The busiest shopping season of the year is almost done. The gains and loses of the year will be accounted for, and if you had a good year, it will show on the gains column. Preventing shoplifting or minimizing shrinkage in your store does not end at the end of the year. Shoplifting is a continuos problem for retailers, and the loss prevention team in your store. The beginning of the new year though, offers you a unique opportunity to start over, study the loss prevention team’s effort, and make the necessary changes for a better year.
Read the following articles for more about this and other stories.
Amazon Go is a new idea in retailing, now being tested at a store in Seattle, that eliminates the need for customers to go through a checkout line. The so-called “just walk out” experience depends on “the world’s most advanced shopping technology.” Customers simply enter a retail store, choose the goods they want, and leave. The checkout process is automated: The selected goods are charged to the customer’s account automatically.
Solving Shoplifting
Most of the information I have read about the system emphasizes its benefits in terms of customer convenience. However, another huge benefit would be to essentially “solve” the problem of shoplifting. Anyone – criminal or not – who enters the store, takes items and leaves will be charged for the goods.
Shoplifting has been a huge and intractable cost for retailers for decades. Solving it is no small feat, and the potential money savings could help to pay for wider use of Amazon Go technology. After all, the high costs of the system are cited as one obstacle to wider implementation.
Amazon Go Smart Phone App
The Amazon Go system involves a smart phone app that identifies the customer as he or she walks into the store (presumably through a turnstile). In addition, there are computerized systems in place that automatically identify which customers pick up which items from the store shelves, and keep a running, real-time tally of who buys what. No need for check-out lines; it’s all automatic. Customers only need an Amazon account, a supported smartphone, and the free Amazon Go app.
Tips for avoiding holiday theft after the gifts are opened
“Every day, citizens can be a target or a victim of identify theft or anything like that, so you want to do everything you can to prevent the prevent that likelihood that you become that target,” explained Sgt. Dan Haskins of the Joplin Police Department.
BBB: Ten consumer tips for the upcoming year
Better Business Bureau is proud of our mission: to be the leader in advancing market place trust. In order to fulfill that mission, every year BBB offers thousands of tips for consumers to help them find a business they can trust.
BBB helps people find and recommend business, brands and charities they can trust. Better Business Bureau serving Central, Coastal, Southwest Texas and the Permian Basin compiled the top 10 consumer tips to help you fight scammers, prevent identity theft and save money in 2017:
- Do your research. Always check a business out with BBB before you buy. For any business, visit bbb.org to view their BBB Business Profile, which includes contact information, complaint details and customer reviews.
- Protect your identity. Always shred paper documents that include sensitive financial data and dispose of computers, cell phones and digital data safely. Safely store all personal documents, such as your Social Security card. Pull your credit report at least once a year, and check your credit and debit card statements frequently.
Speak Your Mind
You must be logged in to post a comment.