Briefs

Feb 6, 2008. Real-time alerts warn store managers, By Leo King

Boots has saved "millions of pounds" since hooking up a point-of-sale data mining system in 2006, it said this week. The system delivers real-time alerts to store managers so they can act quickly to stop suspicious transactions.

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In one instance of fraud, Jennings said, two consecutive refunds of �250 were made on a till, linked to the same loyalty card but without any purchase having been made. The employee was later dismissed and arrested by the police. In another case, an employee discounted the price of a baby monitor from �140 to �10, bought it and refunded it at full price in another store. The employee was found to have three loyalty cards linked to other "suspicious" sales at Boots.

"We also generate daily reports that are measured against 150 markers of suspicious transactions, and we can update those markers when we want," he added. "We have saved millions."

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