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