If you’ve ever picked up a piece of clothing at a retail store and noticed a security tag filled with ink, you may have wondered the purpose of it –– for those who aren’t in the retail security industry, it can feel like a drastic measure. But there’s an important reason security tags are filled with ink –– it can be a helpful measure for retailers and deter potential shoplifters.
If an item with an ink tag is purchased at a store, the cashier will remove it with a special device called a detacher after the customer pays. But if a shoplifter tries to sneak out of a store with an item that still has an ink tag attached, they won’t be able to remove it without destroying the garment. Ink tags pose no risk or inconvenience to well-intentioned buyers but are a deterrence for anyone who may try to steal from a retailer. If the ink tag is broken without the proper tag remover, ink will leak on the item, which will ruin it and make it less appealing to a shoplifter.
It’s a simple system that’s surprisingly effective, and it can stop a business from falling victim to shoplifting, a crime that costs U.S. retailers a staggering $50 billion each year, according to the National Retail Foundation. If you’re a store owner who wants to prevent shoplifting before it becomes a problem for your company, ink tags are one way to stop theft from occurring. Of course, ink tags are just one aspect of retail security, and there are more measures you should take to make sure your company is secure.