House of Fraser is trialling additional anti-theft technology at three of its higher-risk stores in an attempt to combat shoplifting.

New technology has been installed at its Westfield London, Bristol and London’s Oxford Street stores. The technology aims to reduce losses on high-end merchandise while allowing it to be on open display.

In Westfield London and Bristol, House of Fraser has installed Checkpoint Systems 4G electronic article surveillance system, which can detect security tags at all angles to help identify stolen merchandise more effectively.

At Oxford Street, the retailer has upped the security protection for high-value merchandise such as handbags, jackets and suits with a trial of Alpha CableLoks. These hard tags have three individual alarms that help to identify when potential shoplifters are trying to tamper with them.

House of Fraser head of retail support Jerry Carter said the new technology will help the retailer stay one step ahead of shoplifters. He said that despite reports that the recession is turning previously law-abiding customers to steal, the retailer suffers more from highly organised shoplifters.

He added that as the new technology proves itself, it will be rolled out to more stores and more high-risk merchandise – although the investment case will be made on
a store-by-store basis based on its risk profile.

Carter said that House of Fraser is also working with its concession partners to ensure that their merchandise has appropriate levels of protection. For instance, the Tec7 consumer electronics concessions are using the anti-theft technology.

In addition to the anti-theft technology, House of Fraser is also using Checkpoint’s visitor counting system in its Bristol store. Carter said that the data it produces is allowing the retailer to identify areas where it can improve operations and reduce costs.

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