Did you watch the runway shows in Paris? Yeah, I didn’t either. I know that they were going on, and it’s just a matter of time before they (or a reasonable knock off) start to hit the shelves. The reason why I didn’t watch was I had been tied up with a new shipment of clothes that needed to have Checkpoint tags attached.

I am lucky to be with a company that is so adamant about putting security tags on clothes. They understand that consistency is undeniably important to clothing security. Time after time it has been documented in post apprehension interviews with not only shoplifters, but also in employee theft cases that criminals will actively search out clothing that does not have any form of clothing security like a Checkpoint tag.

Security tags on clothes are above all a visual deterrent. It stops a shoplifter’s plan of attack. They think go in, take stuff, hurry out. If they have to add a step like “take security tags off of clothes”, their plans start to falter. Unsure of themselves and the situation, they will most likely back off rather than run the risk of being caught.

Weather you have a high end boutique with straight from the runway designs, or last season’s middle market versions, make sure to include the hottest accessory around: clothing security tags.

 Visit the Loss Prevention Store to purchase a clothing alarm or clothing security tags and an Electronic Article Surveillance or EAS system. 

For more information on Checkpoint tags, clothing security, clothing alarm, or clothing security tags how they can work with your Electronic Article Surveillance or EAS system contact us at security tags on clothes or call 1.770.426.0547

One of my all time problematic areas of clothing security has been in the fitting rooms. I can’t even tell you the countless hours I have spent brainstorming new security measures specifically for that area of the store. The mix of protecting the privacy of a customer and the balance of payroll hours spent to monitor a fitting room creates a difficult task at best.

Additionally, the fitting rooms attract a few different types of theft. There is the opportunist. They are the ones who don’t come in to steal, but faced with an unclean fitting room and no watchful eyes to do a piece count, an extra item or two is liable to walk out the door.

Then there are the amateurs who know they want to steal a piece of clothing, but are way to nervous to do it on the sales floor. They will wait for hours in a fitting room until they are the only ones left. They will also take a chance against clothing security tags. Some have the fore thought to bring in a pair of wire cutters in an attempt at hacking off the pin of a clothing security tag.

The best bet to protecting a fitting room from theft is to keep the fitting rooms monitored. While I would love to suggest installing locks, I understand that it can cause a big customer issue. If a customer can’t find an employee to unlock them, you can potentially loose a sale. Next use checkpoint tags whenever possible. Often shoplifters will bypass stealing if faced with the prospect of having to remove one. They won’t run the risk of setting off a clothing alarm with a Checkpoint tag still attached.

With these simple couple of additions to your clothing security, your fitting rooms will stand a better chance of being theft free.

 Visit the Loss Prevention Store to purchase a clothing alarm or clothing security tags and an Electronic Article Surveillance or EAS system.

For more information on Checkpoint tags, clothing security, clothing alarm, or clothing security tags how they can work with your Electronic Article Surveillance or EAS system contact us at security tags on clothes or call 1.770.426.0547

One of my all time problematic areas of clothing security has been in the fitting rooms. I can’t even tell you the countless hours I have spent brainstorming new security measures specifically for that area of the store. The mix of protecting the privacy of a customer and the balance of payroll hours spent to monitor a fitting room creates a difficult task at best.

Additionally, the fitting rooms attract a few different types of theft. There is the opportunist. They are the ones who don’t come in to steal, but faced with an unclean fitting room and no watchful eyes to do a piece count, an extra item or two is liable to walk out the door.

Then there are the amateurs who know they want to steal a piece of clothing, but are way to nervous to do it on the sales floor. They will wait for hours in a fitting room until they are the only ones left. They will also take a chance against clothing security tags. Some have the fore thought to bring in a pair of wire cutters in an attempt at hacking off the pin of a clothing security tag.

The best bet to protecting a fitting room from theft is to keep the fitting rooms monitored. While I would love to suggest installing locks, I understand that it can cause a big customer issue. If a customer can’t find an employee to unlock them, you can potentially loose a sale. Next use checkpoint tags whenever possible. Often shoplifters will bypass stealing if faced with the prospect of having to remove one. They won’t run the risk of setting off a clothing alarm with a Checkpoint tag still attached.

With these simple couple of additions to your clothing security, your fitting rooms will stand a better chance of being theft free.

 Visit the Loss Prevention Store to purchase a clothing alarm or clothing security tags and an Electronic Article Surveillance or EAS system.

For more information on Checkpoint tags, clothing security, clothing alarm, or clothing security tags how they can work with your Electronic Article Surveillance or EAS system contact us at security tags on clothes or call 1.770.426.0547

 

These are desperate times and with desperate times come desperate measures as a great man once said.  However that phrase doesn’t always apply in a positive manner.  Shoplifters, specifically the ones who are new to ‘the game’ are becoming more desperate in their methods and behaviors.  This of course makes clothing security a more dangerous game for those of us in the Loss Prevention field.

The other day we had a pair of women on camera that gathered a large bundle of clothing and then proceeded to cut off the clothing security tags using tin snips and a fish gutting knife.  They moved in such erratic and nervous patterns that my team knew right away that police intervention would be needed.  When the women had stashed their stolen goods in their bags and dumped the clothing security tags all over the floor they made for the store entrance where they were greeted by one of my teammates and three members of the local police department.

Neither woman went without putting up a fight.

In the end they were cuffed and taken away for shoplifting, resisting arrest, and attempted assault of a police officer with a deadly weapon.  Lucky for them no one suffered any injuries, but still, it could’ve been a much bloodier ordeal.  As things become more and more hopeless I am certain we will hear more stories with much more tragic endings.

But of course when things get bad it’s us, the people in loss prevention that see some of the worst of it.  As I said before, clothing security is becoming a dangerous game.  All we can do is keep our heads and not do anything stupid.

 Visit the Loss Prevention Store to purchase a clothing alarm or clothing security tags.

For more information on Checkpoint tags, clothing security, clothing alarm, or clothing security tags contact us at security tags on clothes or call 1.770.426.0547

 

I was involved in a case recently regarding a high dollar theft of jeans. Two males had come into the store. They both went behind an unopened cash wrap and picked up some empty shopping bags. They then made a beeline toward our new display of high dollar jeans.  They each took half of the stack and headed to the fitting rooms.

Our fitting rooms are supposed to be locked, but I guess that the associate had forgotten to lock them up after the last customers had used them. So now our thieves had about fifteen pairs of jeans (each), empty store bags, and open – unattended fitting rooms. Well, you can put two and two together to figure out what happened next. The two emerged from the fitting rooms with now full shopping bags.   Off they went to the exit doors to make their grand escape. We were there waiting for them as they exited.

During the interview with the subjects they told us how easy it was to steal because no one was paying attention. And they, for the most part were right. There were several breakdowns to our clothing security. This is the sort of incident I use to train my store associates on the importance of clothing security. It’s not just about having clothing security tags, it’s about being watchful of your surroundings.

While the store may not have been paying attention, we sure were. We watched the pair blatantly go behind the counter and laugh as they scooped up the jeans and headed toward the fitting room. We tell the associates these are the red flags to watch for.  It makes them feel more empowered about what they can and can’t do. I know that next time, the clothing alarm and me won’t be the only ones watching for shoplifters.

Visit the Loss Prevention Store to purchase a clothing alarm or clothing security tags.

For more information on Checkpoint tags, clothing security, clothing alarm, or clothing security tags contact us at security tags on clothes or call 1.770.426.0547

While employed as an agent for a department store, one issue that we never stopped confronting was fitting room theft. It might be assumed that the amount of shoplifting that occurs in this location would probably be similar, if not equal, to the restroom because both places offer privacy. However, carrying an armful of clothing into a designated area for trying on apparel isn’t devious at all, whereas smuggling merchandise into a lavatory should raise some red flags.

The corporation I worked for expected fitting room attendants to count the merchandise going into the room and coming out and verifying that there were security tags on clothes. In reality, this is not the way the system operated. I found myself going over the procedures with these associates almost weekly. The reason why the salespeople weren’t following these guidelines was not because they didn’t care, but their focus was on their own department, sorting merchandise, and running racks back to the floor.

Shoplifters are normally prepared for a store’s fitting room procedures and have an arsenal of techniques to thwart clothing security efforts. Even if an attendant is diligently counting merchandise in and out, they may have apparel double-hung on one hanger, have items hidden inside other items, or “swap-out” their old clothing for a new article without causing a clothing alarm. So how can retailers reduce their vulnerability to fitting room theft and beef up their store’s clothing security when thieves are continuously improving the way they steal?

The best and most-widely used solution for fitting room pilferage is the application of clothing security tags or security tags on clothes. Depending on a store’s needs, they’re available in an array of sizes, shapes, and styles. In the security industry, Checkpoint tags are unsurpassed for good reason: for over forty years they have worked with retailers to provide innovative and technologically-advanced solutions to address theft. Even if a customer going into the fitting room looks suspicious, retailers can be confident that Checkpoint tags won’t let their merchandise disappear in there.

Visit the Loss Prevention Store to purchase a clothing alarm or clothing security tags.

For more information on Checkpoint tags, clothing security, clothing alarm, or clothing security tags contact us at security tags on clothes or call 1.770.426.0547

Thinking back to my days a store detective there are many things that bring a smile to my face as well as a few things that really frustrated me. One of those frustrations was the feeling you got when you were the only detective in a store and multiple thefts were happening all around you. I really hated that awful feeling in your stomach when you missed the concealment of merchandise by mere seconds only to turn around and miss another theft in another part of the store. The only clothing security in the store was the floor walking you did as a store detective. Days like that never truly leave a loss prevention employee. The worst part is the disappointment from the sales employees on the floor when they see you have dropped the ball. That is why I will never forget when the company finally gave us a weapon to help us when we are outnumbered, the best clothing alarm out there.

My staff and I were so excited when the first box of clothing security tags showed up at the store. When we found out from training that the entire store staff would be working together to put the security tags on clothes we were ecstatic. The fact that everyone knew how and where to attach the checkpoint tags made it easier on the sales team at the registers to remove the checkpoint tags quickly so as not to slow down sales at the POS (point of sale). Now the entire staff had a vested interest in protecting the product in the store. Everyone had invested time and effort into the clothing security system and did not want to see their hard work fail. I was amazed at how quickly the known shoplifters in the store realized there were security tags on clothes. The confused looks on their faces, the testing of the checkpoint tags and ultimately the defeated looks on their faces turned my frown upside down!

Clothing security had a new face in our store and it covered all the products. Was the system infallible, of course not, but it helped bring down the shrink in our store significantly. The first inventory count amazed everyone and grabbed the attention of the higher executives. Apparently as a store we worked together very well to implement the system and though we were in a busy urban market were able to post very impressive shrink percentages. I never felt alone again in that store, the checkpoint system silently had my back.

Visit the Loss Prevention Store to purchase a clothing alarm or clothing security tags.

For more information on Checkpoint tags, clothing security, clothing alarm, or clothing security tags contact us at security tags on clothes or call 1.770.426.0547

Although we wish our LP careers were perfect we all have moments when we just get beat. Today was one of those days for me.

I was alone in my office and dealing with half a dozen other problems when it happened.  While listening to the droning monotone of a liability investigator on the other end of the office phone I kept myself busy by scanning through cameras on the call-up monitor closest to me.  At the fifteen minute mark of my conversation I noticed a man who looked completely out of place in the store’s children’s clothing department.  Given his appearance and his unnaturally stuffed shopping bag through which I could see security tags on clothes, my attention shifted from dealing with the accident aftermath to observing the man much more closely.

Less than sixty seconds later I hung up on the liability investigator. The man had selected three pairs of children’s jeans and a child’s printed sweatshirt and rapidly moved away from the department towards the nearby housewares area.  As soon as I paged for a store manager to dial my office extension the man took off down to the first floor in a jog.  I radioed mall security with his description and called local law enforcement as I ran out my office and could hear the Checkpoint tags set off the clothing alarm as the man crossed the threshold into the mall and went into a full sprint.  Other LP units in the mall had eyes on him even as he started ripping clothing security tags off the stolen merchandise as he ran, but somehow he not only made it to his vehicle, he also managed to elude police and avoid being identified. Even with obvious clothing security in place, it only took a two minute grab and dash job to undo it all.

We can’t always be perfect.

Visit the Loss Prevention Store to purchase a clothing alarm, Checkpoint tags, security tags on clothes or clothing security tags for your clothing security system.

For more information on Checkpoint tags, clothing security, clothing alarm, or clothing security tags contact us at security tags on clothes or call 1.770.426.0547

Today my store was the victim of the perfidious workings of an organized retail crime group.  They bypassed everything from the clothing alarm to the Checkpoint tags as though they weren’t even in place.  In spite of their ability to surpass our clothing security measures, they failed in the end due a foolish oversight on their part (and perhaps a small amount of carelessness/arrogance).

Less than ten minutes after the first group of women had escaped to their vehicle and fled the mall’s property (without anyone able to spot a license plate unfortunately) our office received a phone call about a man attempting to return almost three hundred dollars of clothing product on the second floor, without a receipt.

Some of the pieces still had clothing security tags on them.  Under our advisement, and a second from management, the return was denied and the man left in a hurry through the third floor where I was waiting to follow on foot.  Sure enough, after tailing him along the outside of the mall for almost three minutes, I found him getting into a car that contained the three women who had stolen the clothing only moments prior.  I managed a walk-by that allowed me to call in the license plate number and a full description of the car to the local police.

Clothing security isn’t always such a task, with the foot pursuits and police intervention, but it seems to be becoming more and more common an occurrence these days. Despite the fact that the Checkpoint tags and clothing alarms were defeated so effortlessly by them, the tools did provide us with the time and means to identify a rather experienced organized crime group.

Visit the Loss Prevention Store to purchase a clothing alarm or clothing security tags.

For more information on Checkpoint tags, clothing security, clothing alarm, or clothing security tags contact us at security tags on clothes or call 1.770.426.0547

In order to stay competitive in the retail market, many companies are starting to focus more on their Internet sales. By eliminating the need for the brick and mortar overhead, Internet sales are increasing the overall profit of a company by huge increases in overall margin. What is yet to be determined is the long-term scope of clothing theft in the warehouses or by fraudulent activity at the store level.

When you look at on line orders there are two major players at work. The first being there is no customer physically present at the time of purchase. That makes things difficult because it eliminates the check and balance system of having another eye watching a particular transaction.

The second part is that on line orders are generally shipped out. Having a clothing alarm will not necessarily help deter this sort of theft. What I have seen in the past is either additional product put into the box for shipment, or a duplicate receipt on a shipment to give the illusion that the product is for a legitimate customer.

To eliminate the scope of fraudulent shipments, try to have a few policies in place. Validate the receipts to the product in the box prior to sealing it. Validate the receipts attached and log the names and addresses. Look for any changes in the address a package is shipped to that occur after it has left the store.

Hopefully you already have clothing security tags in use. If someone other than the person in charge of your on line orders is responsible for detaching the Checkpoint tags, you add another set of eyes to the process. They can look for duplicate items or items not on a receipt.

Checkpoint tags will still prove to be a helpful deterrent against clothing theft. Even without a customer in your store, the tags provided a way to protect your profits.

Visit the Loss Prevention Store to purchase a clothing alarm or clothing security tags.

For more information on Checkpoint tags, clothing security, clothing alarm, or clothing security tags contact us at security tags on clothes or call 1.770.426.0547