What sorts of products are retailers looking to protect against theft? That is one of the questions answered by Liam Cross, Managing Director at RTF. The sorts of products that require dedicated theft protection are usually high value products that need to be able to be picked up and used by customers but then represent an attractive target for thieves. These might involve electronics such as smartphones, tablets, smartwatches, headphones and cameras, fashion items such as handbags, watches and glasses and even powertools, shavers and pens – essentially, anything that’s fairly portable and therefore easy to carry yet holds a significant enough value to tempt a thief into trying to steal it. Pictured is RTF’s Geo product in use to protect handbags at the Selfridges department store in Birmingham.
How are modern retail security solutions protecting high value products?
There are two main methods of helping to prevent theft at retail for high value products. The first is alarm-based security that typically uses an adhesive pad to stick to the back of a device which, if detached, sets off an alarm. This offers some limited degree of physical protection but largely is reliant on an adequate response to the alarm. The second is physical or mechanical security that physically holds a product in place. This can be alarmed as well but provided the device is well designed and correctly fitted offers far more protection as it’s usually very difficult for thieves to remove these through force.
Why is this sort of security necessary?
Numerous studies have shown that it’s far more effective for retailers to have “live” products on show in a saleroom, and these have to be the actual product the customer will buy rather than a “dummy” model or similar alternative. Consumers obviously want to touch, feel, use and imagine owning a product before they buy, and if one retailer offers this opportunity over another they are far more likely to secure a sale. The problem with this is that it also makes the retailer an attractive target for thieves, and it’s not unusual to see an increase in crime in certain areas where shops have recently started demonstrating live models of high value items.
How effective are they?
The adhesive attachment has the advantage of being fairly cheap and easy to fit, though for certain high value items, particularly handheld devices like smartphones and tablets, we’re starting to see a clear migration away from this design. Often it doesn’t require a lot of force to steal a device with this sort of protection, so retailers are seeing it as false economy to save a few pounds on a suitable preventative if the value of the item being protected far exceeds this. Aside from the relative lack of force or effort required to steal a device with this protection, alarms themselves aren’t always particularly effective. We’ve all been in situations where we’ve heard an alarm go off in a store and most of the time this is either an innocent mistake or a false alarm, which means staff can become quite desensitised to them. So in situations where someone really is attempting to steal, alarms aren’t given the serious response they’re designed to attract. A further layer of concern is that employers are reluctant to encourage staff to approach someone who is trying to steal. Nobody knows what a thief might be capable of so unless trained security is present or police respond in time these people will often get away. Physical security addresses these issues and has proven to be a more effective deterrent as thieves get bolder and more aware of what they can get away with. This is a mechanical-based unit that actually grips around the product and is specifically designed to be difficult or impossible to remove without the right tools, or at least without seriously damaging what you’re trying to steal. Another crucial advantage here is that it takes an awful lot of effort to attempt to break this security, which draws attention to a thief and risks compromising their biggest asset – their identity. They want to get in and out as quickly as possible, and to be noticed by as few people as possible, so most criminals will look to avoid being in such a high-risk situation. Though it’s a more expensive solution to the simpler adhesive-based tethers, effective physical security isn’t nearly as costly as some might think, and retailers should consider the initial investment carefully against the cost of replacing an expensive product.
Is this being acknowledged at retail?
Yes, we’ve seen a significant shift in interest over the last year. Physical and mechanical security is becoming more popular than adhesive units mounted to an alarm – there’s a steady migration to these sorts of products as designs are becoming more effective at both safeguarding devices and being as “invisible” as possible to maximise the user experience.
How can retailers make sure they are choosing the right product and using it in the right way?
It’s important to understand what you want from a security product aside from the security itself. Often this involves allowing the customer to interact as naturally as possible so as to increase the user experience. We did an installation at Selfridges last year and it had clearly researched its requirements well. The product they wanted to secure was high-end handbags; something that needs to be picked up and used so could not be secured easily to prevent theft. Fixtures are often changed so they couldn’t be modified to house security, nor could any attachment leave a residue. It had to be aesthetically pleasing and offer as much flexibility to pick up and use the product as possible without affecting the integrity of the security. We went away and designed our Geo specifically for this purpose, which has since been rolled out across other departments to protect other products such as headphones.
Modern retail security solutions aren’t perfect (though we’re getting closer) and it’s important to acknowledge any limitations so as to maximise the effectiveness of the device. One example would be to ensure that they are properly fitted. If not attached correctly to a fixture, or if a fixture isn’t solid enough to form a strong base it will represent a weak point in the system. Having a professional advise you on how to correctly use these is vital and a problem at this stage can render the entire unit ineffective. This is especially important if stock is changed frequently, as security will be removed and reattached on numerous occasions.
What does the future hold for RTF?
We’ve always worked very closely with retailers to ensure their specific needs are met. Doing so allows us to create products that solve real problems and maximise opportunities for retail effectiveness and customer interaction. One issue we’ve identified surrounds effective showcasing of smartwatches, which in lieu of the launch of the Apple Watch will be an increasing area of interest. Our WatchLock aims to solve this by providing a specialist solution for safeguarding these sorts of devices. We’ve also refined our current product range to address the sorts of issues retailers have with using retail security effectively, and have an exciting new addition this year that should eliminate many of the problems they face.
As security gets smarter, so do thieves, so it’s a learning curve but with each iteration we’re seeing positive feedback and a noticeable reduction in crime, so it’s important to stay one step ahead and make sure you’ve made an impact. We work for the retailer so as their needs change so do ours. New products to protect new devices, bespoke solutions for specific requirements and continual improvement and refinement are our key goals. We’re determined to help ensure retail crime continues to fall and at some point in the future, if we’re lucky, perhaps disappear altogether.
