Pricewatch sees 90% reduction in shrinkage with Chirp-protect

Pricewatch, a forecourt operator, has used Chirp-protect to reduce shrinkage on high-target theft products at their Eastbourne Service Station by 90%.

Pricewatch tagged expensive goods that were regularly stolen, such as cheese, meats, and wine, as part of a 30-day Chirp-protect trial.

Chirp-protect's antenna, which is positioned above the store's exit, then activated tags on goods that had either been tampered with or had not been deactivated by employees at the register.

As part of the trial, the 11-site operator, who works with Nisa and Morrisons Daily, also installed an alarm tagging system at its independent convenience shop in Horsham, which was experiencing organised crime and mass stealing.

According to Tom Buckley, general manager of Pricewatch Group, this retailer observed a 40%–50% decrease in shrinkage on tagged commodities including infant formula, wine and coffee.

At the two locations, Chirp-protect was installed in tandem with Facewatch, a face recognition technology that notifies retailers when a repeat offender enters the building.

“The idea was that we’d catch the people stealing the products with Chirp, then we can log their faces on Facewatch to stop them from coming in next time,” said Buckley.

Pricewatch is currently preparing to implement Chirp-protect more widely throughout its estate, notably at its forecourt locations in Storrington, West Sussex, and Hailsham, East Sussex.

“We’re determined to crack down on crime, so between Chirp, Facewatch and security guards, we’re on the right track to curb it,” said Buckley.

"Pricewatch recently installed Chirp-protect's anti-theft system, and we have been delighted with the results," stated Michelle Miles, Sales Development Manager for Chirp-protect.

“I worked closely with both managers at the sites to understand the issues they were facing with shoplifting. We added Chirp-protect tags to various items including beer, wine, chilled products and seasonal goods and quickly saw a reduction in shoplifting.

“As well as minimising shrinkage, we also understand how important combating theft is in terms of staff morale – watching your stock being depleted on a daily basis was tough for both managers. With shoplifting on the rise, Chirp-protect is a cost-effective, valuable solution.”

Retailers may install Chirp-protect, which comes with 50 tags, the sensor, and the deactivator, for £1,250 after a 30-day free trial.

Miles clarified For convenience stores without the room for electronic article surveillance security gates, which are typically found at larger stores and supermarkets, Chirp-protect was a more sensible option.

.