Hey guys! So Iâm babysitting right now and bored out of my mind cause the kid is asleep so I figured now is as good a time as ever to share my tips about lifting from Sallyâs Beauty Supply. I was employed there for a short time (about four months) and I can just tell you, they are one of the most corrupt, sleazy companies I have ever worked for. They treat their employees like shit and the managers and district managers are liars and will do anything to save their own jobs. Sallyâs has one of the highest employee theft rates in the country, and after my time there I understand why. Ironically, the theft was money and not products. In turn, they also have an extremely high employee turnover rate, meaning at any given time one or more SAâs in your store are new hires and completely clueless. They literally hire anyone who puts an application in, as long as you donât have a felony theft charge. Seriously. I worked with a girl who had been busted for drug trafficking.
This is an extremely long post, so scroll to the bottom for key points!
Anyways, I had been lifting at Sallyâs long before I got a job there, so after my working and previous lifting experience I can tell you pretty much all you need to know about lifting from there.
*One thing you will want to take into consideration is what kind of store your Sallyâs is. If it is a low volume, low threat store, this will be the easiest to lift from. These stores are usually located in very small or half deserted strip malls, or in a prominent area of town. The high volume/ high threat stores are located near malls, in large shopping centers, or near freeways. It is still possible to lift from here, just slightly more difficult. They also have more employees, so be wary of that.
- For starters, because the employees are usually very undertrained (And when I say undertrained, I mean as an SA. Some are very knowledgeable about products but donât have a clue about customer service.) they are either completely clueless/just donât care about what your doing in the store. They may greet you once when you come in, and *might* check up on you a few minutes later, but itâs not very likely. It really depends on the store, just use your gut feeling.
- There are no cameras. Both stores I worked in never had any, and one of them was a high threat store, meaning their theft rates were through the roof. Still no cameras. The only thing they employ to catch you is those mirror panel things on the ceilings, which I guarantee you they never use. Itâs extremely inconvenient, itâs mostly just there to deter you. The only other thing they do to prevent shoplifting is to hide certain products behind the counter e.g Gel Polishes, Manic Panic Hair Dye, and some acrylic nail supplies, as these things add up quickly.
- Like most other stores, they have a no-chase policy. Unless you are seen stuffing it in your bag, they canât do a single thing. Even if they see the outline, they wonât mention it. My manager told me once that she knew a girl had taken a pair of expensive tweezers but didnât physically see it, and just customer serviced her until the girl paid for them. But she told me if we ever did that she would write us up lol. So just look out for the managers, they usually have a bunch of keys on their arm and their name tag will say manager. They almost NEVER are the ones closing, so between 5 and 8Â pm might be your best shot.
-That brings me to my next point, which are the best times to lift from there. Managers are usually the ones who open, maybe 5 days a week. Usually never on weekends except for black out dates (Which we happen to be in, Thanksgiving- Christmas). They almost never close either, and usually the youngest/ newest employees close. Only one person opens the store, and the second person wonât come in until 10:30 or 11:00. If you go an hour or so after they open, this might be the best time to lift something large (clippers, dryer, straightener, etc) because whoever opens has a mountain of paper work to complete before the next person comes in at 11 or so. They will probably be in the back and paying minimal attention to you! Also, one of the most primo times to lift is when your store gets shipment. When that truck pulls up, itâs all hands on deck in the store and no one pays attention to the front. Be wary if you have a larger store, as they might have more employees working the front. To find out when your store gets shipment, find a product that is out of stock and ask when they plan to get more.
- Another thing to think about is returns. Sallyâs does NOT accept returns on electrical hair products without a receipt. Your best bet at getting a return would be to, for example, buy a Chi Elite straightener (99$) and steal another, then return the one you bought. However, they do accept returns on other things and will do a store credit on items with no receipt. (Which could rack up of you take a lot of Orly or OPI nail polishes at 10$ a pop.)
- The last thing I can think of is the magnet clips they use to secure hair extensions, and some pricier tweezers and hair scissors. All you will need to unhook these clips is a magnet. The associates carry one around on their keys and Iâm assuming itâs not too strong because itâs pretty small, about half the length of my thumb. Now, the hair extensions and cutting shears are always near the front and undoing the clip can be rather noisy, so do this when SAâs are in the back. The tweezers and nail scissors that are locked up are usually opposite of the register, half way down an aisle, so those wonât be a problem.
I have been lifting here for 5 years and have never been caught.
And oh yeah, NOTHING IS TAGGED.
KEY POINTS:
- Inattentive/ Undertrained SAâs
- No cameras or towers
- No chase policy
- Best times to lift are mornings between 8-11 am, or whenever your store gets shipment in
- Returns on electrical items are not accepted without a receipt, but other products are
- Bring a magnet for hair extensions or other expensive (small) items.
Sorry for the incredibly long post! Just figured Iâd share a little knowledge :) message me with any questions you may have! I also worked at a Payless for 2 years so I have a post about that coming up soon.
~Goldie
