Why retailers are tagging more items than ever before. And it’s not just the usual suspects…

“Just 18 months ago if you had said that olive oil would demand the same security as single malt whisky, I’d have thought you were bonkers!”

Wow, what a week! And no, I’m not talking about the football or the Election this time!?

It’s been another super busy week at All-Tag as we continue to distribute millions of tagging solutions to leading UK retailers. If you’ve been following my articles, then you will know this is our “new normal.”?

Our focus on customer service and innovative approaches to reducing shrink have undoubtedly helped us secure some sizeable orders. However, ?the extraordinarily high demand for our tagging solutions also points to a wider market trend.?

The reality is that retailers are tagging more items than ever before. And it’s not just the usual suspects…

?Anti-theft solutions are being applied to all sorts of everyday items. Butter, sausages, cheese, honey and even sweets… the list goes on. Even the shopping baskets themselves are being hard-tagged in some supermarkets!

?Of course, tagging isn’t a new phenomenon. Consumers are used to seeing security solutions on high-value products like steak and spirits. But lower-value goods are now getting the same treatment.?

So, what’s behind the shift??

It’s no secret that shop theft has soared during the cost of living crisis. So, it’s only natural that retailers are stepping up their loss prevention game. But let’s be clear. We’re not just talking about cash-strapped shoppers pilfering the occasional item for personal use. No. There has been a surge in products being stolen for resale.?

Although inflation has slowed, food costs are still climbing, and lower-value items are being pushed into higher price brackets. Suddenly, a whole new array of products becomes a target for shoplifters looking to sell them on…

?Take olive oil, for example. According to recent research, the average price of this kitchen staple has rocketed by 110.5% over the last two years, rising from ￡3.54 in January 2021 to ￡7.45 today! This might be an extreme example, but it does illustrate the scale of the problem.?

If you had told me a few years ago that a bottle of olive oil demanded the same security treatment as single malt whisky, I’d have thought you were bonkers!?

To combat the triple threat of rising food costs, the cost of living crisis and increased theft, retailers are being forced to spend more money to protect stock and reduce stock loss.?

One of the easiest and most cost-effective ways to do this is with RF labels and other source tagging solutions. Not only can they be a blanket-style deterrent, but they also give retailers the flexibility to tailor their security to the needs of each store.?

And then there is the level of crime itself. Because of the various pressures pushing people towards crime as a career, the low level occasional shoplifter is now moving up to become a persistent offender. Criminals at every level are effectively moving up the grade structure. And this too is driving the increased incidence of crime and the need for retailers to deal with it.

?But before making any kind of strategic security decisions, you have to understand the root cause of the theft. If a retailer is experiencing high shrink in a particular area, I make it my mission to discover what’s driving that trend so I can ensure we put the most effective solution in place.

The reasons why people steal are many and varied. Although I must confess that I’d thought I’d seen and heard it all over the years. However, even I was surprised to learn that Nurofen liquid capsules were being stolen to be melted down and cut with methamphetamine! We’re talking real Breaking Bad territory here!?

Once we understood the motivation behind the Nurofen thefts, we also were able to advise the customer that this was not a challenge to be met by tagging. Instead a recommendation of an on shelf physical deterrent was more appropriate. But if you do not take time to understand the root cause, the root motivation, then you end up prescribing the wrong cure.?

We might not be able to predict exactly what the thieves will set their sights on next, but our cutting-edge tagging solutions can help retailers adapt to the changing retail landscape.

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And who knows what we’ll be tagging next? If the last few years have taught me anything, it’s to expect the unexpected!