Clean, clear, uncluttered

A store that is well laid out, clean, clear and uncluttered creates a more welcoming and enticing venue for shoppers while offering staff better vantage points to see what’s happening on the floor.

For retailers, that means keeping in mind the height of their shelving, where they position displays and how they showcase valuable stock.

Where possible stock should be kept organised, neatly folded and clearly visible. Aisles should be free of obstructions and high-value item should be secured using either locked and tethered displays or EAS tagging in an area visible from the POS.

These simple design principles are for the benefit of both the consumer and loss prevention, allowing customers to readily see and find the items that are available, while store associates can easily monitor the stock in their care.

Lighting

Not only does good lighting create a welcoming ambience and mood within a store, it also serves to highlight the appeal of products and assist with theft prevention.

Retailers who have good lighting throughout their store are less prone to theft because there’s fewer dark places for thieves to feel comfortable.

Importantly, good lighting also allows legitimate customers to find items more readily and feel more at ease, in the knowledge they are safe and secure within that environment.

Shelving, racks, and layout

The fit out of a store, including its shelving, helps set the tone for an entire brand. It also draws the customer’s attention to the most important items on display.

These days, the options for fit out are endless, allowing retailers to be more and more creative with the look and feel of their brand.

Within shelving and fit out there is also the opportunity to increase security and offer customer appeal.

In many cases, this is where secure displays come into play, allowing retailers to showcase valuable items behind glass or using tethered displays that enable consumers to interact with products.

Layout

Even something as simple as where you position specific products can have a bearing on loss prevention.

For example, sales racks or tables positioned too close to doorways can make items a potential target of snatch and grab theft.

Meanwhile, high value items should be visible to shoppers yet positioned near the POS or where staff can monitor customer interaction.

In addition, high-value items should be displayed in a place where a shoplifter would feel highly visible leaving with that item or must make their way past a number of staff members and security in order to commit a theft.

Theft prevention tools

Working hand in hand with good store layout are invaluable tools like electronic article surveillance and CCTV.

Again, these items should be factored into the store’s design and general appeal.

For example, the antenna that monitor security tags and labels can now be built into the doorway, hidden under the entryway floor or housed overhead, allowing the store entry to remain secure yet feel open and welcoming.

Security tags and labels do not have to bulky or overly conspicuous, but instead come in sizes that are large enough to indicate an item is being monitored but small enough not to interfere with the experience of the product.

Tags and labels can also be positioned neatly in the same spot on each product to create a uniform and streamlined look.

Meanwhile, any tags and labels should be selected to suit the product involved. That means considering what label or tag best reflects the value and intended customer experience of the product and applying this security without overkill.

Similarly, CCTV should be obvious enough to deter thieves, but not so cumbersome and prominent to make legitimate customer feel watched.

A balance in the beauty

It’s often said that retail loss prevention is a balancing act. And in some ways it is. More often, however preventing shoplifting is a combination of good store design, appropriate adoption of technology and constant vigilance and staff education on behalf of the retailer.

Shop our range of security labels and EAS tags here.

Regardless of which Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS) system you employ or whether your retail outlet favors hard tags or security labels, your staff should be properly trained in the system’s use.

Staff training ensures your EAS system functions effectively, while consistently and reliably guarding your products against theft.

Here’s a quick guide to training your staff in the use of EAS.

Very little maintenance

Once installed, the antennas or pedestals associated with EAS systems require very little maintenance. When maintenance or a repair is required it should only be conducted by a qualified technician in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.

System checks

EAS system checks should be conducted daily at the time of store opening.

Generally, these checks take just a couple of seconds and involve ensuring the power outlet to the pedestal is switched on, and the relevant lights are illuminated to indicate the system is working.

False alarms

False alarms present one of the biggest threats to the effectiveness of any EAS system as they desensitise staff to potential thefts and also impact the customer experience.

Basically, every alarm that sounds in your store should mean a theft is occurring, and if it doesn’t, it’s critical to understand why.

There are a couple of very common, preventable reasons false alarms might be occurring, including:

• Failure to properly remove tags or deactivate labels

• Merchandise positioned too close to the antenna

• Improper EAS sensitivity levels

• Tag interference

• System malfunction (this is rare)

The “no tag” zone

One of the most important things staff should understand is that product positioning can affect your EAS.

Basically, every EAS system has a “no tag” zone. This area comprises 6ft around the EAS antennas and the space between them. This area should be kept free of product displays, clothing racks, LCD screens and even decorations. (Some decorations, especially those with foil or metal have been known to trigger an EAS alarm).

Deactivation and detaching

As part of daily system checks, staff should ensure all label deactivators are plugged into a power source and operating correctly. Meanwhile, all staff should be thoroughly trained on the removal of tags, and tag detachers should be made readily available at the Point of Sale.

Tag and label positioning

Label and tag positioning play an important role in how quickly and effectively a security label can be deactivated or how easy it is for staff to detach a security tag.

The ideal position for a security label is near the barcode, while ensuring the security label does not obscure it. This position allows for quick deactivation and maximum efficiency at the Point of Sale.

When it comes to security tags, they should be positioned so as not to interfere with the customer’s experience of an item yet be placed in a spot that’s easy for store associates to locate and access for tag removal.

Implementing a store guide that provides consistency in label and tag positioning can assist. Meanwhile, store management should ensure there are enough detachers and deactivators available at the Point/s or Sale.

Tag pollution

Tag pollution occurs when labels or tags are not properly deactivated or removed by other retailers.

Many advanced EAS antennas feature multi-coloured lights which allow staff to understand whether an alarm is sounding as someone enters or exits the store. This helps determine whether an alarm is sounding due to tag pollution or an actual theft.

Ensure staff are properly trained on identifying and handling tag pollution.

EAS sensitivity

When your EAS system is first installed, a technician will set its sensitivity. This sensitivity allows interference to be filtered out depending on your retail environment.

If false alarms are sounding, the sensitivity level may be a contributing factor. If you believe that’s the case, notify your EAS supplier so they can have a technician attend the store or even adjust it remotely over the internet.

Theft detection policy

Finally, all retail outlets should have guidelines for what staff need to do if they believe a theft is occurring or an EAS system is not working effectively.

These guidelines should incorporate tag and label positioning, EAS system contact details, maintenance schedules and more.

For more advice on using the right tags or labels to suit your retail environment, you can contact our friendly Security Tags staff here.

In the ever-changing playing field of loss prevention, positioning of security systems and products plays a major role. From where you position your antenna to how you position security labels and lay out your displays, it all adds up to create an environment designed to thwart the would-be shoplifter.

Not only does correct positioning help deter shoplifting and minimise loss, it also works to improve in-store efficiency and the customer experience.

So, here’s an insight into the role position plays in theft prevention.

A bit about position and theft prevention

When it comes to product protection, electronic article surveillance consistently ranks as one of the most effective ways to deter, identify and reduce shoplifting. Involving the components of security tags, security labels and detection antenna, it sees an alarm sound when a product is illicitly leaving the store.

The effectiveness of this system all comes down to positioning – of the antenna, the security tags and labels, and the equipment that detaches tags and deactivates labels to minimize false alarms.

Meanwhile, the physical layout of your store also helps to reduce theft, with the correct positioning of lighting and displays both working to provide an environment that is less conducive to theft.

So, what’s the best practice?

EAS antenna position

EAS antenna are usually positioned in the entry way to a store, although recent developments mean antenna can now also be built into the doorway, concealed beneath the floor or installed overhead.

Depending on whether the system is RF or AM, antenna will have different detection ranges, meaning some are more suited to wide entrances, while others will require the installation of additional antenna to adequately cover an expansive opening.

Product positioning around antenna

The area between and in the immediate vicinity of EAS antennas should be kept free of product displays, clothing racks and even decorations. (Some decorations, especially those with foil or metal have been known to trigger an EAS alarm).

The “No Tag” zone is generally within seven feet of the EAS system.

As a simple check, stretch your arms out, like you are doing a star jump, and make sure there are no security tags within, or just out of your reach, all around each pedestal.

In over 90 per cent of reported cases of false alarming, alarms are caused by a tag within the vicinity.

Security tag position

Used for apparel and high value items like accessories, footwear and handbags, security tags should be positioned so as not to interfere with the customer’s experience of a product, but in a place where they are easy for staff to detach.

At the same time, tags should also be situated in an obvious enough place to deter theft and ensure anyone attempting to pull them off will cause significant damage to a product, rendering it useless.

Many retailers have store guides and policies regarding tag positioning. This ensures they are consistently positioned uniformly and correctly in a bid to maintain the aesthetic appeal of store displays, while deterring shoplifting.

Security label position

The ideal position for a security label is near the barcode. This position allows for quick deactivation and maximum efficiency at the Point of Sale.

However, it’s important to ensure the security label does not obscure that barcode or essential information on the product packaging.

Detacher and deactivator position

Security tag detachers and label deactivators are best positioned at the Point of Sale, allowing for easy tag removal and label deactivation.

Tag detachers can be built into the countertop or affixed to it, while deactivators can be mounted to the counter, concealed beneath it or incorporated into barcode scanning equipment.

Retailers should ensure these detachers and deactivators are easily accessible to staff, and there are enough to service all Points of Sale.

Store layout

Proper store layout and staff positioning plays a critical role in the reduction of shoplifting and theft. All areas of the floor should be visible to staff members monitoring it, and the retail environment should be adequately lit so there are no dark spaces for shoplifters to lurk and conceal items.

A staff member should monitor the fitting rooms or additional EAS security like the Fitting Room Guard should be installed. Where possible staff should meet and greet customers at the entry of a large retail outlet, or on the floor of a smaller one.

Meanwhile, high value items like electronics should be securely displayed or enclosed in lockable cabinets, and excess stock should be locked in draws or cabinets.

The final position

It’s the little things that really add up when it comes to preventing shoplifting, and how and where you position your products, security systems and tags all play a role. Importantly correct positioning also allows staff to complete their tasks more effectively while better servicing the shopper and offering an improved customer experience.