How To stop A Shoplifter?

December 13, 2016 by Leave a Comment

Police Departments across the nation are busy this holiday season launching operations aiming at catching shoplifters.  Serial shoplifters go from store to store stealing hundreds of dollars worth of merchandise from each store.  Police and retailers alike have been working together to stop this vicious and financially crippling crime.  Shoplifters are not necessarily from the area where they commit their crime, there are serial shoplifters that go from state to state, and from store to store, stealing as much as they can.  For a retailer, the hundreds of dollars stolen from their store is a financial burden, and jeopardizes their ability to stay open for business.

For more about this and other stories, follow the links below.

How local law enforcement are working to stop organized retail crime

BUFFALO, N.Y.–

Organized retail crime is rising across the country, according to the National Retail Federation. In Western New York, local law enforcement said they’re constantly working to stop it.

“They’ll steal goods and products from various stores, sometimes taking orders,” Officer Craig Johnson, field intelligence officer for the Amherst Police Department, said. Johnson said organized shoplifting rings operate locally and even statewide.

“[They’ll go] down the thru way through the major cities, Albany, Syracuse, Rochester, Buffalo, even to Erie, Pennsylvania,” he said. HE said the thieves use stolen ID’s and credit cards to rent cars. They’ll even sometimes steal a license plate from another car to put on their rental. Then they spend hours stealing from stores, including items like clothing, medication, baby formula and even appliances. They then move on to another city by the time law enforcement is notified.

“They could be from different states. They could be from downstate New York. It’s very hard to find out that information of who these people are,” Johnson said.

Serial Shoplifters Target Burlington Stores 

It was a busy day for Amanda Bean. First, she stole several hundred dollars’ worth of merchandise from a store that shares her surname — L.L.Bean. Burlington police cited her for retail theft and released her. Two hours later, Bean allegedly stole goods valued at several hundred dollars from the Skirackon Main Street. Bean was again charged with retail theft and let go.

Since that day in April, Bean, 33, of St. Albans, pleaded guilty to the L.L.Bean theft, but her stealing apparently hasn’t stopped. She has been arrested on similar charges twice — including on October 22, while she was serving a community-based furlough for the L.L.Bean theft. All told, Bean has been arrested more than 20 times and has at least nine retail theft convictions, along with convictions for other crimes.

Downtown merchants are frustrated with frequent fliers like Bean. While other crimes such as burglary are declining in Burlington, retail theft is escalating, police say. Between 2012 and 2015, annual retail theft calls to Burlington police increased from 341 to 423. This year, the trend continued. The number of calls between January and November 1, 2016, totaled 404, compared to 374 over the same time period last year.

‘Operation Blitz’ To Target Professional Shoplifters

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — As we look to get started on our holidayshopping lists, police will be looking for professional shoplifters.

Beginning on Black Friday, more than 30 Twin Cities law enforcementagencies will launch “Operation Blitz.”

The first-of-its-kind partnership in the state will target organized retail theft and financial fraud.

Police showed WCCO how these professionals do their best to avoid detection.

Take what police say happened at a St. Paul CVS two weeks ago, when a man walked in with a gym bag and loaded it with cleaning supplies. He was out of the store in under 40 seconds.

 

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Avoid Being A Victim This Holiday Season

December 7, 2016 by Leave a Comment

woman

Happy Holidays! Or, are they really?  Retailers are not the only ones that suffer from theft during the holiday season.  Yes, shoplifting, employee theft, and merchant thefts occur more during the holiday season than at other times of the year for retailers, but people around the country are more and more vulnerable to theft that occurs at their front door.  Have you bought anything online? Has it been delivered? There are many stories of packages being delivered, but never actually received by the recipient.  Where is it?  Some of them at least are at the hands of thieves that go prowling neighborhoods in search of delivered packages left at your front or side door. If you ordered something online and won’t be at home during the day, asking a neighbor to accept the package for you is not imposing, it is just neighborly. Take precautions this holiday season to avoid being the victim of theft. 

For more about this and other stories, follow the links below.

Chamblee Police: Tips to Avoid Becoming a Holiday Crime Victim

Chamblee, GA, December 5, 2016 – The Post Reports – The Chamblee Police Department provides the following information on why thieves love the Holiday season and what you can do to prevent becoming a victim.

Why Thieves Love the Holiday Season

All the hustle and bustle going on over the holidays gives thieves what they want, almost as much as an unlocked bank vault and that is the opportunity to become invisible. Thieves can move through big crowds of rushed and distracted people without anyone noticing them. They can pickpocket and shoplift and when their victims realize that they have been robbed, they will have no idea who did it.

Thieves Feed on Opportunities

Thieves know that the police are overloaded during the holiday season and they take full advantage it. They thrive on the fact that the police and stores’ loss prevention staff have their hands full with amateur thieves who are hauled to jail for trying to steal from the electronics departments or waiting for the parents of teenagers who pocketed the latest video game.

In the meantime, the professional thieves are busy breaking into cars in the parking lots to steal gifts, cell phones and electronics or stalking and robbing. Some thieves prefer burglarizing homes. They spend their time walking neighborhoods, looking for houses that appear that the homeowners are away. Darkened homes nestled between neighbors with front yards bursting with holiday lights will draw their attention.

Albany police encourage businesses to be on constant crime watch

businesses should increase their vigilance, watching for crime in their stores, as shoplifting and thefts increase during the holidays.

It’s a serious issue, because a large theft in a small store could mean a merchant having to go out of business.

Chuck Roberts has owned John Ross Jewelers at his Dawson Road location for 30 years, and one reason he has been so successful is he was already thinking about criminals when he designed the shop.

“We built this store the way it’s built, to stop the shoplifting,” explained Roberts.

Police said that during this time of year, shoplifters and thieves increase their activity, because stores have more customers to hide among, and there is more on hand to steal.

“They have more merchandise available. So there will always be someone who is looking to find an illegal way to acquiring that merchandise,” said Albany Police Chief Michael Persley.

Roberts has well established trade practices to deter thieves and lots of surveillance cameras watching customers, because he has thousands of dollars worth of jewelry in his store cases, and knows crooks will go to almost any length to steal them.

Consumers beware of holiday crimes

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTHI) – The winter months cover a time of seasonal giving and cheer.

Unfortunately, crime doesn’t pause for the holidays.

Especially after major online shopping events like Cyber Monday.

Ryan Adamson with the Terre Haute Police Department says you have to watch out for the occasional Grinch looking to steal.

He says, “Thefts of packages increase this time of year. Somebody is at work, they get a notification on their phone that UPS, or Fed-Ex, has dropped off a package. They get home and lo and behold, it’s not there. So be mindful of where your packages are going.”

Criminals are looking for an easy steal, so what is easier than an unattended package on a door step?

Adamson suggests, “If you can have it delivered to work, do so. Or, try to have them sent to a friend’s house or a relative’s house. Just somebody that’s going to be home. Or, make it to where somebody has to sign for the package, so the package is verified that somebody is there for it.”

Adamson also says to be careful where you place your presents once wrapped.

He says, “Don’t put your gifts in plain view right in front the window where everybody can see. Don’t put your big expensive TV right in front of the window. If you’re not going to be home, let your neighbor know. Have somebody check on your house for you to make sure everything is okay.”

Unfortunately, your car isn’t safe from winter scrooges either.

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Partnership With EAS Technology And Policy

December 5, 2016 by Leave a Comment

If you are reading this, chances are you are experiencing a shoplifting problem. Shoplifting takes a toll, not only on your stres1-1s level, but your bottom dollar. When people have a problem, they research a solution. One way to prevent shoplifting is having an electronic article surveillance system installed by a reputable company. Searching for such a company can be daunting. Shoplifting is an issue that needs to be addressed and resolved quickly. Why would you choose Checkpoint equipment from Loss Prevention Systems Inc. (LPSI?)

Checkpoint has been paving the path for EAS systems and building RF technology for over 40 years. All equipment is new and installed by factory trained technicians. Checkpoint and LPSI never sell refurbished equipment. The founder and owner of Loss Prevention Systems Inc., Bill Bregar, has over 30 years of experience in loss prevention. The small retailer may not have the resources for a loss prevention department. Our background and expertise in Loss Prevention sets us apart. Over the decades, Bill has taught and created successful Loss Prevention policies and procedures for the small retailer to send shoplifters elsewhere. Both companies partnership provide a path to decrease shrink and increase profit.

Checkpoint offers several different types of EAS systems for different situations. A favorite antenna system for small to medium retailers is the P10. This system is known as a workhorse. As part of the EVOLVE line, it has people counting capability and remote access. With an internet connection, a trained technician can access the system remotely to perform preventative maintenaEASnce and typically resolve potential issues. With its strong frame and Evolve capabilities, it will last a long time and is “future proof”.

What tips and suggestions can the small to medium retailer apply to their business? Compliance and enforcement. Create, implement and abide by policies to keep the business on track. Loss of compliance equals loss of control. Employees need a reliable example and understand what is expected of them. It’s up to you to enforce the process and standards of your business.

Combine your Checkpoint technology, people and process to prevent shoplifting. Having and EAS system is only as good as the people using it. With the right people following the right process, the technology will do its job. 

Protect your business with qualified staff, effective procedures and the latest EAS technology. Take control of your success.

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TIPS TO PREVENT A ROBBERY

December 5, 2016 by Leave a Comment

outsidemallCan you believe we are in December already? This year has flown by and we’re in the home stretch. For many, many small and large businesses alike, this next month is crucial to profitability. Often times, the 4th quarter can mean you stay open for another year, or it could mean that you didn’t make enough to pay your vendors. If you think that’s not a reality, do you remember a little electronics company by the name of Circuit City? So it becomes even more important to do every single thing you can to retain as much profit as possible. That means having the right product, providing the best service and definitely making sure your money makes it to the bank.

Holiday time brings an increase in sales, which in turns leaves you with a little (or a lot) more cash on hand than you normally would. This is great. We love to see money, right? Well, there can be a downside to all this extra green hanging around; a robbery. No one likes to think this can happen, or will happen to their store, but the reality is that it can. Criminals know this time of year means more cash in stores and it’s no secret that robberies tend to happen more frequently during the last few weeks of the year.

Last year, one of my stores were targeted very early in the morning. Thankfully, we were not open for business yet and none of my team members were hurt, but it exposed some holes in what we believed was a fool-proof procedure to deter these acts.

The first lesson is being vigilant. A good manager will always drive the perimeter of building when they first arrive. You should look for any signs of breach, or anyone who doesn’t belong in the area. If something stands out, don’t hesitate to call the local police. Better to be nothing than to walk into a robbery. Also, safety is in numbers. Managers should wait until all morning team members arrive before entering the store. This way, the store can remain locked and a manager isn’t opening the door several times throughout the morning.store-door

Prepare for the worst. You don’t want it to happen to you, but it can. Train you managers, as well as your store team on what they should do in case of a robbery. You don’t want any heroes and you don’t want anyone to get hurt. You should constantly stress the importance of complying with the robber’s demands and getting them out of the store as quickly as possible. The very last thing you want is to have a hostage situation because the police responded while the robber was still inside. Remember, do what they say, give them what they want and get them out.

In my many years in LP, I have never seen a robbery happen in the middle of the day. Each one that took place in one of my stores happened either early morning, or late at night. At closing, a manager should head to the front of the store about 15-20 minutes prior to closing. Take a look at the parking lot. Are there any suspicious vehicles, or people hanging around? Once the last customer has exited, and it’s closing time, quickly lock your doors.

Try to avoid having team members leave the store at different times. If possible, schedule every to leave at the same time each night. That way, everyone can leave at once. You want to avoid opening/closing the door as much as possible. Robbers will stake out your store for days, or even weeks before hitting their target. If they know you open the door several times after close, you could set yourself up for a robbery attempt. By leaving all at once, in a group, you make the robbery less appealing to the criminal.

There’s no secret formula or magic wand that can be waved to completely prevent a robbery. You have to assume that at any time, it can happen to you. The best thing you can do is to work robbery prevention into your daily routine and most importantly be prepared for it. The last thing you want is to have your team faced with this reality and not know what to do. A simple conversation about expectations can very well be the difference between life and death.

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(SOME MORE) TIPS TO PREVENT ROBBERIES

December 5, 2016 by Leave a Comment

moneyIn the previous article, I gave some great tips on how to prevent and prepare for a robbery. Like many things, it’s impossible to provide a solution that is all encompassing. After I penned that article I couldn’t help but think that there was more that I could share; more that I should share. I draw on over a decade’s time spent in the LP field and this is one of those topics that I just can never stress enough to my store managers. So, what else can you do to limit a robbery and/or cash loss?

When do you (or do you) conduct a cash drop? I know, some of you may be scratching your head after reading that. What’s a cash drop? Most stores have a safe where money from the day is stored prior to it being picked up by the armored carrier/dropped in the night deposit at the bank. When a cashier has so much money in the till, some cash is taken out, and then stored securely in the safe. Think about it, would you want any cashier to have several thousands of dollars in cash in their till? It’s December and Christmas is right around the corner. A few grand in cash in one till is not out of the realm of possibility.

If your store, or company does have a drop policy, then make sure your cashier leadership is following it. For the company I work for, we set the threshold at $500. Our cashiers start with a bank of $200. Once they have $500 above their original bank, they are required to get a supervisor to drop the additional funds. You should also monitor this throughout the week and coach those cashiers that are failing to meet the expectation. If by some chance, you don’t have this practice, I suggest implementing this yesterday.

Not only does this prevent a criminal from robbing a cashier, you also prevent yourself from being exposed to a quick-change artist. You may know them by a different name, but this guys and girls can quickly scam a cashier out of hundreds of dollars. The basic scam has them pay a small ticket item with a large bill ($100 mostly). After the cashier gives change and before the drawer is closed, they begin confusing the cashier by asking for different change. A quick palm and some sleight of hand later, you’re out a few hundred bucks.

Again, training and policies can help you to avoid this. First, as mentioned above, make sure to keep the amount of cash in the till at a minimum. Second, train your cashiers to immediately close the till once change is given. I see cashiers let their tills linger open far too long quite often. As soon as the change is removed and before they tear the receipt off the spool, that drawer needs to be closed. The criminal needs the drawer to remain open to steal your money. You can easily beat them at their own game. Second, forbid your cashiers from even giving change. That’s how it is at our stores. If a customer needs change, we’ll be more than happy to oblige, but they must walk to the service desk where a supervisor assists them.

Cash drops are an important tool to fight against a robbery attempt. They take away that added liability of excess cash in the drawer and help protect against quick change scams. Remember, they most important thing you can do to prepare for a robbery is to prepare for it, every day. Prepare by training your managers to open and close as a team. Prepare by teaching your staff to comply with a robber’s demand. Prepare by dropping excess funds in your safe. Prepare by training your cashiers to do something as simple as closing their drawer quickly. By taking a few simple steps, you can shrink the size of the target on your store.

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TIPS TO SPOT A POSSIBLE DISHONEST EMPLOYEE

December 5, 2016 by Leave a Comment

theft (2)It’s official folks. It’s December and the year is almost over. It also means that you’ve probably hired some additional help around the store. Whether they be temporary, part-time or full-time employees, they all have one thing in common; they have the potential to steal from you. I hate to sound so cynical, but I’m a realist. With December historically being the biggest month for internal theft, I’d thought I’d share some of my tips on how to spot a potential dishonest employee.

  1. Are they in their assigned department?

Just recently, I worked an employee theft case that I caught on to after seeing this warehouse worker spend a little too much time in the clothing department. Turns out, he was layering clothing in the fitting room stalls when no one was around. While a good manager will always encourage cross-training and the learning of other areas of the store, an employee that is always somewhere they shouldn’t be may be a red flag that their intentions are less than honest.

  1. Break the rules much?

Do you find yourself always telling this one employee to tuck their shirt in, or put away their cell phone? Do you find that you have to keep “reminding” them of the store policies that they continue to break? While there is much to be said about the work ethic of some of today’s youth, sometimes this could be an indicator of a potential thief. I think back to every internal case I’ve ever worked and they all have the same thing in common. During the interview, when I ask do they know why they are talking to LP, most of them start rattling off the copious amounts of policies they’ve violated. People who can’t follow company rules can easily slip into theft without so much a thought. Always address store policy violations and weed out those who can’t seem to follow the rules.

  1. Let’s talk work ethic

Now this one can really go two ways. First, the obvious; if you have a lazy employee, you have someone with the potential to steal from you. If they aren’t happy about their job, if they resent you or the management team, or they are simply not satisfied with life, it will show in their job performance. Poor performers almost always lead to internal theft. They couldn’t care less about anything, so why would they care if they steal a few hundred bucks worth of goodies, right?

Without sounding like I’m talking out of both sides of my mouth, I’ve also found that there are some occasions where a star employee is also doing a fantastic job of stealing from you. Everyone has that one employee that will give their heart and soul to the store. They stay late, come in early, work their off days, volunteer for projects, run the bake sale, clean the toilets and mow the lawn… granted, this is how some people are. I’m one of those people. I have often seen this trait in employees that operated some of the most sophisticated, complex and downright amazing internal theft schemes. I’m not saying that all your bad employees are thieves, and so are all of your good ones, but merely that this trait, along with any other inklings should be looked at.

  1. Who cares when I get to work?

Poor attendance is also a great starting point when looking for dishonest employees. While some people just have a problem with being on time (present company INCLUDED), attendance falls right in line with work ethic and following the rules. Pay attention to those employees who just can’t do what’s expected.

  1. No Money, Mo Problems

You have that one employee. You know the one. Every single store has that one employee. The one that constantly talks about how little money they have, how little hours they get and how they just can’t keep up with their bills. Everyone has financial trouble every now and then, but these employees take it to the extreme. You say, “Good morning, Susie” and Susie responds with, “well it would be good if I had more money…” Every time I have missing money in a store, I immediately have the management team point me in the direction of this employee.

Look, you could have an employee that exhibits all five of these traits and guess what? They may not steal so much as a bag of chips from you. Unfortunately, there is no loss prevention inspired crystal ball that can predict with certainty what employees will steal from you and which ones’ wont. As a manager, it’s up to you to know your employees. It’s up to you to spot those inconsistencies and raise those red flags yourself. It’s your merchandise and ultimately your profits at stake. Don’t let an employee theft ruin your 4th quarter.

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Protecting Yourself While Holiday Shopping

December 1, 2016 by Leave a Comment

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Retailers during this time of year prepare for the holidays by hiring more people to help them in their stores with customers, and with  their security as well.  This is a very busy time for the loss prevention team of a retail store, shopping mall’s security, and the local police.

Shoplifting occurs inside the stores, but theft also occurs when you leave the security of a shopping mall.  Parking lots around shopping malls tend to be illuminated, but is always safe to take precautions when leaving a store at night, or to make sure other customers are leaving before venturing outside by yourself.  Be safe and alert this holiday season.

Police: Shoplifting doubles near holidays

As shoppers hit area stores for the impending holidays, so will shoplifters, say area police.

“It probably doubles during the peak of the holiday shopping season,” said Logan Township Police Chief Tim Mercer, referring to the number of retail theft calls the township’s officers will handle.

Mercer said officers typically get one to two calls each week, and with the increase in retail thefts also comes increases in other crimes related to shopping, such as identity theft, where people are opening up credit cards in other people’s names, and thefts from vehicles.

Most of the incidents of retail theft and other thefts occur at two highly concentrated shopping areas — Logan Town Centre and the Logan Valley Mall, Mercer said.

Stores are reluctant to talk about shoplifting, either out of a fear of calling attention to their stores and becoming targets or because they don’t want to divulge exactly how they deal with retail thefts.

Crimestoppers: Be alert this holiday season

The holidays are upon us, and Christmas shopping often means an increase in crime.

The best way for businesses to prevent shoplifting is better customer service, according to Jackson Hole Crimestoppers.

“The best defense against shoplifting for merchants is to offer attentive service,” the nonprofit organization said in a press release. “Greet all shoppers as they enter the store and show an interest in helping the patrons find what they are looking for.”

The last thing a shoplifter wants is to be noticed, the release said. “Jackson Hole Crimestoppers points out that shoplifting hurts everybody, with increased costs of merchandise often resulting to help cover losses,” it said. “Both shoppers and merchants should remain alert for such thieves.”

Why Did CVS Employees Hide and Call the Cops When These Men Asked for Sliced Cheese?

Let’s kick this off with a Choose Your Own Adventure scenario. You’re a CVS employee who has just been stopped by a customer and asked whether the store carries sliced cheese. Do you A) shake your head no, but direct him to the refrigerated items anyway, B) show him a wide variety of shelf-stable snacks instead, or C) freak out and hide from him in a locked room in the back of the store?

If you selected C, you probably work at the CVS in Richmond, Virginia’s Carytown district. According to Ricky Berry, he and his roommate, Philip Blackwell, went to that particular drugstore on Thursday night to pick up a package of sliced cheese. The two of them asked an employee where to find the cheese and, after telling them that the store didn’t carry it, the evening took a turn toward the WTF.

 

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Preventing Shoplifting During The Holidays

November 22, 2016 by Leave a Comment

shoppersFrom Miami, Florida to Seattle Washington, police departments across the nation plan to increase police patrols and police officers around shopping malls, downtown, and most frequented shopping areas around their cities to ensure people feel safe when they come out to shop for the holidays.  Another reason is also to ensure shoplifters know police officers are present and that their criminal activity will not go unpunished.  Shoplifting during the holidays increases, and retailers and police departments try to mitigate it by implementing shoplifting measures that can help them keep shoplifting to a minimum.

For this and other topics, follow the links below.

How does Walmart’s latest anti-theft program work?

Walmart is taking a different approach to shoplifters. 

The world’s biggest retailer is using the Restorative Justice Program to help reduce theft and police calls in their stores.

Walmart is often a hotspot for crime, according to an August Bloomberg report.

It’s not only petty crimes that plague Walmart stores all across the country, more than 200 violent crimes- including murders, attempted kidnappings and shootings- have happened in the nation’s 4,500 Walmart stores this year, according to the report.

While the Restorative Justice Program aims to cut down on shoplifting specifically, less petty crime often means less violent crime.

Restorative justice by definition, is a system of criminal justice that focuses on the rehabilitation of offenders through reconciliation with victims and the community.

Walmart aims to do just that.

“The program offers first time low risk offenders a second chance in order to make things right by participating in an educational course in lieu of prosecution.” said Delia Garcia, Director of Communications at Walmart.

The program launched in 2014 and is currently in effect in about a third of all Walmart stores, including in the Sacramento market, according to Garcia.

No retailer is immune to shoplifting

If you pay attention to court news, you know there’s a problem with serial shoplifters.

Many individuals are convicted of shoplifting three times or more. Sometimes, they try to steal from the same store.

In Grand Island, the majority of shoplifting violations reported this year have been at department or discount stores. That category is followed by grocery stores/supermarkets and then by convenience stores.

Businesses point out that theft translates into higher costs for customers.

A sign at Super Saver, for instance, says “To keep prices low we have installed an electronic inventory system.”

The number of thefts is probably proportional to the number of shoppers a store attracts, notes Capt. Jim Duering of the Grand Island Police Department. In other words, the greater the foot traffic, the bigger the number of shoplifters.

A Walmart spokeswoman points out that a company with multiple locations in a city will be victimized more than a single entity.

Walmart uses a multi-pronged approach to make sure the store is meeting “our customers and our associates’ expectations for a safe and enjoyable shopping experience,” says Delia Garcia.

Having a safe environment “begins with a very positive relationship with law enforcement,” Garcia said.

Mt. Juliet police increase patrols in shopping areas

Starting this week, Mt. Juliet police will increase patrols in Mt. Juliet’s retail areas for this year’s holiday shopping season.

On Thanksgiving afternoon, Black Friday and throughout the shopping season, more police officers will be concentrated near the primary shopping areas by Interstate-40, according to a release from the Mt. Juliet Police Department.

“The ultimate goal is to deter and prevent criminal activity,” Chief James Hambrick said. “We simply want Mt. Juliet’s shoppers to have a great experience at our area shopping destinations. Residents and visitors will see an increased police presence, and there will also be undercover officers that will not be easily noticed.”

 

 

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Preventing Shoplifting This Holiday Season

November 15, 2016 by Leave a Comment

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Depending on what financial report you read, the average income for Americans fall between $45K and $54K a year.  That’s before federal, state, and local taxes are taken out. Take out your mortgage payment, car payment, car insurance payment, living expenses  and other monthly payments that you have, and you are left with a very little amount left over for saving for retirement or saving for your children’s college education.  During the holidays, many people around the country are faced with the prospect of having no gifts for christmas, getting a loan to buy gifts, or  in some instances shoplifting some gifts for the holidays.  For retailers, this is a season where sales are at the highest, but shoplifting is as well.  Preventing shoplifting during the holiday season is very important for these retailers, because their profits depend on having the least amount of shoplifting in their stores.

For more bout this and other stories, follow the links below.

How stores plan to fight organized retail crime during the holidays

With Halloween over, retailers are in full-fledged holiday season mode. Which means they’re gearing up for Black Friday, holiday staff schedules, stampedes of customers… and theft. That’s right — the holiday season might bring stores a nice sales bump, but it also brings an increase in shoplifting. And retailers are stepping up efforts to crack down on the crime.

We’re not just talking about customers stealing a pack gum in the checkout line. Loss prevention specialists have their eyes on a much bigger target.

Organized retail crime (ORC) is a strategic and highly sophisticated brand of shoplifting where a network of professional thieves work together to rip off retailers. According to a survey from the National Retail Federation (NRF), organized retail crime is on the rise, with 100% of retailers saying they have been a victim in the past 12 months. Furthermore, 83% said ORC activity had increased in the past year.

“There are existing crime organizations, like drug dealers, and these groups looked at the retail world and saw it was very lucrative to steal heavy volumes of merchandise and then sell it,” said Robert Moraca, vice president of loss prevention at the National Retail Federation. “The access to selling online has made it even easier.”

Along with organized retail crime, standard shoplifting and employee theft costs retailers approximately $42.5 billion in 2015.

Walmart Will Deploy Thousands of ‘Holiday Helpers’ to Shorten Checkout Wait Times

It was shoppers’ #1 request.

The next time you find yourself in a long wait for checkout at Walmart  WMT -1.11% , don’t be surprised if a store worker clad in bright yellow and a Santa hat helps you find the shortest line.

Eager to build on recent improvements in its long-weak customer satisfaction scores and win shoppers’ favor during the peak shopping season of the year, Walmart is deploying “Holiday Helpers” to all of its 4,500 or so U.S. stores during the upcoming months. These workers, clad in yellow vests to make them easily identifiable to customers, will be tasked with speeding up checkout time by, among other things, fetching items that shoppers may have forgotten, so they don’t lose their places in line; helping to unload shopping baskets at the registers; and if it’s very busy, opening a cash register.

At the same time, these helpers, regular Walmart workers trained to use cash registers but looking to pick up some extra hours, will be there to add some fun to a retailer often seen as drab. These workers will be wearing festive Santa hats and bright red sashes inscribed with “Holiday Helpers,” and handing out candy canes. The no-frills shopping environment doesn’t cut it anymore, even for a discount retailer, and the helpers’ cheer will be all the more important given the lavish Christmas displays Target has planned.

As Christmas shopping season looms, retailers across Europe are bracing themselves for increases in footfall and subsequent spates of theft. Groceries, including roasting joints and bottles of spirits, are the most at-risk products.

New research sponsored by Checkpoint Systems – provider of merchandise availability solutions to the retail industry – has revealed that retailers will see shoplifting erode their profits over the coming months, as they begin to gear up for a bumper Christmas period.

Apparel, luxury foods and electronic accessories are expected to be among the most stolen items this festive season, with higher quantities of merchandise put out on the shop floor, additional door displays, temporary staff and increased footfall all contributing to the high losses across the country.

The study, underwritten by an independent grant from Checkpoint Systems, was carried out by Ernie Deyle, a retail loss prevention analyst, and provides an analytical view of business risks that major retailers face during this holiday season. The 13 markets covered in the report span North America, Europe and Asia, and include the US, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, UK, Australia, China, Hong Kong and Japan.

 

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Be an Effective Manger This Holiday Season – Prioritize Sleep

November 9, 2016 by Leave a Comment

meetingpic.The holiday season is officially under way and your stress level is about to go into overload.  When we’re overly stressed bad things happen to us mentally, emotionally and physically: headaches, digestive issues, eating too much, concentration problems, decreased impulse control, increased emotional sensitivity, poor planning ability and sleep disturbances.

The goal for a lot of people in retail is to “just get through the holidays” with the least amount of difficulties and stress, which is a reasonable objective.  So, what can you do to achieve your objective?  The number 1 thing you can do for yourself and your employees (as well as family, customers and friends) is to prioritize sleep. 

Getting enough high quality sleep is a crucial biological need.  A short term sleep deprivation of just 2 weeks can lead to memory loss, inability to focus and poor decision making skills.  A long-term deficiency can cause an increased risk of heart disease, obesity and depression.

There are many things you can do to make a difference in the quality and quality of your sleep.  But, one of the biggest is to stop your harmful electronics’ habits — starting now to relieve holiday stress.  Poor management of electronic devices is one of the biggest problems people have in falling and staying asleep.

Our bodies produce melatonin at night to help us fall and stay asleep.  A cool, quiet and dark room triggers your body to release it.  The light and noise from computers, Kindles, TVs, phones and other devices interferes with this process. 

The guideline is — don’t use any device 1 hour before bedtime.  It gives the melatonin time to work by eliminating all the light, stimulation/aggravation and noise.  It’s estimated that people who leave on even 1 device get at least 30 minutes less sleep a night than those who turn them all off.  Also, they wake up more often and are more restless. 

It’s important to create a good sleep routine and getting control of your unhealthy electronics’ habit is a place to start.  In fact, it might be all you need to have increased energy, a better memory, improved physical well being, stronger coping skills and a calmer mood.

After all, your employees won’t care or remember what cookies you baked for the holiday party.  But, they will care and remember that you were short of temper and long on criticism because you stayed up too late searching on-line for the perfect recipe.

Nicole Abbott is a professional writer who’s had over 200 articles published.  She’s a business consultant and former psycho-therapist with over 20 years of experience in mental health, business and addiction.  She’s a coach, lecturer, trainer and facilitator.  She has conducted over 200 workshops, trainings, presentations, seminars and college classes. 

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