Loss Prevention and Asset Protection Glossary of Terms
As retail loss prevention practices continue to evolve, it’s important to know the language used to describe various theft prevention strategies. This glossary of terms defines frequently used words and their practical applications in the real world. Mastery of these words will help you adopt and implement effective prevention techniques, communicate with your peers, and develop strong preventative strategies. This glossary is designed to augment your knowledge and assist you in your fight against theft by arming you with the necessary vocabulary to understand the tools and techniques of the trade.
A
Actuating Gates
Security gates that activate an alarm when unauthorized access is detected, commonly used at store exits.
Analytics
The systematic computational analysis of data used to discover, interpret, and communicate meaningful patterns for business decision-making.
Anti-theft Device
Any device designed to prevent theft, including tags, locks, and surveillance systems.
Audit
A systematic review or assessment of inventory, operations, or financial records to ensure accuracy and compliance.
B
Benefit Denial
A strategy where high-risk items are secured in a way that makes them unusable until purchased, such as ink tags.
Body-worn Camera
Wearable cameras used by security personnel to capture real-time footage of events, often used for evidentiary purposes and deterrence.
Booster
A professional shoplifter who steals large quantities of items, often for resale.
Booster Bag
A shopping bag lined with material that can block electronic surveillance signals, used to illegally remove items from stores.
C
Cable Locks
Strong, flexible cables used to secure high-value merchandise to fixtures, preventing theft.
CartControl® Technology
A sophisticated system designed to keep shopping carts within store premises. Invisible to customers, Gatekeeper Systems’ CartControl® prevents cart loss, reduces replacement costs and city fines, optimizes retail operations, and supports environmental sustainability by minimizing abandoned carts.
CartManager® Ultra
Gatekeeper Systems’ CartManager® Ultra is a cart retrieval solution designed to enhance productivity and safety. Capable of handling up to 25 carts, it helps employees navigate parking lots effortlessly while reducing the risk of injury. Its energy-efficient design minimizes labor costs and environmental impact.
Closed Circuit Television (CCTV)
A video surveillance system that transmits signals to a specific set of monitors for security monitoring and recording.
Cycle Count
A method of inventory auditing where a small subset of inventory is counted on a rotating schedule.
D
Data Analytics
The use of data and statistical methods to identify trends and patterns that can help improve loss prevention strategies.
E
Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS)
Electronic systems used to prevent shoplifting by attaching tags to merchandise that trigger an alarm if removed without deactivation.
Employee Theft
The act of stealing merchandise, cash, or other assets by employees from their employer.
Exception-based Reporting
A reporting system that flags anomalies or exceptions in transaction data for further investigation.
External Theft
Theft committed by individuals who are not employees, such as shoplifters or organized retail criminals.
F
Facial Recognition
Biometric technology that uses advanced algorithms to identify or verify a person’s identity by analyzing facial features from an image or video.
Face Matching
A subset of facial recognition used to match captured faces with pre-existing images or databases to identify individuals.
Fence
An individual or a business that knowingly buys and resells stolen goods, acting as an intermediary between thieves and potential buyers. Fences often operate in both informal and formal markets, facilitating the exchange of stolen merchandise while attempting to conceal its illegal origins. This practice is common in organized retail crime (ORC) and other theft-related activities.
Flash Mob
A group of people who suddenly gather at a store to commit theft in a coordinated manner, often overwhelming staff and security.
Friction
Time, effort, or inconvenience experienced by customers due to security measures or solutions. This can include processes like extra verification steps, longer checkout times, or restricted access to certain products, all of which are designed to reduce theft but may impact the overall customer experience.
H
Hard Tags
Durable security tags attached to products, often requiring special tools to remove and triggering alarms if not deactivated properly.
High Theft Items
Products that are frequently targeted by thieves due to their high value and ease of resale.
I
Internal Theft
Theft committed by employees, including stealing merchandise, cash, or manipulating transactions.
K
Keeper Cases
Hard plastic containers used to secure high-risk items, which can only be opened with a special key or tool.
O
Operational Errors
Mistakes made by employees during inventory handling or transaction-processing that can lead to shrink.
Organized Retail Crime (ORC)
Criminal enterprises that systematically target retail establishments to steal large quantities of merchandise for resale.
P
Paper Shrink
Inventory losses due to administrative errors, such as miscounts, pricing mistakes, or data entry errors.
Predictive Analytics
The use of statistical techniques and algorithms to analyze current data and make predictions about future events, such as theft patterns.
Product Protection
Measures and strategies implemented to safeguard products from theft or damage, including physical security and surveillance.
Professional Shoplifting
The act of stealing merchandise by individuals or groups who do so as a profession, often reselling stolen goods.
Pushout Theft
A theft method where thieves load large quantities of merchandise into a cart and push it out of the store without paying.
Purchek® Basic Pushout Theft Prevention
Gatekeeper Systems’ Purchek® Basic is a hybrid solution that prevents pushout theft and keeps carts within designated areas, including traditional exits and unauthorized zones like fire exits. Operating seamlessly and undetected, it deters cart-based theft, reduces labor costs, minimizes reliance on retrieval services, and eliminates fines for off-site carts, improving store efficiency.
Purchek® Technology Pushout Theft Prevention
Gatekeeper Systems’ Purchek® technology is a flexible, invisible loss prevention solution that enhances safety, retains merchandise, and stops theft. It provides actionable insights into theft behaviors with video classification and investigative tools, while delivering strong ROI. When paired with CartControl®, it offers a comprehensive, multi-layered approach to loss prevention.
Purchek® Theft Intelligence Services
Gatekeeper Systems’ Theft Intelligence Services provide high-fidelity data, turning isolated theft incidents into actionable insights. By leveraging the Purchek® solution, retailers gain a deeper understanding of theft behaviors to optimize loss prevention strategies and enhance operations. With turnkey investigation services, retailers can focus on core activities while ensuring efficient theft management and maximizing the value of other deployed solutions.
R
Radio Frequency Identification (RFID)
A technology that uses electromagnetic fields to automatically identify and track tags attached to objects, enhancing inventory management and security.
Remote Monitoring
The surveillance of a location from a distant or central monitoring station, often using CCTV or other digital technologies.
S
Safer Cases
Secure enclosures for high-value or high-risk items that protect against theft while allowing customers to view the products.
Self-check out (SCO)
Systems that allow customers to scan and pay for goods without the need for a cashier, typically found in supermarkets and retail stores. These self-service kiosks provide a quick and convenient way for shoppers to complete their purchases independently.
Shelf Sweep
A tactic where thieves clear entire shelves of merchandise quickly, often for resale.
Shoplifting
The act of stealing merchandise from a retail establishment without paying for it.
Shoplifter
An individual who steals merchandise from a retail store.
Shrink
Measurement of inventory loss during a specific inventory period. It is represented by the difference between the value of booked inventory and the actual inventory in stock.
Smash and Grab
A method of theft that involves breaking into a store’s display case to quickly steal items and escape.
Soft Tags
Flexible security tags that can be attached to apparel and other soft goods, easily removed at the point of sale.
Spider Wraps
Flexible security wraps used to protect boxed merchandise, triggering an alarm if tampered with.
Stop Lock
A locking device used on retail display hooks to prevent the unauthorized removal of products.
StorePort® G2
A centralized control platform for managing loss prevention technologies such as Gatekeeper Systems’ Purchek® and CartControl® technologies. StorePort® G2 provides real-time system monitoring and performance insights, helping retailers optimize operations and theft prevention strategies.
Surveillance Camera
A camera used for monitoring and recording activities in and around a retail establishment.
Surveillance Team
A group of security professionals responsible for monitoring and analyzing surveillance footage to detect and prevent theft.
T
Theft Ring
An organized group of individuals working together to steal merchandise from retail stores.
Transaction Monitoring
The process of reviewing and analyzing transaction data to detect suspicious activities or anomalies that may indicate theft or fraud.
V
Video Analytics
The use of AI and machine learning to analyze video footage for patterns, behaviors, and anomalies that could indicate theft or other security issues.
W
Webcams
Cameras connected to the internet, used for remote monitoring and surveillance.
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