Holiday season 2020

This year’s holiday season is expected to be different from the norm, with consumers remaining cautious about social distancing in the wake of Covid-19.

The National Retail Federation notes that means making predictions about forecast holiday shopping trends and spending is more challenging than normal, but an uptick in spending and retail foot traffic is expected.

With that welcome rise in traffic comes the increased risk of shoplifting. In previous years data has indicated almost half of all US retail theft (46 per cent) occurs in winter, while the Global Retail Theft Barometer notes 81 per cent of that is during the holiday period.

Who is shoplifting?

The combination of busy stores, busy staff, and additional products on display means the holiday retail period attracts both opportunistic shoplifters and those involved in Organized Retail Crime.

Importantly, this theft can be easier for the perpetrator to justify because they either feel it’s an item they need or because stores appear to be making a profit and the sale won’t be missed.

Together, this means retailers need to be on their game in the lead-up to the holiday shopping period, which spans the six weeks prior to Christmas.

So, here’s is a list of the most commonly stolen items and the best protection methods.

Top 10 stolen items

1. Electronics accessories

Whether it’s the latest earbuds, chargers, or a phone case, electronics accessories are frequently targeted due to their small size and appeal as a Christmas present.

They also tend to be sold and displayed in high volumes in stores where the sales associate’s watchful gaze is more likely to be guarding the high-value electronics they come with.

Protecting electronics accessories

Electronics accessories can be protected in a number of ways, including security labels, stop locks, or lockable displays which showcase the accessory behind glass. They can also be secured to the electronic gadget they come with as part of an engaging display.

 

2. Leather clothing

Frequently shoplifted leather clothing ranges from jackets to footwear and caps, but these items are often sought after due to their appeal as both a present and their high resale value on the black market.

Protecting leather clothing

Leather clothing is best protected using EAS security tags with a lanyard or cable that secures the tag to the product. The lanyard or cable avoids the need for the tag pin to pass through the item.

 

3. Electronics

Electronics, like cell phones, tablets, laptops and gaming devices, consistently rank on most consumer’s gift list, while their resale value is also high. That means they are targeted by both organized crime rings and opportunistic shoplifters.

Protecting electronics

The challenge with electronics such as smartphones is that legitimate customers often seek to engage with them prior to purchase. These items are best protected through lockable displays where the device is tethered to a countertop, while additional stock is secured in locked cabinets or drawers.

 

4. Accessories

Spanning a whole gamut of products – from sunglasses to costume jewellery, scarves and more- accessories tend to be easy to steal because of their size and the volume of items on display.

Protecting accessories

The loss prevention method used depends on the type of accessory. Sunglasses can be protected using optical tags, jewelry is protected by a lockable display for high-value items and security labels for low-value products, while scarves might best be protected using clothing security tags.

 

5. Winter clothing

When it comes to shoplifting, winter clothing is frequently stolen by concealing it underneath other garments. That said, it is one of the easiest items to protect.

Protecting winter clothing

Fashion security tags should be deployed on all winter clothing, while retailers should also turn their attention to security in the fitting room, utilising additional EAS tools like the Apparel Guard.

 

6. Meat and seafood

Meat and seafood are of course celebratory food staples throughout the holiday period, and they can be a target of theft by opportune shoplifters looking to save money where possible.

Protecting meat and seafood

Purpose designed food grade tags are available for packaged meats and seafood, while CCTV can assist, along with positioning these items where staff can oversee them.

 

7. Liquor

Liquor is a common target throughout the year, but the festive nature of the holiday season sees theft of alcohol spike.

Protecting Liquor

Top shelf liquor should be protected with purpose-designed liquor security tags, while high volume liquor can be protected by labels.

 

8. Perfume and cologne

Small, often valuable and a popular present, perfumes and cologne are also frequently stolen items, while their resale value also makes them a target for organized crime.

Protecting perfume and cologne

High-value perfumes are generally secured in lockable glass cabinets with only testers on display. Lower value, high volume fragrances are best protected with security labels.

 

9. Children’s toys

It’s hardly surprising to find children’s toys on the shoplifting hit list at Christmas, but protection strategies vary depending on their size, shape and value.

Protecting children’s toys

High value boxed toys can be protected by spider wraps and tags, lower value items are protected with labels, while plush toys of high value can be secured using apparel tags.

 

10. Chocolate

Like liquor, meat and seafood, chocolate is a staple of the festive season and it’s frequently shoplifted as a result.

Protecting chocolate

As chocolate is considered a grocery item of high volume, labels are the loss prevention method of choice.

 

You can order your security tags to protect frequently stolen items this holiday season here, and security labels here.

Meanwhile, our holiday loss prevention checklist is available here.

Loss prevention in the right places

Protecting a store against shoplifting, organized retail crime, and employee theft is all about ensuring the right security in the right places, and often that involves a multi-layered approach.

Items should be protected at a product-based level through tools such as electronic article surveillance including security tags and labels, while the whole store should be guarded by CCTV, staff training, good layout, and perhaps even loss prevention personnel.

The key here is to maintain a balance that treads a fine line between protecting products and the retail outlet while still enticing customers in.

That means the right security in the right places, and it involves factoring in the level of security that a reasonable customer would expect to find in a particular store.

In department stores and electronics outlets for example, you might expect to see a security guard at the door. In your average apparel outlet, that could prove overkill and actually deter patrons from entering.

In some stores where theft is a persistent problem, obvious CCTV might be required to deter shoplifting, but in others, the approach to surveillance would need to be more subtle.

Meanwhile, there are additional security options that allow you to protect products without a display of obvious security.

Subtle yet secure

Recent innovations in the world of electronic article surveillance (EAS) allow the antennas that guard the store to be concealed within the doorway, under the floor, or even overhead.

In boutique stores, upmarket retailers and even department stores, this seamless entryway helps create a warm, welcoming environment which entices the customer in.

Rather than being evident and obvious, the entryway is kept clear and can be designed to really cater to the customer experience.

In the interim, concealed EAS still allows labels and tags to be monitored, protecting products against shoplifting and theft.

In addition, there are also new EAS tools available for the fitting room. These notify staff when a tag is being tampered with in the private environment of the change room, or when a product is being concealed beneath the patron’s clothing or in booster bags.

The right tag or security label for the right job

As effective as security tags and labels are at protecting products, there is such a thing as security overkill, where the tag or label is too cumbersome, large or distracting to effectively protect the product and instead deters customers from actually interacting with it.

That’s why it’s important to source the right security label or tag for the job at hand.

As a quick rule of thumb:

• Apparel is best protected by tags which should be positioned so as not to interfere when customers try on clothing

• High-value accessories like handbags and brand label sports shoes are best protected with cables or lanyards and tags

• High-value eyewear and sunglasses should be protected by specific optical tags

• High-value liquor can be protected with bottle top tags

• High volume, low-value products like pharmaceuticals, books, DVDs, games and perfumes are best protected by labels, as are non-perishable groceries and small hardware products.

The above is just a brief guide, however, and you can learn more about selecting the right tag or label for the job at hand here.

Cabinets and displays

For commonly targeted items including electronics like tablets, computers, and cell phones, secure displays are the ideal choice.

These displays allow the item to be accessible to the consumer, yet protect the product against theft. They also help entice the customer in to experience the product and allow for interaction, playing to the ‘touch, feel and experience’ strength of real-world retail.

Meanwhile, additional products can be secured in lockable cabinets or glass displays, but the key here is to ensure they can quickly be accessed by staff to serve the customer.

Smart keys which can be allocated to a staff member and programmed to open multiple cabinets in their section are recommended to streamline this process.

The final word

Loss prevention is always a balance, but this year creating an appealing retail environment matters more than ever before.

You can order your security tags and labels with is directly, or see our holiday security checklist here.