Stop Shoplifting During The Holidays

With the holiday season our attempts to stop shoplifting seem to be like a fish swimming up stream. The problem is not that we may have more shoplifters but that we have more customers. We cannot spend the time we need watching the sales floor. If you have not prepared before this late in the game there is little you can do to put a full anti shoplifting program in place. However, there are some things you can do to slow it down

First use zone coverage. Instruct every employee to watch a certain area of the sales floor. If they spot a shoplifting problem then they should request help from others.

Intensify customer service. Shoplifters hate attention so let’s give them more than they can handle. This includes a greeting when they enter the store or department. I believe that this greeting must be more than a simple “hello”. Eye contact is VERY important. By making eye contact a shoplifter will feel that you remember what they look like and that they have been noticed. This will shut down most impulse and some amateur shoplifters. Your good customer will love it also! Remember that is why they are there to shop and get stellar customer service.

After the insanity of this season is over look at your losses due to shoplifting and make more permanent changes. A good anti shoplifting program has many cogs on the wheel. They are all important and you must use all of them to be profitable. Take a lesson form the major retailers such as Wal-Mart, Target, and Best Buy. As a former Executive for companies like them I know that any anti shoplifting program must have the following:

Solid policy and procedure. Even if you are a one store operation. P&P will help you to guide your employees and draw a line in the sand of what they can and cannot do. If you would like a free copy of a shoplift policy that you can customize to fit you just contact me.

Training, training and more training. You cannot expect that you or your employees can handle shoplifting situations without gaining a comfort level.  Anti shoplifting training will do that. You cannot just read this stuff in a book and expect that they will succeed.

Checkpoint security systems . These systems are key to deterring shoplifters of all types: impulse, amateur and professional. Your employees place checkpoint security tags on soft goods such as clothing. checkpoint labels are placed on all other goods. The checkpoint security systems then become your full time, never takes a day off security employee. They watch your goods when you can’t. Like when you are slammed with customers and the customer to employee ratio is high. checkpoint security tags and checkpoint labels are easy to apply and remove or deactivate by your staff.

For more information on anti shoplifting or checkpoint labels or checkpoint security tags or checkpoint security systems contact us at stop shoplifting or call 1.770.426.0547 – Atlanta Georgia