Employee Theft

Do I Have To? – Loss Prevention Training

March 19, 2014 by Staff Editor

There is only one question that really matters. From the time we are young to the time we are adults, we only want to know one thing- Do we have to do something? This time the question is- do we have to have Loss Prevention Training?

I have always found that having an honest and candid answer is the best way to approach any question. In this case, the answer is NO. No you do not need to have loss prevention training in your stores or businesses.

Many business operate just fine without ever having attended a loss prevention workshop, or having any sort of loss prevention policies in place. If you are even asking the question though, be honest and ask yourself why you are wondering about loss prevention.

Chances are you are looking for ways to reduce some of the costs you are experiencing. It could be as complicated as having an increase in shoplifting or employee theft. It could also be as simple as wanting to be proactive in eliminating operational errors and decreasing accident frequencies.

What ever your reasons, the best resource you have is to attend a loss prevention seminar. The information you get from a seminar can start you and your employees on the road to increased store profitability.

For more information on Loss Prevention Seminars, Loss Prevention Training, or Loss Prevention Workshop contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 – Atlanta Georgia

Visit the Loss Prevention Systems website for more information on Retail Employee Theft and Retail Shoplifting problems and view the Retail Loss Prevention Seminars, Retail Loss Prevention Training and Retail Loss Prevention Workshop we offer to help with your Employee Theft and Shoplifting problems.

Many businesses operate just fine without ever having attended a loss prevention workshop, or having any sort of loss prevention policies in place. If you are even asking the question though, be honest and ask yourself why you are wondering about loss prevention.

For more information on Loss Prevention Seminars, Loss Prevention Training, or Loss Prevention Workshop contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 – Atlanta Georgia

Visit the Loss Prevention Systems for more information on Retail Employee Theft and Retail Shoplifting problems and view the Retail Loss Prevention Seminars, Retail Loss Prevention Training and Retail Loss Prevention Workshop we offer to help with your Employee Theft and Shoplifting problems.

Filed Under: Seminar Tagged With: Employee Theft, Loss Prevention Seminar, Loss Prevention Seminars, Loss Prevention Training, Loss Prevention Workshop, shoplifting

Loss Prevention Tips And Security

March 17, 2014 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

Employee theft is an increasing problem for the retail owner, or big retail stores in the United States and around the globe. The economic conditions of recent years have many employees struggling to support their families and make those conditions excellent excuses for stealing from their employees. Many of the programs that a retail store can implement are lacking, or non -existent. Loyalty programs that offer employees privileges are no longer used, and supervision and security for the work force is negligent. Billions of dollars are lost each year due to employee and shoplifting crime, are you doing the right security for your business? Read more about this by following the links.

7 Steps for the Strongest Retail Loss Prevention System

In the retail industry, theft leads to billions of dollars in lost revenue each year. If you own a shop, it is vital that you develop an integrated plan for loss prevention to avoid becoming a victim. To ensure your plan is effective, make sure it takes into account the seven expert suggestions detailed below.

1. Have Obvious Security

If you want to catch thieves, hiding all of your security measures might be the best strategy, but if you want to deter thieves, you need to make your store appear well defended. While cameras, mirrors and window bars will not stop all thieves, people are much less likely to steal from a store they perceive to be monitored. According to studies, cameras and dummy camera domes are particularly effective for this purpose.

2. Protect Against Internal Theft

Internal theft by employees represents the most significant single component of white-collar crime annually according to the Institute for Financial Crime Prevention. It costs companies billions of dollars each year, yet most store owners do little to prevent theft by their employees.
Minimize your chances of internal loss by investing in access control that is auditable, keeping cash locked in a safe, and only allowing necessary employees access to cash handling areas.

Mature retail loss prevention

The first instances of dedicated loss prevention, or ‘security’ programs being used by retailers dates backs to the early 20th century where there was largely a culture of secrecy aligned to them. This was primarily due to their core objective of ‘catching’ dishonest employees or customers.

For many retailers, limited change in terms of evolution or maturity within their Loss Prevention program has taken place since the start of 20th century. Many retailer’s Loss Prevention programs are still focused on the issues of theft, either by staff or customers, as their sole contribution to their organisation’s efforts to reduce the impact of shrinkage on their profit.

This arguably is in direct contrast to the wider retail industry which has evolved dramatically, particularly during the last 20 years. For example, core functional areas such as Human Resources, IT, Merchandising, Marketing and Supply Chain have all matured in their approaches thereby broadening their value propositions to retailing. More importantly, they have seen that they had to operate outside their traditional thinking and approaches to truly support Retailers. What that said, for a few fortunate Retailers, significant maturing has taken place in their Loss Prevention programs since the start of the 21st century and this maturing has resulted in significant improvements within their shrinkage.

Shoplifter lawsuit highlights retail dilemma

Sometimes it’s better to just let things go.

That could be the mantra for overprotective retail clerks and loss-prevention agents everywhere following a lawsuit in Santa Rosa civil court by a would-be shoplifter who was badly injured when he was tackled by a grocery store manager.

The clash happened July 13, 2011 when plaintiff Johnny Ramirez was stealing a bottle of rum from the Rohnert Park Raley’s, according to a tentative ruling from Sonoma County Superior Court Judge Arthur Wick.

Ramirez tucked the glass bottle into his waistband and ran out the door, only to be stopped by manager Shea Carpenter, who tackled him to the asphalt, Wick wrote.

The bottle broke when he hit the ground, causing injury that required emergency surgery. Ramirez later sued the grocery chain and the manager for monetary damages.

He argued Carpenter acted with negligence because he was aware of the fact that the bottle was in his waistband and could break if he tackled him. Under the law, negligent behavior warrants higher punitive damages.

This week, Judge Wick said there were no grounds for Ramirez to seek punitive damages from the store. But he said Carpenter could be held liable because he knew the consequences of his actions and failed to avoid them.

Filed Under: Shoplifting Prevention Tagged With: anti-thefts devices, Employee Theft, Loss Prevention Seminar, mobile POS loss prevention, retail security and monitoring, Shoplifting Prevention, surveillance

Shoplifting Prevention

March 12, 2014 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

According to the National Association for Shoplifting Prevention, getting caught while shoplifting is 1 in 48, and calling the authorities to turn the shoplifter into their hands is1 in 2. The costs associated with prosecuting the shoplifters have been one of the major reasons why retail and small business stores opt out about pressing charges, or taking any more measures against them. A “Don’t come back to our store” is not a deterrent to the shoplifter and the likelihood of his returning to your store again or another similar one is highly probable.

Read more about the most recent stories about shoplifting.

Special skirt allegedly aided family in multi-state shoplifting spree

Three family members were arrested in connection with a shop lifting and fencing spree that spanned nearly a decade, at least three states and valued $7.1 million dollars.

58-year-old Branko Bogdanov and his 52-year-old wife Lela and their 34-year-old daughter Julia of Northbrook have been charged with interstate transportation of stolen property, according U.S. Attorney’s Office.

According to a statement, the Bogdanovs’ “shopping odyssey” began on February 17 in Oklahoma, continued in to Texas and ended in Louisiana on February 20^th. They were arrested Tuesday in the Northbrook home.

According to the complaint filed, the family targeted Barnes and Noble and Toys R Us stealing items that included American Girl dolls, Furbies and Legos. The complaint states that Lela wore a long skirt “that appeared larger and fuller when she exited” the stores than when she entered. The skirt was seized as part of the investigation and continued a lining “capable of containing multiple rectangular objects.”

The family worked with another person who acted as their “fence” and sold the items on eBay, the statement said. Over the last decade, their merchandise had a “retail value of $7.1 million and sold for a combined total of $4.2 million,” according to the statement.

Employee accused of stealing more than $70,000 from DeKalb business

A 46-year-old Naperville man is accused of embezzling more than $70,000 from his DeKalb employer over more than two years, court records show.

Joseph Lendino, of the first block of Alma Lane, was charged Monday with theft and forgery. DeKalb police say he stole more than $70,000 using employees’ names without their authorization on checks from Hearing Help Express, 105 N. First St., DeKalb, from April 2011 to July 2013.

A 46-year-old Naperville man is accused of embezzling more than $70,000 from his DeKalb employer over more than two years, court records show.

Officers do diaper duty on shoplifting call

WATCH THE VIDEO BY FOLLOWING THE LINK

Filed Under: Shoplifting Prevention Tagged With: anti-thefts devices, Employee Theft, Loss Prevention Seminar, Loss Prevention Training, retail security and monitoring, security devices, Shoplifting Prevention

It’s All In The Approach- Loss Prevention Seminars

March 11, 2014 by Staff Editor

Let’s face it; your employees are probably going to be more aware of employee theft before you are. If you are not approachable, your current employees may not feel comfortable coming to you with information about a theft situation.

You don’t have to be jaded from past experiences to not be viewed as approachable. Sometimes, employees who are privy to employee theft happening in the store simply do not know what to do with the information. By providing a new outlet for communication, you have a better chance of eliminating or responding quickly to these instances of theft.

It might be time to participate in some loss prevention training. They will help you come to terms with your past theft issues. They will also be able to help broach the subject with your current employees. Loss prevention seminars are designed to open up the lines of communication.

Loss prevention seminars give you ideas of how to start talking to your employees about employee theft. Just because you have seen employees steal during your career, doesn’t mean your other employees have to. Many are in disbelief that theft actually happens, much less believing that it can happen in their store by people they know.

Once these employees know that can happen even in their store, they will now know what to do with that information.

For more information on Loss Prevention Seminars, Loss Prevention Training, or Loss Prevention Workshop contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 – Atlanta Georgia

Once these employees know that can happen even in their store, they will now know what to do with that information.

For more information on Loss Prevention Seminars, Loss Prevention Training, or Loss Prevention Workshop contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 – Atlanta Georgia

Filed Under: Seminar Tagged With: Employee Theft, Loss Prevention Seminar, Loss Prevention Seminars, Loss Prevention Training, Loss Prevention Workshop, shoplifting

Shoplifting Prevention

March 7, 2014 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

There are countless of on line sites that tell you what to do in a shoplifting situation. Do you know how to spot a shoplifter? Do you want to know how they behave at the store? They can give you a list of the so called facial expressions, activities, and so on about them when they are in your store. They can tell you the steps to take when you are confronting a shoplifter, the guides and law about detaining a shoplifter. When you are dealing with an amateur shoplifter, the protocol is different than with dealing with a professional group of shoplifters. A shoplifting prevention seminar could be a preventive solution for your business to take into consideration, it is not only advisable, but financially responsible. Read more shoplifting by following the links below.

Family Accused of Selling $4.2M Worth of Shoplifted Goods

Three members of a suburban Chicago family are accused of stealing $7 million in merchandise during a decade-long “shopping odyssey” and later selling the items on eBay.

Branko Bogdanov, 58; his wife Lela Bogdanov, 52; and their daughter Julia Bogdanov, 34, were arrested by Secret Service agents Tuesday afternoon at a home on Weller Lane in suburban Northbrook, according to a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court.

The trio is accused in a recent string of thefts that began on Feb. 17 in Oklahoma, continued two days later at malls in Texas and wound through Louisiana Feb. 20. But officials allege the three are connected to similar instances that have occurred over the last 10 years, and have sold stolen property on eBay for a combined total of $4.2 million.

According to the complaint, loss prevention executives at Barnes and Noble, Inc. and Toys R Us, Inc. recently told Secret Service agents that their stores were experiencing a huge loss in merchandise, including American Girl dolls, Furby robotic toys, Lego blocks, baby monitors and baby carriers.

Teen Shoplifting: Minor Thrills, Major Punishment

Teenagers are fearless – they are more likely than any age group to drink and drive, try drugs, make radical changes to their style, or commit to something as permanent as a tattoo in a heartbeat. In their quest for adventure and adrenaline, they seem to stop at nothing. But recent studies indicate they are in no way less capable than adults to make rational decisions and acknowledge danger. So why are they behaving in such a reckless and irrational way?

A growing body of research suggests that teens are more sensitive to rewarding feedback than grownups, and that their brains can actually feel more pleasure from social acceptance than adult brains. As a result of peer pressure, teens may appear more confident in social interactions or feel motivated to study harder. At the same time, their peers can influence them to commit violent and even criminal acts, among which the most pressing is shoplifting.

When someone is caught stealing from a retailer, the National Association for Shoplifting Prevention (NASP) is called in to handle court-mandated educational programs for the guilty party. Since the beginning of the housing market crash and the recession, the need for NASP programs has increased by 37%. In response to social anxiety and peer pressure, teens are swiping items from stores at alarming rates, and they’re not looking back.

Virginia’s Quik-E Foods Cuts Losses with March Networks Retail Video Surveillance Solution

March Networks^®, a global provider of intelligent IP video solutions, today announced that customer Quik-E Foods of Lynchburg, Virginia is upgrading to its next-generation retail solution for enhanced security and loss prevention. The March Networks solution integrates high-quality video, audio and transaction data to combat point-of-sale (POS) fraud and other threats to the business. The powerful solution has already helped Quik-E Foods improve operations and resolve serious incidents across its chain of 12 convenience stores and five automated car washes.

“We caught a cashier who was pausing transactions and then pocketing the money once customers left the store. The scam was adding up to more than $6,000 in losses,” explained Quik-E Foods Vice President Todd Burgess. “With the deep POS integration and search tools in our March Networks solution, those transactions showed up as voids, and we also had the video evidence to verify what was happening. There wasn’t a need to search for hours and hours. It was instant.”

Filed Under: Shoplifting Prevention Tagged With: Employee Theft, Loss Prevention Seminar, Loss Prevention Training, retail security and monitoring, Shoplifting Prevention

March 4, 2014 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

The annual amount stolen from businesses by their employees is astounding. According to some reports the average amount of stolen goods by employees is around $175,000 and more than half of those crimes are committed by males. Small businesses are the hardest hit by these crimes, as profits trickled and they are left looking at losses they cannot afford to have.

Employee theft rarely reported by small business owners, poll suggests

More than half of small business owners in the country have experienced theft performed by one of their own workers. However, whether out of compassion for the wrongdoer or feeling the misconduct not being serious enough to alert the proper authorities, few wind up reporting the crime, according to a newly released survey.

Jay Kennedy, a recent MBA graduate from the University of Cincinnati’s Carl H. Linder College of Business, queried approximately 315 small business owners in Ohio’s third-largest city, asking entrepreneurs if they’d ever had someone working for them that stole money. Nearly 66% of respondents said that they had. However, when asked if they reported the crime, only 16% said that this was something they did to settle the matter.

“It’s important to look at this topic because such theft represents a loss to the tax base and would also seem to put such businesses at risk, and so, put our overall economy at risk,” said Kennedy. “After all, small businesses with 100 or fewer employees comprise 97% of all businesses in the United States.”

Approximately one-third of all bankruptcies that occur among small businesses stem from employee theft, according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the report noted.

Understanding Why Employees Steal … And How to Stop It

Employee theft is a particularly big problem for small businesses.

Many small businesses have a serious problem on their hands: employees with sticky fingers.

A recent study by University of Cincinnati doctoral student Jay Kennedy revealed that 64 percent of small businesses have lost items to employee theft. Overall, the stolen goods ranged from cash to products sold by the business to tools and equipment.

Business News Daily recently reported on Kennedy’s findings, which highlighted that most employee thefts go unreported to police. Here, we follow up with Kennedy in an email interview to learn more about employee theft and why small businesses are susceptible to it.

Why do you think employee theft is so prevalent in small businesses?

I think it is a matter of opportunity. Small businesses have fewer employees, and these employees may have a wide range of responsibilities within the business. With this responsibility comes knowledge of oversight mechanisms in place at the business, as well as knowledge of suitable targets for theft. An employee who becomes motivated to engage in theft has access, knowledge of guardianship mechanisms and knowledge of the target that allow them to be more successful in their crimes than non-employee offenders would be.

Employee Theft: Why Most Small Businesses Don’t Report It

Most small business owners don’t get the police involved when they catch an employee stealing from them, new research finds.

While 64 percent of small businesses have experienced employee theft, only 16 percent of those reported the incident to police, the study found.

“It’s important to look at this topic because such theft represents a loss to the tax base and would also seem to put such businesses at risk, and so, put our overall economy at risk,” said study author Jay Kennedy, a University of Cincinnati criminal justice doctoral student.

Kennedy found four main reasons why employers are hesitant to get the authorities involved.

No real victims: The business owner does not see the victimization as serious enough to warrant his or her time and trouble beyond firing the employee.
Attorney advises against it: The business owner seeks counsel from a third party, usually his or her attorney, who often advises that the employer’s costs in time and effort for a successful prosecution outweigh any likely benefits to the employer. For instance, one company went through all the time and steps for a successful prosecution of an employee who stole $200,000. “The employee was convicted, put on probation and ordered to make restitution at the rate of $50 per month,” Kennedy said. “In essence, the small business will never recoup the stolen funds.”

Filed Under: Shoplifting Prevention Tagged With: anti-thefts devices, Employee Theft, Loss Prevention Seminar, Loss Prevention Training, Loss Prevention Workshop, security devices

The Two-Headed Monster: Employee Theft and Shoplifting

March 4, 2014 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

The big news is that in 2013 the rate of retail shrinkage continued to grow because of the continuing economic crisis.

Employee theft and shoplifting still take the largest bites out of a retailer’s profits out of all categories of shrink, combining for 66 percent of the total.

Comparing the two, employee theft and shoplifting, most people would expect shoplifting to lead the way. Statistics from the Global Retail Theft Barometer for the United States, shoplifting does win the theft race at 34 percent of the total to 32 percent for employee theft.

In frequency of instances, there are far more shoplifters than employee thieves, but the average amount stolen by employees is estimated to be 6 to 10 times the average amount taken by shoplifters.

The crime of employee theft should be easier than shoplifting for the retailer to control: After all, the employee is a known quantity (why would any business owner hire a thief?) and his/her actions are apt to be examined at any time by management or storeowners. Yet, employee theft continues.

If there are any recurrent themes in employee theft cases, they are these: The employee began stealing on a small scale and increased both frequency and amounts as he/she became bolder; and the employee is generally in a position some of degree of trust and is not audited or checked up on regularly.

No retailer should assume that he knows his employees well enough to say, “Sally Salesclerk will never steal from me. She’s my most trusted employee.” A statement like that will only lead to disappointment. The Retailers who make these types of statements are naïve to the retail environment. There is always a threat of both employee theft and shoplifting. What separates good leaders from bad, is awareness and action.

If you are not aware of how and why employees steal you will never see it unless it hits you in the face. The very nature of employee theft is behind the scenes. So unless you know what to look for such as specific employee behavior, actions and attitudes, you will have lost a lot of money and merchandise and it will be too late. We can provide you with training that is both easy and affordable. Arm yourself with these techniques and you will win the employee theft battle.

When it comes to Shoplifters the best attack is to make their life difficult enough that they go down the street to someone else who is not prepared. This is not that difficult to achieve. Shoplifters by their very nature require anonymity and brief privacy to do their “job”. Customer service will take care of much of this. However, as retailers we cannot provide enough customer coverage as we would like because of payroll limitations. And we cannot be everywhere at one time. Camera systems are passive and are not a threat to the shoplifter and they know it. That is where a Checkpoint System comes in. A Checkpoint System is working 24/7, no holidays, sick time, breaks…

Regardless of the shrink figures, no retailer should relax his standards. Continue to educate staff members on shoplifting prevention, install a Checkpoint System and have training and controls in place to eliminate the possibility of employee theft. Then react quickly when it is suspected. We can teach you how!

Take steps now to avoid having profits eaten by the Two-Headed Profit Monsters, employee theft and shoplifting, and reduce your shrinkage losses. Call us today at 1-770-426-0547 or email us at [email protected] and fix the problem once and for all.

Filed Under: Featured Tagged With: anti-thefts devices, Employee Theft, Loss Prevention Seminar, Loss Prevention Training, Loss Prevention Workshop, retail security and monitoring, Shoplifting Prevention

Shoplifting Programs And Info.

February 27, 2014 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

For any retail store, shoplifting is a crime they have to protect themselves from and find solutions to prevent possible incidents from happening in their stores. Shoplifting has been rising in some cities and the laws that some communities want change concerning shoplifting prevention are not there yet. What are some precautions that as a retail store owner or manager you need to know to prevent shoplifting incidents? Please follow the links below to find more about this topic.

Shoplifting spike prompts new program

Crime is falling in most categories in Carthage, but one category is spiking, and that’s got Carthage law officers’ attention.

A big increase in the number of shoplifting cases in Carthage over the past two years prompted the Carthage Police Department to get creative and use some new tools to catch the thieves and alert business owners to who might be coming into their businesses with sticky fingers.

Carthage Police Chief Greg Dagnan said the numbers told the story.

The department investigated 44 cases of shoplifting in 2011, 99 in 2012 and 148 in 2013.

“It’s a huge climb and of course while I can’t list everywhere where shoplifting occurs, the most, if you look statistically, it’s the bigger retailers,” Dagnan said. “The Walmart, the Dollar General, the Price Cutter, the bigger retail places in town are typically where these are occurring.”

6 Simple, Low-Tech Ways to Reduce Shoplifting

It’s our instinct to turn to technology first, when solving a problem. However, when it comes to preventing theft in your store, low-tech solutions can be very effective. These low-cost and often free ideas can sometimes even require less employee training and resources.

Here are 6 low-tech ways to prevent theft in your store:

1. Put out the welcome mat. Shoplifters want to be anonymous and make as little contact with store employees as possible. One of the most effective ways to deter shoplifters is to greet every customer that walks into the store. “Don’t just shout “Good morning” over your shoulder, but make eye contact and greet customers like you are happy to see them,” says Chris McGoey, security expert and founder of Crime Doctor, a security firm. “Not only is it good customer service, a simple greeting can make potential shoplifters change their mind about stealing from your store because they know you can identify them.”

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.

A newspaper can be used to hide small objects.

Umbrellas with handles are handy for shoplifters trying to steal small items. A common tactic is to keep a closed (but not snapped) umbrella hanging on one’s elbow or leaning against a counter, and then to drop items into it.

Filed Under: Shoplifting Prevention Tagged With: Employee Theft, Loss Prevention Seminar, retail security and monitoring, shoplifting, Shoplifting Prevention, surveillance

Keep Your Resolution- Loss Prevention Seminars

February 26, 2014 by Staff Editor

One of the reasons why New Year’s resolutions commonly fail within the first three weeks is because these goals are so vague that it is nearly impossible to quantify or track any potential progress that has been made. This makes them simply unattainable because there is no way to track your progress. When you make a goal to attend Loss Prevention Seminars, you are setting a quantifiable goal.

By determining the who, what, when, where and why, you are no providing specific data that can be validated – a way to measure you and your goal’s success. Which class will you take? When and where is it being held? Who in your business will attend? What should you expect to see as a result?

Now you have a specific date with specific attendees in mind. You are now able to achieve your goal because you kept it simple, measurable and therefore attainable. You can also measure your success by measuring the impact that the Loss Prevention Workshop has on your business and your store.

You can compare year-to-year shrink results to see if there is a decrease. You can also take the knowledge that was gained from the Loss Prevention Training and implement a set number of those ideas. If you incorporate those ideas and tactics, your overall losses should diminish.

For more information on Loss Prevention Seminars, Loss Prevention Training, or Loss Prevention Workshop contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 – Atlanta Georgia

By determining the who, what, when, where and why, you are not providing specific data that can be validated – a way to measure you and your goal’s success. Which class will you take? When and where is it being held? Who in your business will attend? What should you expect to see as a result?

For more information on Loss Prevention Seminars, Loss Prevention Training, or Loss Prevention Workshop contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 – Atlanta Georgia

Filed Under: Seminar Tagged With: Employee Theft, Loss Prevention Seminar, Loss Prevention Seminars, Loss Prevention Training, Loss Prevention Workshop, shoplifting

Why Do Kids Shoplift From Retail Stores? (And how to cut down on loss)

February 25, 2014 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

Adolescence is a time of emotional growth and development. During this stage, a young person’s life is largely dominated by peerage and the pressures of social activities. Some teens give in to peer pressure out of a sense of wanting to belong to a group. Better judgment and common sense are placed behind, especially when a teen decides to shoplift.
Malls are one of the most popular spots for teen hang outs. Most of these places sell clothes and merchandise that is fashionable. These items from teen perspective promote the thoughts of financial status and popularity. So this is one huge factor as to why kids shoplift from retail stores.

While some kids may have jobs after school, there are others who may not. Even though kids who work are not exempt from shoplifting, the ones who have no money at all and hang around malls are most-likely to shoplift from retail stores. Some might even try to solicit a friend who works at a retail store for help in trying to shoplift an item.

Some kids maybe casual or amateur shoplifters. There are many who fall into this category versus professional shoplifters who steal stylish clothing or jewelry. These pros may seek to sell the hot item(s) over the internet for money.

Concerned retailers who lose a lot of money from kids shoplifting can do the following things to deter theft. Create policies that limit the number of kids in the store at one time and/or staff appropriately at times large numbers of kids come in, such as after school. Having and extra person out engaging with the visitors can be a big deterrent.

Retailers can also try to address kids shoplifting by having more closed-circuit cameras installed or even hiring more security to discourage teen thefts. While cameras may not deter the professional shoplifter, it may make the teens think twice. If teens like hanging around retail stores, encourage security to tell them not to solicit the premises. Sometimes when teens enter the premises, they might carry book bags. Retailers might have all book bags checked at the check-out desk in order to avoid having small items stolen.

These are just some of the ways a retailer can reduce the casual theft by youngsters who may be tempted.

Filed Under: Shoplifting Prevention Tagged With: Employee Theft, Loss Prevention Seminar, mobile POS loss prevention, Shoplifting Prevention, surveillance