former ht manager here to give advice <3
HT is one of the easiest stores to hit, which is pretty common knowledge but you can honestly get this shit down to a perfected trade very easily.
this goes for MOST hot topics. I was in a fairly steady store in a large district for most of my time and spent some SA time at two other stores seasonally so my knowledge is for average HTs in mid-income level areas.
There are no sticker/cardboard censors. If a package has an “alarm enabled” type of sticker, it’s just visual deterrent. HT makes a lot of money annually but refuses to renew LP so stick on sensors probably won’t be introduced into the company for a long time.
Sensoring for clothing has a standard. T-shirts will always have a sensor by the collar, hoodies either the pocket or sleeves, pants on one of the pockets, and other items/shoes etc will have a loop or one stuck through a thinner part of the item. Jewelry can get wacky so make sure you really analyze it. If rings are in box like packaging, always look inside the box as well. ALWAYS DOUBLE CHECK! SAs get lazy and start poking sensors wherever in clothing.
Don’t linger by the pins or jewelry too long. A casual look through the section and dig for pins is normal, but the staff will start watching you if you are digging through pins for 10+ mins or crouching down by a display for a prolonged period of time. The best way to get around or blend in is to casually observe product, but keep floating around.
When you do find the item you want, feel for sensors. As stated above the sensoring has standards but some SAs don’t follow them. HT is one of the unique places where if you are dressed too classy/nice you will be noticed more by staff in a “why are you shopping in here?” kind of way, or they will hound you about “who are you buying a gift for?” sales kind of way. Keeping a casual bag like a cute tote or wearing oversized shirts is a safe route. Keep an eye on SAs and anyone on the floor as it is a whole team effort to customer service people and get sales, so they can creep up on you to offer service. There may be fake cameras in the store but in my experience they are NOT REAL!
the entire team acts as LP. Anyone in the store has clearance to notify mall security, and most of the time they will. usually they do not have cameras as stated above however that is just what i have seen in my experience. the team is trained not to accuse you of stealing however in my experience many managers disregard that and will be very blunt with you if suspicious. If they are blunt it is easiest to turn over your items to them and leave quickly or just to act offended and leave. regardless if you are approached you should leave ASAP. If the employee does not take the blunt approach they will start to hardcore customer service you, or do a “would you like me to hold that [item] up front for you?” “you know that is BOGO 50% off with anything else?”. it is in best interest to leave if you notice you are being focused on.
obviously if you are responsive to the SA who will come ask you how you’re doing or what you’re looking for you will cause less suspicion. Don’t blow them off; they will easily get suspicious if you’re rude. Don’t engage too much; they are there to sell to you and will not leave you alone if they see a potential pathway. A simple “just browsing thank you!” suffices. Be prepared for them to check back in on you.
Body jewelry is tricky and is different from store to store. If you need someone to unlock a cage of the jewelry for you, they will most likely take the jewelry you pick out up to the counter. in my opinion there is no way to get around this unless you can run hella fast. if they aren’t in a cage, it’s a fairly easy lift. Just double check if any sensor is on it.
That’s all i can think of right now. If anyone has any specific questions, i know the ins and outs of pretty much all mall stores and security procedures (worked in mall security for a bit).
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