Loss Prevention Research Council Announces Call for ‘Benefit Denial’ Technology Developers

Members of the Loss Prevention Research Council (LPRC) invite innovative solutions providers to join their Benefit Denial Working Group (BDWG) to develop and test leading-edge product protection solutions. The working group is comprised of more than 16 retail chains, including Best Buy, OfficeMax, Walgreens, CVS, Rite Aid, Meijer, Publix, Kroger, AutoZone, Sears/Kmart, Sterling Jewelers, Office Depot, AAFES and Lowes Home Improvement. Members of the BDWG are focused on the study and trial of new loss prevention technologies that render products useless until they are purchased at the point of sale.

“Group members have defined ‘benefit denial’ as a system or technology designed into, or applied to, retail products that prevents anyone from gaining value or use of a product without first making a legitimate purchase,” explains Read Hayes, Ph.D., director of the LPRC. “The system or technology should ideally protect the product from point of manufacture throughout the entire supply chain, and have no significant negative impact on the consumer.”

Several leading retailers have already lined up to support this program, as benefit denial technologies have the potential to revolutionize asset protection by virtually “locking down” products throughout the supply chain. This type of protection would enable retailers to more openly merchandise products, resulting in increased availability to customers and ultimately higher sales – while at the same time minimizing loss from shrink.

In addition to the potential benefits to sales and shrink, there are several other areas that will be evaluated, including the impact on customers and store operations associated with modifying or eliminating physical lock packaging or enclosures, and streamlining the checkout process.

In order to develop a comprehensive database of best practices and insights for the industry, the trials will be designed to encompass a wide variety of product categories, benefit denial technologies, and store formats. As part of the effort, the LPRC is working closely with the Entertainment Merchants Association, which has developed extensive expertise and insight into potential test models for several key product categories, including DVD, Blu-ray Discs and gaming content.

Featured

  • Maximizing Your Security Budget This Year

    Perimeter Security Standards for Multi-Site Businesses

    When you run or own a business that has multiple locations, it is important to set clear perimeter security standards. By doing this, it allows you to assess and mitigate any potential threats or risks at each site or location efficiently and effectively. Read Now

  • New Research Shows a Continuing Increase in Ransomware Victims

    GuidePoint Security recently announced the release of GuidePoint Research and Intelligence Team’s (GRIT) Q1 2024 Ransomware Report. In addition to revealing a nearly 20% year-over-year increase in the number of ransomware victims, the GRIT Q1 2024 Ransomware Report observes major shifts in the behavioral patterns of ransomware groups following law enforcement activity – including the continued targeting of previously “off-limits” organizations and industries, such as emergency hospitals. Read Now

  • OpenAI's GPT-4 Is Capable of Autonomously Exploiting Zero-Day Vulnerabilities

    According to a new study from four computer scientists at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, OpenAI’s paid chatbot, GPT-4, is capable of autonomously exploiting zero-day vulnerabilities without any human assistance. Read Now

  • Getting in Someone’s Face

    There was a time, not so long ago, when the tradeshow industry must have thought COVID-19 might wipe out face-to-face meetings. It sure seemed that way about three years ago. Read Now

    • Industry Events
    • ISC West

Featured Cybersecurity

Webinars

New Products

  • Hanwha QNO-7012R

    Hanwha QNO-7012R

    The Q Series cameras are equipped with an Open Platform chipset for easy and seamless integration with third-party systems and solutions, and analog video output (CVBS) support for easy camera positioning during installation. A suite of on-board intelligent video analytics covers tampering, directional/virtual line detection, defocus detection, enter/exit, and motion detection. 3

  • Luma x20

    Luma x20

    Snap One has announced its popular Luma x20 family of surveillance products now offers even greater security and privacy for home and business owners across the globe by giving them full control over integrators’ system access to view live and recorded video. According to Snap One Product Manager Derek Webb, the new “customer handoff” feature provides enhanced user control after initial installation, allowing the owners to have total privacy while also making it easy to reinstate integrator access when maintenance or assistance is required. This new feature is now available to all Luma x20 users globally. “The Luma x20 family of surveillance solutions provides excellent image and audio capture, and with the new customer handoff feature, it now offers absolute privacy for camera feeds and recordings,” Webb said. “With notifications and integrator access controlled through the powerful OvrC remote system management platform, it’s easy for integrators to give their clients full control of their footage and then to get temporary access from the client for any troubleshooting needs.” 3

  • ResponderLink

    ResponderLink

    Shooter Detection Systems (SDS), an Alarm.com company and a global leader in gunshot detection solutions, has introduced ResponderLink, a groundbreaking new 911 notification service for gunshot events. ResponderLink completes the circle from detection to 911 notification to first responder awareness, giving law enforcement enhanced situational intelligence they urgently need to save lives. Integrating SDS’s proven gunshot detection system with Noonlight’s SendPolice platform, ResponderLink is the first solution to automatically deliver real-time gunshot detection data to 911 call centers and first responders. When shots are detected, the 911 dispatching center, also known as the Public Safety Answering Point or PSAP, is contacted based on the gunfire location, enabling faster initiation of life-saving emergency protocols. 3