Obviously we all want to prevent shoplifting within our individual stores. However, there’s a right way and a wrong way to do everything. When it comes to employing anti shoplifting methods the risks may far outweigh the rewards if the proper precautions aren’t taken.

             The first step in your anti shoplifting checklist should be: you must see the subject enter the store or the department without the merchandise. If you skip this step you open yourself up to a world of hurt. How do you know that the person didn’t bring in a piece of clothing to return or exchange? Maybe they brought it with them in order to match it up to another piece they’re thinking of purchasing. If you don’t know then don’t risk it.

             Secondly, in order to prevent shoplifting, you must be able to identify the items taken, the location from which it was taken and the location, on the individuals person or belongings, where the merchandise has been concealed. Don’t play a guessing game. You need to know this information before you approach a shoplifter. If not you risk seeming unsure or unprofessional and could easily end up in a he said/ she said argument with the subject, or worse the police.

             Next, you must be able to describe how the subject concealed the merchandise and how they removed it from the store. Did they shove it down the front of their pants? (Don’t laugh; this happens far more often than anyone likes to admit) Did they simply walk out with it palmed in their hands? You’ve got to know all the details before making a stop. There are several other anti shoplifting steps that must be followed. These are just the initial steps you must perform in order to prevent shoplifting in your store.

Visit the Retail Loss Prevention Store to prevent shoplifting  

For more information contact us: Prevent Shoplifting or call 1.770.426.0547

Can exceptional customer service prevent shoplifting in a retail operation, or at least greatly minimize it?  The following items are not just useful customer service tips, but also act as a factor in retail theft prevention.

What does a shoplifter want to avoid when he comes into your store?  The answer is that he does not want to be noticed or recognized in any way.  The more anonymous the shoplifter can remain, the better he likes it.  By offering prompt and excellent service to each of your customers, losses from shoplifting can be reduced substantially.

Have someone available to greet of acknowledge each customer as soon after she enters the store as possible.  Speak to her directly and make eye contact. Create the impression that you recognize her and that you know who she is. Notice any attempt the customer might make to avoid help from an employee.

Shoplifters crave privacy so they won

How much effort does a retail store manager or owner need to devote in order to prevent shoplifting?

From the human capital side, personnel have to be specially trained in what to watch for in customers that might reveal a shoplifter, how to react when a customer is suspected, learn who to call, when to confront, how to deter, in general how to protect merchandise from thieves in addition to their regular duties.  This training has to be reinforced regularly in order to remain effective, and the people have to be managed.  There are also staffs dedicated to shrink control such as store detectives and fitting room attendants in some retail operations.

What helps to prevent shoplifting from the hardware equipment side?  There is special packaging that is next to impossible to remove from the merchandise makes life difficult for potential shoplifters.  There are lockable cabinets, specialty displays that attach the merchandise to the rack, and alternating hangers.  There are convex mirrors hung strategically in hard to see areas and one-way mirrors for surveillance.

From the psychological perspective, there are retailers that post signs warning that shoplifters will be prosecuted and “ghost calls” made periodically over the public address to a non-existent security staff for the benefit of the potential shoplifter.

There are a couple of electronic options to help prevent shoplifting.

One is CCTV, or the use of closed circuit television including a dvr to record any incidents.  A great instrument to prove a shoplifting case, and a deterrent to the unsophisticated shoplifter but requires someone to physically watch the monitor in order to actually catch someone shoplifting.  This is of great use in defending bogus slip and fall lawsuits and in detecting and solving employee theft, because the recorded media can be reviewed at a convenient time.

Another popular electronic means of retail theft prevention is the use of an EAS device such as those from Checkpoint Security Systems.  With a Checkpoint Security System, attaching Checkpoint tags to them or placing Checkpoint labels on them protects selected merchandise.  The Checkpoint tags and Checkpoint labels can only be removed or deactivated by an employee at the point of sale.  If this is not done, an alarm sounds as the merchandise passes through the antennas, and the situation is then addressed.  The use of Checkpoint Security Systems in retail serves as a deterrent and as a detection device, and is one of the most operationally efficient ways to prevent shoplifting.

Call 770-426-0547 to learn more ways to prevent shoplifting, about Checkpoint Security Systems, Checkpoint labels, and Checkpoint tags, or click here for more information.

As if there weren’t enough reasons to prevent shoplifting, how is the return/refund rate at your business?

A recent survey points out that annual merchandise returns amount to over $219 billion a year of which almost $12 billion is fraudulent.  This category of retail loss is significant.

Why has this category of retail loss continued to increase?

From the standpoint of the thief, receiving full value of the goods is much better than fencing merchandise for pennies on the dollar, or trying to sell it on the brown market for less than retail, and there are so many creative ways to return stolen merchandise to a store: using duplicate or phony receipts; actual receipts accompanying stolen merchandise; and buying merchandise from a discount retailer and returning to a full service store, among others.

Stolen merchandise result from the actions by shoplifters, internal theft, or sweethearting, collusion between an employee and a customer or vendor.  The ability to prevent shoplifting will reduce this area of loss considerably.

It is twice as painful for a retailer to pay full retail for his own merchandise that he can get wholesale from his vendor.

To become a harder target in this area of retail loss while maintaining excellent customer relations is a delicate balancing act faced by retailers every day.  Not taking merchandise back, or refusing to make refunds is a quick way to alienate legitimate customers.

For assistance in reducing vulnerability to return fraud and to prevent shoplifting in Atlanta Georgia, call the experts at Loss Prevention Systems, Inc. at 1-770-426-0547 or click here for more information.

A retail business owner is in the best position to make decisions on ways to prevent shoplifting.  Of course the decision should not be made without a complete analysis of the factors that contribute to the shortage problem and gaining all the information he can possibly obtain.  This is a decision that should not be made only by intuition.

The problem may become obvious.  Management may receive reports from customers or employees that have witnessed others shoplifting.  Merchandise mysteriously disappears from its place of display.  There are any number of signs that may indicate a shoplifting problem, the most serious being inventory loss that translates into lost profits.

One of the most effective ways to prevent shoplifting comes from Checkpoint Security Systems.  The use of antennas from Checkpoint Systems, along with Checkpoint tags and Checkpoint labels will not only alert store staff when an item that has not been paid for is leaving the store, but will deter all but the most determined shoplifter from attempting to shoplift from the store.

Antennas from Checkpoint Security Systems will detect protected merchandise of all kinds.  There are Checkpoint tags designed to protect everything from eyewear to shoes to golf clubs.  Checkpoint labels are used to safeguard groceries, boxes, packages, and certain types of clothing.   Almost any type of high theft merchandise can be protected from shoplifters by a label or tag from Checkpoint Security Systems.

Regardless of the size of the retail business, a Checkpoint Security System will prove to be cost effective because the profit from selling the merchandise that would have otherwise been shoplifted will quickly recover the cost of the system.

Click here to get information on a program to prevent shoplifting or call 770-426-0547 in Atlanta Georgia.  Click here to visit our Retail Loss Prevention Online Store. 

The effort to prevent shoplifting is more important than ever because in the current economy, statistics have shown an increase in the incidence of shoplifting versus previous years.  Many experts are predicting that the rates will continue rising.

It’s unfortunate that someone who plans to shoplift in your store or shop doesn’t wear a sign that says, “I AM A SHOPLIFTER!” or have it printed on his forehead so you could focus all your attention on him or her.  Unfortunately, shoplifters come in every shape and size, and from diverse backgrounds.  So to pick one out of a crowd of shoppers, most knowledgeable salespeople look for certain behaviors or characteristics in a potential shoplifter.

Here are some of the things to watch for:

o Did that customer that now carries a bag have that bag when she came in?  Acknowledge each customer as they enter or as soon as you can.
o Watch the shopper’s eyes.  Does he need help, or is he watching you?
o The customer seems to avoid you as you approach and refuses your offers to help.
o Be aware of customers with “props” – rolled up newspapers, large bags, baby strollers, and other items that can be used to hide merchandise.
o Customers who enter the store in a group then quickly split up to different areas of the store.
o Customers who continually walk into “blind spots”, out of your view.
o The customer who is too talkative, appears nervous or acts overly friendly, or tries to confuse you.

These are only a few of the things to watch for, but can be some of the most obvious. There are many potential shoplifters who have been deterred because they “just didn’t act right” and were noticed by an observant salesperson who approached the customer. greeted them, and offered to help.

Excellent customer service to each customer remains the most important defense to prevent shoplifting.

To discuss these and other ways to prevent shoplifting call 770-426-0547 or click here for more information in Atlanta Georgia and elsewhere.

Drilling down to the basics of ways to prevent shoplifting, here are some sure fire winners:

Anticipate.  Learn to think like a shoplifter when merchandising.  Are there hidden areas on the sales floor where you can conceal merchandise without being seen?  Are highly desirable items displayed near exits or in far corners of the store?  Do sales staff and cashiers have a clear line of sight to all areas?  Is the store adequately staffed during busy periods so that all customers are acknowledged?  Eliminating the obvious will go a long way toward reducing or eliminating shoplifting at your store; you just have to get out of the merchant’s mindset and into the shoplifter’s skin for a minute.  What do I want, how can I get it, and what’s the risk of being caught?

Be proactive.  Train and educate your staff on everything there is to know about shoplifting.  Knowledge and awareness are keys in the battle to prevent shoplifting.  Include shoplifting prevention as part of every staff meeting, even if it is just a short mention.  Shoplifter awareness and prevention should become a part of everyone’s job description, since the impact of shrinkage is so great on the profit of any retail business.  Remind staff that it is money that is displayed on the sales floor and it should be treated as such.

Checkpoint Systems.  Think of EAS by Checkpoint Systems as the employee that doesn’t need to be reminded of the importance of controlling shoplifting.  That is its one and only purpose, to stand at the store’s exit and announce when merchandise is leaving that hasn’t been paid for.  And it never calls in sick or takes a break.  True, it needs other employees to do its job, but its presence makes everyone’s job a little easier by making more time available for employees to do the other aspects of their jobs.

These ABC’s are not meant to be comprehensive in any way.  But changing attitudes, along with the introduction of anti shoplifting technology, is a great way to prevent shoplifting at your location.

Call 770-426-0547 for more ideas to prevent shoplifting or click here for information.  Be sure and visit our Online Retail Loss Prevention Store by clicking here.

It’s never too late too begin a program to prevent shoplifting.  A business owner may feel like it’s too late following a period of good sales, good control over inventory and operations budgets and he still takes a loss because of an unplanned and bloated inventory loss figure.  That and other signs like empty hangers and packaging, reported incidents of shoplifting, and the knowledge that he is ordering more merchandise to replenish than he is selling.

The dollar loss is what the owner has to look at as he decides what measures to take to stop shoplifting in his store.  High losses demand effective action.

There’s a grocery store that I pass by occasionally and I have noticed that after dark, there is a security guard stationed at the front door.  That indicates to me that management has decided that it is worth the expense to hire a guard to protect its customers, and I suspect, to keep merchandise from walking out the door for free, and that much of the mischief occurs after dark.

It’s difficult to track and prevent shoplifting, it’s such a sneaky crime and it can occur at any time there is a customer in the store.  Shoplifters don’t announce themselves and a shoplifter looks exactly like any other customer.

The merchandise has to be openly displayed and available, otherwise there would be greatly reduced sales in the store.

Ideally, there would be a way to deter potential shoplifters and detect them if they steal. 

Checkpoint Systems, Checkpoint tags, and Checkpoint labels used correctly by a store would seem to accomplish both these goals.

The presence of an EAS system by Checkpoint Systems in itself is enough to make a potential shoplifter think again about stealing from a store with the retail anti theft device installed.  This makes the potential thief think at least that store staff is aware of shoplifters and raises it above their risk tolerance level.

Those who are determined to steal will most often go to a retailer that doesn’t use the Checkpoint Systems device to reduce the threat of being detected.

Prevent shoplifting before it becomes too late with all the tools at your disposal.

For more ways to prevent shoplifting call 770-426-0257 or click here: Stop Shoplifting in Atlanta Georgia.

Are we fighting a losing battle when it comes to ways to prevent shoplifting by juveniles?

Teenagers are in a class by themselves when it comes to shoplifters.  Their motives and behaviors are very different from that of adults who commit the same crimes.

For ten years I was a volunteer facilitator for a shoplifting prevention class run by a county juvenile court system.  Teenaged shoplifters who had been caught shoplifting and were turned over to the justice system were required, along with their parents, to attend a three night seminar where the crime and impact of shoplifting was discussed and dissected.

One of the things I noticed about young shoplifters was that they rarely shoplifted alone as opposed to adults, who more often than not were by themselves.  That indicated to me that juveniles saw no shame in stealing from a store because they often had their friends as accomplices/witnesses to their acts.  Adults would never go up to one of their friends and say, “I just stole this blouse,” and smile and be proud of it.

It was very different in a classroom full of shoplifters and their parents.  During my introduction to the class on the first night, I would usually ask, “Will all the thieves in the room please raise your hands?  Very few hands went up which would lead into a discussion of exactly what shoplifting is (stealing is what thieves do, right?) and why stores want to prevent shoplifting from occurring.

When the young people were separated from their parents, many of them seemed to show little remorse.  Reasons for the act were “Everybody does it, I just got caught”, “Just wanted it”, to “I don’t know.”  They generally perceived the crime as victimless against a huge corporation who would never miss it.  After all, there are massive displays of merchandise, quite tempting to a young shoplifter, even those who would never think of stealing from an acquaintance or a stranger on the street.  That, and a relatively low chance of being caught.

So a change in perception of the crime through education would reduce the willingness of a teenager to participate in it, as would a large increase in the risk of being caught.

Retail anti theft devices such as EAS by Checkpoint Systems can have a great effect on an overall program to prevent shoplifting by throwing up a huge reminder to a potential shoplifter that the consequences of theft can be serious.

Call 770-426-0547 or click here to learn more ways to prevent shoplifting by everyone, not just juveniles.

We as human beings have the nasty habit of over-complicating the simplest tasks, even when it comes to finding ways to prevent shoplifting. For years I have instructed my minions (I call them that to their faces, so I feel it’s ok to say it here as well) to think like a shoplifter. You walk into a store with the intent to steal. You’re trying desperately to appear calm, cool and collected without drawing any attention to yourself. What’s the worst thing that can happen? Some cheerful, smiling associate jumps in your face asking, “Can I help you find something today?” Yikes! Your cover is good as blown.

What’s worse? Even after you say, “No, thank you.” in the most innocent voice you can muster they still keep an eye on you; periodically checking to see if you require assistance. It’s ridiculous! Don’t they understand that thievery normally requires a bit of privacy? Are they just trying to be nice and helpful? Is this some new approach; some new fangled way to prevent shoplifting? You can’t be sure. It’s certainly not worth the risk when Mr. /Ms. Eager-to-help is 10-feet away from you breathing down your neck. Your best option is to find another store to steal from. This one is too… too… friendly.

Think about it, normal shoppers usually don’t mind an attentive associate. As a matter of fact they tend to appreciate it. It’s a little thing we in the business like to call “good customer service”. Not only is it great for business and will probably help you secure repeat customers, it is also an excellent way to repel and prevent shoplifting.

Visit the Retail Loss Prevention Store to prevent shoplifting now!

For more information contact us at Prevent Shoplifting or call 1.770.426.0547 – Atlanta Georgia