As the annual shopping phenomenon, Black Friday, fast approaches, retailers are preparing for an influx of traffic at their stores as savvy-shoppers look to capitalise on an abundance of discounted, highly sought-after products.

Following a dire 18 month period brought on by the global pandemic, with months of lockdown measures, social-distancing rules, new working regulations, redundancies and store closures, many retailers and brands will be hoping for a period of relative normality this year. With so much already lost to COVID-19, store operators will need to ensure they are fully-prepared when it comes to maximising sales and revenue from Black Friday this year. And that means ensuring all stock is available to buy – and protected from theft – at all times.

 

Shoplifters are, sadly for life, not just for the Holidays

While shoplifters cause a headache for retailers all year round, the opportunity to take advantage of busy stores, large crowds and often retailers’ overstretched resources, creates an attractive proposition that opportunistic thieves find hard to resist. It is therefore little surprise that shrinkage peaks in the winter season.

And, as stores begin to openly display more tempting, high-value merchandise, as well as new collections or products in the lead up to the festive season, protecting profits is critical.  At Checkpoint Systems, we believe that Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS), anti-theft security solutions and Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) merchandise availability solutions have a major role to play in not only reducing shrink, but improving the customer experience.

 

Helping to prevent loss this Black Friday

Take EAS anti-theft security solutions, for example. Next-generation EAS solutions, such as Checkpoint’s EVOLVE iRange offers state-of-the-art antennas and a broad range of EAS labels. While Counterpoint iD deactivation offers faster and more consistent deactivation at the point-of-sale (POS) meaning products are protected without damaging the customer experience.

In addition, a wide array of products such as keepers, spider wraps, bottle caps, cableloks and more help retailers easily defend and enhance the bottom line. The Super Flag Tag is another example. The innovative, dual-function RF label not only safeguards against theft but also product tampering. It can be easily applied at the point of manufacture and its clear design means retailers can avoid obscuring legal wording or branding. It is ideal for small, high-risk items, such as cosmetics and accessories, that are easily concealed by shoplifters.

And with accessories, knitwear, trousers and blouses among the most stolen items by value in apparel, retailers have long sought a solution that secures merchandise and protects the aesthetics of the product. The Mini NeedleLok’s small and lightweight design is ideal for protecting all types of garments, including fine fabrics. Its one-piece design deters thieves while preventing damage that would usually occur on the application of pinned security tags.

 

Display your products securely without compromising on aesthetics

Being able to display merchandise openly is of paramount importance to today’s retailers. With increased footfall anticipated on Black Friday, stores risk damaging their reputation and the customer experience by not making products openly available for honest customers to quickly see, touch and purchase. Shoppers want to interact with products and locking items away in cabinets is no longer a viable option – particularly in crowded stores where limited personnel are free to respond to customer enquiries. By adopting EAS anti-theft security solutions, such as RF labels or hard tags, retailers can ensure that open merchandising doesn’t lead to an increase in shrinkage.

With the holiday shopping season upon us, it’s natural for retailers to be rethinking and review their strategies. While there is still time to implement EAS labels and product security solutions ahead of this year’s seasonal sales period, looking to the future to create a strategy for success is key to safeguarding future sales.

For more information on how to protect your stores this holiday season, contact us and make sure you have the strategy in place to prevent theft and optimise seasonal sales this Black Friday.