8A- solving the problem

8A-Solving the Problem

• Attempting to solve shoplifting in grocery stores is extremely challenging.  Having big sensors before the exit doors is not ideal because 1)it is not affordable for small grocery stores and 2)not every piece of food such as every fruit and vegetable can have a security tag on it.  However, what every food item has on it no matter how big or small it is would be a label with a barcode.  My idea is to create labels that have magnetic ink that can be detected by an undercover sensor in a store.  These sensors would be created to be decorative in a grocery store and placed before the exit doors.  When an item is payed for, the magnetic ink is cleared and deactivated once it is run through the register.  However, if a person is stealing an item, the ink that is part of the barcode sticker will set off the sensors. I believe that having the magnetic ink as part of the barcode sticker is the most practical way to solve this shoplifting problem.  For example, every apple has a sticker on it that has a barcode.  The ink would serve as a plastic sensor such as the ones that are placed on clothing items.
• In order for this idea to work properly many things need to happen:
• The magnetic ink would be distributed to any companies that print labels for their own products.  For example, it would be given to packaging companies who label their own products and then distribute them to businesses such as grocery stores.  As the packaging companies would have the ink, this would save time for the grocery stores because if they had print their own labels with the magnetic ink on the food items, it would cost extra time and money from manual labor.  But if the magnetic ink is given to the distributors, it would cost no extra time for anyone because they have to print a label for their food items anyways.
• The grocery store itself must have a supply of its own magnetic ink to print for any of its personal products.  For example, if the company wants to create a label for one of their products that does not use a thermal printer, it will need a supply of the ink to use for creating its own labels.   
• In order to make this idea functional, I would also be working in conjunction with label companies as they are the ones who produce and distribute the labels and printing tape used in grocery stores.  My hypothetical company would produce and deliver the magnetic ink to the label companies who will produce the products with the ink printed into it.  The grocery stores will then receive their label orders with the ink already in it and ready to print.   
• Grocery stores want to feel that their business is protected and that they have control.  Additionally, by having this theft detection system, customers will know that this store is not playing around and they WILL get caught if they try to steal something.  
• I want this product to benefit these grocery stores and save their profits.  I believe that this idea will be an investment that will create a greater profit in the future for these businesses.