SOLUTIONS SHOWCASE

ALPHA—First and Foremost

Pioneers at Checkpoint Systems’ brand of ALPHA® High-Theft Solutions take tremendous pride in their long history of “firsts.” Our patent list has grown from fifty-six in 2004 to hundreds in 2018. That’s why retailers nationwide think of ALPHA first and foremost.

Spider Wraps®, CableLoks®, Keepers®, 3-Alarm, S3 Single Key Concept, and more—ALPHA was the first to develop these industry innovations. The list goes on as ALPHA focuses its efforts on developing compelling new solutions that attack specific high-theft problem areas for retailers around the world.

Case in Point

The ALPHA Keepers is where the innovation story truly began twenty years ago. S3 Keepers allow you to create attractive visual displays with the confidence that your merchandise is protected well. ■ FIRST to develop an extensive line of Keeper solutions to protect an array of merchandise, beyond just electronic media ■ FIRST to apply 2 Alarm and 3 Alarm Technology to Keepers ■ FIRST to invest in and develop a product based on aesthetics to complement the merchandise it protects

Spider Wraps. Customers then turned to ALPHA in search of a smaller footprint for larger products; thus the ALPHA Spider Wrap was born. This flexible, “spider-looking” technology entered the market twenty years ago as the first solution for larger, six-sided packages. ■ FIRST solution for large, six-sided packages—a signature product that created “brand like” awareness in the industry—now one of the most copied security products ever ■ FIRST to develop an ease-of-use solution using an auto-retractable cable ■ FIRST to apply 2 and 3 Alarm Technology to this solution ■ Now RFID-enabled

CableLoks started as an answer for do-it-yourself and industrial applications fifteen years ago and quickly became the preferred choice for high-end apparel and other merchandise because of their never-ending capabilities to adapt to hard-to-protect items like leather coats, purses, and high-end denim. ■ FIRST CableLok—ALPHA pioneered this breakthrough product, providing ease-of-use solutions across a wide spectrum of merchandise ■ FIRST secure solution for racks of high-end merchandise, which allows customers to shop, compare, and try items without a store associate’s assistance ■ FIRST to apply 2 and 3 Alarm Technology to this solution ■ Now RFID-enabled

Other Solution Firsts

Bottle Caps. ALPHA has a long, innovative history of protecting wine and spirit merchandise, including developing the first commercially successful security cap for wine and spirits and the first aesthetically pleasing solution that doesn’t detract from merchandise presentation.

“For four decades and counting, every ALPHA product has been designed with uncompromising security, ease-of-use, and the ability to deliver outstanding merchandising capabilities to help retailers reduce theft and increase sales. Any theft is unacceptable. As the industry leader, it is our goal to help retailers control all levels of theft and improve their bottom line one innovation at a time.”

– Stuart Rosenthal, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Checkpoint’s ALPHA High-Theft Solutions

■ FIRST to develop a benefit denial system not requiring EAS ■ FIRST to incorporate 3 Alarm Technology

Hard Tags. From apparel to eyeglasses to golf clubs, ALPHA’s Hard Tags offer security and versatility. ■ FIRST to incorporate 3 Alarm Technology into a hard tag ■ FIRST to use a technology sensor that alarms if merchandise is removed from its packaging

First in Services

Earning a retailer’s business and then developing an implementation plan that will be embraced by the stores further sets us apart from the competition. By allowing our products to be tested, we can prove that our solutions will not just meet but also exceed expectations. Our goal is to ensure store personnel have the ability to independently implement all aspects of the Checkpoint program on a daily basis. This “hands-on” support allows retailers to maximize their investment and increase profitability. Call 888-257-4272 or visit alphaworld.com to find more ALPHA solutions to high-theft challenges.

Active Deterrence: A New Tool for Product Protection

Nearly 23 percent of surveyed retailers report overall inventory shrink increasing to 2 percent or more of sales, while 65 percent of retailers expect LP budgets to remain flat or even to decrease, according to findings from the National Retail Federation’s 2017 National Retail Security Survey. This comes at a time when the number of in-store associates is dwindling, and their daily task lists are growing.

The Problem

While situational awareness coupled with active response provide a proven product protection approach, achieving consistent and effective awareness and engagement among multitasking store personnel represents a formidable challenge. Experienced shoplifters and organized retail crime (ORC) teams seize this weakness every day by exploiting vulnerable in-store locations, out-of-sight of staff and of video surveillance. Worst yet, the mere presence of cameras does not deter these professionals for long as they quickly size up ineffective or nonexistent response in areas “ripe for the picking.”

Changing the LP Paradigm

Active deterrence—it’s the newest tool supporting retailers’ ongoing war on shrink. “Loss prevention professionals have been on defense for far too long,” said Joe Budano, Indyme CEO. “Our new active-deterrence solution lets LP go on offense to show thieves that they are watching, and they know what you’re doing, right there at the shelf level 24/7.”

Using non-obtrusive shelf and aisle sensors, active-deterrence solutions detect suspicious events. Once detected, a local deterrence device immediately makes the prospective thief aware that their activity has been detected and may simultaneously alert store personnel. The new generation of IoT sensors detects suspicious behaviors at the shelf or aisle level. These sensors are coupled to a range of active local deterrence devices that can be programmed with custom audio messages, flashing LED lights, or used to trigger public-view monitors (PVMs).

Tailored Solutions

Simply put, Indyme’s Smart Sense® line of loss prevention products make potential thieves uncomfortable and uncertain. That uncertainty often translates into abandoning the activity and moving on—that’s the goal of Smart Sense.

Indyme understands the variance among retail operations and developed Smart Sense for adaptability. For example, a store’s staffing model is often a critical solution-design consideration that may drive a fully autonomous solution, one integrated with store communication devices or even event triggering the video management system (VMS) to promote apprehension, investigation, and prosecution activities.

A recent product entry, SmartDome™, intelligently detects prolonged presence in obscure store areas known for suspicious activities, such as tag and package stripping. Though it appears as a typical dome camera, SmartDome’s integral attention-getting, flashing, red lights and audio message activate upon detection of suspicious activity. Often used as an effective stand-alone deterrent, coupling SmartDome with Indyme’s real-time notification capabilities to the store PA system, two-way radios, or other communication devices empowers store associates with awareness to immediately engage shoppers. After all, nothing is a better deterrent than timely “customer service.”

Another product, Smart Sense Touch®, monitors merchandise interaction by detecting movement on shelves and other fixtures. Unusual or suspicious activity levels trigger local deterrence actions and can extend to staff notifications. Wireless Touch sensors, though small and quick to install, can detect activity across several shelves and diverse product categories, including cosmetics, laundry detergent, liquor, printer cartridges, face creams, baby formula, electronics, razor blades, fragrance, and many more.

With deep roots in customer engagement, Indyme has been innovating real-time retail communication solutions for over thirty years. Budano said, “We have seen great results from this new paradigm in loss prevention. Interactive and intelligent systems like Smart Sense represent the future of loss prevention in the never ending battle to secure stores, reduce shrink, and increase profitable sales.”

For more information on Indyme Solutions, visit indyme.com.

SmartDome by Indyme featured in the cosmetics department

Indyme Smart Sense Touch within a cosmetics shelf

RFID White Paper

How to Prevent High Shrinkage Levels When Introducing Mobile Checkouts

Today’s shoppers expect the entire shopping experience to be fun. They want to be inspired, find what they want and the size they need, and get help when they need it. And they do not want to wait for anything. A typical retail challenge is the payment step, which can easily negatively influence the overall shopping experience because customers’ patience for the checkout line in retail stores is lessening.

As this is widely recognized, many retailers are optimizing their point-of-sale (POS) processes to prevent checkout lines. New payment apps that turn mobile devices into mobile POS (mPOS) look like the holy grail, but how can retailers make sure their shrinkage levels do not explode? In the past, retailers had to choose between security and customers’ convenience. However, RFID technology offers new possibilities to solve this conflict. by combining mPOS solutions with RFID-based loss prevention systems. The EPC, which identifies a unique product a layer deeper than EAN or UPC barcodes, is used as a common identifier. This EPC code provides either the EAN or UPC code for product identification, as well as a unique serial number that defines the specific product. The required EPC code can easily be printed as a GS1 DataMatrix barcode (similar to a QR code) on an RFID label.

$ 17.00

Womans shirt grey small

RFID label including DataMatrix and EAN + serial code

How It Works

1. The retailer adds RFID labels equipped with GS1

DataMatrix barcodes to their products. 2. A store employee scans the GS1 DataMatrix code with a mobile payment app on a mobile device. 3. The customer pays for the item, and once the transaction is completed, the EPC code is sent to a database, marking the specific item as “sold.” 4. When the customer leaves the store, an RFID reader identifies the EPC code. The status of the EPC is retrieved from the database, and if the item was marked as sold, no alarm will sound. However, if the item was not sold, then an alarm will be activated.

mPOS Benefits

Many retailers are already deploying or experimenting with mPOS solutions to provide more flexibility and quicker processing for their customers. One of the most well-known examples, of course, is in Apple stores where customers no longer have to wait in line to pay for items. They can be directly served by any employee equipped with an iPad and then leave the store immediately after payment. EXPERIENCE A LIVE MOBILE PAYMENT DEMO AT NRF PROTECT VISIT NEDAP BOOTH #930

RFID Enables Secured Mobile Checkouts

The electronic product code (EPC) and RFID introduced a way to enable retailers to combine convenience and security