New labels and tags to help fight retail shrinkage
The shrink-management and RFID technology firm Checkpoint Systems has launched a family of retail tags and labels aimed at arm retailers against increasingly common methods of theft involving counterfeit labels and switched product tags.
The family of tags and labels include Secure Rings, WashAway labels, SecureMark authentication, Anti-Diversion solutions, and tear-proof Super Tuff Tags.
According to Theo Bielowicz, product manager for Checkpoint Systems, much progress has already been made over the past decade to better equip retailers in the battle against shrinkage but - despite these advances in anti-shrink technology - the inescapable conclusion is that professional thieves have grown more adept at finding ways to beat the systems.
How they work Here, then, is a quick run-down on how these tags and labels help beat the crooks:
- Secure Rings Secure rings were developed to help combat label switching and to minimise adhesive damage to products and their packaging. The tamper-evident label design provides security using a range of adhesives. Retailers can immediately tell if the shopper has attempted to remove the label.
- WashAway Labels Retailers are often faced with customers returning items because the label's adhesive left a sticky residue on glass and other surfaces after removal. According to Checkpoint, you don't need a strong adhesive to prevent label switching - indeed, its WashAway labels use a strong adhesive that's been formulated to wash away once the consumer has taken the item home.
- SecureMark & Authentication Checkpoint's range of overt and covert authentication solutions, such as SecureMark, use special inks and designs or bar-coded Point Of Purchase (POP) labels to prevent counterfeit ticketing and labelling, including the common criminal technique of price editing. The covert tickets ensure the authenticity of a store's ticket by using fluorescent UV-detectable inks that are otherwise invisible. The overt POP labels allow retailers to identify purchased products without the need to see a receipt - which is often useful when a thief claims they bought a product elsewhere and simply carried it into the store with them.
- Anti-Diversion Solutions Anti-Diversion systems help retailers guard against diverted inventory, employee theft, professional shoplifting rings, and returns-related fraud. Since Checkpoint's anti-diversion security labels are virtually removal-proof due to a combination of indestructible label material and aggressive adhesives, they cannot be removed without damaging the labels and/or the goods. Products marked with these labels can be quickly identified if found for sale on the black market.
- Super Tuff Tags Standard tags can quite easily become torn or separated from merchandise during handling, so the Super Tuff Tag uses tear-resistant material to avoid the problem. As a consequence, retailers stand to save on the labour cost associated with in-store re-labelling. These tags can also prevent ticket-swiping schemes used by criminals by making it more difficult to remove tags from merchandise without purchasing the item.
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