Electronic Article Surveillance

April 22, 2014 by Leave a Comment

theft (4)Electronic article surveillance is one of the many methods employed by retailers to prevent shoplifting from their stores.  Special tags are attached to the merchandise and removed or deactivated by the clerks at the registers.  When an article is removed and the person exits the store with such item, a detection system sounds alerting the staff of what’s happening giving them the opportunity to alert security.

Read more about this and other topics by following the links below.

Retail loss prevention team priorities for 2014

The challenges facing today’s retail loss prevention teams are increasingly complex and serious, from cyber security to active shooter to workforce training, compliance issues and – unfortunately – even armed gunmen inside stores or shopping malls. And with NRF’s annual Loss Prevention Conference and EXPO coming up in June, we wanted to know what’s top of mind for retail LP professionals.

We asked a few of our LP Advisory Council members to weigh in on what their top priorities are for 2014. Three different retailers, three different answers. But in our unofficial small survey, we found one common theme — people.

Our top priority is two-fold. Reducing shrink is always a priority, but the No. 1 priority in our company is always the safety of our associates and customers, so we’re focusing efforts on making sure all of our LP programs address how to keep people safe in the world we live in today. We’ve put a complete policy in place about how to handle what we call an “active incident,” not just an active shooter, and that will continue to evolve this year.

Family Dollar Promptly Applying EAS Loss-Prevention Technology To Stores Nationwide

Checkpoint Systems, leading global supplier of merchandise availability solutions for retail businesses, recently announced they are rapidly supplying more than 8,000 Family Dollar Stores with electronic article surveillance (EAS) systems nationwide. Since deployment in October 2013, 3,500 systems have been installed and 120 are happening each week, this marks the move as one of the fastest introductions of the new service for Checkpoint.

Family Dollar will be implementing use of Checkpoint’s source tagging, hard tagging program on merchandise as well as installing EVOLVE P10 ECO, “the most advanced shrink management system on the market” throughout all stores by December of this year. The powerful EAS system features include data analytics, alarm management, energy savings, and RFID technology. All three systems combined will provide Family Dollar with an all-inclusive approach to reducing shrink and increase sales.

Family Dollar entered into a multi-year agreement with Checkpoint in October 2013 after analyzing positive results during three years of testing EVOLVE P10 ECO system in select stores. Use of EVOLVE ECO electronics is expected to reduce store shrink in addition to reducing energy consumption by 75 percent compared to other solution alternatives. “We are thrilled to participate in the continued success story of Family Dollar.

Two charged in stabbing of Loss Prevention employee at Park City Center

Two alleged shoplifters face charges in connection with a knife attack on a Loss Prevention Employee at Park City Center.  City police responded to a call at about 1:30 pm to Boscov’s Park City store where Loss Prevention employees were holding two shoplifters. Before officers could arrive on the scene one of the male suspect produced knife. He stabbed the employee on the hand and then he and the female fled on foot.

The first officers began to arrive on the scene. After seeing that the employee was being taken care of, they pursued the suspects. The female was apprehended after a short chase. Other officers spotted the male suspect running across a parking lot and back inside Park City. Converging police caught up with the suspect in a common area outside J.C. Penney without further incident.

Witnesses positively identified the suspect who taken to police headquarters in downtown Lancaster. The knife used in the assault was also recovered. Witnesses told police that the suspects had been confronted regarding thefts from multiple retailers in Park City. When the male suspect produced the knife and cut the employee, he then held the knife to the employees throat and threaten to harm again. The male told the female to collect the loot that had been confiscated. The female put the loot into her purse.

 

 

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Discourage Shoplifters With Good Customer Service!

April 22, 2014 by Leave a Comment

theft (5)When shoplifters steal items from a store, it is not only a loss of the capital used to buy the item but the potential earnings from the sale of said item are lost as well. In addition to the hassle caused, the lost income can force business owners to increase prices all around if the problem becomes rampant; the money needs to be made up somewhere and usually it is passed on to the customers in the end. Luckily, there are easy ways to prevent shoplifting when everyone who works at the store is on the same page.

A shoplifter’s worst nightmare is being recognizable. That is why they usually try to stay under the radar and remain out of the way of store clerks and salespeople. Therefore, one of the best ways to deter potential shoplifters is through stellar customer service; by being visible to all customers, you will give the impression that you know what is going on in your surroundings. By promptly greeting each and every customer that enters your store, you will make it known that you are aware of their presence.

However, it is important not to hover over customers as to make them feel like you are overly suspicious; innocent customers will be annoyed whilst seasoned shoplifters may be provoked to find a way to steal just in spite of you. The best way to go about this is to just be friendly and offer your assistance to everyone; let the customers know you are available and ready to help as soon as you are needed. An added benefit to this method is that real customers will feel even more welcomed in your store and thus are more likely to make a purchase.

Every clerk in the store should prescribe to using great customer service in order for this method to be effective. Seasoned shoplifters often stake out their targets before making a move and so they will wait for a “weak link” among the staff to be working; if everyone delivers the same great service, there will be no weak spot for them to take advantage of.

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How To Identify A Shoplifter

April 9, 2014 by Leave a Comment

theft (9)When you suspect shoplifting theft issues in your store, you have to be able to identify the problems before you can start to find a solution. Because there are different styles of shoplifters, understanding how and why they steal will help you develop a better anti shoplifting program to target the shoplifters that affect you the most.

There are three categories of shoplifter: the Amateur, the opportunist, and the Professional. Each one has it’s own defining characteristics and ways to identify the shoplifting in progress. Let’s take a look at how the Amateur Shoplifter operates.

The Amateur is the basic level of shoplifter. They are typically inexperienced but may escalate their shoplifting if they got away easily in the past. They are the people who come into a store and intend to steal rather than buying their products. They can steal for economic reasons (need based), for personal gain, or perhaps emotional reasons like peer pressure or boredom.

The Amateur shoplifter probably has a basic knowledge of retail anti theft devices, and knows to avoid them instead of trying to disable them. Because of this, anti shoplifting devices greatly reduce the losses incurred by the amateur. They will target a store that does not have the devices, versus one that does.

When an amateur shoplifter enters a store, there are a few red flags they might exhibit. They can be nervous or seem on edge. Often these shoplifters will go out of their way to avoid any employee interaction. Customer service is a highly effective deterrent.

Sometimes Amateurs will try to better enable their shoplifting. They may bring large bags or purses that appear unusually empty for their size. They may be planning on concealing merchandise in the bag. They might also come in wearing a bulky or oversized coat, even when it is warm outside. Again, the thought is to conceal the merchandise without being seen.

Lastly, when you watch a shoplifter, notice how they look at your product. Are they more concerned with anti shoplifting devices than they are with the actual product? Do they pick up items quickly and then go to a remote corner of the store. Are they watching you and your employees instead of paying attention to what they are doing? If you can answer yes, then it is more possible that they are shoplifting.

The best deterrents will be customer service and anti theft devices. Since the amateur is more likely to be deterred by the thought of getting caught and arrested, anything that might draw attention to their actions is a powerful deterrent.

Call us today at 1-770-426-0547.
Sell More, Lose Less!

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When Opportunity Strikes; Your Losses Are Their Gain

April 7, 2014 by Leave a Comment

theft (12)The Opportunist Shoplifter is a trick shoplifter to figure out. At their core, the opportunist shoplifter is not a person who came into a store with the intention to steal. Rather they are a generally honest customer who was presented with an opportunity to cause a loss to the store. They let that opportunity get the best of their normally honest judgment.

A common example of opportunistic theft is clothing losses in a fitting room. A customer goes into a fitting room to try on some clothes. There are extra clothes in there from the last customer that the store’s employees did not clean out. While the customer is trying on their clothes they realize that no one is paying any attention to the fitting rooms. They decide to steal one of the left over pieces of clothing because they know no one will notice.

When I train employees, I give another example. It might not be theft, per se, but it still causes a loss to your business. A customer comes to the cash register to buy some items and a cashier makes a mistake while ringing them up. They erroneously bag an item without charging for it. An honest customer who notices the error in the store will speak up to correct the error. If that same customer does not realize the mistake until after they get home, they may or may not go out of their way to return the item back to the store.

Opportunistic theft can also be as simple as a customer who is looking at a small item. When they realize that no one is watching, they pocket the item instead of paying for it. I once saw a customer who was standing in a very long checkout line finally get frustrated at the wait. He screamed how ridiculous it was, and left the store- with his entire cart full of product he hadn’t paid for.

In each of these scenarios, the root cause is a breakdown of operating procedures. The fitting rooms should be cleaned after each customer. The cashier’s should be diligent in ringing up every item. The store employees should provide excellent and attentive service to all customers regardless of where they are in the shopping process. By reducing the opportunities through operational accuracy and standard levels of execution, you reduce the amount of opportunities that are presented within your store.
Call us today at 1-770-426-0547.

Sell More, Lose Less!

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Is Your Store Protected From The Shoplifter?

April 6, 2014 by Leave a Comment

theft (4)During the economic downturn in 2008, many retailers sought to save by reducing the dollar amount they spend in loss prevention.  Although the mistake of reducing their loss prevention budget lead to more shrinkage in their stores, the harm and certainly the knowledge of reducing their budget in that sector was rectified and learned.  Retail stores need to spend wisely and investing in loss prevention devices and seminars is the way to reduce more shrinkage in their stores.

Read more about shoplifting crime by following the links below.

Pair of shoplifters cited in boutique theft

Two individuals were cited for shoplifting Saturday after they allegedly went into a boutique and stole a number of items.
Timothy Wayne Hamlet, of Cookeville, and Mandy Nicole Williams, of Baxter, were stopped by Officer Marc Declaire in a vehicle described as one involved in a shoplifting at Bella Boutique on South Jefferson Avenue.

“The suspects were described as a white male with a camouflage hat and the white female wearing pajama pants,” Officer Declaire reported.

The officer spotted the vehicle and initiated a traffic stop.

During an interview, Williams indicated that Hamlet had taken a Victoria Secret handbag that contained a green watch from the store, the report states.

“A search of the vehicle revealed numerous items from Bella Boutique, all with price tags still on them and most of which were in constructive possession of Ms. Williams,” the report states.

The boutique owner arrived and identified her property, including five headbands, a Tennessee Vols diaper cover, a leather bracelet, a green watch, a handbag, a necklace, two handmade scarfs, and other items valued at around $200, according to the report.

Woman accused of shoplifting with 9-year-old daughter

Baytown police say a woman is behind bars after leaving her 9-year-old daughter behind after she stole more than $150 worth of merchandise from a Walmart.

“People steal all the time, you’d be surprised,” said shopper Jordan Pridgeon. “But the leaving-your-kid part, that’s crazy.”

LaKeeasha Artis, 28, was booked into the Harris County Jail and held on a $3,000 bond. She made her first appearance Friday before a judge in magistrate court.

Police said she went into the Walmart on Garth Road, placed two cameras in her purse and gave the purse to her daughter.

When she went to get her SUV, police said she had the girl wait with the purse at the door.

When Artis saw a store loss prevention officer waiting for her, she reportedly jumped in her vehicle and took off.

Officers said she literally left her 9-year-old daughter — now crying and in tears — holding the bag.

Venezuelan Tourist Cleared Of Alleged Shoplifting At Macy’s

A Venezuelan tourist was acquitted Monday of shoplifting at Macy’s Herald Square flagship store, in one of several cases of shoppers saying they were wrongly accused of stealing at major New York City retailers.

Maria Paez was cleared by a judge Monday, according to attorney Daniel Hochheiser.

Court records were not immediately available Monday evening. Manhattan District Attorney’s office representatives had no immediate information.

Paez said she was stopped after putting items in a Macy’s bag to carry them around the flagship store Sept. 12. She said she believed she was targeted because she spoke Spanish and had words with an impolite fitting-room attendant.

Paez claimed she was racially profiled, falsely arrested, imprisoned and forcefully separated from her child when she was taken to the lockup at the store.

She claimed she was not allowed to call her 12-year-old son, who was shopping on another floor in the store, throughout the entire ordeal. She was charged with petite larceny, however, claims she never walked out of the store with the clothes.

Macy’s has no immediate comment.

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Shoplifters: To Prosecute or Not, That is the Question!

April 4, 2014 by Leave a Comment

law-3Many Retailers struggle with this question. The decision can be fraught with indecision and even fear. “What if I am wrong?”, “Is this the right thing to do?”, “How will this impact my business?” These are all valid and important questions. Let me first say right up front that as a business owner, consultant and LP Executive, I firmly believe that you should prosecute each and every time. Let me give you some food for thought. After dealing with shoplifters for the last 35 plus years, I see four areas that you should consider when trying to decide whether or not to prosecute.

1             Legal – Every U.S. State has different laws in dealing with shoplifters. However, most of the laws are similar. Most States have what is commonly referred to as “Merchant Laws”. These laws generally protect the Merchant from criminal or civil liability if they follow the law in that State. That means in most cases that as long as you treat the shoplifting suspect fairly, you are free to investigate, if they stole from you or not. If you conclude that they have, then you should call the Police. When you do call the Police, you should never accuse anyone. Let the Police make their decisions based on the evidence presented. This way you are letting the Police do their jobs and it is the State, County or City that is prosecuting. If you are not sure about the laws in your state, go to your States Sectary of State website and search for shoplifting or theft laws.

2             Precedent – If you do not prosecute, word spreads quickly that you are an easy mark and this will actually attract more shoplifters to your store. This happens because shoplifters do talk to each other. If they know the worst that will happen is a warning from you, then the flood gates are open.

3             Prevention – Although similar to precedent, prevention is more about how you and your company deal with shoplifting overall. Our goal is to stop the shoplifter before they even try to steal. We do this with a variety of techniques. To begin with the physical store layout, customer service techniques your staff uses and the Anti-shoplifting equipment such as a Checkpoint System all combined create your stores prevention environment. This environment gives you more ability to prosecute in a business-like manner. This tells the Police, Prosecutor and the Courts that you have a defined way to not only discourage shoplifting but to detect and handle it. I cannot stress prevention enough. More prevention equals less shoplifting equals less prosecution.

4             Emotion – Whether we admit it or not emotion comes into the decision to prosecute. Anyone that steals from our stores is essentially stealing from our pockets. This applies equally to owners, managers and store staff in some form or another. They have taken something from us that has cost us. This may mean the difference in staying in business, if we make a profit, sales numbers or even have a job. Getting angry at the individual shoplifter is counterproductive. Do not “attack” the shoplifter either verbally or physically. Rather treat this as any other business problem and solve it with business solutions not emotion. Prosecution is part of this. By the way, I believe that you should also always prosecute under age and elderly offenders. If you do not get law enforcement involved and simply issue a stern warning, you open yourself up to false accusations. Let the Police deal with this. They are equipped for it.

Overall keep this in mind that your shoplifting problem is not some insurmountable issue that you have to tolerate. Do not bury your head in the sand. Tackle it head on and you will find that your frustration will go down, profits will go up and the shoplifters will go elsewhere.

Loss Prevention Systems is here to help you! We have an all-inclusive anti-shoplifting program that consists of policy and procedure, Checkpoint and Alpha High Theft solutions equipment and shoplifting prevention training that will allow you to then focus on your core business. Call us today at 1-770-426-0547.

Sell More, Lose Less!

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Is Your Store Protected From The Shoplifter?

March 25, 2014 by Leave a Comment

theft (8)There are many security devices that retail store owners invest to protect themselves from shoplifting theft, among them are security bars and security guards.  Some small businesses that cannot afford to hire a full time security guard for their store relay in security bars to protect their merchandise.  Although some experts agree that security bars is not the best way to protect their merchandise, small business owners have to device a way to protect themselves from the shoplifter.
Read more about this by following the links.

Employees help thwart shoplifting attempts

A trio of would-be shoplifters had their plans foiled by police and store employees over the weekend.

Chad Burk, 40, was arrested late Friday after witnesses said he left a Safeway store on North Market Street without paying for his alcohol. A clerk watched Burk grab a $13 bottle of vodka and a can of beer, walk to the frozen foods section and place the can of beer inside. Burk pocketed the vodka in his jacket and walked out without paying, according to the store clerk.

The employee followed Burk outside and a scuffle ensued, during which Burk allegedly threw some punches and the bottle of vodka into the street, where it shattered. He was booked into Spokane County Jail on a first-degree robbery charge but was released without bond this weekend.

Heather Duncan, 32, was arrested outside the NorthTown Mall on Sunday afternoon, where she was accused of stealing clothing worth roughly $110. When a store employee approached Duncan outside the store with the merchandise, she used pepper spray in an attempt to get away, according to court documents.

Shoplifting suspect flees scene, leaving purse, dog behind

STOCKTON – A shoplifting suspect fleeing an east Stockton shopping district this morning left behind some interesting evidence – her purse containing her identification and a small dog, police reported.

The 39-year-old woman was in a gray Kia when she was approached by security guards around 11:13 a.m. in the 600 block of North Wilson Way between Oak and Park streets. She used her vehicle to intimidate the store employees who had planned on making a citizen’s arrest, according to police.

In her hurry, she dropped her purse and fled the scene, according to a report, leaving behind identification and the dog.

Shoplifters cited for stealing makeup, chocolate

A woman was recently cited for shoplifting from a local department store after reportedly concealing nearly $270 worth of makeup in her purse.

Officer Robert King’s report states he was dispatched to Walmart on Wednesday.

Once there, loss prevention personnel informed him they witnessed Emily M. Birdwell, of Nashville Highway, Baxter, “conceal makeup in her purse and on her person.”

She was cited in lieu of continued custody for shoplifting.

She was also banned from the store.

In another shoplifting incident, a woman was caught concealing store items at Walgreens on South Willow Avenue early this morning.

Officer David Harris’ report states he arrived on the scene and the store manager said there was a woman in the bathroom they believed had taken merchandise without paying.

Harris waited for the woman to leave the restroom, who was identified as Bobbie A. Randolph of Buffalo Valley Road, Cookeville, and spoke with her.

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Shoplifting Prevention And Technology

March 20, 2014 by Leave a Comment

theft (3)There are countless instances about people shoplifting; we see them in the news daily. According to the National Association for Shoplifting prevention 1 out of 3 shoplifters are “at risk” of shoplifting again even after getting caught.  And although the association declares that shoplifters are individuals struggling with personal conflicts and needs, we rarely see those issues being addressed by authorities.  Regardless, shoplifting prevention is a matter of extreme importance in the retail industry, and businesses have to address the issues and the consequences shoplifting causes.

Read more about this topic by following the links below.

The Future of Retail: 6 Ways the Cloud Will Reinvent the Sales Floor

The scope of change in the retail industry is stunning. New web-based, cloud-hosted software-as-a-service solutions are making data available in real time and are poised to unite the digital and physical retail environments, disrupting the retail landscape. Here’s how the needle is moving:

1. Real-time data from the sales floor. Real-time data is available across all channels and will fuel decision-making throughout the retail enterprise — from the C-Suite to the sales floor. Retail management teams can see sales trends develop as they are developing. They can see traffic patterns in real time and be able to see conversion rates at the product level. For example, for apparel retailers — imagine how powerful it would be to know which products are being brought into fitting rooms and then which are converted to sales.

2. Real time data on the sales floor. Perhaps the most powerful impact will be on the sales floor. Retail sales is a difficult job, and it can become tedious and boring. Sales associates can become disengaged, feel isolated and disinterested. As a result, customer service suffers. Making real-time data available on the store floor can change the game.

Shoplifting suspect rescued after falling down ravine

ELYRIA — A suspected shoplifter who led police on a chase Saturday night fell down a steep Ford Road ravine and had to be rescued by firefighters.

The man, arrested by police after being lifted about 200 feet up the steep hill in a Stokes basket, suffered a possible broken ankle, said Assistant Elyria Fire Chief James Cawley.

“We splinted him, but he was conscious and talking,” Cawley said.

The suspect, whose name was not available at press time, reportedly took items from the Radio Shack store in the Midway Crossings shopping area off West River Road, said Elyria police Capt. Chris Costantino.

After leaving the store about 7:30 p.m. without paying for merchandise, the man ran toward Ford Road, where he apparently fell down a hillside while being chased by police, Lorain County Metro Parks rangers and Lorain County sheriff’s deputies, Costantino said.

Jim Ziemnik, executive director of metro parks, said rangers told him the man jumped a fence near a mattress store where Midway Boulevard and Ford Road come together.

“He went down the incline,” Ziemnik said. “That’s a steep hill.”

This woman received life in prison for shoplifting

What do you think is a fair punishment for someone who has been caught shoplifting 29 times?  Community service, jail time, hands cut off, forcing them to do all their shoplifting at Old Navy?

I ask because the Oklahoma woman pictured above – Cecilia Rodriguez – was sentenced to life in prison for shoplifting. She was caught doing the act 29 times. Her appeal of the sentence was recently denied by the U.S. Supreme Court. That really sucks for her… and for us as taxpayers. We now have to spend $18,000 per year to imprison her because she’s a bad thief. Hopefully she’ll get some thieving tips from fellow inmates while in jail.

The U.S. Supreme Court declined on Monday to review the case of an Oklahoma City woman who received a life sentence in 2009 for shoplifting.

Without comment, the court rejected the appeal of Cecilia Cathleen Rodriguez, whose life sentence was imposed by an Oklahoma County judge because of a long list of previous convictions.

 

 

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Employee Theft And Tips To Prevent it

March 19, 2014 by Leave a Comment

theft (4)According to a post by Hirepowerassociates.com, the U. S Chamber of Commerce estimates that 75% of all employees steal at least once, and half of those employees continue to steal repeatedly.  The amount each employee steals varies and the reasons they give for stealing are as varied as they come, but the truth is billions of dollars are lost annually due to employee theft and the repercussions they carry do not stop at the business from where they steal, the local economy is hurt, employees and consumers loose income and benefits the business cannot afford to give because of the loss they are experiencing. To read more about this topic follow the links below.

5 Ways To Keep Employees Happy And Engaged In Tough Times

You can’t fool your employees–they know when times are tough. But if you show you care, they’ll stay happier longer.

With the economy at a low point, many people feel trapped in their jobs, seeing dim prospects for better opportunities outside their present situation. On the surface, this may seem like an ideal situation for companies, bringing down turnover costs. But there’s a hidden underside that’s not so positive.

When the economy is in high gear, unhappy employees can easily move on. Now they stay in their jobs, bringing down the productivity level and morale of the organization. To counter this and generate more buy-in from your staff, here are five things you can do.
1.    Be consistent and open in your communication
If people are kept in the dark about what’s going on, they will make up their own version and it won’t be a positive one. Instead of avoiding, minimizing or trying to hide a negative situation, tell it like it is. Trust that staff will understand and appreciate being informed. Not disclosing will only breed mistrust, suspicion, and fear.

Candles, heroin and theft a bad combination: Mayfield Heights Police Blotter

MAYFIELD HEIGHTS

Theft, SOM Center Road:

Officers responded to CVS March 2 after an employee said a woman had just left the store after stealing merchandise. The suspect was located in front of Hillcrest Hospital carrying a bag of items from CVS and arrested on suspicion of the theft, valued at $72.46. An officer, working off-duty at the hospital, said the Cleveland Heights woman, 37, had just been discharged after she had been taken to the hospital by the South Euclid fire department after she was arrested for shoplifting at Giant Eagle in that city. While at the station, the woman told an officer she had stolen candles from the store because she needed them to thwart off evil spirits. She also said she had ingested heroin while at the hospital and had a used syringe stuffed up her rectum. She was subsequently returned to the hospital for a psychological evaluation.

Burglary, Mayfair Boulevard:

A boy, 17, said Feb. 27 when he returned home after school he found two back doors to his and his father’s apartment kicked in but nothing was missing from inside the home. He said drawers in his bedroom were open and it appeared someone had gone through them.

Shoplifting suspicions lead to child porn charges in Hallandale Beach

A routine shoplifting arrest evolved into a child pornography case, with the suspect in jail on a whopping $610,000 bond, Broward jail records show.

Nicholas Coffey told police he downloaded the porn using public Wi-Fi at a fast-food restaurant, according to Hallandale Beach Police.

Detectives discovered the images Saturday after Coffey, 24, was stopped as he walked out of Wal-Mart, 2551 E. Hallandale Beach Blvd., with a backpack full of belongings and stolen items, according to the arrest report.

The store’s loss prevention officer watched Coffey push a shopping cart full of merchandise into the Home Goods department, where he loaded the items into a backpack he had gotten from the Sporting Goods department, the report stated.

When Coffey walked past the checkout and out the door, he was taken into custody and held in the security office until police arrived. Officers found an estimated $9,820 worth of electronics in the backpack, including a Garmin GPS, a Samsung Galaxy tablet and an iPod, investigators said.

 

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Loss Prevention Tips And Security

March 17, 2014 by Leave a Comment

theft (2)Employee theft is an increasing problem for the retail owner, or big retail stores in the United States and around the globe. The economic conditions of recent years have many employees struggling to support their families and make those conditions excellent excuses for stealing from their employees.  Many of the programs that a retail store can implement are lacking, or non -existent.  Loyalty programs that offer employees privileges are no longer used, and supervision and security for the work force is negligent.  Billions of dollars are lost each year due to employee and shoplifting crime, are you doing the right security for your business? Read more about this by following the links.

7 Steps for the Strongest Retail Loss Prevention System

In the retail industry, theft leads to billions of dollars in lost revenue each year. If you own a shop, it is vital that you develop an integrated plan for loss prevention to avoid becoming a victim. To ensure your plan is effective, make sure it takes into account the seven expert suggestions detailed below.

1. Have Obvious Security

If you want to catch thieves, hiding all of your security measures might be the best strategy, but if you want to deter thieves, you need to make your store appear well defended. While cameras, mirrors and window bars will not stop all thieves, people are much less likely to steal from a store they perceive to be monitored. According to studies, cameras and dummy camera domes are particularly effective for this purpose.

2. Protect Against Internal Theft

Internal theft by employees represents the most significant single component of white-collar crime annually according to the Institute for Financial Crime Prevention. It costs companies billions of dollars each year, yet most store owners do little to prevent theft by their employees.
Minimize your chances of internal loss by investing in access control that is auditable, keeping cash locked in a safe, and only allowing necessary employees access to cash handling areas.

Mature retail loss prevention

The first instances of dedicated loss prevention, or ‘security’ programs being used by retailers dates backs to the early 20th century where there was largely a culture of secrecy aligned to them. This was primarily due to their core objective of ‘catching’ dishonest employees or customers.

For many retailers, limited change in terms of evolution or maturity within their Loss Prevention program has taken place since the start of 20th century. Many retailer’s Loss Prevention programs are still focused on the issues of theft, either by staff or customers, as their sole contribution to their organisation’s efforts to reduce the impact of shrinkage on their profit.

This arguably is in direct contrast to the wider retail industry which has evolved dramatically, particularly during the last 20 years. For example, core functional areas such as Human Resources, IT, Merchandising, Marketing and Supply Chain have all matured in their approaches thereby broadening their value propositions to retailing. More importantly, they have seen that they had to operate outside their traditional thinking and approaches to truly support Retailers. What that said, for a few fortunate Retailers, significant maturing has taken place in their Loss Prevention programs since the start of the 21st century and this maturing has resulted in significant improvements within their shrinkage.

Shoplifter lawsuit highlights retail dilemma

Sometimes it’s better to just let things go.

That could be the mantra for overprotective retail clerks and loss-prevention agents everywhere following a lawsuit in Santa Rosa civil court by a would-be shoplifter who was badly injured when he was tackled by a grocery store manager.

The clash happened July 13, 2011 when plaintiff Johnny Ramirez was stealing a bottle of rum from the Rohnert Park Raley’s, according to a tentative ruling from Sonoma County Superior Court Judge Arthur Wick.

Ramirez tucked the glass bottle into his waistband and ran out the door, only to be stopped by manager Shea Carpenter, who tackled him to the asphalt, Wick wrote.

The bottle broke when he hit the ground, causing injury that required emergency surgery. Ramirez later sued the grocery chain and the manager for monetary damages.

He argued Carpenter acted with negligence because he was aware of the fact that the bottle was in his waistband and could break if he tackled him. Under the law, negligent behavior warrants higher punitive damages.

This week, Judge Wick said there were no grounds for Ramirez to seek punitive damages from the store. But he said Carpenter could be held liable because he knew the consequences of his actions and failed to avoid them.

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