Checkpoint Systems, Inc., a leading global supplier of merchandise availability solutions for the retail industry, today announced the launch of its Alpha High Theft Solutions’ 1 Alarm Versa Guard bottle cap, which is designed for the protection of high-risk spirits in retail stores throughout the world.
For the past several years, the Global Retail Theft Barometer® has ranked spirits as the highest shrink category in the “food and beverage” retail vertical market. With this in mind, the Versa Guard solution offers retailers a higher level of benefit denial security for theft reduction; a faster mode of application and removal for efficient operations; and a clean, simple aesthetic design for optimum merchandising, resulting in an impressive ROI.
Security
The 1 Alarm Versa Guard is an inventive solution that combines tough polycarbonate construction, a robust locking mechanism and innovative features designed specifically to greatly reduce defeat by impact, tampering and body shielding. The 1 Alarm solution will activate both acousto-magnetic (AM) and radio frequency (RF) electronic article surveillance (EAS) antennas at store exits. Further, the 3 Alarm™ Versa Guard, a higher level of alarming bottle protection product, will provide all the benefits as the 1 Alarm product and will also self-alarm at 95+ decibels, both in a tamper situation in the store and as it passes through EAS antennas at store exits, identifying individuals carrying the merchandise.
Ease of Use
In time-and-motion studies, Versa Guard is more than twice as fast to apply and remove compared with other bottle security solutions. The reduction in labor significantly increases store compliance and lowers total cost of ownership when compared to other options. In addition, a wide assortment of bottles were assessed and tested globally with both small and large caps to ensure that Versa Guard fits the widest range of spirits bottle formats around the world. A short video demonstrating ease and speed of application and removal can be seen here.
Aesthetics/Merchandising
A clear product front offers both a clean display and minimal bottle obstruction for better merchandising and to display tax stamps, where used. According to Uwe Sydon, Senior Vice President & Chief Innovation Officer, Checkpoint Systems, “Until now, it’s been challenging for retailers to balance the need of protecting their high-risk merchandise with providing an open merchandising shopping experience to their customers. Versa Guard provides excellent versatility, optimal merchandising and benefit denial security. It fits most spirit bottles on the market and was designed with maximum ease of application and removal in mind to make in-store operations quick and intuitive.”
Checkpoint’s 1 Alarm Versa Guard solution is available immediately. Its 3 Alarm Versa Guard will be available this spring.