A Target or Walmart store can and are able to fight shoplifting in their stores every day of the year. The expense associated with shoplifting has for many years been known to be passed down to the consumer, and the increase in prices has been an expense that gradually has affected consumers around the globe.
In the United States retail shrink which includes shoplifting, employee theft, administrative errors and vendor fraud cost the US retailers close to $50 billion in 2016 alone. More than 36% of shrink was due to shoplifting, and 30% was due to employee theft.
Many local businesses across the United States have taken different approaches to prevent shoplifting. From investing in Facial recognition software to shoplifting prevention training, many businesses have taken different approaches to the prevention of this crime. But, according to the National Retail Federation (NRF) even as the average inventory shrink rate has increased by close to 1.5% the budgets for loss prevention personnel has decreased or remained flat.
What are some of the steps local businesses have taken to prevent shoplifting?
Signage – A Spokane Washington local business has signage that lets you know from the time you enter their store that they have Video surveillance in use and they will prosecute you in case of shoplifting, and they also have a policy of taking your name when you enter their fitting rooms. If you shoplift, they already have your name.
Customer Service -has been proven to be one of the major loss prevention strategies businesses have adopted that can also benefit them in the long run. Be aware of the difference between offering great customer service and stalking a customer.
Training – Trained personnel cannot only help you prevent shoplifting but can prevent incidents from getting out of hand. Knowing the laws, regulation, and the process when a shoplifting incident occurs can save lives and prevent lawsuits.
Facial recognition software – If you are using facial recognition software in your stores, caution has to be taken into consideration. Using facial recognition improperly can lead to too many problems and too few rewards. Properly trained personnel are one important aspect of using this kind of security measure.
There is probably a fine line between great customer service and making your customer feel like a criminal. Losing customers because your employees follow them and are constantly asking them if they need help or making them uncomfortable is not a good solution. If you are also targeting people for no apparent reason, the probability that the bad experience will find an outlet that will carry bad publicity for your business is very likely.
Let us know if some of the above methods you are using seem to be working for you.
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