The big retail stores and thousands of convenience stores across the country try to find solutions to tackle shoplifting and employee theft. The retail industry losses account to $42 billion every year, and it doesn’t seem to be stopping anytime soon.
Security measures implemented and adopted by many retailers have given these stores some small wins, but overall the losses are staggering. Inventory adopted by these small stores that are done in real time, and are working in conjunction with software that displays results to the management of these stores instantly, are invaluable to the operation and profitability of the stores. As a deterrent to shoplifting and employee theft, these operative measures are of tremendous help to the management as well.
CCTV cameras that provided a grainy image of the customers or perpetrators are a thing of the past. Now, CCTV cameras provide a clear image of the individual that is easier for police officers and management of these stores to get a clear view of these people. Facial recognition software now provides solutions to these stores that were not available to them before. And although trained personnel has to work in conjunction with these technological advances, the results have greatly improved over the years.
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To stop a thief: Shoplifting is a daily battle for retailers
On any given day, more than $35 million worth of merchandise is stolen from retail stores across the country by shoplifters – amateurs and professionals alike – who steal clothing, jewelry, electronics and a host of other items, including food.
Some sneak quickly and quietly with the merchandise, others make bold getaway attempts.
In Tupelo, the retail and financial hub of Northeast Mississippi, the Tupelo Police Department gets hundreds of reports each year.
In 2014, TPD took 483 reports related to shoplifting, according to TPD Public Information Officer Chuck McDougald. Last year, that number fell to 260. So far this year, the department has taken 162 calls.
“Higher shopping volume days correspond to more shoplifting calls,” he said. “Those include weekends and holidays.”
As for the timing of when shoplifters are busiest, apparently they’re not early risers.
“Afternoons see an increase over mornings,” McDougald said. “Generally, it looks like the busier a store is, the more opportunities there are for someone to steal.”
For retailers like Reed’s, which has four department stores in the region, the key to cutting down on shoplifters is to make sure customer service is prioritized.
Are You Doing Enough to Secure Your Stores?
Theft and robbery continue to rise, but new technology and planning can deter.
NATIONAL REPORT — Whether it’s violent crime, robberies, shoplifting or employee theft, convenience stores have been dealing with store security issues for years. New technology is allowing operators to amp up prevention and react faster to incidents, but in many cases — in c-stores and the entire retail industry — the situation continues to worsen.
“I’ve been involved in the convenience store industry for 40-plus years and the risk of loss has not changed. The most worrisome is robbery, and as c-stores evolved into 24 hours, the violence level increased,” Chris McGoey of McGoey Security Consulting told Convenience Store News.
Robberies are up all-around, specifically in convenience stores, as the latest released FBI statistics show robbery up 16.8 percent in c-stores/gas stations from 2014 to 2015. Rosemary Erickson, researcher, forensic sociologist and president of Athena Research Corp., based in Sioux Falls, S.D., says this is the largest increase she can remember in all the years she has been studying crime. Erickson has helped NACS, the Association for Convenience & Fuel Retailing, develop many of its security resources.
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