Does Japan Have Very Low Shoplifting Levels?

[Iridium]

Just wondering: I don't recall ever receiving an import CD that had a security tag in it even though they're often US$30 in value. Today it was pretty shocking because I received a tagged $10 Geneon CD from TRSI and a non-tagged $30 Mikuni Shimokawa CD from YesAsia.

Does Japan have low levels of shoplifting or something?

[beatmania]

$30 is chump change to the Japanese.

[pythos]

While I'm no expert, I'm sure Japan has their share of shoplifting.

I can tell you that while I was in Japan in May, the BOM near my friend's house in Machida-shi did have the tags in DVDs, CDs, video games, etc.

[guyverfanboy]

[ QUOTE ]
Iridium said:
Just wondering: I don't recall ever receiving an import CD that had a security tag in it even though they're often US$30 in value. Today it was pretty shocking because I received a tagged $10 Geneon CD from TRSI and a non-tagged $30 Mikuni Shimokawa CD from YesAsia.

[/ QUOTE ]

YesAsia is an online store. Why would they have a tag? People gonna raid the wharehouse or somethin? o_O

[quenelf]

It depends on the system. For example here in the UK, it used to be common for them to keep the actual CDs in a back room; only the jewelboxes would be on the shelf. So you'd take the CD to the counter and they'd go and find the actual disc for you - it didn't need a tag.

Some stores also used these hard plastic cases around the disc which I think included some kind of tag-type-thing but in the plastic case (which they removed at the counter and then reused).

so anyway, in different countries and store chains there may be no need for the *manufacturers* to include a tag. If the manufacturers don't include one, you won't get one from online stores. (Unlike DVDs where manufacturers always do include one so you always get it.) I don't know how it works in japan.

--quen

it depends on the store, but most that i've seen keep the stock elsewhere and there is a dummy in its place. The Cashier then has to go and fetch the disc.

I remember going to the HMV in Shibuya last year and having the cashier apologize prefusly for taking so long finding my GE999 boxset in the back (it had several cm of dust on it too ^.^)

[Iridium]

[ QUOTE ]
guyverfanboy said:
[ QUOTE ]
Iridium said:
Just wondering: I don't recall ever receiving an import CD that had a security tag in it even though they're often US$30 in value. Today it was pretty shocking because I received a tagged $10 Geneon CD from TRSI and a non-tagged $30 Mikuni Shimokawa CD from YesAsia.

[/ QUOTE ]

YesAsia is an online store. Why would they have a tag? People gonna raid the wharehouse or somethin? o_O

[/ QUOTE ]
At least for North American releases, the tags are generally added to all items at the production line level as the factory doesn't know where that specific item will be sent. Pretty much everything I get from Amazon, TRSI, DVDSoon, etc, has the tags.

[Iridium]

[ QUOTE ]
bemani said:
$30 is chump change to the Japanese.

[/ QUOTE ]
Maybe to the shopper $30 is chump change, but if the store is operating on a 5% profit margin, they would have to sell $570 of goods to make up for the loss of a single disc stickered at $30.

And $570 is not chump change, even to the Japanese.

[Kintaro]

Apart from electronics and anime/manga shops (I actually witnessed a shoplifting at Gamers a few months ago) I never seen much of those. There are often guards posted, but most of them are quite old and don't seem to pay much attention.

[mrgazpacho]

Perhaps those "Onegai Stop!" signs disorient consumers so much, they forget to shoplift /images/graemlins/sdsmiley.gif

[Theory]

[ QUOTE ]
Iridium said:
Pretty much everything I get from Amazon, TRSI, DVDSoon, etc, has the tags.

[/ QUOTE ]


How many of these items, that you buy from these distributors, are imported from Asia? The only guess for why Japanese merchandise doesn't come with security tags is that at the factory level, security devices aren't added onto merchandise in Asia. Perhaps it's up to the retailers to add their own anti-theft devices or create provisions to keep merchandise from being stolen.

[Iridium]

Yeah, this is the sort of thing I was wondering about. Maybe it adding the security tags is part of the "mandated inefficiency" I've read about that appears in many Japanese businesses.

I never get import items from Amazon, TRSI or DVDSoon (excluding imports from the US to Canada of course.) My imports always come from YesAsia, Amazon.co.jp or cons.

[SpaceButler]

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bemani said:
$30 is chump change to the Japanese.

[/ QUOTE ]

One could say the same about the U.S.