Combine Low Tech and High Tech Strategies To Stop Shoplifting

Anytime I read an article about Loss Prevention techniques I am interested to see what the author has to say about how to stop shoplifting. Unfortunately I see few new ideas but for a store owner who has little background with shortage reduction it never hurts to be informed. It may be old hat for those of us in L.P. but we have to remember that the audiences reading the articles do not necessarily share our experiences. I recently reviewed an article that caused me to remember this as I read it. The author, Jennifer Goforth Gregory, writing in entrepeneur.com on May 27, 2015 in an article, “6 Low-Tech Ways to Reduce Shoplifting”, gives the following tips to business owners:

1. Put out the welcome mat – The message is to provide customer service and remove the anonymity shoplifters want.

2. Be a neatnick – The author points out that sloppy and untidy shelves/fixtures make it easy to hide signs of theft.

3. Let there be light – She points out that lighting removes the dark areas shoplifters prefer.

4. Plastic is your friend – Plastic shelf dividers placed on the front edge of the shelf can stop shoplifting by clearing products off a shelf in a single movement.

5. Have a secret code – This would be an intercom call that would be made to alert other employees of a suspicious person without identifying who that person is.

6. Keep a clear line of sight – place fixtures so there is a clear line of sight across the store.

All are great points and I disagree with none of them. The author’s point is, “…when it comes to preventing theft in your store, low-tech solutions can also be very effective.” I say kudos to the writer for pointing these tips out and I would tell every store owner to implement these suggestions. While it is not low-tech I would tell store owners that there is a technology that they can afford and that is the installation of an electronic article surveillance (EAS) system and the use of Sensormatic security tags to protect merchandise.

Now you might be ready to stop reading but don’t do it! I know, you feel like you can’t afford to invest in a system and you may even be thinking your store is too small to benefit from one. You are wrong on both counts and a quick visit to the Loss Prevention Systems, Inc. (LPSI) website will show you why. The CEO of the company, Bill Bregar has been involved in theft prevention and investigations since his days as a corporate level director of Loss Prevention for several national retail chains. He knows how to stop shoplifting and internal theft and has built LPSI with the purpose of helping small and medium sized retailers with theft and shortage reduction. Whether it is conducting seminars on employee theft reduction training or advising on the right Sensormatic security tags to use on different merchandise, LPSI has solutions for every size store, even your small one. Affordability? Yes, you will even be surprised at how a system will save you money and pay for itself over time (tip: try out the free ROI calculator on the LPSI website).

Low tech methods to prevent shoplifting should apply to every retailer. The same goes for higher tech methods. Great customer service for example should be the hallmark of EVERY retailer, I don’t care how big they are. It does prevent crime but it is also the right way to treat people who want to come in and look and shop. Reducing the number of hiding places and keeping the store visible even if it means setting up mirrors in corners and hard to see areas is a fairly easy problem to address. Tagging merchandise with Sensormatic security tags is a bit more time consuming but the payoff is a proven impact on shortage for stores, often by half of a percent or more. Combine all of the steps pointed out by Ms. Gregory in conjunction with the installation of an EAS system. I would also include a couple of closed circuit television cameras near the points of sale and the entry/exit doors and you have a very effective anti-theft strategy.

Owning a small store does not mean you cannot afford theft prevention technology. Protecting merchandise with Sensormatic security tags and an EAS system will stop shoplifting and that improves profits. Make sure you do all of those low tech things and then contact LPSI about how you can also get your own Sensormatic security system.

Need information on a Sensormatic security system? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 today.