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Sir,

It seems hard to believe it’s that time of year again. Retailers are already predicting what the top 10 most popular Christmas toys will be for 2014 and we still have five months to go until the big day. But as strange as it may seem, this is actually very good news for consumers. Not only does it mean stores are on top of the biggest trends dominating the children’s play sector, but it also reassures shoppers that retailers are planning meticulously to ensure they have the most popular toys in the right place at the right time ready for purchase.

However, once the stock is on-shelf, the challenge for store operators is to keep it there. What struck me about the list for 2014 wasn’t the fact that there are seemingly more high-tech toys on there than traditional games and books but the fact that the majority of the items are very expensive. With so many costly – and therefore high risk – toys in demand, retailers need to ensure that their stock is adequately protected from theft.

By deterring potential shoplifters using visible tagging or identifying shoplifters using improved detection capabilities, retailers can prevent theft, keep products on-shelves and ensure customer satisfaction is safeguarded in the run up to the festive season.

Neil Matthews
Vice President, Checkpoint Systems