Shoplifting During The Holidays

November 8, 2016 by Leave a Comment

womensAs a retailer, your holiday season has started.  During this time of year, retailers big and small profit from a big and busy holiday season.  With the honest shopper, this is a season that retailers look forward to.  It means more sales for the retailer, and hopefully more profits as well. For every retailer, preparing and training their loss prevention personnel during this holiday season is also paramount, it can mean thousands of dollars lost to shoplifting if personnel are not properly in place, or trained. Knowing what items are most likely to be stolen can help your loss prevention team take preventive measures to ensure they are not easily snatched.

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

10 Things Shoplifters Love to Steal During the Holidays

It’s a $6 billion problem for retailers.

Retailers like to call the holiday season the Super Bowl of shopping. Shoplifters feel the same way.

According to a recent forecast by Checkpoint Systems, shoplifting as a percentage of sales spikes during the holiday season as thieves (including many retail employees) gravitate to pricier items as more shoppers come into stores.

The holiday season, which kicked off last week, generates 34% of annual sales for retailers, but 37% of their annual “shrinkage,” which is inventory loss for whatever reason—from supply chain inefficiency to employee theft to shoplifting. The latter two account for the bulk of shrinkage.

Shoplifting is $6 billion problem for retailers during the holidays.

According to Ernie Deyle, author of the Checkpoint Systems report, shoplifters are more apt to rationalize their theft during the holiday season. “It’s much easier to do so when a child’s Christmas present is at stake rather than an extra bathing suit for the summer,” he wrote.

It was likely back in the teenage years and little more than a pen or something of similar value, but many people have shoplifted at least once in their life. It’s one of those crimes that, while far from victimless, is undertaken by a large swath of society because it’s seen as no big deal (which, of course it is for the shopkeeper) and can be done swiftly and spontaneously.

It’s also undertaken for various reasons, perhaps a mini act of rebellion against consumerism; or a product of self-assessed entitlement; sometimes it’s just for thrill-seeking; and for some it’s thought of as a desperate act of necessity. It’s also the subject of a new show from British artist Lucy Sparrow, a.k.a., the Queen of Felt,at London’s Lawrence Alkin Gallery. Known as Shoplifting, the show features some of the most frequently shop-stolen items in the UK, including luxury products like Chanel No. 5 perfume, Creme de la Mer moisturizer, a Chanel handbag, and a Fabergé egg—all of them crafted in felt and displayed behind glass cabinets, to entice but prevent would-be thieves.

How stores plan to fight organized retail crime during the holidays

With Halloween over, retailers are in full-fledged holiday season mode. Which means they’re gearing up for Black Friday, holiday staff schedules, stampedes of customers… and theft. That’s right — the holiday season might bring stores a nice sales bump, but it also brings an increase in shoplifting. And retailers are stepping up efforts to crack down on the crime.

We’re not just talking about customers stealing a pack gum in the checkout line. Loss prevention specialists have their eyes on a much bigger target.

Organized retail crime (ORC) is a strategic and highly sophisticated brand of shoplifting where a network of professional thieves work together to rip off retailers. According to a survey from the National Retail Federation (NRF), organized retail crime is on the rise, with 100% of retailers saying they have been a victim in the past 12 months. Furthermore, 83% said ORC activity had increased in the past year.

 

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How The Changes To Shoplifting Laws Affect You

November 3, 2016 by Leave a Comment

We have begun to see a breakdown in the protection we used to be able to depend on. Recent decisions in California and other areas are basically decriminalizing shoplifting.

These changes in the law by out of touch Legislatures are having a devastating impact on retailer’s and society as a whole. Law makers are not addressing the real problems, only the results. People are able to get away with crime and this will have a further reaching impact on future generations and our society as a whole. pic-1

But today it is causing shoplifting in those geographical areas to rise substantially, impacting the retailer’s bottom line and the consumer’s pocket book.

What are we to do? We can no longer depend on the criminal laws to protect us. The politicians have lost their nerve, their minds and the understanding on why they were elected. But the real problem is that the brave and highly skilled Law Enforcement Officers that are there to protect us all, are barely able to contain violent crime let alone shoplifting.  Budget cuts, Democrats, Republicans…… are all to blame.

But you have solutions.  The first is as professionals, we know that we can only depend on ourselves.  So let’s solve this like any other business problem we face on a daily basis. The real solution has three elements.  The good news is that you do have control of all three.

1. How vulnerable have you made yourself?  

pic-2Step back and take a hard look.  Or better yet ask someone you trust to do that. A friend, another business owner…… they really do not need to have any special skills. You should look at your store from the prospective of the shoplifter. If you were going to steal, how would you do it? Do you have dark areas, high shelving, hidden spots that would make the thief comfortable? Is your store unkempt, dirty and not stocked in an organized way? Shoplifters are attracted to these environments. If you are presenting that look, then the shoplifter probably knows you are not able to keep up or simply do not care. This will also breed more shoplifting as word gets around that YOUR STORE is an easy mark.

2. Equipmentpic-3

I am not going to hit this one hard. You know that we sell and install the finest Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS) equipment made worldwide. Checkpoint Systems must be part of your strategy. That is why you see it in almost every major retailer. 

3. Your Staff

pic-4Are they asleep at the switch? Do they care? Have you trained them how you want the shoplifting deterrence program in your store to work and what their roll in it is? This is not something you can put off. It’s like saving money in an account. You got to start. If you are one of Loss Prevention Systems Customers already, then you know this. That is why we conduct live, personalized shoplifting prevention and loss prevention training for our customers. We do this as reasonably often as you need it, free of charge.

These three elements put and keep YOU in control. But you have to start now before it gets worse. And if the trend continues, it will.

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TRAIN THE TEMPS

November 3, 2016 by Leave a Comment

employeesAs I sit here on this Halloween night, thinking about how great it was when I was a kid to pillage the neighborhoods for candy and treats, I can’t help but also think about the next 60 days. The real fright comes now for all of us in the retail game. We’ve got so little time to do so very much. We all have new receipts pouring in, plan-o-grams that need setting, bulk stacks that need stacking and bins that need filling; all with the mad hopes of grabbing every possible dollar from now until December 24. A big part of that plan, for most, is hiring temporary help to get us through. Have you ever thought about how these temporary workers can impact your LP goals? With a little training and guidance, they can be one of your greatest holiday assets.

So, what LP practices should you train your temporary workers on? For starters, keep things simple. If you try and overload them with knowledge, you’ll get nowhere fast. I usually run with 5 big topics and expand upon them as needed.

  1. Customer service!

This should be priority number one! Honestly, this should be the priority for all training, regardless of status… Customer service is the absolute, hands down, no way around it, best possible way for you to discourage shoplifting. A thief loves to operate in the shadows. If a pesky employee is always there to lend a hand, well you’ll probably be putting a wrinkle in their plans. Make sure your temp hires understand that the service levels in your store should always surpass any other retailer. A customer should never be ignored, but enthusiastically greeted and assisted as if they were family. You’ll make more money from bigger baskets and the thieves will just hate you for it.

  1. Hot Spots

You know your building better than anyone, so you should know what the thieves love. Is it that rack of personal electronics on the rear aisle? Perhaps those new high end jackets you’ve got this year? Maybe even this month’s new footwear craze. Whatever it is, you undoubtedly know what it is. Well, Mr. Manager, make sure your temps know that information too! Explain what the hottest theft items are and have them be on the lookout for any suspicious activity near those items. Maybe they should call you if they see someone putting all 30 hover boards in a basket… just a thought.

  1. Look for suspicious activity

Easy for you and I; not so much for a high school/college kid’s first temp job in a retail store. Explain what this means to your temp crew. You know what your shopper looks like and how they shop. Train your temps to look for those tell-tale signs of potential funny business. You know, wearing the heavy coat, but it’s 85 and sunny outside (Maybe only in Louisiana’s winters…), clearing pegs, and all those other little bits of information that could help identify a thief.

  1. What to do?!

Well, your temps are paying attention to those hot items, happen to see a customer conceal an item, or they just have suspicions, what do they do now? GO TACKLE THEM! Or not… depending on your insurance, I guess. No, that’s a terrible idea, what they really should do is know how to react to such behavior should they observe it. This falls back to the very first training point above; go give em’ some good ole’ fashioned customer service. Don’t try to “watch” them, be overt with their presence. Your legit customers will love it, and if that person really did have fraudulent intentions, your temp just saved you some shrink dollars. Now, I would throw into this that if they do observe a crime, they need to know to report this to you immediately, preferably while the suspect is still in the store for you (or another manager) to handle.

  1. Safety

Did you really think we were going to talk about LP training and leave out our old friend safety? I never understand seeing debris or trash on the floor in a retail store. All those people working and no one can pick that shirt hangar off the floor? Does it really take an old lady to trip on it before we throw in to the trash? In my experience, GL/Worker’s Comp claims shoot through the roof this time of year. Make sure your temp crew understands your view/mantra/creed/constitution/mandate/stone tablet of what you expect in regard to safety. It’s not OK to climb on a gondola/shelf. It’s not OK to take a joy ride on the lips of the forklift. General frowned upon to ride a pallet-jack like a skateboard and also probably bad for business to leave water spills on the floor until someone decides to mop them up with the back of their shirts. Train them to be focused on unsafe actions/conditions and you may see a reduction in claims this season.

Not much work usually goes into training temporary workers, especially in a retail store. Normally, by the time you start to remember everyone’s name, it’s time to cut them all loose. Do yourself a favor and resist the urge to push people out to the sales floor with an index card’s worth of training. By putting just a little emphasis on LP practices in your temp training, I’ll guarantee that you’ll get a return on that small investment of time.

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IS YOUR BACK DOOR PROTECTED?

November 3, 2016 by Leave a Comment

store-doorEver given any thought to your receiving area and your back door? How often do you open it and walk away? Do you require a manager be present when it’s open, or do you “trust” your warehouse crew with a key? Have you ever considered that an unattended back door could not only cause shrink, but also compromise the safety of your customer and employees? If you answered yes to any of those questions, you may have a problem.

Last year around Thanksgiving, I was scheduled to receive a pallet of television sets for Black Friday.  Three days before the big day and they were nowhere to be found, only my inventory system said they were received on a truck that had already been processed. That pallet was worth $7,500 so I started to panic; checking the few outside containers I had, both warehouses, the sales floor, anywhere I could think of. When I couldn’t locate them, I went to the camera system on the day that I should have received them. Sure as I’m sitting here, I saw my employee roll a pallet of TVs off the truck after watching for a little while. I saw the employee place the pallet where it should have gone, but then a few hours later, I saw another employee wheel them out the back door.

I knew instantly that they had been stolen. There’s no reason for them to go outside, and there was no reason for that particular employee to be in the warehouse. You know what else I saw? That my back door was wide open, and there wasn’t a manager anywhere to be found. Long story short, the employee confessed to stealing/reselling them. When asked how he’d known that he could get away with the crime, he stated that he always saw the back door open. Without a manager present, it became common knowledge amongst a certain group of employees that you could just walk whatever you wanted right out the back door.

Outside of basic employee theft, an unattended back door could also be an invitation to a robbery. Think about this for a minute; you’re a desperate criminal and you’ve decided that you plan to rob Store X. You’ve cased the place for a week now and learned that the safe is in the rear office, in close proximity to the warehouse. You’ve also noticed that the back door is constantly left wide-open with no one (witnesses) around. So would you:  a) walk through the front door and announce a robbery for all the customers, employees cameras to see, or b) park in the rear of the store, enter through the open warehouse door and possibly catch the manager alone in the cash room? I’m no criminal, but I’d probably go with the second option.

Perhaps that is the worst-case scenario. Perhaps instead of robbing you of cash, a thief just sees an easy way to slip out of the store with large quantities of merchandise undetected? If your back door in constantly open with no one around, your regular thieves will absolutely take notice, and take advantage of it. So the next time you see your back door open, be the voice of change and help secure your store, your product and guarantee the safety of people in it. 

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What’s Craving Got to Do with Shoplifting?

October 14, 2016 by Leave a Comment

shoppingA good loss prevention plan starts with focusing on the basics.  One of the basics is to monitor high risk merchandise.  For a variety of reasons some items are stolen more often than others.  It makes sense that they should be given extra attention and protection.

But, simple as the idea sounds, the problem is in details.  Retailers can have difficulty identifying high risk goods and the reasons why they’re being stolen.  Ronald Clarke – a criminologist with Rutgers University – developed the acronym CRAVED to help them identify what kinds of goods are vulnerable to theft and why.

Concealable.  Items that are easily hidden (pockets, bags, purses, coats) are susceptible to theft, especially if they’re difficult to identify after concealment.  Once it’s in a purse, you’d better be very sure you can prove the customer didn’t come in with that lip gloss.  This is why cigarettes and baby formula are sold as they are now.  They used to be out in the open, easy to remove and conceal.

Removable.  For most shoplifters the item must be easy to remove and portable.  There’s a reason laptops are stolen more often than PCs.  It’s easier to take a T-shirt from the front of the store, rather than the back where the sales people always stand and talk.

Available.  These are goods that are easy to find and commonly available.  Christmas ornaments are stolen during the holidays more than any other time, including in stores that carry them year round.

Valuable.  The value of the product can be monetary or status driven.  Real diamond bracelets are kept in locked display cases, while the glass ones are on top.  That is until they are trendy, become a target for theft, and have to be moved behind the counter until the trend stops.

Enjoyable.  Many of the standard, frequently stolen products (i.e. tobacco, liquor, electronics, jewelry, make-up) are linked to personal satisfaction.  They’re usually the ones which are enjoyable to own or consume.  Or used for something that’s considered enjoyable to consume, such as ingredients used to manufacture methamphetamine. 

Disposable.  Getting rid of merchandise, without being caught, used to be a big problem for thieves.  Now with the ease of selling via the Internet professional shoplifters are targeting products which weren’t easy to get rid of in the past – no more selling out of a car trunk.   

Easily disposable isn’t just important for expensive items, disposable razors and batteries are some of the most frequently stolen products.  They can be quickly and easily sold or bartered to neighbors, friends and family.

Some goods will always be a target for theft, while others are just a passing consumer fancy.  Either way it makes employees’ and managers’ jobs easier if they know what to look for and why it’s happening.  People are more willing to commit to and follow loss prevention policies if they understand why they’re needed and what they hope to accomplish.

Nicole Abbott is a professional writer who’s had over 200 articles published.  She’s a business consultant and former psycho-therapist with over 20 years of experience in mental health, business and addiction.  She’s a coach, lecturer, trainer and facilitator.  She has conducted over 200 workshops, trainings, presentations, seminars and college classes. 

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It’s Getting Darker Earlier, What LP Things Should I Be Doing?

October 11, 2016 by Leave a Comment

outsidemall As a Loss Prevention Manager I always had three things I felt were my top priorities.  The safety of our store employees, the safety of our customers and the protection of store property.  Property in my mind always included the building (interior and exterior), equipment and merchandise. Planning and follow-up are the keys to keeping a store safe and secure.  I would mention that while I broke down my focus to three top priorities, my action plans always intersected. In other words, a plan for protecting a building from vandalism with adequate, working perimeter lights also made it safer for customers who walked to a housing area behind our store. With this in mind, it is important to create action plans that are relevant, sometimes adjusting for seasons such as holidays or being prepared for weather events such as hurricanes.  One change that is easily overlooked is the shortened daylight hours in the fall and winter.  With darkness descending upon us earlier there are steps Loss Prevention can take to keep stores safe.

Safety precautions to take as days get shorter:

  • Inspect parking lot lights.  If lights are burned out place a work order to have them repaired/replaced.  Dark parking lots make customers uncomfortable and they may choose not to shop in your store.
  • Inspect building exterior lighting.  These are the lights that are on the walls of the building and at the corners.  Criminals tend to prey on victims in areas with poor or no lighting.
  • Inspect the back of the store and loading dock areas.  Often this is the place where cardboard bales are kept, empty pallets are stacked and some stores maintain dumpsters.  If storage has to be kept here keep the area as neat and clean as possible.  Unkempt areas are attractive to drug and other illicit activities.
  • If your store has a storage trailer(s) located at the rear of the building, establish a time when employees are not allowed to leave the building to pull merchandise or store merchandise in the trailer.  This should be no later than dusk and that may be a flexible time as the days get shorter. 
  • Encourage employees who are leaving in the dusk to dark hours to leave with a partner.  It may be that they ask for a Loss Prevention partner to escort them to their vehicle if no one else is leaving at that time.  Always remember that a buddy system is the best method to prevent robberies of employees.
  •   Increase parking lot foot patrols.  Being visible makes customers feel safer and acts as a deterrent to those who may lurk in the parking lot waiting for an opportunity to grab a purse or commit a robbery.
  • Consider hiring a uniformed security officer or an employee to be present at the front door.  They can respond to EAS alarms and conduct receipt checks, but they can also offer escorts to customers leaving the building. They may also step outside the doors to do a visual inspection of the parking lot.  One store I worked at had a person who was hired to do just this and they were called a “Guest Ambassador”.  This person should not be used as a back-up cashier because the tendency is to keep them on a register and they lose their effectiveness at the front doors.
  • Employees will go on breaks and some are smokers.  If you are going to have a designated smoking area, be sure it is well lit and it should not be in a secluded area for the safety of those who may go out after dark.
  • Inspect any exterior closed circuit television cameras you may have on the building.  Make sure they are functioning, have clear pictures, and are retaining video for at least two weeks (preferably 30 days). 
  • Find ways to build a relationship with the police department responsible for the area where your store is located.  Contact a Crime Prevention Officer and offer to assist with Santa Helper events, children’s car seat safety events, or other activities that the department is helping for community outreach.  As you build a relationship, you may find more officers using your parking lot to stop and write reports or conducting ride by patrols.  The more police presence, the less likely crime will occur in or around your store.  This is always a bonus at night.

The tips are not exhaustive, there are other ideas you may think of as you create a plan specific to your store and location.  By being proactive and establishing a plan that will keep your store safe as the nights get longer, you will protect your business and your reputation and as a result drive up sales.

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LP tips for hiring seasonal help

October 11, 2016 by Leave a Comment

shopping2Hiring seasonal help for the holidays is much different from when a company hires to fill a position or two during the “regular” times of the year.  During what I have traditionally called the 4th quarter, seasonal help is being brought on board for the express purpose of having enough staff to meet increased customer traffic.  These employees are hired with the knowledge they will probably lose their jobs at a specific time.  During the rest of the year, an employee is hired with the expectation the position is a permanent job, in the sense it is long-term not necessarily part-time vs. full-time.  This means there are certain considerations that an employer must think about as they hire seasonal employees:

  • Do I have time to complete a background check or drug tests as I do with regular employees?
  • What date am I going to release my employees from service?
  • Do I tell the employee in advance what the termination date will be?

I am going to provide some guidance from a Loss Prevention perspective and hopefully make your decision making a little easier.

     As a Loss Prevention Manager I participated in the seasonal hiring process, both interviewing candidates for the store and conducting mass orientation for new hires. One of the issues I saw was that when hiring started early enough, background checks could be conducted.  This required the Human Resource Manager to begin the seasonal hiring ramp up in August, to prepare for a start date in mid-September to early October.  When the process was started too late, people were sporadically interviewed and hired in twos and threes.  I do not believe there was proper pre-employment screening done at those times.  This meant we brought in people who we really did not know. Yes, a criminal can slip through the cracks during regular hiring, however I saw many more thieves hired during the last quarter of the year.  I believe this was due, in part, to a less thorough screening process because the store needed “people”.   Drug tests were always conducted and we did not hire anyone who failed.  Do not compromise on this, even during the 4th quarter. 

     Should you set a release date for seasonal help in advance and should you tell your seasonal help what the exact dates of employment will be or should you leave it ambiguous?  There are two schools of thought on this.  One argument is that in fairness to the employee they should be told the starting and ending dates.  It allows them time to prepare to look for work as they near the end of the seasonal appointment.  The other argument and the one I prefer is to leave it a little vague, using an end date like “mid-January”.  This serves two purposes.  If you set a specific date of release, you are more or less obligated to end the employment then.  The issue is that if you lose too many employees before the end of the 4th quarter and you need time to recover the store and prepare for the coming year, will you have enough staff to do so?  Second, if your employee is a thief, and they know the exact end date they may use this as the day they are going to do the most damage and then be gone.  When there is not a clear cut deadline, you can release them in that date range and avoid the chance the employee will make that final “hit”.  I am not dogmatic on either philosophy, there are reasonable perspectives on both I just prefer to improve the odds for the employer.

     One other thing I used to see during the hiring of seasonal help was the use of the quasi-promise, “If you do a good job, we may keep you on at the end of the season.”  I saw many people hang onto this statement and become very discouraged when they were released.  You may very well make offers of continued employment to workers after the holidays and that is fine.  I believe in rewarding hard work.  You may even make it clear to a group of new hires that you tend to keep some people after the 4th quarter is over, but don’t offer it as a dangling carrot. 

     In closing, prepare early for the holidays.  Give yourself time to conduct pre-employment screenings, hire the right people and get them trained in time for your peak season.  They will better serve your customers and you will have more time to determine who the cream of the crop is that you would like to keep on your team.  You will also reduce the chance of hiring someone who will steal from your business.

     

     

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Scary Shoplifting Stories

October 11, 2016 by Leave a Comment

streetGhosts, goblins, zombies, it’s that time of the year again to dust off the spooky movies and scary tales meant to put a chill up your spine.  Hollywood always seems to have a batch of new releases ready about now to evoke nightmares and make us wake up in a cold sweat.  We are sure that we see a poltergeist lurking in the corner of the bedroom or in the closet after we watch one of these films.  Yes, I admit I am a big coward and have to put my hands over my face and peek out through my fingers to watch Freddy slash his next victim or Jason terrorize a group of kids at a camp in the middle of the woods.  But there are real scary stories of my own to share that don’t have anything to do with ghouls. Mine are real-life scary stories of shoplifters I have dealt with during my years in retail Loss Prevention.

     Scary movies always seem to be set in spooky locations.  I found myself in a different type of spooky setting while chasing a shoplifter.  The criminal had stolen some clothing, I believe they were expensive shirts and when I attempted to stop him, he ran.  At that time the store I worked for allowed us to pursue shoplifters.  I chased the suspect inside an old abandoned building about a mile from the store.  I did not go far before I stopped and realized this was no place for me to be alone.  The building was formerly an apartment building that had been torn apart on the inside and was turned into a crack house.   Old mattresses, clothing, and junk filled the areas that I could see.  Although I could hear the police car sirens of the officers responding to assist me in my pursuit, I decided that this was one shoplifter I was not going to continue chasing.  It may not have been Amityville Horror but it wasn’t a place I was going to stay and I quickly got out of there.

 As a Loss Prevention Officer, I had a woman I watched shoplifting multiple pieces of clothing.  This shoplifter was pulling off tags, hiding empty hangers after taking the clothes off and then stuffing her purse with the merchandise.  When I attempted to stop her, the subject ran from me.  I called on my radio to our store operator and requested police assistance.  As I chased the suspect we got across the road to a wooded area.  She stopped, turned around and put her hand in her purse and threatened me, telling me to leave her alone.  I told her to remove her hand from the purse but she refused, implying there could be a weapon but never brandishing one.  I did use some discretion and did not move any closer.  As we stood talking (yelling was more like it), local police officers arrived, drew their weapons and demanded she remove her hand and comply.  She did eventually remove her hand and was arrested.  I later learned my suspect had prior arrests for shoplifting but the one arrest on her record that concerned me was the “Involuntary Manslaughter” conviction.  The thought of an Involuntary Manslaughter conviction put a chill down my spine!

   One of my scariest encounters was with a shoplifter who was stealing purses in my store.  I thought the suspect had stolen one earlier in the day, and so when “she” returned later that evening and was wearing the same coat, I recognized her and began observing her.  She had her own purse she was carrying, so when she stole one of ours, she put it under her long trench coat.  I stopped her and brought her back to the store, keeping a grip on the suspect’s coat.  As we got near the security office, the suspect attempted to pull away, slipping out of the coat.  I held onto her purse and coat and retrieved our merchandise as the suspect fought to get away. Leaving the items in the store, I chased the suspect.  I lost her at the nearby convention center in a crowd of people.  When I returned to the store and searched the suspect’s purse I found a prison I.D. card and a butcher’s knife.  The suspect was a male, dressed as a female and was out on parole.  Fortunately this did not turn into a different slasher tale.

     Tricks and Treats are great for Halloween, but not for Loss Prevention personnel.  Remember that the person you think you are dealing with may be someone else in disguise.  Be careful out there!

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Using Technology And Training To Stop Shoplifting

September 28, 2016 by Leave a Comment

shoplifting4

It is evident that small businesses and  big retail chains have problems dealing with shoplifting and employee theft. Technology that helps them prevent shoplifting is an investment that their store cannot refuse.  But, having the technology that helps prevent shoplifting is only a small part of the solution.  Having employees trained and knowledgeable should be a big part of their strategy to prevent shoplifters.  Do they know the steps to take when apprehending a shoplifter? Are they knowledgeable about the rights, and store policies regarding shoplifters?  Technology can certainly help, but training your employees is a big part of the solution to stop shoplifting in your store.

Creepy Mickey Mouse arrested for shoplifting

That is one goofy mugshot.

A 22-year-old female tourist inside a Mickey Mouse outfit was busted in Germany for trying to steal nail clippers and a bottle of shampoo — and hiding the pilfered goods in her gigantic head, according to Central European News.

Police in the southwest city of Kaiserslautern released the suspect’s mugshot, erring on the side of hilarity and the woman’s privacy.

“The good news for Disney fans is that Mickey Mouse has been released from prison,” according to a spokesman for regional police in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate.

How to prevent shoplifting: 10 ways to protect your retail business

Every week there’s a new story – someone has tried to shoplift something in brazen or bizarre fashion.

Whether it’s the well-known trick of trying to secrete something away in a bag or under clothes, or something more devious, like the people who set up a fake company hiring ‘mystery shoppers’ and ordering them to steal, there are those out there who will try to pull a fast one on you.

With that in mind, these are our top 10 tips for preventing theft, and what to do if you do fall victim to it.

10 tips to prevent shoplifting

1. Know how to spot a shoplifter

One of the first things to prepare yourself and your employees for is how shoplifters are likely to behave. That way you’ll be able to spot them more easily and hopefully be able to stop them.

If someone is planning to shoplift from you, they may well display the following behaviours:

  • Attempting to avoid being noticed
  • Looking nervous, sweating or becoming flushed
  • Picking up and putting back the same items repeatedly
  • Paying more attention to what’s around them than the product in their hand or on the shelves in front of them
  • Wearing large coats, even in hot weather, or carrying large bags

Of course, this behaviour doesn’t necessarily mean that someone is planning to steal from you, but they’re signs worth looking out for.

Security Cameras with Facial Recognition: A Game-Changing Technology for Retailers

Retail security systems with facial-recognition technology are becoming more prevalent in stores.

EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is based on the experiences of a well-known retailer who implemented a facial-recognition security camera system. Because of the potential value of this technology to the retail industry as well as the critical issues surrounding its deployment, the executive who leads this initiative approached the magazine to offer his insights on the condition of anonymity. Therefore, the names of the individual and the company have been changed.

“We’re seeing shoplifters—known shoplifters—come up to us and ask permission to buy something.” Is this some kind of loss prevention Twilight Zone, or the delusions of a loss prevention associate who has spent too many hours watching surveillance video? No, this is everyday life in stores at a leading retailer who has recently deployed a facial-recognition system. And it’s just one of the changes that have led the company’s head of LP to call facial recognition a game-changing loss prevention technology.

“We now know within seconds of a person walking in the store if they’ve previously been caught stealing from us,” says Tom Smith, vice president of loss prevention for Store-Mart. “We now know which hours of the day see the most shoplifter activity. We now know that 26 percent of the people we detain, we see again in the brand within one month, on average 13 days later. We never had a way of knowing things like this before. This is stuff that LP associates will salivate over. It’s going to be a game changer.”

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Addiction and Shoplifting

September 22, 2016 by Leave a Comment

shoplifting5The retail industry loses billions of dollars a year due to shoplifting. And the small business owner that loses money due to shoplifting is a struggling business, without the resources the big retail chain has. Shoplifting, employee theft, organized crime, and even merchant theft, are major reasons why some small businesses close their doors for good.  Shoplifters with a drug addiction problem are also a big problem for these businesses, because they enter their store to steal big quantities of merchandise to sell for cash to keep with their addiction drugs.

Prosecuting the shoplifter is always a hard decision for the small business owner to make, specially  when they consider the financial burden attorneys’ fees will have in their business. A small quantity of small business owners choose to prosecute, but many choose to terminate the employee and deal with the loss instead.

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

It’s better to prevent addiction than cure

Addiction is powerful and destructive.

And there is no magic bullet, no magic cure.

Ask any alcoholic or drug addict in recovery and he or she will confirm that it takes perseverance and self-discipline to remain clean and sober, one day at a time, for the rest of his or her life.

What does this have to do with the American court system?

Empirically, addiction and crime go hand-in-hand. And people charged with crimes end up in court.

As a judge to whom thousands of criminal cases have been assigned, I have detected patterns when it comes to substance abuse.

A horrific crime with unspeakable allegations? Methamphetamine addiction.

Property crimes, including burglary, shoplifting and auto theft? Heroin addiction.

Domestic violence? Child abuse/neglect or animal abuse? Alcohol and methamphetamine.

DWI? Alcohol and/or drugs, both legal and illegal.

Of course, this is not an exhaustive list, just patterns I have noticed in my courtroom. Additionally, there is often an overlay of mental illness, sometimes specifically brought about by years of chronic substance abuse.

Shoplifter stole food for drugs

A PERSISTENT shoplifter who stole to fund his drugs habit was handed a suspended prison sentence and warned that if he committed another offence he was likely to be jailed immediately.

Christopher Page pleaded guilty to eight charges of theft from a shop – seven of them from the same One Stop shop in Pinehurst. The total value of the goods stolen was more than £200.

James Burnham, prosecuting, told Swindon Magistrates Court on Wednesday that Page went into the One Stop on August 5 and took six packs of steak without paying. He returned just before 5pm on August 7 and picked up washing liquids and gels worth £67.80, putting them down his trousers and walking out. The following day he was back to steal milkshakes valued at £3.

Then on August 9 he put more washing liquids, five packs of bacon, sausages, shower gels and a packet of hot chocolate worth £35.45 down his trousers and left without paying.

On August 14 he took washing liquids and the following day he stole fabric conditioner and washing capsules to the value of £13.65. “He sold the items to buy food and drugs if they were not food or were high value,” explained Mr Burnham. Ten days later he was back at the One Stop but this time he was seen hiding three boxes of Ferrero Rocher worth £19.50.

Good start in tackling gun violence-drug addiction problems

I attended two meetings recently that provided me with valuable information about problems in our community.

The Heroin Awareness meeting presented by the City of Myrtle Beach was excellent. I hadn’t realized the extent of the problem. My heart aches for those addicted and their families. Many try heroin because of peer pressure and become addicted. Others had been taking prescription meds for pain, became addicted, and then turned to heroin. Some overdose the first time they try it. Some go through many painful withdrawals before they are finally able to stay clean. Drug addicts are responsible for many crimes of shoplifting, burglary and prostitution in order to feed their habits.

I hope this Heroin Awareness program will be offered again to a countywide audience and especially students. Was the whole program filmed? If so, could it be shown in schools and community groups?

I also attended an Horry County Democratic Party Committee meeting on gun sense. We are seeking information so that we can understand how gun violence can be reduced. Horry County officers Wyatt and Conti were generous with their time and knowledge.

 

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