Loss Prevention Workshop

What Are You Doing To Prevent Shoplifting In Your Business?

June 1, 2016 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

The United Kingdom police arrested people involved in a shoplifting ring this past week, The New York police in the United States arrested 3 people involved in a shoplifting ring, and 3 more people are arrested in Delaware for the same crime last week. Shoplifting is a crime that in Europe, The United States, and other developed countries is so widespread that is costing businesses billions of dollars a year, and authorities are trying to find a solution to a problem that so far has no end in sight.

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

Can Science Stop Stealing? UF Researcher Aims to Find Out

University of Florida Research Scientist Dr. Read Hayes is gathering data to better understand shoplifters’ habits.

By Stephen Sellner · May 20, 2016

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Theft plagues all kinds of retail stores across the country, and one University of Florida researcher thinks he can prevent stealing through science.

Dr. Read Hayes started the Loss Prevention Research Council 30 years ago. There, he studies video surveillance supplied by retailers to study shoplifting tendencies and better understand what deters them from stealing. Part of Hayes’ research involves interviewing shoplifters who are caught in the act to learn more about how they operate and what entices them to steal certain items. In exchange for talking, Hayes gives them a gift card to the store.

“We’re trying to really understand the thought process,” Hayes told Fox 13 News. “We’ve got to understand the psychology here in order for us to help influence their decisions.”

Below is a video that goes into more detail on Hayes’ work that has retailers very interested.

Delaware troopers arrest 3 in organized shoplifting

Delaware State Police troopers have arrested three people in connection with an organized retail theft operation.

Around 8:40 p.m. Saturday, May 28, troopers were dispatched to the Marshall’s store at 4575 Coastal Highway for a report of a shoplifting in progress, police said. When the troopers got there they saw a loss prevention employee chasing after three people running from the store, police said, and the troopers were able to detain the three suspects without further incident.

Police said the investigation revealed the three were removing security devices from clothing in the store and then concealing them in a backpack which they also took from the store’s sales rack. When the loss prevention employee confronted the three and identified himself, they dropped the merchandise and fled, police said.

Sue vows to fight teenage crime using free toiletries and underwear with launch of ‘Sue’s Essentials’

East Cambridgeshire Police’s crime reduction officer has launched her ‘Sue’s Essentials’ project by handing out boxes of toiletries and sanitary items to colleges across the region.

The case of a 12-year-old girl caught shoplifting toiletries in Ely inspired Sue Loaker to kick-start ‘Sue’s Essentials’ – an initiative that aims to reduce crime – theft in particular – through the distribution of free toiletries, sanitary items and underwear.

Toothbrushes, sanitary towels, hairbrushes and bras are just a selection of goods on offer to teenagers who may be unable to buy the items themselves or may not be receiving them at home.

Ms Loaker believes that offering the items to the region’s young people for free can help reduce the number of teenage shoplifters, and hopes it will also aid in the prevention of bullying in schools.

She said: “Ultimately, it’s a self esteem issue, and not having these items can lead to bullying and crime.

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Shoplifting And The Law

May 12, 2016 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

States around the country have for many years now, ask lawmakers for harsher sentencing for shoplifters and specially if they are repeated offenders. Many states have passed harsher sentencing laws regarding shoplifting, but the problem seems to be getting worse not better. And although retail stores around the country try to find a solution for the problem, shoplifting is still a crime with no easy solution.

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

Is the Rise of Organized Retail Crime a Product of Soft Sentencing?

If not sentenced more harshly, those convicted will almost certainly continue their behavior.

During a panel discussion on organized retail crime (ORC), the panel discussed current ORC issues, legislation, coalitions, online sales of stolen property, and industry information sharing. The panel consisted of six of the top ORC minds in the industry, all of whom agreed that organized retail crime is on the rise, and more and more criminals are committing these nonviolent crimes.

The moderator asked specific questions relating to retail theft, and these experts were quick to answer and share information on steps they are taking to battle organized retail crime. They talked about the many successes in the past few years, which include building law enforcement interest (ORC coalitions) across the country. Considering ongoing efforts to collaborate with organized law enforcement-retail coalitions nationwide, getting police and retailers working together to solve these crimes is by far the most important element concerning organized retail crime.

Concealment = Shoplifting

Intent is the Driving Factor in Most States

It is a common misbelief that in order to commit the act of shoplifting, an individual must exit the store and permanently deprive the merchant of the unpurchased merchandise. The truth is, however, that in most states, an individual commits the act of shoplifting by taking actions that would cause one to reasonably believe that he intends to permanently deprive the merchant of the goods.

Most states require that the merchant have probable cause (or reasonable grounds) to believe that an individual has committed an act of theft or is attempting to shoplift before making a decision to detain the individual to determine if their observation was correct. Probable cause or reasonable grounds is not limited to observing the individual exiting the store with unpurchased merchandise. In addition to clear cases of theft, such as when a person opens a product’s container, consumes the contents and fails to pay for the product, probable cause or reasonable grounds to detain and make inquiry can also be obtained by observing an individual conceal unpurchased merchandise or in some states, by the activation of EAS even if the individual was not observed concealing merchandise. The majority of states do not require that an individual exit the store in order to have a civil cause of action for shoplifting.

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (WMT) Brings Back the Store Greeter

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE:WMT) has decided to bring back the store greeter. The global retail giant will have employees at all of its entrances and exits to improve customer service and prevent theft. Simply put: it’s bringing back the hallmark door-greeter program that was vanquished a few years ago.

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. Make Their Return to a Store Near You

Wal-Mart founder Sam Walton believed that customer service was the key to success. One area of customer service that Wal-Mart became famous for was the iconic store greeter. These greeters, usually senior citizens looking for part-time income, would stand at doors, greet customers, thank them for coming and even check receipts to deter shoplifters.

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Get More Out Of Your Burglar Alarm System

April 28, 2016 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

Is your burglar alarm giving you all it’s got? Technology keeps updating but there is one area you may not be thinking about getting more from your dollar: your burglar alarm system.

Alarm systems can now do so much more for the retailer. First, if you are still transmitting alarm signals via your phone line, then you are very vulnerable. Phone lines are really terrible for transmitting signals. They are slow and unreliable. Your phone line goes down and your alarm is not going to communicate with anyone. Change to cellular communications and you will get the signal out. You see, alarm systems communicate on a different cellular channel than your voice “can you hear me now” channel. That channel is very strong. You may not have good voice service in your store but chances are your alarm system cellular service is great. Cellular signals are MUCH faster also. Cost? Should only add a few dollars a month to your monitoring invoice.

Heard about or been a victim of copper theft. You know, copper, the metal that your roof top or side of building air conditioner units tubing is made of. Thieves will tear up your a/c just to steal that copper to sell it. This leaves your business down until replacement and repair can be completed. Your alarm company can put a sensor on your outside a/c unit that will trip your alarm, if they try to tamper with it. Cost of the part is about $70 +/-.

Do you have valuable property at your business such as equipment, artwork….. that is never to be moved or removed from the premises? Honeywell makes a wireless sensor that is about half the size of a pack of cigarettes. This sensor attaches to that item. It can be programed different ways to notify you if the item is moved or removed. This sensor is monitored by your burglar alarm system.

Your alarm company can guide you. If they don’t have a solution or don’t understand, then you should look for another vendor who can think outside the box.

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Are You Confused ?

April 12, 2016 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

Are you confused about how to stop shoplifters? Many Retailers are. Often I hear something like “I have a CCTV camera system to stop shoplifters”. The reality is that shoplifters couldn’t care less. Cameras are a very tiny deterrent to a shoplifter. They know you do not have the time or payroll dollars to actively watch. And it is easy enough to create a diversion or simply take your merchandise and move to another location in your store that does not have camera coverage.

Keep in mind that Loss Prevention Systems also sells and installs cameras. So I have quite a bit of experience with this subject. Cameras are great tools but they have their limits. They are great for employee theft prevention and investigation, robbery prevention, burglary prevention and so on. But cameras are NOT proactive (passive)in the case of shoplifting. The shoplifter will be long gone by the time you figure out what is going on if at all.

However, a Checkpoint EAS system is PROACTIVE. It is working 24/7 even when you or your staff are not paying attention. Checkpoint Systems labels and hard tags are applied to your merchandise and if the thief tries to steal you products the Checkpoint System at the doors goes into alarm. We can even send an instant message to your cell phone or other mobile device at that time.

A Checkpoint System never takes a day off, is never sick, doesn’t want a pay raise, and doesn’t want a $15/hour minimum wage. Don’t you wish your staffing was that simple?

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DO YOU NEED A BURGLAR ALARM?

April 12, 2016 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

Often overlooked for small businesses is the dire need for a suitable burglar alarm system. I talk about EAS placement and CCTV all the time. Those are rendered absolutely useless is someone busts in through the back door. If your burglar system isn’t up to standards, you run the risk of losing everything.

I think (and hope) that all of you have at least a basic intruder alarm system set up with a reputable monitoring service. I want to go a little further than that and give you some insight on what I’ve seen that works and what really doesn’t. I’ve seen plenty systems over the course of my career and while I’m not an expert on alarm systems, I have common sense (something that seems to be lacking the higher you progress on the retail ladder).

Every store, no matter the size should at the minimum have motion detection and depending on your assortment, shock sensors. If you’re not familiar with the latter, they are generally designed for placement on solid walls (think a firearms cage in a sporting goods store, or the cement wall surrounding the vault at the local bank). These alarms trigger if there is a significant shockwave, i.e explosion, or perhaps a vehicle ramming through. Very important to consider depending on your particular assortment and layout. Motion sensors on the other hand are far more common and should definitely be part of your security system. As the name implies, they detect motion.

One thing my company struggled with for years was false alarms. We were actually paying thousands of dollars in false alarm fines to our local police department one year at this one particular store. Almost every night, the motion sensor would trip, police would be dispatched and we’d find no evidence of a breach. We eventually discovered that we had a cat that was taking up residence and wandering the aisle at night. We eventually changed the trigger to dispatch police from one motion activation to no less than 4 before we would dispatch police. This helped out tremendously and we’ve since implemented that practice to all of our stores.

One other thing we found that didn’t quite work with the motion sensors was our outdoor storage yards. If the wind blew a little too hard, or if animals would slip in, they would trigger a police dispatch. What we did was configure the dispatch to only trigger if there was an outside motion trigger coupled with a breach of gate. By a little trial and error, we found the best solution to keep our store protected, all while eliminating any false alarms to our local police department.

Usually attached to any burglary alarm system is the fire alarm system. I bring this up as I want to talk about a technology that we’ve just begun implementing in our stores over the past 6 months that I think is definitely worth the investment. That being delayed egress fire exits. We had stores in this one market that were being just absolutely hammered with fire exit run outs. We had groups of people that would load up shopping carts full of buggies and push out of the fire exits where an idling pickup truck is waiting. We struggled to stop this trend and were hit with a brick wall; until we tested out the delayed egress.

If you’ve never seen these in action before, they’re pretty awesome. What happens is pretty simple. If someone attempts to open a fire exit, the door has a 10 second delay; meaning the alarm sounds, but the door cannot be physically opened for that time period. The only way this is circumvented is if the fire alarm is activated; then the door opens immediately. The first time our fire exit bandits hit a store with the new doors was priceless. The look of sheer terror and panic on their face as they tried to get out the store, but couldn’t was pure awesomeness. This install, while an investment, has already shown to have not only great potential, but has already given us results.

As with any system, there isn’t a “one size fits all” plan. I encourage everyone to do their own homework when it comes to protecting your store when you’re not there. I guarantee that you can find a balance between your store needs and your budget. While with any new system, there is always an investment to be made, think of this as an investment that you can’t afford not to take.

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COMMON SENSE TAGGING

March 17, 2016 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

You know, sometimes we seem to overthink EAS tagging. Very often, I find that my store managers will focus so heavily on tagging a small, inexpensive (but high shrink) item, that they completely overlook the big ticket item that is absent of any physical security measure. Why is that? A large cooler is just as susceptible to loss as a pair of socks. Maybe it has to do with the perception of what is driving shrink in our stores.

Just last month, I hosted a district LP conference for store managers in my area. I asked each store manager to write on a sheet of paper what they felt their highest shrink item was in there stores. The results were pretty shocking. Not a single one got it right. Heck, they weren’t even close. Most of them hovered around the small items that they knew were being stolen on a daily basis; like pocket knives, wrist watches, socks/underwear, etc. These are also the areas that they are focusing their EAS tagging at.

What most didn’t realize was how high their highest shrink categories actually were. So what I found was that they all had a perceived vision of shrink in their store, and instead of using the reporting given to them, they were mostly making business decisions based off of their own emotions. We all know how that can end up, right? So how can you avoid falling into this trap?

Most companies give their managers some level of reporting that showcases their sales as well as shrink. It’s best to use these reporting tools to help plan on what you’re going to tag with an EAS device. For example, if you’re looking at your shrink report and each week you have hundreds of dollars of losses in a certain style of headphones, well it’s probably time to wrap a Spider Wrap around them.

Additionally, sometimes, you have to use your years of experience in order to be pro-active to potential losses. Let’s say your in store reporting shows you have historically seen losses from high end footwear. It’s spring time, and you begin to receive this year’s new high end shoe line. It would probably be a wise idea to tag these before they have a chance to walk off, right? Of course! The same could be said for hundreds of products in your store.

Don’t overthink your EAS tagging methods. If you have a product that is suffering from theft, then tag it. Don’t wait for someone to tell you to do so, and don’t sit back idly while your profits walk out the front door. The reason EAS tags were invented was to save you money. Let them do their job, so you can continue to have yours.

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Workplace Violence

March 3, 2016 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

Whether you are a small business owner or a company with hundreds of employees, the reality is simple. Good employees are an asset to your company. Some small business owners rely very much on a couple of employees in their business, and the daily tasks seem impossible to fulfill without those key employees. Monetary compensation, health insurance, and retirement accounts for those employees seem to be in accordance to the tasks they perform. But, have you thought whether the security in your business is appropriate? Have you checked to see whether help is there if needed? Ensuring employees safety in the workplace should be a top priority for you, and your business. To read more about this topic follow the links below.

Workplace Violence: The Tragedies Continue

How to protect yourself during an active shooter incident.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 7% of all workplace fatalities are the result of intentional homicide. While active shooter scenarios in the workplace are relatively rare, they result in fatal injuries more often than fires and explosions, getting caught in equipment or machinery, and exposure to hazardous substances combined. The latest statistics for full year 2014 indicate there were 403 workplace violence homicides, with 307 or 76% classified as intentional shootings. Nearly 17% of the victims were women, 83% were men. It’s true that armed robberies make up about half of all work-related homicides, but attacks by coworkers, students and relatives make up the rest.

Some incidents of extreme workplace violence are spectacular and receive wide media attention. The recent mass killings at a San Bernardino, California, office party and the August 2015 on-camera shooting of two journalists by one of their former colleagues come to mind. And it happened again just last week. Three people were killed and another 14 injured on February 25 in Hesston, Kansas. The gunman was a disgruntled employee.
Although it is hard to believe and probably the result of how incidents are categorized, the event widely described as one of the first workplace violence shootings in the United States occurred in 1989, when a disgruntled worker brought an AK-47 into the Standard-Gravure printing plant in Louisville, Kentucky and killed eight employees, then himself.

A Look at Workplace Violence in the United States

Fifteen people at a Kansas factory were shot, three of them killed, by a co-worker whom police say had also shot two other people as he drove toward the facility. The shooting at Excel Industries in Hesston, Kansas, was at least the fourth workplace shooting in the United States in the past 12 months alone. Some questions and answers about workplace shootings:

WHAT OTHER WORKPLACE SHOOTINGS HAVE TAKEN PLACE IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS?

— Aug. 26, 2015: Alison Parker and Adam Ward of Roanoke, Virginia, TV station WDBJ were fatally shot by former employee Vester Lee Flanagan II during a live broadcast. The person they were interviewing was wounded. Flanagan fatally shot himself after a police chase.

— Feb. 23, 2015: An employee of armed security company Shields Business Solutions in Moorestown, New Jersey, opened fire on a co-worker inside the business before fatally shooting himself outside amid what police described as an “ongoing domestic situation.” Moorestown Police Lt. Lee Lieber said Edgar Figueroa killed himself after shooting Melvin Nieves four times.

— Feb. 12, 2015: Truck driver Jeffrey DeZeeuw got into an argument over a delivery with a supervisor at a Sioux Steel Co. location known as ProTec, in Lennox, South Dakota. DeZeeuw later returned, fatally shot the supervisor and wounded worker Kathy Steever. He also injured another employee, Brian Roesler, who confronted DeZeeuw and is credited with likely preventing more injuries or deaths. DeZeeuw then killed himself.

OSHA National Conference Addresses Workplace Violence

LAS VEGAS, NV – OSHA Deputy Assistant Secretary Jordan Barab provided the keynote address at a national conference of Veterans Administration hospital workers in Las Vegas last week.

The conference, held by the American Federation of Government Employees, brought together representatives and partners of the host organizations to update and educate them on key and emerging occupational safety and health issues.

Barab highlighted OSHA’s ongoing work with VA hospitals and other healthcare facilities to combat workplace violence, including the release last year of Guidelines for Preventing Workplace Violence for Healthcare and Social Service Workers *.

He also discussed the agency’s efforts to ensure that OSHA inspectors have the resources, training and tools necessary to conduct inspections in response to workplace violence.

Barab told the delegates that “care of our nation’s veterans is a national priority, but we also have to look out for the health and safety those who care for them. He added: “workplace violence remains a difficult and dangerous problem, particularly for those in healthcare settings.”

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How to Deal with Retail Burnout

February 16, 2016 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

Burnout is an on-going, serious issue in the retail industry. The industry is so immense and pervasive that all of us, even if we’ve never working in retail, have knowledge of and experience with the problem.

Personally, some of you may be currently struggling with it or have in the past. If you haven’t personally experienced it you probably know friends and family who have. Finally, we’ve all had unpleasant interactions (many, many times) with burnt out sales clerks, managers or customer service reps.

Last month we looked at why “Retail Burnout Matters” preventshopliftingloss.net/retail-burnout-matters/. This month we’re going to look at how an individual can deal with it at a professional level.

There are many causes and symptoms of burnout. One of the most universal symptoms is a feeling of being stuck. The first place to start if you’re feeling trapped is with a plan of how to get free. People who feel caught often do damage to others and themselves when they try to get unstuck without a well thought out plan.

The first thing you can do is plan how to stay where you are. You may want to stay with the same company in the same store, but need to learn (traditional/online classes, TED talks, books, short term therapy, etc) some stress management techniques to improve your outlook. Many times if you change your attitude and coping skills it’s enough to make the situation better.

Or you may need to plan the next step. Boredom, complacency and restlessness, when not addressed, are often the causes of stress. What kind of change do you need (i.e. sell jewelry rather than candles, increased/decreased level of responsibility, go to a different store with the same company, go to a different company, work in a small boutique or a big box)?

Finally, you may need to plan to leave the field. Retail may no longer, or never has been, your career of choice. If so, then it’s time to figure out how, when and where to from here. For many people establishing some sort of forward momentum, no matter how small, is enough to lessen the trapped feeling.

Having a plan and actively, consciously working that plan is key to alleviating burnout, but it’s not easy. However, the alternative is to stay miserable, and as choices go choosing to stay unhappy is a poor one. As Yoda said, “Do. Or do not. There is no try.”

Nicole Abbott is a professional writer who’s had over 150 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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SOCIAL MEDIA AND ITS BENEFITS TO A LOSS PREVENTION PROGRAM

February 8, 2016 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

Over the past five years or so, social media platforms have exploded. Sites like Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram are essentially a one stop shop for all your news, entertainment and whatever your Aunt Dolly is doing today… Like most Americans, I visit these websites frequently throughout the day (although, I am weaning myself off this addiction slowly, but surely). Businesses have also been quick to jump on the bandwagon and have found that direct to consumer marketing, especially the free kind of marketing, can really help a small business soar. With so many people, places and things interconnected, you can see how the Loss Prevention Industry uses these platforms to not only aid in investigations, but to help track down fencing operations, retail ORC groups and even dishonest employees.

About a month or so ago, I was scrolling through a Facebook “online garage sale group” in my area. A few scrolls down, I noticed a guy was selling a store merchandise credit from one of my stores. I looked up the name in our internal system for any hits and sure enough, it was an employee at one of my stores. A little investigating showed that he had conducted a return of a high end baseball bat, but according to our sales records, the store he worked in had not sold that particular sku. Furthermore, inventory data showed that store to be missing one unit. A little more leg work, and I was able to determine that the employee had altered the price on a high end bat, purchasing it for only a few dollars. He returned the bat for full value at another store and posted the credit on Facebook to sell. From our research, he had done this about a dozen or so times with various merchandise. I was able to make a pretty substantial case from a lead generated from social media.

Take things a little further. Most of you reading this are small business owners. Chances are, you don’t have some large Loss Prevention department; heck, your LP department might be the 16 cameras you have set up in your store. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that; in fact, without the hassle of a large company’s legal department, you have more freedom with those CCTV images of a thief than I do. Most police departments and sheriff’s offices around the country have also been accepting of a social media presence. From the community outreach and the ability to hear concerns directly from citizens, it’s a great way for law enforcement to take a big step into the future. This also gives those agencies the ability to share BOLOs with an enormous amount of people.

Not two weeks ago, a local sheriff’s office shared some CCTV images from a clothing boutique store that showed a female shoplifter, who made away with several hundred dollars in clothing. The boutique had a very good camera system and shared those images from their Facebook page to the Sheriff’s Office page, who in turn shared it with their followers. Literally, within 30 minutes, the comment section was full of tips, eventually leading to the shoplifter’s identity. Heck, some people even began tagging this woman in her own wanted poster. Classic. Without this platform, this crime may have gone unsolved, and that business would have taken a hit out of their own pockets.

While social media can boost sales and drive traffic into your store, it can only be a great tool to reduce shrink. The ability to quickly search through your employee’s friends, or search in wanted ads for particular items and the ability to share CCTV images quickly and with great success, makes social media almost a necessity of today’s small business’s plan to combat shrink and increase profitability.

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Using Employee Engagement To Prevent Shoplifting

January 18, 2016 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

There is no question that employee happiness in the workplace can be an asset to your company. Happy employees that are valued can give a business the edge they need to make their business a success. Happy employees are less likely to steal from you, and are less likely to call off regularly. Having employees that feel appreciated can be an advantage to your retail business, and a tool to prevent shoplifting.

For more about shoplifting, follow the links below.

Retailers Experience Success Due to Employee Engagement

Expert advice on how retailers can craft customized services in order to strengthen financial performance through greater quality of management and employee engagement.

Management consultant Oliver “O. Lee” Mincey, who focuses on employee engagement and the attributes of great management, has nearly 25 years of training and leadership development experience. He has developed training and learning programs positively impacting well over 40,000 people for clients and previous employers including Six Flags, Disney, Universal Studios and House of Blues.

Founded in 2009, Oliver Mincey Co. designs strategies to help clients solve their most complex and interesting leadership and employee engagement challenges. Engagement helps reduce costs associated with poor employee retention, relations and morale. Its core values are: Do what is right, always; take ownership and get it done; inspire passion for people; focus on outcomes; fuel growth and innovation for both us and our clients; and embrace good cheer.

Mincey shared five tips for great management and his secrets of employee engagement. A great manager, he said:

Online crime system blitz on retail theft

A new cloud-based crime reporting system could prevent up to $2 million of retail thefts every day.

Police have teamed up with Auckland-based company Auror who developed software that streamlines crime reporting processes.

The software will be rolled out nationally after successful trials in Counties Manukau and Canterbury.

The software enables retailers to complete incident reports and provide relevant information to police about thefts including shoplifting and petrol drive-offs, and other incidents.

The information can be shared between retailers to prevent further offending.

A Police National Headquarters spokeswoman said all information shared through the Auror portal was automatically forwarded to the police crime reporting line.

SeeTec Cayuga BVI Retail Combines Article Surveillance With Video Analytics For Retail Security

If you believe recent surveys to be true, commercial damage in Germany caused by retail shrinkage accounts for about 3.8 billion Euro per year – this is one per cent of the total turnover of this industry. More than half of this is caused by shoplifting. Another 40 % of the total amount can be related in equal terms to employees and suppliers.

The retail industry’s answer to this enormous volume of damage is obvious: prevention and investigation by combining traditional article surveillance and intelligent video technology. Video-based systems do not only reduce retail shrinkage. They can also be used to better understand customers and their buying behaviorand to optimize the sales approach. SeeTec Cayuga BVI Retail provides solutions for both requirements.

Challenges Faced By Retail Business

Highstreet retail businesses don’t have an easy time: Online trading provides maximum price transparency and therefore puts enormous pressure on the margins through a plain cost structure and 24/7 opening hours.

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