Policies and Procedures Concerning Shoplifting

September 19, 2017 by Leave a Comment

Shoplifting crimes increase every year.  Mall security, loss prevention personnel and police departments across the nation work together to prevent shoplifting. But, that is not enough. The National Association for Shoplifting Prevention states that the United States loses billions of dollars every year due to shoplifting, and those statistics are not getting better.  Police departments across the nation are constantly called to these retail store due to a shoplifting incident that they have to take care of. By knowing what the response to a shoplifting is, your employees can readily take care of the problem without jeopardizing their safety.

For more about this and othe r topics, follow the links below.

Winnipeg mom carrying diaper bag refused entry to Canadian Tire

What was supposed to be a quick pit stop at a local Canadian Tire has left a Winnipeg mom angry and speaking out.

On Friday, Stephanie Stachowich was trying to go shopping at the Regent Avenue location to buy a few items.

She had her two daughters, 3-years-old and 7-months-old, with her and was carrying a diaper bag filled with necessities along with her keys and wallet.

“As I walked in I saw a staff member spot me right away,” Stachowich told Global News.  “She simply told me straight out I could not bring my diaper bag into the store.”

Stachowich said there were no signs regarding bag policies posted and she wasn’t given a choice to have her bag searched or checked. She was simply told the diaper bag was not allowed in the store.

Theft and drugs having affects on Retail business

A panel of retail and law enforcement representatives discussed recent trends related to drug laws, sentencing reform and retail theft at the Council of State Retail Association’s (CSRA) Annual Meeting in Portland earlier this month.

The topic resonated with the audience for several reasons. The link between drug addiction and property crimes is well-known and drives many policy discussions related to criminal justice reform. And retailers have a front row seat to witness the effects of both addiction and changes in sentencing guidelines.

After voters passed Proposition 47 in 2014, California implemented some of the nation’s sharpest reductions in penalties, reducing many drug-related and theft crimes to misdemeanors. Property crimes in many counties have increased more than 25% since the ballot measure passed and made all thefts of less than $950 a misdemeanor.

Another factor driving up thefts has been the opioid crisis, said Sacramento County District Attorney Anne Marie Schubert. Some California counties had more opioid prescriptions than people in 2016, she said, citing a Sacramento Bee article. (To read the article, click here.)

Convenience store manager fires gun after shoplifting incident

INDIANAPOLIS (WTHR) – An E. Washington St. convenience store manager is under investigation for firing his gun at a shoplifter.

It happened Monday night at Sam’s Food Mart & Tobacco Store.

Eyewitness News spoke with one of the store clerks about why the manager decided to fire his weapon.

The clerk said the shooting happened after his co-worker chased a customer through the front door and into the parking lot. The shoplifter left with a couple of items without paying for them.

Someone flagged down an IMPD officer to report the incident.

Eyewitness News has learned the shoplifter stole a bag of Planters peanuts and a package of Hostess Zingers.

 

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Do You Know Who Is Stealing From You?

September 11, 2017 by Leave a Comment

Do you know who is stealing from you? It could be anyone.  Shoplifting rings across the United States are now a common practice.  Millions of dollars are stolen every day due to shoplifting, and many millions more are because of employee theft. 

The shoplifter can be anyone; from a grandma, a city employee, or a government official, shoplifters come in all shapes and form.  Police officers have been known to be apprehended when shoplifting, and  juveniles are notorious for stealing merchandise when they visit a store.  Training and awareness from you as a store manager, and from the employees at your supervision, can limit the amount these shoplifters take from your store.

For more about this and other topics, follow the links below.

Feds Break Up $20M Shoplifting Ring That Stole Clothing From Coast To Coast

Federal authorities say they’ve arrested more than a dozen people and broken up a massive shoplifting network that trafficked in some $20 million in apparel and other items stolen from stores all over the country and then sold in Mexico.

According to a grand jury indictment [PDF] unsealed this week, the San Diego-based defendants allegedly assembled “crews” of shoplifters who would steal items from a variety of stores — Victoria’s Secret, Hollister, American Eagle, Banana Republic — at malls both local and thousands of miles away.

Prosecutors say that this ring pilfered items at stores as far-flung as Washington state, Illinois, and Maryland, all with the intention of transporting the stolen goods back to the San Diego area, and then on to a fence in Mexico.

The indictment details the various roles given to the shoplifters involved in any given theft. There were “team leaders” who selected stores and targeted items within the store, while doing advance scouting for the presence of police or loss-prevention staff. When it came time to shoplift, the team leader would relocate the items targeted for shoplifting, putting them in spots within a store that made it easier for others to steal them.

Former school district employee charged with felony theft

Former St. Cloud school district buildings and grounds supervisor Bryan Brown was charged Friday with felony theft for using public funds for personal purchases, according to a complaint filed in Stearns County District Court.

Brown resigned April 3 after 27 years with the district. He began working for the district as a custodian in 1990. In 2011, he became the buildings and grounds supervisor.

Brown’s supervisor, former executive director of business services Kevin Januszewski, resigned April 6.

After the resignations, the district asked St. Cloud Police Department to investigate the possible theft of public funds at the school district, according to the complaint. That investigation was launched April 7.

Employee theft cost US businesses an average of $1.13 million in losses, according to 2017 Hiscox Embezzlement Study™

NEW YORK, NY, Aug. 23, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Hiscox, the international specialist insurer, today released the 2017 Hiscox Embezzlement Study™, an examination of employee theft in the US. The findings reveal that US businesses impacted by employee theft lost an average of $1.13 million last year. Small and mid-sized companies (fewer than 500 employees) continue to be disproportionally victimized by employee theft, representing approximately 68 percent of cases.

This is the third annual Hiscox Embezzlement Study, which examines employee theft cases that were active in the US federal court system in 2016.

“There is a necessary level of trust between employees and their employer that is required of successful businesses,” said Doug Karpp, Crime & Fidelity Product Head at Hiscox. “When there is a breach in that trust because an employee or executive steals, it can have a significant impact on the entire organization both financially and emotionally. Business owners and executives need to make the shift from blind trust to intelligent trust to ensure they are able to spot and prevent employee theft.”

 

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Employee Theft

September 6, 2017 by Leave a Comment

Addiction is a big factor is some shoplifters’s lives.  They steal to then sell the stolen merchandise to be able to purchase drugs and alcohol.  Employees with a drug addiction problem are dangerous to a retail store, specially those employees that are given a position of power, or have some type of freedom with merchandise, cash or even the security of the store.

Employees that feel as deserving employees that are not being properly compensated can be a liability to a retail store as well.  Anger, bad attitudes, and eventually theft can be a big problem for the store where they are employed.

Retailers and employers in the United States and around the globe loose billions of dollars to shoplifting and employee theft every year. Periodic inventory of employees, merchandise and security of the store are not only necessary but imperative to the health of the business. 

If as an owner, any part of the proper management of the store is left unattended, the results can be catastrophic.

For more about this and other topics follow the links below.

Your Loyal, Hardworking, and Intelligent Employee Might Be Stealing From Your Business

Most perpetrators are middle-aged, longtime employees who never take vacation, says new study.

Last June, Linda Clark, a 68-year-old bookkeeper, who worked for a credit union in Iowa, plead guilty to embezzling almost $2.5 million from her employer between 1978 until she resigned in 2015.

The SCICAP Credit Union in Chariton, Iowa, had to liquidate due to Clark’s 37-year-long scheme, during which she diverted small sums of money into her bank account as well as those of her children.

Clark fits the profile of the average embezzler, according to a studythat looked at over 400 embezzlement cases in federal court, conducted by insurance provider Hiscox. The study found the average embezzler to be a small-business, middle-aged employee who works in the accounting and finance department. Perps were female in 41 percent of the cases.

Clark’s scheme went on longer than average, but the majority of schemes, 28.7 percent, go on for five years with an average theft amount of $2.2 million. For schemes that last 10 years, the average loss hits $5.4 million.

Employee theft cost US businesses an average of $1.13 million in losses, according to 2017 Hiscox Embezzlement Study™

NEW YORK, NY, Aug. 23, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Hiscox, the international specialist insurer, today released the 2017 Hiscox Embezzlement Study™, an examination of employee theft in the US. The findings reveal that US businesses impacted by employee theft lost an average of $1.13 million last year. Small and mid-sized companies (fewer than 500 employees) continue to be disproportionally victimized by employee theft, representing approximately 68 percent of cases.

This is the third annual Hiscox Embezzlement Study, which examines employee theft cases that were active in the US federal court system in 2016.

“There is a necessary level of trust between employees and their employer that is required of successful businesses,” said Doug Karpp, Crime & Fidelity Product Head at Hiscox. “When there is a breach in that trust because an employee or executive steals, it can have a significant impact on the entire organization both financially and emotionally. Business owners and executives need to make the shift from blind trust to intelligent trust to ensure they are able to spot and prevent employee theft.”

 

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Do Shoplifters have Rights?

August 29, 2017 by Leave a Comment

Shoplifting and shoplifters have been a constant reliable problem the retail industry has had for many years.  The billions of dollars lost due to shoplifting is not a laughing matter.  The millions of dollars the retail industry suffers daily due to shoplifting, cripples local economies and leaves them unable to fund social programs that benefit those communities.  The tax loss from stolen merchandise affects those communities as well.

It is very hard to empathize with a shoplifter. Shoplifting is a crime after all but, we must remember that shoplifters have rights and whether security personnel likes it or not they must follow the law.  The procedures a security employee must take when apprehending a shoplifter are very clear.  Law enforcement personnel must follow procedures as well. Shoplifters have rights, and as a security employee you must follow them.

For more about this and other topics, follow the links below.

LP Interrogation Techniques Can Work as Negotiation Tactics

Negotiation tactics are synonymous with terms ranging from compromise and mediation to haggle and interrogation. It is not difficult to argue the fact that interrogations represent the hardest form of negotiating. When people enter into negotiations or mediations, they understand they may need to sacrifice some of their interests in order to reach a mutual agreement because both parties, at some level, have shared interests.

On the contrary, when subjects enter into loss prevention interrogation, they have no intentions of sacrificing any of their interests. Interrogation subjects are typically motivated to stake themselves to a position of innocence and to vehemently defend that position. Skilled interrogators overcome these obstacles by creating shared interests, reducing their subject’s resistance, and creating perceived benefits for confessing.

Many corporate executives view negotiating tactics and skills as both critical to their success and professional development.

Court rules company extorts money from accused shoplifters

SAN FRANCISCO (KTVU) – A State Superior Court judge has ruled that a “corrective education” scheme for accused shoplifters is considered “extortion.”

San Francisco City Attorney Dennis Herrera filed the lawsuit against Corrective Education Company, which partners with retailers like Walmart, Bloomingdale’s, Burlington Coat Factory, Abercrombie & Fitch, Ralph’s grocery chain and Kroger’s.

Suspected shoplifters at those retailers don’t get handcuffed by police, instead, Herrera says they answer to a private business called CEC or Corrective Education Company.

“They basically would intimidate and get someone they suspected of being a shoplifter and say uh, unless you sign this form and and pay us money, we’re gonna report you to the police,” said Herrera.

The problem with that, Herrera says… it’s illegal.

“The law is clear. This is a textbook case of extortion and false imprisonment,” said Herrera who filed the lawsuit back in November of 2015.

This week, California’s State Superior court agreed.

Burlington Coat Factory Security Guard Arrested After Shooting

​A security guard who shot a man Tuesday during a confrontation over an alleged shoplifting incident in San Francisco has been arrested, police said today.

The shooting occurred shortly after 2:30pm in the area of Fifth and Howard streets at a Burlington Coat Factory store where the guard, a 42-year-old man, confronted a suspected shoplifter, according to Officer Robert Rueca.

A struggle ensued that moved outside of the store, and the guard shot the 33-year-old man in the leg, Rueca said.

The victim was taken to a hospital with injuries that are not considered life-threatening.

The guard, whose identity has not yet been released, was arrested on suspicion of assault with a firearm and shooting at an inhabited dwelling.

 

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Get on the fast track for better profits, drive for improved shortage results

August 28, 2017 by Leave a Comment

We’ve all been there, we are on our way to work and the next thing you know you come to a standstill. Cars backed up as far as you can see and no one is going anywhere. The clock is ticking away and you begin to worry knowing you are going to be late getting to the office. You look for a side street to try to get out of the mess then, someone with a little bit of guts and a four-wheel drive truck pulls onto the shoulder of the road and speeds by everyone to get to their destination. Everyone gets to where they are going but some people are determined not to let obstacles get in their way and they take the fast track to get there. They went the same route they just overcame the obstacles that would get in their way.

Retail can be like that too. A new store may start off doing pretty well and may even see growth the first few years. Over time the store does nothing new, profits stagnate or start to decline a little but it is just blamed on a slowdown in the economy.

The media and industry trade journals attribute the decline in sales in brick and mortar stores to online competition and the ease of shopping at home. I liken this to getting stuck in traffic and not being able to see more than a hundred yards ahead of where you are. You guess there is an accident or you assume there is a traffic light out and it is certainly not your fault you are going to be late for work.  Does that HAVE to keep you from getting through to your destination? I argue that it does not. The innovator takes a risk, gets on the shoulder of the road and blazes on by everyone else in the traffic jam. Is there risk? Yes, and notice I did not say the innovator plows through all the other cars leaving mass destruction in his wake. The risk is to the driver and his vehicle because he could run over an unseen hazard in the dirt or run into a ditch. The other vehicles are safe as they idle and slowly start to run out of gas. The risk taker measures the risk and determines that the payoff is worth the risk he/she is taking.

So how does all of this relate to shortage and profitability? Some store owners have chosen to operate their businesses without the use of any type of retail anti-theft devices. The store may conduct inventory and losses show up but the owner decides that the losses are related to operational issues rather than theft or fraud. Another inventory cycles and shrink goes up a bit but there is little thought given to the Impact of shoplifting. Over the years the shrink gradually creeps up just a little at a time and sales remain basically where they have been. That shortage is eating into the profit line of that retailer but no one takes notice. Eventually theft impacts the store to the point where it is too late to regain control and the owner is forced out of business. He’s just sitting in the backed up lane of traffic waiting to run out of gas and get pushed off to the side of the road. Had proactive steps been taken the problem could have been avoided. Had the owner chosen to install an electronic article surveillance towers at the doors and use tags on merchandise theft would have been prevented before things spun out of control.

Improving shortage means improved profits for store owners. The use of retail anti-theft devices and looking for fresh, new ideas to bring in additional customers can be the combination that keeps a store from falling by the wayside. You have the green light to get in the fast lane and pass up your competition.

     

     

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Employee Retention Is Made Easier When You Conduct Speedy, Accurate Background Checks

August 28, 2017 by Leave a Comment

Turnover for many businesses can be a real headache. You take the time to post job ads, review job applications, set up interviews and then conduct the interviews. Your new hire starts and within a couple of weeks they quit. It happens far too many times and it is a pain. Why did the person quit? Did they have a propensity for job hopping already and you missed it on the job application? Did they start stealing from you and got enough money or merchandise and quit before you caught on to their schemes? Perhaps it was a young employee on their first job and they wanted more weekends and night shifts off so they could “hang out” with their friends. All of these are reasons for high turnover in retail stores especially. Lose too many people at once and it can cripple your business, stretch the staff you currently have and it may potentially lead to more employees quitting.

On the other end of the spectrum there are the businesses that are very careful, almost to the extreme. They go through the same hiring procedures, posting the ad, contacting applicants and conducting interviews but they add an additional step. They conduct a background check before making a job offer. Sounds good right? Making sure you aren’t hiring someone who will steal from you or threaten others in the workplace. Here’s the catch, hire the wrong background check company and you may be losing great employees because pre-employment screening is taking too long to conduct. Thoroughly vetting a prospective new hire is fine, but if that candidate has to wait too long for results they may decide to go somewhere else.

I know of one retailer that conducts pre-employment screenings but in some of their stores they have a problem with retention rates. In one instance the management team was reduced to the store manager and an assistant. The assistant left the company and only the manager and a skeleton crew were running the building. The store manager was trying to get new managers on board as soon as he could. He was working 7 days a week and personnel from other stores were going up and helping to fill in as managers on duty so the store manager could get a break.

Reportedly the store manager had a department manager candidate to hire and attempted to get the background check expedited to give him some help. The request was denied and it took several additional weeks for the positions to begin to be filled. I heard through a third party that the manager was close to quitting due to the staffing problems at this store and the failure to get critical jobs filled. Several weeks later the person the manager wanted to fast track was cleared and hired for the store. While this was an extreme situation, consider how close the manager came to leaving the company.

What about the chance the district level manager or higher took with the candidate. The position was not an extremely high paying job and there are plenty of other opportunities with similar or even better pay. It would have been easy for the candidate to just find another place to work with the length of time the background check was taking.

Not having a pre-employment screening on candidates is foolish. You are gambling with your business and profitability if you bring on the wrong person for your staff. Hire the wrong Background Check Company that doesn’t recognize the value of timeliness when conducting your checks for you and you risk the loss of potentially very strong candidates. It is important to find a company that understands the challenges retail owners and managers face every day. From taking steps to grow profits, combating theft and fraud, to retaining the best people to work in their stores it can be overwhelming. Give Loss Prevention Systems a call to discuss background check options with people who understand the challenges of the retail industry. Proper hiring and operating profitable stores go hand in hand.

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Shoplifting and Security; Are You Prepared?

August 23, 2017 by Leave a Comment

Security personnel engaging in following or chasing shoplifters outside the premises, should proceed with caution.  The laws, the dangers, and the safety net a store provides, are not longer on the security’s personnel side while outside the premises.  After you leave the store, you are vulnerable, and the dangers abound.  Keeping and stopping a shoplifter within store limits is the best decision for your safety.

To read more about shoplifting news, follow the links below.

Colorado Springs police officer fatally shoots shoplifter following foot chase

No information has been released about the shoplifting suspect

The name, gender and age of the shoplifting suspect have not been released.The officer who killed the shoplifter is on routine paid administrative leave pending an investigation by deputies of the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office, said Jacqueline Kirby, sheriff spokeswoman.

An employee from the Walmart store at 3201 E. Platte Ave. called police about the shoplifter at 11:30 p.m. Monday, Kirby said.At first, one officer responded to the shoplifting call. A foot chase ensued as this officer identified the shoplifting suspect, she said.A second officer joined the pursuit that led to the 3200 block of Bijou Avenue. The officers caught up with the suspect a few minutes after midnight, Kirby said.

Acting U of L foundation CFO fired after shoplifting arrest at U of L Golf Club

Interim University of Louisville president Greg Postel’s efforts to re-shape the image of the U of L foundation aren’t exactly off to a rousing start.Robert “Bob” Mims, who was recently hired on the recommendation of Postel as an independent contractor to serve as the acting CFO for the foundation, was fired following an arrest for theft and shoplifting in Simpsonville on Wednesday.

Card Chronicle can confirm that the location of that theft was the clubhouse of the U of L Golf Club, where Mims was reportedly inquiring about a membership given his new position at the university. An employee at the golf club called the police once Mims had left. The police then pulled Mims car over, where he confessed to the crime.Mims had worked for the foundation for only two weeks and was fired following the news of his arrest.

This apparently was not Mims’ first foray into this particular brand of theft. A source tells CC that another local country club recently discovered camera footage of Mims stealing more than $800 worth of merchandise from its clubhouse and circulated his picture to other golf clubs throughout the area.

Retailers Tackle Growing Consumer Expectations With Integrated Supply Chains

Shoppers have access to almost any product at any time and fulfillment times are shrinking by the month. With almost constant availability, consumers are asking ‘where?’ and ‘when?’ while retailers are increasingly asking themselves ‘how do we meet customer expectations?’

In the turbulent and unpredictable market, with e-tail’s growing presence, and with consumer expectations constantly growing, running a fully integrated supply chain is vital. Good communication and joined-up operations lead to better decisions and in turn to lower inventory levels, better availability, less waste and more sales.

Yet siloing, where one hand doesn’t know what the other hand is doing, remains far too common and produces the opposite results.For instance, very few retailers consider space management part of their supply chain replenishment process. This is because space is not generally the responsibility of the Supply Chain Director. This is a typical silo-driven mentality and, in modern retailing, it exposes businesses to higher risks.


 

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Shoplifting and Illicit Drugs

August 8, 2017 by Leave a Comment

For many years now, police departments and local shop owners have worked together to prevent shoplifting in their communities.  The relationship between drugs, alcohol and shoplifting are problems that they know exist and they intend to face and find solutions for them.

The bureau of Justice Statistics research found that more than half of the women arrested for shoplifting tested positive for illicit drugs, compared to two-thirds of the men. 

Police departments want to help retailers fight the shoplifting problem by being proactive and acknowledging the fact that drug addiction and shoplifting go hand in hand.

For more about this and other stories, follow the links below.

Honey, I Shrunk The Store.

While the “retail apocalypse” narrative is nonsense, it’s clear that we are witnessing a major contraction in traditional retail space. Store closings have tripled year over year and more surely loom on the horizon. The “death of the mall” narrative also tilts to the hyperbolic, but in many ways it is the end of the mall as we know it, as dozens close and even larger number are getting re-invented in ways big and small.

While the shrinking of store fleets gets a lot of attention, another dynamic is becoming important. Increasingly, major retailers are down-sizing the average size of their prototypical store. In some cases, this is a solid growth strategy. Traditional format economics often don’t allow for situating new locations in areas with very high rents or other challenging real estate circumstances. Target’s urban strategy is one good example. In other situations, smaller formats allow for a more targeted offering, as with Sephora’s new studio concept.

Police in Mentor are trying to stop shoplifting before it happens

Mentor police say that, according to the statistics, their shoplifting surveillance program is working, and fewer drug abusers have been arrested shoplifting.

Three years ago, officers in the Mentor Police Department noticed a correlation between drug use and “theft rings.” The department received a grant from the state to start the Retail Crime Theft Deterrence program. Officers who participate in the program keep an eye on retail stores in the city of Mentor looking for suspicious behavior, and for known drug abusers who have a history of shoplifting or other crimes.

The program, now in its third year, points to statistics showing a decline of admitted drug users arrested for shoplifting.

In 2015, police said 62 percent of those arrested for shoplifting were admitted drug addicts. That number went up to 72 percent in 2016, but so far this year, 37 percent of those arrested for shoplifting admit having problems with drugs.

According to information from the Bureau of Justice Statistics, more than half of women arrested for theft, and nearly two thirds of men, test positive for illicit drugs when they are arrested.

Mentor police Officer Jim Collier said retailers appreciate the program

Serial shoplifter who bit supermarket worker walks free from court

​A SHOPLIFTER who bit a supermarket worker has avoided an immediate jail sentence.

Kerry Gallimore, of Chaucer Grove, Atherton, assaulted an Asda employee causing him actual bodily harm after being caught stealing food to the value of £78 in the town on January 13.

In other shoplifting offences committed in Atherton, the 28-year-old also stole plants to the value of £24 and £15 from Tesco on April 18 and May 25 respectively and £50 worth of make-up from Boots on June 15.

Gallimore was also convicted of dishonestly receiving a stolen 43-inch smart television valued at £600 in Atherton on May 3 and two counts of failing to turn up at Wigan and Leigh Magistrates’ Court after being released on police bail.

 

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Technology, Security, and Training in your Business

August 3, 2017 by Leave a Comment

The retail industry is facing many challenges.  During this age of technology, shoppers are more aware of sales, prices, and the different e-commerce shops they can access thru their smart phones, computers or other electronic devices.  It is no longer a visit to the mall or other retail stores to buy whatever item consumers need, they can order just about anything from the comfort of their homes.

Customer service has become too important then to take it lightly, a nice experience at your store can make the difference between a sale and a customer walking out.

The Rush to Deploy the Latest In-Store Technology is Compromising IT Security

Digital transformation is accelerating the pace of change within the store environment. Retailers are under pressure to move quickly to implement the latest in-store capabilities to help separate themselves from the competition and provide a reason for repeat trips to the store. These retailers are blurring the physical and digital worlds to drive deeper customer engagement, loyalty, and emotional connections with a brand.

In practice, this translates to an avalanche of new technology and data analytics tools sweeping into retail outlets large and small. Self-checkout kiosks and mobile point-of-sale devices promise to enhance convenience for customers. In-store Wi-Fi, dressing room tablets, RFID, and augmented reality capabilities aim to enhance engagement and customer service capabilities.

Connected devices that monitor heating and cooling, on-shelf inventory, and interactive digital signage are transforming operations and optimizing the way stores are managed. To the customer, these changes and technology implementations should appear seamless. But to the retailer, adopting these capabilities creates many challenges and represents a radically different way of doing business within the store environment.

Yes, even though Walmart is a dumpster you usually can’t beat their prices which is why people continue to go there. Even though they have dead bodies in their restroom and tons of fights, people still enjoy dealing with trash in order to get a good bargain. And you know what else? Sometimes a loss prevention officer will accuse you of stealing even if you haven’t stolen a thing. And that’s what happened to one Minnesota woman.

It all kicked off when 45-year-old Gina Lescarbeau began to shoot on Facebook Live when two loss prevention officers, Kenny Swanson-Peck and Thomas Ewalt at the Burnsville Walmart stopped her and accused her of stealing a Lion King Disney Junior toy.

‘”You know the lion isn’t on the receipt’ Swanson-Peck says on video.  “You could record me all you want…The lion isn’t on the receipt. I don’t see anything on there for 15 dollars.”

Interview and Interrogation Training: Assumptive Questions, Part I

WZ / IAI Interviewing Tip of the Week

This week’s International Association of Interviewers interview and interrogation training tip, provided by Wicklander-Zulawski, has Wayne Hoover, CFI looking at the Soft Accusation Assumptive Question during an interview.

Watch the video, then let us know what topics you’d like to hear more about in upcoming Tips of the Week: Take the survey.

“What was the most amount of…” is the structure of this interviewing question. When you ask a suspect this question, you can expect three different responses. They could deny, they could admit, or they could hesitate. After one of these three responses, the interviewer needs to have their three transitional statements ready to react to their response.

If a denial is coming, the interviewer is prepared to stop the denial from occurring. Should they admit the interviewer is ready with a transition to development using “Great, I am glad you are trying to be honest with me.”

 

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Can Your Shelving Prevent Shoplifting? Oh Yeah!!!

August 1, 2017 by Leave a Comment

Retail shelving along with store design has a huge impact on shoplifting losses. Typically a shoplifter likes and needs privacy even if only for a moment. So why not keep that in mind when designing or remodeling your store. Your shelving and isles can work for you by simply considering several factors.

Shelving height can be critical. It may be tempting to have shelves go all the way to the ceiling. However, this creates cover for shoplifters. They feel more secure when they cannot be seen. Shelving that allows your staff to see over and keep track of customers make a shoplifter uncomfortable.

Do not create dead sports. Shoplifters will pick up your merchandise and head for “dark areas” of your store. Areas when they can remove packaging, pricing… and have time to conceal it.

Speaking of lighting. Make sure that you align lighting with your isles. Not only will that encourage sales but again, adequate lighting will not allow shoplifters to get comfortable.

You should also put some thought into your end cap displays. Move small or high value merchandise to end caps that are easily seen by your staff. Likewise place merchandise that is larger and lesser value on end caps that face away from staff.

When designing your stores’ layout consider the foot traffic of staff, customers and shoplifters. We want retail staff and even back office personnel to routinely visit all areas of the store. It may be tempting to have a single direct path but that could leave a number of areas rarely visited by staff throughout the day. That is a gold mine for shoplifters. They watch staff traffic and will naturally migrate to areas less traveled.

Likewise you want your good customers to assist you with shoplifting prevention. They can do this in two ways. If your store is laid out in such a way that keeps legitimate customers spread out and in all areas of the store not just focused in one or two places, then they help you with removing privacy from the shoplifter.

Another technique to shut off shoplifters is to make your legitimate customers into your store security, without the customer even knowing it. You can use a PA system or even radios that can be heard by the public (not on a headset) for this.

To do this make a “ghost call”. If you suspect that shoplifters are in the store then on the PA system say “security to section 3…,” then watch what happens! Legitimate customers will not care, they are not in the mindset to steal. They are focused on what they are looking at. At most they may look up and around, then simply go back to what they were doing. Shoplifters on the other hand will react differently. By calling security to an “area” that is not marked or corresponds to anything such as isle number… the shoplifter does not know what is going on. And that legitimate customer that then happens to come into the isle or area they are in now becomes an undercover store detective regardless of age, gender…. You can even assign ghost calls to staff as a responsibility to be made randomly every hour or so.

All of this because of a little forethought on your part and shelving design help.

Bill Bregar is a 30+ year loss prevention expert. Bill was the Director of Loss Prevention for several major retailers and is now the President of Loss Prevention Systems, Inc. LPSI specializes in Checkpoint Systems anti-shoplifting equipment. He has personally apprehended many shoplifters and over 2300 employees stealing from their employers. Bill can be reached at: [email protected] or at 770-426-0547

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