Prevent Shoplifting Loss By Juveniles

September 23, 2010 by Leave a Comment

In our goal to prevent shoplifting loss we have to keep in mind that juvenile’s pose a different set of challenges. Unlike an adult kids steal for some additional reasons that we must keep in mind. Of course, there are the usual reasons, want the item, need the money… Kids though have another reason, peer pressure.

You will not fully prevent shoplifting loss by juveniles unless you understand the peer pressure that may be driving them. We as adults would not even consider jeopardizing our freedom, reputation and risk criminal and civil sanctions because someone dares us to shoplift. We are probably not going to shoplift in order to steal something for a “friend”.

Why do they do this? I have been told that our morals and ethics do not begin to become a permanent part of us until we are around twenty-one years old. After that we are less likely to be swayed by someone because of the desire to fit in. Think about it. You may have started smoking at that time because “your friends did it” and your desire to fit in. This is a reason why we give juveniles special status in our country. They are not held to the same legal status as an adult. In many states a juveniles criminal records are sealed to protect them.

Kids tend to travel in groups of two or more when involved in this type of activity. They deserve special attention when in your store. Of course this does not mean that every kid in your store is there to steal. But kids without adult attention should be watched.

The good news is that in most cases you can generally prevent shoplifting of this type easier than adults. Good eye contact and customer service skills will for the most part stop the individual kid from stealing on that visit. A Checkpoint system is also a very strong tool in this battle.

However, let them get away with it and you will become the magnet for juvenile shoplifters. We know how fast word will travel with kids. There are no secrets with them since knowledge is power.

For more information contact us at prevent shoplifting or call 1.770.426.0547

 

 

 

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Checkpoint security tags fit into the profit puzzle

September 22, 2010 by Leave a Comment

The use of checkpoint security tags play an important role in the retail world other than protecting merchandise from theft.  The use of anti theft devices such as a checkpoint security system will significantly reduce retail theft and just as significantly if not more significantly boost profit margins.

Think about this if you are a retailer.  If you lose a $10 item, what is the effect that has?  Did you just lose $10?  Or if your net profit margin is 3% did you lose $7?  That is the thinking we hear from our clients when we first discuss this with them.

Think about this.  If the net margin on a $10 item is 3% then in order to produce $10 of profit to replace the stolen item you need to divide $10 by 3%.  That number is $333.33.  So if you lose $100 the sales required to replace that would be $3,333.33 and the numbers go from there.

According to the University Of Florida’s National Retail Security Survey large national retailers average about 2% net profit and lose around 2%.  These retailers typically have well managed Loss Prevention departments managing inventory and cash losses daily.

So an average retailer doing $1 mil will loose $20,000 if they have the same loss prevention program in place, most do not and lose double, triple, quadruple that and more.  Many do not really know what they are losing because they do not have programs in place to watch loss.

Back to boosting profits…you can easily cut your losses in half by using checkpoint security tags so let’s look at the effect on margin.  Go from a 5% loss to a 2.5% loss in a $1mil retail business that has a net margin of 3% before using checkpoint systems  anti shoplifting solutions then the $25,000 you saved bumps the net margin from 3% to 5.5% which is a 54% increase in net margin.

For more info on how you can boost profits by incorporating loss prevention solutions go to:  checkpoint security tags 

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Anti-Shoplifting Devices – How Do They Work?

September 22, 2010 by Leave a Comment

In recent years it has become even more important for small business owners to use anti shoplifting devices on their merchandise.
According to the National Learning and Resource Center 1 in 11 people are shoplifters in the United States.  That means there are 27 million people shoplifting in the US alone.  Shoplifters also say that they are only caught about 1 in 48 times they steal.  Even if they are caught they are only turned over to authorities about 50% of the time.   Imagine if your business has a loss of a $10 dollar item 48 times.  That is $480 dollars of your inventory down the drain!!

These statistics are why most retailers, especially clothing stores use anti shoplifting devices such as checkpoint security tags.  These devices are typically called Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS) systems. Checkpoint tags are attached to the merchandise and a receiver for the tag somewhere at the doors.  If the tag is not deactivated or removed at the time of purchase then an alarm sounds alerting the store that the anti shoplifting device has been triggered.

Some of the technology today is extremely advanced. Checkpoint security tags can appear to be just another pricing tag so that the shoplifter may not even realize there is a security device on the article. Ink tags are another popular method.  These tags cannot be removed without damaging or destroying the article.  They have a great name for these; they are called “benefit denial tags”.

The good news is that the anti shoplifting devices in recent years have dropped the shoplifting rates about 60%.  It is still overwhelming to a small business however to be the victim of theft.

For information on anti shoplifting devices and prevention measures, contact us at anti shoplifting or call 1.770.426.0547.

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Criminal background check

September 22, 2010 by

Depending upon the type of business; the criminal background check may place emphasis on different aspects of a potential employee’s background. For example for a job that requires driving, a history of drunk driving or drug violations will be more important than minor misdemeanors involving petty thefts. A criminal background check for a job involving the handling of money would place emphasis on arrests and convictions involving gambling or embezzlement. A security officer criminal background check would place more emphasis on finding convictions for weapons, assault or sex crime charges.

One problem for investigators in a criminal background check are juvenile criminal records. Many states allow access to juvenile files if they involve serious crimes but there are still some states that continue to seal all juvenile criminal records for even the most serious crimes. Juvenile records may be less important for a criminal background check on an older potential employee but may be very crucial in evaluating a very young employment prospect.

In addition the the above problems an additional problem is that many names are similar and someone with either a warrant or a criminal record may have a common name and his birth date may be the same as several other people.

The problem is that an employer does not want to deny a position to someone simply based on a case of mistaken identity. This could lead to legal problems and lawsuits if an error in identity is made.

On the other hand a sensitive position should not be filled by a judgement call or the benefit of the doubt. The investigator must be certain that the persons who have similar names and birth dates to people with records or warrants are, in fact, not those people and that may require some extra effort to contact the agency who put the record into the law enforcement tracking systems. There must be no doubt as to the identity of the person undergoing a criminal background check. It is certainly best to find out the individual’s background accurately prior to, and not after he is on the job.

For more information contact us at criminal background check or call 1.770.426.0547

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Checkpoints Hot New Clothing Security Tags

September 22, 2010 by

Checkpoint has released several new clothing security tags this year. They are a breath of fresh air in the hard tag market. Given that the importers try to copy and in most cases do a very poor job of coping Checkpoints clothing security tags . I guess you know who the real leader is when everyone tries to copy you.

But lets get to the new tags. They three tags represent several different areas in the clothing security tags arena. This is clothing security on steroids.

First up is the G3. It has the same lines as the mini hard tag but has some visual and physical differences. The first thing you notice about the G3 is the color. It is a combination of off white and light gray. The colors are elegant and will clearly be a complement to any style clothing. The technology changes are first class and what you tend to expect from Checkpoint. The G3 is a physically stronger tag as if the original mini was not enough. The seam of the mini was on the side. The G3 has what I can only describe as a hidden seam. It makes these clothing security tags very tough. Checkpoint has also made the G3 a bit more aggressive in detection.

Next up is the pencil tag. It is a slim tag about two inches long and very thin. The lines are clean and it clearly is designed to take the wear and tear that clothing security tags must endure. This tag will virtually disappear on small clothing items such as ladies swim wear and lingerie.

Last but clearly not last in the offerings is the button tag. These clothing security tags are the hottest things that have been released in some time. It is round about 1.5” across. It is dark gray and has a height profile of about 0.5”. This is a very new tag design. The button tag is very compact and like the pencil tag will disappear on your merchandise. One of the best features is that the button tag is very difficult for the shoplifter to grip. Because of the round smooth lines and surface shoplifters will become very frustrated in their attempts to pull on them.

Both the G3 and the button tag have the raised ring that makes the pin extremely difficult to get at with cutters. All of the tags are well engineered and have smooth lines. They so not have any edges that will snag clothing including very delicate fabrics.

Take your clothing security to a new level. If you would like a sample please contact us.

For more information on clothing security tags contact us at clothing security or call 1.770.426.0547

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COLLUSION IN ATLANTA…..How is this Employee Theft??

September 22, 2010 by Leave a Comment

What the heck is Collusion?  Sounds like some sort of torture or perhaps something rather risqué.  Employee theft can often be associated with collusion.  And sometimes collusion is more prevalent in small companies than larger ones. Atlanta business are just as open to this as any other.

The exact definition of collusion is an agreement, sometimes illegal and therefore secretive, which occurs between two or more persons to limit open competition by deceiving, misleading, or defrauding others of their legal rights, or to obtain an objective forbidden by law typically by defrauding or gaining an unfair advantage.  Employee theft by collusion can be complicated or extremely simple.

Let’s look at a simple example.  You have a company who purchases widgets.  There are two widget manufacturers, widget maker A and widget maker B.  Pricing, delivery and customer service as a vendor for A and B are exactly the same.  The one difference is, widget maker A has purchased for the procurement manager of your company season football tickets to the Atlanta Falcons (yes I know you are thinking, “who in the world would want those tickets”, try to stay with me though), therefore your procurement manager makes a secret agreement with A and will not purchase widgets from maker B, he goes with manufacturer A to get those FABULOUS tickets.  That example my friend is employee theft by collusion.

Data obtained from Wikipedia shows the following more complicated historical examples of collusion in the United States:

  • Market division and price-fixing among manufacturers of heavy electrical equipment in the 1960s, including General Electric.
  • An attempt by Major League Baseball owners to restrict players’ salaries in the mid-1980s.
  • The sharing of potential contract terms by NBA free agents in an effort to help a targeted franchise circumvent the salary cap
  • Price fixing within food manufacturers providing cafeteria food to schools and the military in 1993.

Suspect employee theft by collusion in your Atlanta area company?  Contact us at employee theft or call 1.770.426.0547 for assistance.

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Checkpoint Labels boost profit margins

September 21, 2010 by Leave a Comment

Whether you are considering the installation of a Checkpoint security system or you have a system installed, you may want to take a look at how using Checkpoint labels can boost your profit margins.

It has been proven that shoplifters looking for an easy target to steal from will pass by stores that are protected with tough loss prevention systems.  The presence of a Checkpoint System at the front door tells the thief they are better off moving on to an unprotected store.  And the same is true for would be thieves in your store.  Protected merchandise is passed over for unprotected merchandise.  No retailers place a security tag on every piece of merchandise.  You have to know what you are losing and what you are okay with losing to properly protect your merchandise from theft.

So how does this translate into boosted profits?  Consider that your products that have checkpoint labels on them are valued at $15 like a music CD or a movie/ DVD.  And let’s say on that product you have a net margin of ten percent.  If you lose one $15 dollar item, did you lose $15?  Most will answer “no I lost $13.50 because that is what I paid.” The reality is you lost $150 because that is the amount of sales volume it will take to replace the $15 item.

Your current losses directly translate into your net margins.  Cut your losses in half and watch your net margin jump.  If you sell $1mil, have 5% in losses and a 2% net margin… cutting your loss sin half will double your margin.  This is very realistic and typical for retailers of this size.

To learn more about how to stop shoplifting visit: checkpoint labels 

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Checkpoint Security Systems Tagging Procedure

September 21, 2010 by Leave a Comment

To aid you in tagging with your Checkpoint security system I have put together this condensed guide. These seem to be the most common issues that come up and can easily be made a part of your Checkpoint security system employee training.

Some checkpoint tags have a red dot, do not use these tags. Red dot tags did not pass Checkpoint quality control. Even though there may be a number of red dot tags on a roll there is always the correct amount of good tags on each roll.

  • Checkpoint tags should be placed as close as possible to the UPC (barcode).
  • Tag all merchandise consistently. This allows all employees including new employees to find checkpoint tags quickly.
  • All Checkpoint tags should be kept away from metal and foil. Checkpoint tags can be placed ¼” away from metal or foil items.
  • Never cover instructions or warning labels. Also think about your customer. If you put a checkpoint tag over information that the customer needs to make a decision about the product you will cause them frustration.

You should establish a policy and procedure for using checkpoint tags. You do not want the effectiveness of your checkpoint security system to drop off because employees make changes that are not in the best interests of the store.

Checkpoint security systems generally will reduce shoplifting a minimum of 70 percent if you and your staff use it wisely.

We strongly recommend that you have a formal training session with each employee. This can be accomplished in fifteen minutes. Train selected employees to be your Checkpoint security systems “auditors”. These employees should be not only the trainers but should spot check merchandise for compliance with your tagging policy and procedure.

These auditors can also inspect the checkpoint security systems on a routine basis. This takes only a few minuets. They should check all antennas and do not forget to inspect deactivation units at the POS.

For more information contact us at: checkpoint security systems or call 1.770.426.0547

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Bad Hires – What are the Costs?

September 21, 2010 by

Are background checks part of your company’s pre-hire procedures?  If not, they should be because the cost of hiring the wrong person can be high in more ways than one.

You invest a lot of time and money into hiring the right person for your company: running ads, recruiting, reading and sorting through resumes, narrowing down the candidates, arranging phone interviews, live interviews, second interviews, calling employers and references, completing new hire paperwork, checking identification, completing tax forms and more forms.  Then time spent training and educating the individual to your company’s way of doing business while he is being paid a salary.  All this time involves other productive employees and occurs before there is any production at all from the employee.  The Department of Labor estimates that it will cost one third of an employee’s salary to replace him and that figure goes higher with the relative position of the employee.

Plus, there are non-quantifiable losses when the background checks fail to eliminate an undesirable candidate.  Loss of morale within the company being shorthanded again, or even loss of customers, cash, or other assets are examples.

And when the problem employee is finally gone, the process begins again.

The current economy has produced a large supply of applicants for every open position, and all the applicants want to appear as appealing as possible.  Use  comprehensive background checks, personalized for your company’s unique requirements, to fine the applicants most suited for your team.

Call 1-770-426-0547 or click here to discuss how you can lower your hiring costs through the use of background checks.

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Security and Loss Prevention – Providing the same outcome thru different tasks

September 21, 2010 by Leave a Comment

Security and Loss Prevention have, throughout their history, been lumped together as one in the same. Some call Loss Prevention, Security, some call Security, Loss Prevention.

I personally believe they are different, here’s why.

Security is, as its name indicates, a position of securing, keeping secure or providing a secure environment for people, places and things. When you hear the name security, you automatically think of a person in a uniform, assigned to patrol or monitor a particular area.

When you hear the name of Loss Prevention, you think of a plain clothes store detective or undercover loss prevention agent. Both working to protect the assets of the company through a pro-active approach, one is overt the other is covert.

Security and Loss Prevention, different or not, should have the same goal. Provide the retailer or business with a safe, secure and profitable environment.

Through shared responsibilities, Security and Loss Prevention offer a great partnership.

Retailers must have their fingers on the pulse of the business to truly identify what is needed. Is it a uniformed security program, or should they develop a full blown loss prevention program? What is the environment? What is the business? What do the stores or business look like? Large box or smaller boutique styles? The demographic can also dictate when and where a uniformed security presence is best suited versus the undercover loss prevention personnel working to apprehend would-be thieves. Having uniformed security personnel at the front of a business can sometimes deter customers. Having a poorly trained and uneducated loss prevention program can lead to bad business practice. It’s no easy task. Security and Loss Prevention are two business needs that should be address by every retailer, business owner and manager alike.

Consult a Loss Prevention professional to asses your specific situation and recommend the security a loss prevention services that best fit your goals.

For more information visit us at security and loss prevention or call us 1.770.426.0547

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