Havinga secure retail store is at the forefront of every merchant’s mind. And withtheft being a constant threat to retail security, more stores are looking tosource tagging as both an effective and painless way to bolster loss-preventionmethods.
Notevery retailer using these methods are implementing source tagging effectively;some are pointed in the entirely wrong direction. Let’s take a look at anoverview of source tagging and how to make the best use of it for your retailstore.
Sourcetagging (a type of Electronic Article Surveillance, or EAS), is when a smallelectronic device is embedded into packaging or is sewn unobtrusively onto theproduct itself. The tiny detectors are placed on products at or near the source(the supplier or manufacturer) rather than at the retailer.
Theretailer’s vendors are authorized to obtain the securitytagsand tag the items themselves before shipment, cutting down expensive laborcosts for employee time spent tagging items in the store. Source tags come in avariety of shapes and sizes, but are always easy to handle and are incrediblyeffective for loss-prevention.
Why Retail Theftis a Problem
Morecompanies are choosing to use source tagging because of the overwhelmingstatistics of shoplifting. In taking the United States into account, there areover 550,000incidents of shoplifting per day, and a startling 13 billion dollars’worth of goods stolen every single year – equating to 35 million dollars everyday! Even 75 percent of employees have been found to engage in shoplifting.
Retailthieves are only caught 1 in 48 times, and they often wear large coats or usebaby strollers, umbrellas, or large shopping bags to drop items into. Sourcetagging aids in mitigating the substantial losses incurred by retail losses.
Source TaggingBenefits
Sourcetagging is a reliable method for theft detection for products of any size orvalue. A Visible Source Tag (VST) extends high security and deterrence factors,and a sewn-in label can offer discreet EAS protection. Either option is easilydeactivated or removed at the retail POS and chips away at valuable employeetime often bogged down by tagging items. Additionally, source tagging decreasesshrinkage, helps to increase in-stock rates, and can be a driving force inincreasing sales. But above all, source tagging is one of the most effectiveways to increase loss prevention.
How To ImplementSource Tagging
Thesource tagging supplier you choose should be a professional entity and shouldbe located close to a retailer’s manufacturing vendors. Many retailers in theUnited States choose their packing companies to aid with source tagging, whichdoesn’t end up working to the retailer’s advantage as manufacturers don’tprovide the quality and professionalism that professional source taggingcompanies can offer. Source tagging companies communicate directly with vendorsto ensure a retailer’s security needs are met. Make sure to choose trustedsource tagging companies with dependable reputations – your products are yourbusiness, and your business is your livelihood!
TrustTag is a Chinese source tagging company that provides amyriad of source tagging and other precision-engineered security services forany manufacturers located in Asia. Contact us for any questions about how we can help your retailstore mitigate loss prevention.
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Filed Under: Source Tagging Tagged With: loss prevention, security tag, source tagging
