process. I have no doubt that I am not the only customer who has walked out of a store without making the purchase because the process was simply taking too long.

Good customer service demands that you are able to simply ask an available sales associate to get whatever product you want into your hands without the drama. Successful retailers are rethinking this strategy and implementing the many versions of retail anti-theft devices designed for better customer service and sales.

Visit the Loss Prevention Store for retail anti-theft devices that can be implemented along with Electronic Article Surveillance (or EAS) system that can help you prevent shoplifting in your business.

For more information on how to install retail anti-theft devices as well as Electronic Article Surveillance or (EAS) system to prevent shoplifting please contact us or call 1.770.426.0547. 

I have seen it all after 10 years working in the field of loss prevention.  I have seen shoplifters enter a store with not a single bag and leave with multiple bags full of merchandise. This means that they not only left the store with stolen merchandise, but that they also stole the shopping bags in which they put the merchandise.  Many stories can be told by someone who tries to prevent shoplifting.

One thing continues to be true time and time again – shoplifters always go for the easy stuff. The merchandise not protected by retail anti- theft devices is considered the easy stuff. I observed that the majority of shoplifters detained in my stores shoplifted the unprotected merchandise more often than any other merchandise in the store.

Often times the shoplifter admitted during the interview and processing that the merchandise taken was not the merchandise the shoplifter originally planned to steal. They admitted that when they saw a security tag; they would quite simply find something easier to shoplift.  They also stated that they found retail anti-theft devices impossible to remove without damaging the merchandise or injuring themselves.

Shoplifters are not as cooperative as one might think and often they do not give up without resistance.  Because I wanted to prevent shoplifting in the store as well as prevent the dangerous confrontations I had been having, my observations led me to consider that I could likely prevent shoplifting throughout the other areas of the store by increasing the use of security tags.

I began placing the retail anti-theft devices on more and more merchandise in the store in an effort to prevent shoplifting and injury to myself. My plan worked.  I experienced a decrease in the number of shoplifters as well as a tremendous decrease in inventory shortages.

Prevent shoplifting in your business by visiting the Loss Prevention Store to purchase retail anti-theft devices and reduce or eliminate your losses from theft. For more information on the use of retail anti-theft devices to reduce or prevent shoplifting, please contact us or call 1.770.426.0547.