Loss prevention products, such as electronic sensor tags and surveillance cameras, are used to deter theft in retail stores and other business settings. Technological advancements have led to the development of innovative solutions, but new products must continue to be developed to keep up with motivated thieves.
Loss prevention products, used to attempt to deter or catch theft in business settings, include a range of items designed for retail stores, business operations, general security companies and the financial services industry. Increasing technological advances in the 21st century have contributed significantly to the development of innovative and effective leak solutions. It is a reality of business operations, however, that any security product or system can eventually be bypassed by motivated thieves. This leads to the need for continued advancement of new loss prevention products to keep up with criminal ingenuity.
People work in the loss prevention industry, but specialty products designed to control theft are the real workhorses. In many places, 80% or more of theft deterrence is provided by technology rather than direct human surveillance. Historically, the retail industry has experienced the most aggressive product introductions due to constant opportunities for employee and customer theft. Early product solutions to prevent shoplifting included mounting mirrors in strategic locations to provide better lines of sight and surveillance cameras.
Another popular product in retail is the electronic sensor tag which triggers an alarm if someone tries to leave the store with merchandise without the tag being removed by a cashier. Ink labels are a variant that stains goods if not removed properly. Sensor tags are an example of a loss prevention product that has been adapted over time to keep up with thieves. Some types of merchandise have sensor tags inside the product packaging instead of on the outside to prevent a thief from removing it. This type of tag is a magnetized sticker that must be deactivated before leaving the store.
From the perspective of retail employees, loss prevention products include complex point-of-sale systems that make it difficult for money to be stolen. Camera surveillance has progressed to the point where the equipment is camouflaged, records to a computer rather than tape, and is just as likely to focus on employees as customers. Sophisticated alarm systems make it impossible for any employee to be in the store alone, and computerized safes that only open under certain circumstances prevent employees from accessing large sums of cash.
In corporate settings, loss prevention products include specialized software that monitors employee computer usage. Other types of software report suspicious transactions entered into accounting systems. Bag scanners are often used to control entrances and exits from a building and to make sure employees don’t leave with unauthorized material, while motion detectors and other types of alarms prevent employees from returning after hours.
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