If you currently own a business, what are you doing to prevent shoplifting? If you don’t wish to stay in business very long, you can afford to sit back as your profits are walking out the door at the hands of a shoplifter.
I researched the attempted theft of a camcorder at a large retailer, by using CCTV. While the shoplifter was fighting with the package and attempting to remove the merchandise, a manager happened to walk by. The manager did not see the shoplifter in the nearby aisle; he didn’t even realize that he startled the shoplifter with his presence and was able to prevent shoplifting. Sometimes we don’t realize the direct results of our actions.
Your employees are always a good first form of defense to prevent shoplifting through paying attention to their customers and providing good customer service. A shoplifter can only shoplift if they do not have the attention of store staff, By teaching employees to provide that attention in the form of customer service will have a significant impact to prevent shoplifting. The business next door without the knowledgeable staff that knows how to prevent theft is a much better target to the shoplifter.
Establishing a loss prevention program is beneficial to boost profits and prevent loss within a business. A program can be broad and can include many levels of security. For example, having high theft items locked up can be part of a loss prevention initiative, as well as having key logs and secure key policies to prevent employee theft. Having secure keys that access locked cases can also prevent a shoplifter from stealing the keys – and then having access to the jackpot of merchandise.
Working with your employees to prevent shoplifting is one way that a business can reduce this form of shrinkage; remember not every shoplifter is as easily spooked as the person stealing the camcorder.
For more information contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 – Atlanta Georgia
It is you versus me. You are the business owner and I am a shoplifter. How can you try to stop me whose intentions are to steal from your business?
Increased prices, lost profits, inventory shrinkage and business closures are due to billions of lost dollars; dollars lost to retail theft. As you manage your daily business processes, how do you manage to prevent shoplifting?
Employees who are committed to provide good customer services provide attention to honest customers which is very much appreciated yet, I despise that service. Your employees who want to prevent shoplifting through good customer service are my worst enemy.
But I also look for secluded areas or blind corners in your store. You can prevent shoplifting by ensuring that your sales floor doesn’t provide such opportunities to me. And how are you handling your high theft items? Are they in a locked case or in a secure area? If they are not, move them so that an employee can be nearby.
What is considered a high theft item? A business needs to keep track of its inventory versus its sales of products so that a loss can be identified quickly. Once an item is identified as high theft, then measures can be taken to prevent the theft of that merchandise.
Decreased staffing has also assisted my efforts. If you have a large business and you only have a few employees on the floor at one time you cannot prevent shoplifting. I enjoy being unattended so that you cannot prevent shoplifting. Good customer service and a well laid out sales floor make it nearly impossible for me to do what I planned on doing when I entered your business. You and your profits win, while I lose. That was your goal to begin with wasn’t it?
For more information contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 – Atlanta Georgia
There are many ways retailers can help themselves prevent shoplifting on a daily basis. One of the best ways is to choose your location wisely. Have you ever wondered why some retailers don’t do well even though the store concept is great? Sometimes it’s all about location; well it’s the same with shoplifting prevention. Here are some location ideas that can help keep shoplifting to a minimum in your retail areas.
If you have a choice, choose a store front that is located inside a mall versus on the outside street. If a thief wants to have a quick exit, it will be harder for them to lift merchandise and escape through a mall than directly into a vehicle waiting on the street corner.
Choosing a store front a bit of a distance away from a city center will also help keep prevent shoplifting and keep theft to a minimum. Stores located right in the city center are higher crime areas than the suburbs. This increases not only the criminal activity in the area, but shoplifting in particular.
Location of items inside your store can also help you as a retailer prevent shoplifting, but the location of your check out register in the store will also be a deterrent if placed in the right location. Ever wonder why retail outlets always have their checkout stands at the front of the store? It is a proven fact that stores where individuals must pass the register to exit have a lower shoplifting rate than stores with registers located in another area.
Help prevent shoplifting by keeping your store clean, tidy, well-lit and clutter free! Need help preventing shoplifting? Contact us or call 1.770.426.0547.
The role of a Loss Prevention Agent entails identifying, observing and apprehending shoplifters. A Loss Prevention Agent may work in the retail sector or any other sector of industry. He/she is well trained and works for the benefit of a retailer, restaurant or business owner.
The primary function of a Loss Prevention Agent is a task that takes a special skill that is honed over years and results in catching shoplifters. The Loss Prevention Agent spends countless hours on the sales floor observing customers, mingling with the every day shoppers who visit your store, pushing shopping carts around continuously observing and watching one’s surroundings.
I remember doing just this job focusing my efforts on the “hard hit” areas of the store with the highest losses or more hidden parts of the store. I was going to show the business owners that shoplifters visited the store and I was going to keep them from peddling their trade.
Sooner or later a shoplifter would arrive. I could feel the adrenaline kick in and try to remain calm. He selects 2 bottles of liquor and stuffs them into a backpack he has placed on the floor. Wow, I thought to myself, right in front of me. He stands up, as I read the label of the liquor bottle I’m holding, and heads down the aisle to the front of the store. I keep my distance, trying not to lose sight of him. He passes the opened and manned register and makes no attempt to pay for the merchandise. I gain on him. He exits, I follow. “Excuse me sir”, I say. I have succeeded in catching another thief!
It is said that roughly 30% of losses can be directly related to shoplifting activity. If it goes unchecked it can ruin a business leading to employee layoffs and business closures. Business closure sounds like a dire step but if you don’t keep shoplifting in check, it may be the final step that is available to a business owner.
And that is where I enter the picture. I am hired to detect and catch shoplifters – my job: Loss Prevention Agent.
For more information contact us at loss prevention agent or call 1.770.426.0547
Shoplifting and shoplifters are just a retail life fact of life, similar to the “oldest profession in the world”, it isn’t going away. And if you are naïve and think that shoplifting will not happen in your store then don’t read any further since you won’t be in business much longer anyway. If you are a retailer you understand that shoplifters are like pond scum, it stinks and is a serious distraction from a beautiful environment.
Preventing shoplifting is no different than the approach to any other business problem. Control it and minimize the distractions so you can stay focused on what is really important, making money. You can achieve this by using an Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS) system. And as huge coincidence we happen to sell Checkpoint systems (sorry for the shameless commercial).
But getting back to the issue. EAS systems are proactive. Some retailers are under the impression that if they put a camera system (OK, we sell cameras also, no more commercials I promise) in their store that this will deter shoplifters. Camera systems are passive. Unless you are watching it live at all times it is not as effective. Shoplifters know this. In addition the cost to cover every location in the store where a shoplifter may conceal merchandise is in most cases cost prohibitive.
Merchandise is tagged or labeled by your staff. When a shoplifter tries to rip you off the protected merchandise trips the sensors at the front doors alerting your staff. Merchandise stays tagged at all times until your people remove or deactivate it. It’s proactive, all day, everyday. There is no video to watch or review. Shoplifters know what EAS systems look like and how they work. In most cases they just simply go elsewhere (like your competitor who isn’t protected). This is a much stronger deterrence than a camera system.
In summary, the key is to do this in the most profitable, cost effective way possible. You have enough work to do every day. I guess I can sum it up like this; a Checkpoint security system is like having shoplifting prevention flying on autopilot.
I almost forgot…pond scum can be controlled with chemicals sold at any farm and seed supply store.
For more information: checkpoint security systems
If you are not aggressively trying to prevent shoplifting in your retail store your profits will suffer. Shoplifters are not going away. In fact as un-employment continues to be high and the economy remains unstable a higher percentage of people are shoplifting to get what they need and want. We also know from studies that shoplifters shift to unprotected retailers.
From experience, I know that when shoplifters know that you are an easy target they will hit you over and over. Shoplifters will also tell their shoplifter friends about your store (“Hey they are asleep at the switch in there. They are clueless”). Over time you become “the store of choice”. Without realizing it your profits get slowly worse.
What measures do you take to prevent shoplifting?
- Training!!! Have an Anti-shoplifting training program. Doing it once feels good for a while but like any other business issue unless you make it a priority your employees will loose interest over time. You have to refresh and train new people.
- Install a Checkpoint Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS) system. Label and tag a select group of merchandise. EAS is a labor multiplier. Spend less labor dollars to cover the same amount of sales floor. Shoplifters are caught at the door. This creates deterrence. Word will get around.
- Don’t be afraid to approach suspected shoplifters. Their goal is to be anonymous. Let them know you are aware, see and are helping them. Shoplifters hate customer service. Give them their fill! If necessary stand right there with them providing exceptional customer service.
Waiting to prevent shoplifting is like hoping that engine knock in your car will get better on it’s own. YOU can fix the problem. Step back and objectively look at your operation now. You might be surprised what you see.
Contact us or call 1.770.426.0547
