Shoplifting Prevention

 

The holidays are over and looking at your sales, revenue, expenses, profits and inventory, you are probably realizing you had a good year, or a year where inventory has disappeared and don’t know where it went.  If the strategy to prevent shrinkage in your store hasn’t workout, have you looked into the reason why? Is employee theft a problem you have overlooked? Looking at your data carefully, you can analyze and probably pin point a few problem areas that are not being addressed, and then you can probably find a solution to the problem or at the least address the problem before it gets out of hand.

For more about this topic follow these links below.

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Are Retailers Selling Shoplifting Tools?

Boosters are savvy in their methodology of offending. They often find creative ways in which to conceal property when shoplifting—in their clothing, via a special “booster bag,” etc. However, occasionally they capitalize on resources provided by the very location they intend to victimize.

While shopping in a nationally known chain drug store, I found an inexpensive, insulated six-can cooler bag, which appeared to have an aluminum lining, sitting on an aisle shelf out of view of the customer service area. When I saw this, I found it to be an aluminum-lined potential booster bag, the use of which is a felony in many states. This sparked my interest; is it possible that retail locations unknowingly stock booster supplies?

I purchased the cooler bag and went to one of my corporate retail colleagues to test the bag with two different types of electronic article surveillance (EAS) tags; the classic hard tags and UPC-style sticker tags. After a series of tests, I noted the following results:

• Effective in disrupting the UPC-style EAS stickers. I would have to hold the bag flush against the tower for the alarm system to activate.

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Police holiday operations see some success

INCREASED PATROLS, SPECIAL DETAILS CURB CRIME

Local police efforts to deter holiday crime saw some positive results.

The Lemoore Police Department conducted a number of special details to prevent holiday crimes and educate citizens to defend themselves.

Cmdr. Maggie Ochoa said police set up informational booths where officers and civilian staff answered questions from citizens and distributed educational handouts about drugs and gangs.

Officers also conducted 39 random checks on registered sex offenders in the Lemoore city limits.

Eight of those offenders were found to be out of compliance or in violation of their registration requirements.

Ochoa said plain-clothed police officers also patrolled areas where there had been reports of thefts, suspected drug use and gang activity.

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Common shoplifting techniques

Hiding the Merchandise

Favorite Shoplifter Devices

A large open bag is a common shoplifter tool. It is placed at the thief’s feet, and objects are casually dropped into it. Be on the lookout for the “bad bag” — a paper bag that is dirty and wrinkled. Also keep an eye out for shopping bags that are not from local stores. Preventing this is why many stores staple bags shut. Other stores require customers to leave their bags by the front door when they come in.

Women sometimes use purses to hide stolen items. There is little you can do to stop women from carrying purses and handbags. The best prevention in these cases is to watch the customers very carefully.

The baby carriage or stroller is a great tool for shoplifters. There are always blankets, toys, and other things in strollers (including the baby) that merchandise can be hidden under. Some thieves have even built false bottoms in baby carriages.