shoplifting — Page 4

Bad Santa (this one is on the naughty list)

November 29, 2017 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

Could it be that Santa Claus is not always a jolly, giving man? Oh yeah. Take a look at this Santa. He (or I guess it could be a she) is out for a little cheer for…. himself. Regardless who they are, customers need to be watched. In this case, the store let their guard down because of the costume. Shoplifters use deception and costumes to steal.

In this case, the Santa costume allows plenty of room to hide merchandise. Shoplifters will make or modify clothing to become a shoplifting tool. We call these “booster” items. Booster coats, dresses, skirts, pants and more. I have even seen booster “bloomers”. They are worn under a loose fitting skirt or dress. The shoplifter drops a merchandise item through what looks like a pocket in the outer garment and into the bloomers which are secured at the knee. A lot of merchandise can be concealed that way. We once caught a woman with four cordless drills including batteries concealed that way.

Other costumes include religious clothing. How about a Nun? I have caught one of those. It was a difficult “habit” for her to break. Even someone who dresses as a member of the Armed Forces, a security officer, repairman, phone company technician with tools and a toolbox. A shoplifting team may use a person like this to distract your attention or create a scene while the others steal.

Another booster item could be a false bottom gift-wrapped box. Your merchandise Items go in the bottom with a trap door. Shopping bags are yet another tool. Especially ones from your store. Our inclination is that whatever is in there, was already purchased. Or they put stolen merchandise under merchandise that they did purchase.

The general rule of thumb is that shoplifters want to blend in with your regular customer look. Take a look at this video of a customer that “blended in” but was bottomless:

If your average customer wears a suit then that is the way the shoplifter will dress. If they wear shorts and flip-flops, then that is their targeted look. But a costume that portrays confidence such as uniforms, religion, public servant… is like hiding in plain sight. We dismiss that person “because an XXX would not be stealing from me”.

If a costume makes people uncomfortable, they would tend to avoid that person. Someone dressed in an outrageous way such as a stripper (okay, not too many places to hide something), odd clothing combinations and colors or some of what we can find at the People of Walmart website probably qualify.

Of course, no story on shoplifting costumes would be complete without a creepy clown. So if I have not weirded you out too much, then happy hunting!

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Proper Preparation For Holiday Gift Returns Reduces Fraud

November 29, 2017 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

The end of the holiday gift buying season ushers in the inevitable holiday gift return season. Clothes that don’t fit, ugly holiday sweaters no one really wanted, toys that were too old for a young child or too young for the older child all lead to returns, exchanges, and refunds. For those who have been in retail for any length of time, we know that many of these items will be returned without tags or a receipt and not even a gift receipt. It also means people will try to return merchandise to your store that was never even purchased there, despite what the customer in front of you says. This means it is prime time for those who engage in return fraud. There are so many people making returns that trying to separate legitimate refunds and exchanges from the fraudulent ones is difficult. There are steps you can take to minimize the number of fraudulent returns you accept.

Ensure you have your store return policy clearly posted at the points of sale all year round but make it especially prominent during November and December.
Encourage cashiers to remind customers of the store return policy at the time of purchase. If there is a time limit to how long a customer has to refund an item that should be stated.
While some stores have gone to print as well as emailed receipts if your store has instituted this recommend that patrons use BOTH options. This means that even if a receipt is lost it should still be in their email.
Open packages to see what is inside even when shrink-wrapped. The really good criminals will know how to seal a rock inside a box to make it look normal.
Require a government-issued I.D. card with no-receipt refunds. It may sound extreme but those persons who engage in fraud are less likely to do so if they have to produce a picture ID.
For no-receipt refunds require an exchange for a like item. Criminals have gotten to the point where they are willing to accept in-store credits what they don’t want is the merchandise. Exchanging for a like item defeats their purpose.
Be ready for the returns. If possible have one return line for receipted returns get customers through more quickly. Have a second line for no receipt refunds/exchanges that may take more time to process. You will make life easier for the customers with receipts and you give cashiers the opportunity to be more thorough with no receipt returns without feeling pressured to hurry through the transactions.
Don’t leave a regular employee alone with a line of customers, have a manager at the return desk or register too. Most customers will be understanding of wait times and return policies but some won’t be and hourly employees shouldn’t have to put up with the added stress caused by upset “no-receipt” returners. Fraudulent returners also look for employees who appear to be young or relatively new. Having a manager up front can discourage some of these people.

Being aware in advance that fraudulent returns will be attempted helps prepare managers for the situations when they arise.

It should also be pointed out that gifts are not the only items that will be returned fraudulently after the holidays. A lesser-known practice called wardrobing will also be conducted by dishonest customers. Store owners should be aware that these will be the Christmas or New Year’s Eve partygoers that don’t want to rent an outfit or buy it outright. The problem with this group is they are returning their merchandise with the tags intact and with a proper receipt. Unless they are returning the items outside of a specified policy it can be very hard to put a stop to this activity. An example might be if a store has a 30-day return policy and a customer attempts a return on day 31. This would be a clear reason to turn down the refund. The only sure way to prevent this fraud is for a store to use devices known as wardrobing tags on clothes to keep it from occurring. Loss Prevention Systems Inc. can provide more information on this type of fraud for store owners or managers interested in deterring the activity.

Not all no-receipt refunds during the holidays are fraudulent but a significant number are and it hurts a store’s profit margin. Make preparations now and put control measures in place that will make it hard for criminals attempting to cheat your business.

Filed Under: Shoplifting Prevention Tagged With: Alpha 2 Alarm, Alpha 3 Alarm, Alpha High Theft Solutions, Alpha Jewel Lok, Alpha Nano Gate, Alpha Security, Alpha Spider Wrap, Anti-shoplifting training, anti-theft devices, anti-theft tags, anti-thefts devices, Background checks, CCTV cameras, Georgia Alarms systems, Georgia shoplifting systems, Loss Prevention Seminar, Loss Prevention Seminars, Loss Prevention Training, Retail Anti Theft Devices, retail security and monitoring, shoplifting, Shoplifting Prevention, shoplifting statistics, shoplifting violence, surveillance

New Year’s Resolution’s To Improve Shortage This Year

November 29, 2017 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

A New Year is just around the corner and once again resolutions are going to be made and many of those will fall by the wayside. Why does that happen? Are goals too big to achieve? Sometimes we all start off with good intentions and we just get caught up in our normal routines and we can’t seem to focus on what it was we wanted to get done. There may be a manager out there who resolves that this is the year they will meet quarterly with each employee and discuss performance. They might do well the first quarter but then as the demands of the job take up more and more time something gives and it was the meetings. I recall one of my resolutions was to be more organized at work. I had a filing system, it was called my desktop and I knew where everything was at. I would make my resolution, create a filing system and you guessed it by the end of January I was back to my old habits. My intentions were good I just wouldn’t stay focused on it and made excuses.

Retail shortage can be a problem for a store and if not addressed it gets worse and severely impacts the profitability of a business. Resolving to fix shortage is admirable but it requires a knowledge of where the shortage is taking place and methods that can improve problem areas. Below are some tips that can help with your resolution:

Know what causes the shortage. There are generally four areas that will impact shortage. Shoplifting, Employee Theft, Vendor Shortage and Administrative Errors. According to the 2014-2015 Global Retail Theft Barometer, Dishonest employees accounted for 45% of shortage, Shoplifters 36%, Vendor/Supplier Fraud 6% and Administrative and Non-Crime Loss 13% (pg. 53).
Rather than try to fix all areas of shortage, pick one that will give you the most bang for the buck. For example, if you were to focus on preventing shoplifting you could probably reduce your losses by almost one-third!
Once you decide what you want to focus on, find experts who will be happy to assist you. Go to a resource that has people experienced in the field of shortage reduction such as Loss Prevention Systems Inc. and look at their blogs and media pages and resource information. Contact them for help.
Educate yourself and your managers on shoplifting and employee theft. Find out how to identify and prevent both (combined this is almost 80% of your shortage). Schedule a training seminar with experts from Loss Prevention Systems Inc. who will give you the information to make your business successful. There are a number of training sessions they provide and you can find the one(s) that will be most effective at this time. You may even consider partnering with other retailers in your area to hold a group session.
Invest in a retail anti-theft system that will have an immediate impact on employee theft, shoplifting, AND non-crime loss. You can still focus on that one area of shortage but benefit from the impact it can have on preventing other losses.
Create an action plan for the area you decide to focus on. It doesn’t need to be big but it does need to have specific objectives, goals, and measures. You will also need due dates when an action item is to be complete. Set aside time each month on your calendar to review your plan. Do NOT allow anything to interfere with that time. Once you start rescheduling that time it is no longer a priority and will fail. An example would be planning to install a Checkpoint System. If you set a date of March 1^st to have it installed you need to have the date and times to schedule appointments, calls, service visits, and follow-ups if a deadline looks like it won’t be met. All of these would be on your calendar and you have to ensure they get done.

The best plans are the simple plans with achievable goals. Too many action items, trying to do too much at once or lofty or unreasonable expectations are a recipe for failure.

As you make your resolution to reduce shortage be sure to have objective dates in place and measures you can celebrate as you accomplish them. Celebrating a small victory will lead to the achievement of other victories. It may take a little time but you will see the result of your efforts at the end of the year in increased sales and lower shrinkage.

Filed Under: Featured Tagged With: Alpha 2 Alarm, Alpha 3 Alarm, Alpha High Theft Solutions, Alpha Jewel Lok, Alpha Nano Gate, Alpha Security, Alpha Spider Wrap, Anti-shoplifting training, anti-theft devices, anti-theft tags, anti-thefts devices, Background checks, CCTV cameras, EAS Devices, employee background checks, Employee Theft, Georgia Alarms systems, Georgia shoplifting prevention, Georgia shoplifting systems, Loss Prevention Seminar, Loss Prevention Seminars, Loss Prevention Training, Loss Prevention Workshop, Prevent Shoplifting, Retail Anti Theft Devices, retail security and monitoring, security devices, shoplifting, Shoplifting Prevention, shoplifting statistics, shoplifting violence, surveillance

Shoplifting and Preventable Measures

November 15, 2017 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

As a manager of a retail shop, the layout of the store is probably out of your hands and there is nothing to do about it. You have no control if the changing rooms are way in the back of the store where the opportunity to shoplift presents itself with regularity.

There are several tactics to prevent shoplifting in your store, and even though the layout of the store is out of your hands, other preventive measures can be taken to prevent and deter shoplifting.

According to experts, these preventive measures can help you manage your store better:

Customer Service
Lighting
CCTV cameras
Staff training
Signage
EAS and Security systems

Each and every one of these preventive measures cannot solve the problem of shoplifting. But when a manager or owner of a store is vigilant and knows they need to use a combination of these measures to prevent shoplifting, then the results can be seen clearly.

Target has announced that as of October, they have increased the minimum hourly wage to $11. With this increase, they hope there will be a decrease in turnover and sick days and an increase in productivity from their hourly employees.

Whether they believe employee theft will decrease with this increase in minimum wage is still unclear. And research has not found to be the case.

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

Target’s Minimum Wage Increased. What Does That Mean for Theft?

To reduce loss from theft, retailers need employees to be more honest. Could Target’s minimum wage bump help?

Employee theft is a source of loss simply too costly to ignore, which is why loss prevention practitioners are always on the lookout for novel ways to prevent it. But what if the best theft-prevention tool wasn’t a security measure at all? What if you just paid your store associates a little more money? Would that make a difference? To what extent can wages act as a loss prevention tool?

On Sept. 25, Target announced its plan to boost staff pay. “This October, we’re raising our minimum hourly wage to $11—and we plan to increase the minimum hourly wage for all team members over the next few years to reach $15 by the end of 2020,” the company said in an announcement. According to the consensus of research, Target may experience a range of benefits for its investment, including an increase in worker productivity and decline in turnover and sick days.

Hampshire businesses targeted 35 times a day by shoplifters study shows

NEW research has found that across Hampshire more than 35 incidents of shoplifting take place every day.

A study by OnBuy.com revealed that Hampshire Constabulary reported 12,578 shoplifting offences throughout 2016/2017.

The figures showed that the force had the eighth highest rate for the crime in England and Wales.

Of the 43 police forces within that area, Metropolitan Police Service had the highest rate with 47,580 crimes reported, where as the City of London Police were bottom with just 729 incidents.

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Fitting Room Theft

October 31, 2017 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

You know the drill. At the end of the day, you find your merchandise tags on the floor or hidden in your fitting rooms. Shoplifters bring your merchandise into a fitting room and put it on under their clothes. Sometimes many layers of your apparel are under the clothes they wore in.

One in ten people that walk through your doors is there to steal. It is a fact of retail life. Studies show that a large percentage of these thieves are female and under the age of thirty. This feeds into the fact that the average retailer’s inventory shrink from shoplifting is approximately 35%.

Shoplifters conceal your merchandise in a variety of ways, in a stroller, pockets, a booster bag, booster clothing or like mentioned above, simply wearing your merchandise out of your store under their clothing. All of these methods require one thing, privacy, even if only for a few seconds. What better place to get privacy in a retail store than a fitting room. Shoplifters can take their time. And because some fitting rooms are handicap accessible, it is not a problem to bring that shoplifting vehicle (stroller) right in with them.

What can you do to protect yourself from theft that a fitting room helps to facilitate? Start with fitting room design:

Fitting rooms should not be located in out of the way areas. I prefer high-traffic areas.
Walls should be smooth and continuous with no decorations, picture frames, signs… that a shoplifter can hide or dispose of a price tag.
Mirrors should be permanently attached to the wall and the edges should be caulked to keep the thieves from hiding labels behind them.
Avoid carpeting in the fitting room. Carpet can be pulled up and labels can be hidden there. If you have to use carpet, ensure it is one piece and the edges are securely glued to the flooring.
Doors should not go all the way to the floor. This still provides privacy but does not give the shoplifter a complete feeling of privacy.
Doors should have a lock that is called a “storeroom” style. This means that a key is always required to unlock the door and that cannot be changed by turning the knob on the other side.
Bright lighting helps your legitimate shopper but gives the shoplifter less of a feeling of privacy.
CCTV cameras in plain sight outside of the fitting room doors. The area outside of a fitting room is the perfect place for a public view monitor so customers see that the system is live.
Chimes that alert staff when a fitting room door opens.
Seating such as benches should be fixed or built in. Any seams, cracks should be sealed. The underside of the bench should be a smooth surface that will not facilitate the hiding of tags.
Cove base and shoe mold should be securely mounted, the edges glued and caulked.

Of course, all of this is worthless without proper procedures and a trained staff:

Consider fitting room attendants that count garments in/out.
Key control. Staff must never leave a key in the fitting room door.
For high volume and multiple fitting rooms use a number tag system.
Consider limiting the number of items a customer can take into the fitting room at one time.
Staff should be trained to keep an eye on anyone who they have let into a fitting room. This is not just a theft concern but also customer service. Your staff can keep track of merchandise and help the customer with different sizes.
Do not allow merchandise to build up outside the fitting room. Besides presenting a sloppy appearance, a disorganized area allows shoplifters to more easily conceal merchandise and tags.
Customer service, customer service, customer service…

Make sure that when you do have an incident that you bring it to the attention of all staff members so everyone can learn from it. Even though the key to preventing this kind of theft is customer service, you may still have more than acceptable losses. At that point, it is time for a Checkpoint System. The tags on the merchandise are working 24/7 and will alarm even if the stolen merchandise is under the shoplifters clothing.

Contact us at 770-426-7593 if you have any questions about this topic, would like our help or if you would like a quote on a Checkpoint System.

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Helpers Hired For The Holidays May Take Advantage of You

October 31, 2017 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

I wonder if Santa Clause conducts background checks on his newly hired elves? I’ve been contemplating the chaos that would take place in Santa’s workshop if he just hired any old elf to work for him. Does Santa ever get into a time crunch right around June and bring in seasonal hires to help meet timelines to get all of the toys made? Imagine the pilferage that would ensue if Santa’s Helpers haven’t been properly screened for criminal activity before being brought on board. Defective dolls might be delivered to darling little girls who deserve better. No firetrucks for a little fella because a fiendish elf stole it. I have no idea what might happen at the North Pole but what I do know is that retailers DO get in a crunch for adding seasonal staff and that CAN lead to criminal activity and chaos.

There are times when employers hire staff for their busiest times of the year but they rush into it as if they had no idea it was coming. Poor strategic planning can lead to a hurry up and hire mentality. This leads to a myriad of issues:

Managers are no longer as selective as they would be if they were hiring at any other time of the year. Interviews are shortened and unless something glaring stands out on an application it is submitted to Human Resources with a request to hire.
The focus is on getting a candidate into “the system”. They can be included in orientation and trained in time to fill the holes in the schedule. This is prime time when other concerns fall by the wayside.
People are hired who may not truly have the competency to do the job they are hired for. Forget potential theft issues, these workers through no fault of their own may just not be good at their job. A new cashier may not know how to count back change. They may not understand when a short-change artist is trying to con them. They may not get enough training to understand the importance of looking at everything that comes through the lane. Each of these issues causes significant cash and or merchandise shortage to the store.
Pre-employment screening may not be done. Background information that might have uncovered a checkered past is never discovered because there wasn’t enough time to conduct a check and get the training started. Was a convicted felon just hired? Perhaps it was just a simple petty larceny charge on their record. It could be a conviction for assault was not reported on the application and the employer won’t know because there was no pre-employment screening.
Hiring on the fly may result in bringing in someone who has been fired for poor performance or insubordination and that attitude may carry into the new workplace.

The list can go on but the bottom line is that not making staffing plans for the busy season can impact more than you might think.

What is the solution? You have to get the store staffed and you will be competing against every other retailer for limited resources. Plan a stepped process for adding new team members to your store.

First, make a commitment that EVERY new hire will undergo a pre-employment screening NO EXCEPTIONS! Loss Prevention Systems Inc. can conduct thorough background checks that will minimize your chances of bringing in a poor candidate.
Determine how many new employees you need and add at least 5 to 10 to that number to account for attrition.
Establish where you will post your job ads and what date you will begin interviews. Build a realistic timetable that includes the length of interviews, length of time for conducting the background check and length of time to complete hiring paperwork and orientations and training.
Set a Firm “Do Not Hire After This Date” date. Make it firm and don’t allow other managers to make exceptions.
Allow at least one full week from the time the last person is expected to be hired and processed to get properly trained. Failing to do so sets the new employee up for failure.

Start early enough to make your plan achievable. Starting too early and making a hiring offer then making people wait to start working will cause those new workers to quit. They are working for a paycheck. Starting too late and you will struggle to find people let alone people you want to have working for you.

Santa may not have staffing issues, his team works all year long. You have real personnel concerns and have to hire more for the holidays. Plan ahead and make sure you are taking advantage of available workers don’t allow workers to take advantage of you.

Filed Under: Shoplifting Prevention Tagged With: Alpha 2 Alarm, Alpha 3 Alarm, Alpha High Theft Solutions, Alpha Jewel Lok, Alpha Nano Gate, Alpha Security, Alpha Spider Wrap, Anti-shoplifting training, anti-thefts devices, EAS Devices, employee background checks, Georgia shoplifting systems, loss prevention, Loss Prevention Seminar, Loss Prevention Training, mobile POS loss prevention, Perpetual Inventory, prevent shrinkage, preventing shoplifting in your store, Retail Anti Theft Devices, retail security, retail security and monitoring, security devices, shoplifting, Shoplifting Prevention, shoplifting statistics, surveillance

Dash Through The Snow But Not After Shoplifters

October 31, 2017 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

“Dashing through the snow in a one-horse open sleigh…” OH BOY, this is one of my favorite times of the year! Christmas time and the other holidays just make it special for me. The television specials, the music, the foods and treats and the decorations all combine to just give a warm feeling. I even feel like people tend to be friendlier and more helpful to each other. Then there is the shopping to do, going out to window shop or find that perfect gift for someone(s) special in our lives. Living in the South we don’t often get to dash through the snow but when you live up in the northern states you can add the winter frolicking to your holidays. Even if we haven’t experienced it almost all of us have seen pictures or movies with reindeer dashing through the snow pulling Santa’s sleigh. There’s something about it that evokes a bit of childhood magic.

While dashing may be magical and exciting when it comes to playing in a winter wonderland it isn’t good when the dashing involves the pursuit of shoplifters. The holidays may bring out the best in most of us but somehow it brings out other things too, like thieves and criminals. The holidays are a notorious time of the year for the increases in shoplifting. Professional shoplifters often use the crowds in stores to hide their activity. Casual shoplifters or spontaneous shoplifters come in and steal to get a thrill or because they want to impress their friends. It may be greed that drives these people because they want something they can’t afford. Whatever the reasons shoplifters make up for their crime the fact is they are still stealing and it makes no difference if they are professionals or amateurs. It is important for store managers and employees to try to deter the theft before it takes place. The use of retail anti-theft devices like a Checkpoint Security System and promoting excellent customer service are two ways to accomplish this.

When that deterrence fails however the objective becomes one of trying to get a shoplifter to dump the merchandise before they get to an exit door. Loss Prevention professionals have some tricks they may try to employ, pulling out radios, talking about the merchandise that is concealed, making it apparent they are following the person towards the door. The one thing they can’t (or shouldn’t) do is make an accusation they cannot support. It also may depend on the laws of a state about whether concealment alone and walking past cash registers is enough to constitute shoplifting. In any situation, care has to be taken on how much store personnel does to try to get a shoplifter to dump merchandise.

When all of these steps fail and a shoplifter refuses to drop merchandise they have concealed there is a good chance they will dash out the door and run to get away. It is a natural reflex for the store employee to have the urge to chase after the criminal. Having been in this situation more times than I can count as a Loss Prevention Associate and Manager, I know the feeling. It takes restraint and self-control not to follow the perpetrator when they run. Associates must understand that chasing can lead to someone being injured and that can turn into a lawsuit. A dash to catch a shoplifter can take an employee into a dangerous situation where they may end up facing a weapon. A shoplifter who runs has little or no regard for others and may trample someone, push them down or worse, get to their car and run into someone. Some people have gone so far to try to grab a shoplifter from their car and have wound up getting dragged by the vehicle. Believe me when I tell you there is nothing your store sells that is worth anyone getting hurt over.

Be smart and safe this holiday season. Use retail anti-theft devices on the merchandise you sell. Make customer service training a priority as you are training seasonal and even older staff members. Let them know how their service makes a positive impact on sales and prevents theft. Finally, make a point of emphasizing the dangers involved in dashing after a criminal. The only running to be done by employees is the running of cash registers as your cashiers are ringing up holiday sales.

Filed Under: Featured Tagged With: Alpha 2 Alarm, Alpha 3 Alarm, Alpha High Theft Solutions, Alpha Jewel Lok, Alpha Nano Gate, Alpha Security, Alpha Spider Wrap, Anti-shoplifting training, anti-theft devices, anti-theft tags, anti-thefts devices, Background checks, CCTV cameras, EAS Devices, Georgia shoplifting prevention, Loss Prevention Seminars, Loss Prevention Training, Retail Anti Theft Devices, retail security and monitoring, security devices, shoplifting, Shoplifting Prevention, shoplifting statistics, shoplifting violence, surveillance

Implementing Security Measures to Prevent Shoplifting

October 9, 2017 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

It might be too early for retailers to prepare for the holiday season, but it is never too early to implement security measures to prevent shoplifting in their stores. The holiday season attracts more customers than at any other time of the year, therefore shoplifting incidents increase with the increase of customers as well.

Having and implementing security measures before the holiday season starts can be beneficial to your bottom line.

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

Shoplifting: How to prevent ‘blind spots’ in the store layout

Though many types of theft deterrent equipment exist, one of the most effective and affordable approaches is preventing retail shoplifting is by avoiding “blind spots” in the store layout.

In this regard, one of the hardest places for supermarket or mass merchandise cashiers to control and easily view has been under the shopping basket, which is usually blocked by a basketful of other items above it. Failing to ring up items under the basket before customers leave the store can be extremely costly to retailers.

To prevent such losses, one nationally recognized mass-market retailer has already installed over 90,000 bottom-of-the basket (BOB) mirrors in an effort to limit this type of shrinkage in their business. The inventive mirrors are comprised of lightweight acrylic and the mirror mounts opposite the standing cashier to provide a clear, unobstructed view of the bottom of the cart without requiring the cashier to move or stoop, which also expedites checkout.

Tuesday Tip: How to Avoid Shrink

Retail theft affects a retailer’s bottom line and, ultimately, the cost of goods to the consumer. According to the 2017 National Retail Security Survey released in June by the National Retail Federation and the University of Florida, retail theft and other inventory shrink grew to $48.9 billion in 2016 from $45.2 billion in 2015. The thefts amounted to 1.44 percent of sales, up from 1.38 percent the prior year. So what are retailers to do to minimize shrink?

“Good customer service is the best deterrent to theft,” said Tom Konopacki, owner of Anastazia Treasures for the Home in Geneva, Ill. Introducing yourself and letting your customers know you’re there and willing to help them also lets them know that you’re aware of them and possibly watching.

Sorting It Out: Protecting the Supply Chain Against 4 Common Security Threats

Maintaining Security Awareness is Essential

Retailers in America lost billions of dollars in 2016, largely due to shoplifting, employee theft and other types of inventory “shrink, according to new data compiled by the National Retail Federation (NRF) and the University of Florida. The survey shows that inventory shrink grew to $48.9 billion in 2016 from $45.2 billion the year prior. The increases in losses were found to be largely due to the result of flat or declining retail security budgets.

“While Retailers are proactive in combating criminal activity in their stores they acknowledge that they still have a lot of work left to do,” NRF Vice President of Loss Prevention Bob Moraca said. “The job is made much more difficult when loss prevention experts can’t get the money they need to beef up their staffs and resources. Retail executives need to realize that money spent on preventing losses is money that improves the bottom line.”

Nearly half (48.8 percent) of retailers surveyed said they saw an increase in inventory shrink, while nearly 17 percent said it remained flat.

Filed Under: Shoplifting Prevention Tagged With: Alpha 2 Alarm, Alpha 3 Alarm, Alpha High Theft Solutions, Alpha Jewel Lok, Alpha Nano Gate, Alpha Security, Alpha Spider Wrap, Anti-shoplifting training, anti-theft devices, anti-theft tags, anti-thefts devices, Background checks, Employee Theft, Georgia Alarms systems, Georgia shoplifting prevention, Georgia shoplifting systems, Loss Prevention Workshop, Periodic inventory, Prevent Shoplifting, prevent shrinkage, security devices, shoplifting, Shoplifting Prevention, shoplifting statistics, shoplifting violence, surveillance

Who Is Your Shoplifter and What Do They steal?

October 3, 2017 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

A Department of Corrections officer was arrested this week at a Walmart for shoplifting. The perpetrator was a former Walmart employee who had left to become a corrections officer. The incident was reported to the authorities, indicating the amount stolen was around $400 dollars during 45 visits at that particular Walmart.

The retail industry loses billions of dollars due to employee theft and shoplifting. It is more difficult when former employees that were in charge of the loss prevention department or have worked there are arrested because of a shoplifting incident they are committing. This month a shoplifter; a corrections officer and former Walmart employee has been charged with 5 counts of shoplifting that happened at the Walmart he used to work for. What is the solution to this problem? How can the retail industry prepare itself for the many shoplifting incidents that occur every day at their stores?

Many industries experts agree that training is the logical solution. Training, constant vigilance, and state of the art technology that can help prevent, deter and even stop shoplifting while is happening.

For more news about shoplifting, follow the links below.

Walmart nabs former employee for shoplifting — in his corrections officer uniform

A onetime Walmart loss prevention officer was arrested Friday for shoplifting from his former employer.

George Smalling, 38, of Pasco, was booked in the Franklin County jail on five counts of shoplifting in what the Pasco Police Department described as an “interesting” case.

According to the police department, Smalling worked at the Pasco Walmart pursuing shoplifters until he left in 2015 to become a corrections officer with the Washington Department of Corrections prison system.

This summer, a current loss prevention officer was investigating a series of shoplifts. In connection with the investigation, the store determined that a particular man came in at least 45 times during that period. The suspect would use the self-checkout lane. He would scan one item but pass others over the reader. He would pay for the scanned item and then leave.

Shoplifter attempts to steal laundry detergent. Does not get away clean.

Police are asking for your help to find a shoplifter. If you have information about this crime, don’t try to take action on your own. Anonymous tips, including photos and videos, can be submitted by texting LEXPD plus the tip to CRIMES (274637). Information can also be sent anonymously through Bluegrass Crime Stoppers at 859-253-2020 or Bluegrasscrimestoppers.com.

Crime of the Week

This week’s Crime of the Week involves a shoplifter who struck the Kroger store on Bryan Station Road.

He tried to leave Walmart with steaks in his pants, police say

A 25-year-old man was arrested Monday in connection with shoplifting after police say he hid steaks in his pants and left without paying at a Myrtle Beach grocery store, according to a police report.

Payton Christian Abbott, 25, was cited in connection with shoplifting, online jail records show.

Myrtle Beach officers were called about 11:30 a.m. to the Walmart Neighborhood Market at 3915 N. Kings Hwy. in regards to an alleged shoplifting incident.

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Employee Theft And The Hiring Process

September 29, 2017 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

Are you hiring someone who has the tendency to steal from their employer? Hiring new employees for the season and for permanent positions is a difficult task in and of itself. But do you consider employee theft in the hiring process?

With little additional effort, you can screen out candidates that are prone to, or even have an ambivalent attitude towards theft from your company. The folks that are ambivalent tend to be the ones that will look the other way while others, both internal and external, steal from you and will not tell you that they suspect or see theft occurring. The normal excuse they give themselves and you, if confronted after the fact, is “I did not want to get involved” or “I am not a rat”. Both of these are copouts. But what you need to consider is that you, the owner or manager have probably set the foundation for this attitude.

To keep employees from stealing from you, you must start at the very first step in the employment process. When someone applies for a job, they need to understand that you will check their criminal background. You should have a separate background check release document from your company’s application. That sets the beginning of theft prevention.

During the interview process are you asking questions about employee theft and the candidate’s attitude towards it? If not, you are missing out on a very simple step that will reveal much more than you expected. These are questions that you can and should be asking. Loss Prevention Systems offers to our customers live, online training that is FREE of charge about this very subject. The seminar is titled “Pre-employment hiring: What they don’t tell you will HURT you”. This training teaches you and your staff how to ask better questions regarding loss prevention areas. Do you want to find out more about not only the candidate’s involvement in and attitude about employee theft but also what they have stolen from previous employers and their use of illegal drugs? This session will teach you those techniques.

Next, when you make the offer of employment and conduct their orientation, are you explaining your policy and procedures regarding theft? Do you let them know that it is THEIR obligation to bring any suspicion or actual theft to your attention immediately? It is a job requirement. They are getting paid by you for a job you hired them for. This includes loyalty to you and the company. But if you do not discuss it, how can you expect them to do what you ask?

Do you have a theft policy document or handbook that they must read and then they sign an acknowledgment receipt that is placed in their HR file? Again, if you are a customer of Loss Prevention Systems, we will provide you with a draft LP handbook that you can modify to fit your company. It lets the new employee know that the only thing they may take from the company is the air in their lungs. It also helps them to understand what they are to do for suspected or witnessed theft. If you are a Retailer, it also covers shoplifting.

Your next step is to reinforce this message with all employees at company meetings. This can be as simple as asking questions. Ask for a show of hands to a question like “Have you ever worked at a company where someone was caught stealing?” follow up with “how did that make you feel?’ or “How would you feel if you found out that a co-worker was stealing from the company?”. Most of the time employees respond with a feeling of betrayal, disbelief, shock, anger… You should then expand on those feelings with a discussion. Instead of you “preaching”, let them express their thoughts. You should simply guide the conversation. Ask employees what they think should happen to someone who was caught stealing from the company. You are likely to hear harsh terms like jail, arrest, fired, shot at sunrise and more. But just as important, observe the employees that take a disinterested, joking or mild approach. If they themselves are stealing, they are more likely to use softer words such as “get in trouble, lose their jobs, disciplined…” That does not mean that everyone who reacts in a more mild fashion is stealing. That may simply be their personality or they are uncomfortable talking about conflict type situations. But this does give you more insight into their thinking. Employees that mock or make fun of the conversation should, in my experience, be watched closely.

This process shows everyone that you are not afraid to discuss the topic and are prone to take action if it does occur. It also shows employees that have or will think about stealing from you that other employees will not tolerate their actions.

Start this process now! Do not wait. You want a good, profitable selling season. Contact us if you have questions or need assistance.

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