When you work in clothing sales you have to be acutely aware of current trends. When you work loss prevention for a clothing retailer, you have to be equally aware of the trends, and not just the obvious ones.

 The fashion industry is constantly changing, and the “IT” item this week may not be the same one two weeks from now. Knowing what is the hot item will help you know what should be placed up front and on display. It should also let you know what you need to be aware of from a shrink perspective. Not everyone who is fashion forward will pay the legitimate price. 

To prevent shoplifting of those items, you have to first be aware of what they are. I remember a holiday broach that we left out on a display table one year. My Store Manager told me to watch to make sure none were stolen. Three weeks later they were all still there- not only had they not been stolen, but they also had not sold. I joked with my manger that I guessed they were too ugly to even be stolen.

 Conversely, the cashmere scarves by a popular designer were flying off the shelves. The sales rate was extremely high, as were the attempts by shoplifters. We spent a lot of time making sure that item had retail anti theft devices like hard tags on them. We even put a Shark Tag in the middle to prevent someone from trying to wear it out the door.

 Without knowing the popular fashion trend, we would have suffered some serious merchandise losses. We also would have lost out on sales by not having the right product in place at the right time.

 Visit the Loss Prevention Store for retail anti theft devices that can help you prevent shoplifting in your business.

 For more information on how you can use retail anti theft devices to prevent shoplifting contact us or call 1.770.426.0547

 

Anytime you work with clothes as a retailer you will inevitably come across a few incidences of wardrobing. Wardrobing is where someone buys an item of clothing, say a new dress or a pair of shoes. They wear the item, usually just once for a special occasion, and then return the item.

 It is frustrating to the retailer because you potentially loose sales by not having that item in stock for a true customer, but most people don’t want to buy items that look used or retagged (if price tags had been torn off).

 Hey, I even saw a lady open a bag of socks to see if she liked them, and then put them back on the shelf and grab a new unopened bag! She was the one that opened it in the first place and still didn’t want it.

 Any way, there is a product out by Checkpoint called the Shark Tag. It pins onto the front of a garment and can only be removed by scissors.  Even though it is designed to prevent wardrobing, it can also be a great retail anti theft device to prevent shoplifting.

 Attaching the Shark Tag onto items like lingerie or swimsuits may prevent an item from being concealed under clothes. You can’t very well wear a bra with a big pin sticking through your shirt with out someone noticing.

 Shark Tags are also a visible cue. Not every shoplifter knows what has an RF tag and what doesn’t. If an item looks like it has even the slightest chance of being tagged, they potentially will avoid it altogether.

 Visit the Loss Prevention Store for retail anti theft devices that can help you prevent shoplifting in your business.

 For more information on how you can use retail anti theft devices to prevent shoplifting contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 

 

I have a friend who loves shoes. Anytime we go out, she spends more time checking out the shoes going by than anything else. Heaven forbid that we go past a shoe store without stopping. She is a die-hard shoe fanatic! She often jokes about how a pair of shoes would be great to have, but she would only wear them once. Maybe she should just get them and return them.

 Now, my friend has always put the shoes back on the shelf. She works in retail also and would have a serious moral breakdown if she ever even came close to wardrobing. Unfortunately, we both know that there are plenty of people out there who would not have such a moral dilemma and would buy the shoes for a one-time event, and then return the shoes.

 Checkpoint isn’t just about how to prevent shoplifting. They have retail anti theft devices that also apply to these sorts of situations. The Shark Tag is a clip that attaches with a pin to a garment. It is designed to be removed at home. The Shark Tag may not fit on every pair of shoes, but could be attached onto thin straps of dressy shoes.

 While there is no EAS on the Shark Tag (like a hard or soft RF tag), it s still a visual deterrent that unless you are planning on paying (and keeping) this product, you should just keep on walking.

 Visit the Loss Prevention Store for retail anti theft devices that can help you prevent shoplifting in your business.

 For more information on how you can use retail anti theft devices to prevent shoplifting contact us or call 1.770.426.0547

 

It’s hard to believe, but Prom for most schools is only a few months away.  This is a time that can be both profitable and costly for many retailers who sell formal gowns.  My experience has been that a lot of customers (especially in this down economy) follow the practice of buying the dress and then returning it after the dance.  This causes several problems.  One, the store spent a lot of time and effort to sell the product and doesn’t need the refunds hitting the bottom line.  Additionally, many dresses are returned (with the claim they have never been worn) and are damaged.  This is shrink that the stores will incur.  To combat this issue I suggest using retail anti theft devices, such as the Shark Tag from Alpha Security.

 There are many retail anti theft devices on the market today.  Most are designed to prevent shoplifting.  These retail anti theft devices are usually sensor tags that sound an alarm when a customer decides to steal them.  These are great tools to prevent shoplifting, but they can’t help the wear and return issue.  The Shark Tag is different.  The Shark Tag is a plastic tag that pinches (not punctures) into place on the clothes.  These are best when used in conspicuous places like the middle of the chest area.  The customer has to take it off (or look ridiculous) before they wear the product.  Since most store’s refund policy excludes taking back worn items, this helps you prove that the item as has been warn.  Instead of arguing over whether or not the customer is lying about wearing the product you can simply point out that without the Shark Tag in place the store can’t do the refund.  Problem solved.

 Visit the Loss Prevention Store for retail anti theft devices that can help you prevent shoplifting in your business.

 For more information on how you can use retail anti theft devices to prevent shoplifting contact us or call 1.770.426.0547