Helping to Prevent Shoplifting in Atlanta GA

Storeowners and retail managers continue to search for foolproof ways to prevent shoplifting.  The only foolproof method is to lock merchandise in a vault and escort customers in one at a time accompanied by an armed guard or two.  Even then, there’s a possibility that some sticky fingered thief will get away with something.  For sure, sales would suffer.

Prevention begins with the display type and location.  High theft/high value items may be kept in a locking cabinet and taken out at a customer’s request.  Display merchandise to reduce hidden areas and don’t hide merchandise behind displays or around corners where it is difficult to monitor by sales people or cashiers.

Being instructed on how to prevent shoplifting should be part of each new employee’s orientation process, and the subject of ongoing training for everyone.  Shoplifting awareness is an undervalued but important prevention measure.

Excellent customer service by the staff to each visitor will also cause a shoplifter to feel self-conscious as if he was being watched, and deter the crime of shoplifting in many cases.

Some anti shoplifting programs call for the use of visible deterrents like convex mirrors and exposed or hidden cameras.  These have their uses, but are really not a barrier to a determined shoplifter.

Still other retailers depend on retail anti theft devices.  Benefit deniers (ink tags), EAS systems like those made by Checkpoint Security Systems including Checkpoint labels and Checkpoint tags, or some other type of local alarm.

Depending on several factors, each location should develop and use any or all methods necessary to prevent shoplifting and save profits.

Get help with your anti shoplifting program.  Call 770-426-0547 or click here:  Prevent Shoplifting – Atlanta GA.  Please visit our Online Store.

 

 

It can be extremely frustrating for a business owner to suffer a large loss due to shoplifting.  Owners and managers sometimes do not know where to begin to fix this issue.  In order to prevent shoplifting, one must recognize the factors within the business that make it at a greater risk to shoplifting, and then take measures to correct these factors while still providing a pleasing shopping environment to the honest customer.

Businesses do not want to cater to the shoplifter; just the paying shopper.

Businesses should consider keeping small expensive items or high theft items in locked cases or behind counters where employees control access to these items.  Having a policy in place to where the customer has to pay for the item at the counter is a good idea as well.  Theft can be greatly reduced by keeping these types of items secure until a customer is ready to purchase them.

Other controls in your business can help prevent shoplifting. Have employees located near restrooms and fitting rooms.  Also teach employees to check the number of items going into fitting rooms, and verify that the same number is coming out.  Additionally, fitting rooms should be locked when not in use, and unlocked only when a customer is ready to try something on.  This simple policy can prevent shoplifting inside of fitting rooms, because the potential shoplifter has to get the attention of an employee in order to go into the fitting room. Shoplifters do not like to draw attention to themselves.

Having security tags, security labels two way mirrors, and CCTV are additional ways to prevent shoplifting.  Have signs posted that CCTV security systems are in use.  Also, have visible camera globes, especially in corners and other areas attractive to shoplifters.  Utilizing a merchandise alarm with security tags is also a good theft prevention technique.

We may not be able to eliminate all shoplifting, but with a few of these suggestions we can go far to prevent shoplifting in our businesses.

For more information contact us: prevent shoplifting or call 1.770.426.0547 – Atlanta Georgia

There are many ways that businesses can prevent shoplifting . Ways that the average business owner may not think of, but that are important none-the-less.  Loss prevention experts can analyze the aspects of your business and offer up important advice on how to reduce your losses from shoplifting.

For example, store design should be taken into consideration.  Registers should be near the entrance and exits of the business.  This can prevent walkout thefts and also make a shoplifter nervous that they have to walk past where there are employees.  Another way to prevent shoplifting by store design is to not have aisles that stand too tall or create blind spots.  You do not want to provide shoplifters a place to hide and complete their crime.  Have mirrors in place to eliminate any potential blind spots, and also have good lighting so there are no dark corners for shoplifters to lurk.

Do not place high theft, expensive merchandise near the entrances and exits.  Some bold shoplifters will simply “grab and go” by taking the merchandise and quickly getting out of the store.  You can prevent shoplifting in this manner by placing this type of merchandise further back within your store, near employee work areas.

You can prevent shoplifting in your business by keeping a neat and organized store.  If your employees know the merchandise and what is on the sales floor, they are more apt to notice when merchandise is missing.  This is also a good prevention tactic for employee theft.  Employees will be less likely to steal if they know that it will be quickly noticed.  Having good inventory audit programs will also allow you to keep tabs on your merchandise and notice right away when something is missing.

In order to reduce your losses, you have to think like a shoplifter, and then react by creating an environment less desirable to most shoplifters.  Do that, and prevent shoplifting within your business.

For more information contact us at prevent shoplifting or call 1.770.426.0547.

Prevent shoplifting ? Do you have shoplifters? Can you prevent shoplifting ?

Well, let me start by saying, you may be in the wrong business if you think you don’t have shoplifters. Every retailer has shoplifters, no matter how secure they think they might be. However, you can certainly prevent shoplifting by being proactive and limiting the amount of loss your store will experience.

Retail loss prevention has been working for years on how to prevent retail theft. Many retail loss prevention professionals agree that at least 30% of a retailer’s loss is directly related to shoplifting. In some cases, that number is much higher.
Working for many years in retail loss prevention, I have seen a large number of shoplifters throughout many retailers. One thing each of these retailers has in common is looking for ways to prevent shoplifting. Well, here are a couple of tips.

First, if you don’t already have a retail loss prevention program, get one. You need specialty help. Store Managers are good, but they don’t have the training needed to apprehend shoplifters nor do they have the time to follow up on these cases. To prevent retail theft, you have to create a retail loss prevention program to meet the needs of your business. This could mean hiring loss prevention consultants to make the necessary recommendations.

Inventory shrinkage is a killer of many retailers. Affecting the sales of the store, inventory shrinkage has been known to shut down companies.  If shoplifting contributes 30% or more to inventory shrinkage, then the problem has been stopped.

Do this! Truly evaluate what your store needs. Look at the types of shoplifting activities are going on in your store. Talk with your employees, often times they see and hear of shoplifting incidents daily. Find out what merchandise is mostly being lost or stolen, then get help.

Contact us at prevent shoplifting or call 1.770.426.0547

A business’s ability to prevent shoplifting is important in order for that business to be profitable.  No business owner wants all of his merchandise walking out of the front door without being purchased.  All businesses are affected by retail theft, but to what extent can be determined by the measures in place to prevent shoplifting within the business.

A business owner should make sure that their sales floor lay out is not attractive to shoplifters.  Keep shelving low and aisles spaced apart.  Clothing racks should have some space between them and not be too tall.  The sales floor should be analyzed to make sure that there are no hidden corners or dark areas that make it easy to be out of sight and concealing merchandise.

Shoplifters can be professionals or amateurs.  Both types can be good at what they do and difficult to catch, but you can still prevent shoplifting by knowing what to watch for when these individuals come into your business.

Professionals are shoplifting for a living and can be difficult to detain. Both may use lookouts to watch store employees while another member of the group steals.  Prevent shoplifting from both of these groups by being aware that they exist, and by trying hard not to be a target.

Shoplifters steal in a variety of ways.  They may conceal merchandise in purses, pockets, strollers, or inside of other merchandise that they will then purchase.  Some shoplifters will switch price tags on items, or try to conduct return fraud.  All of these varieties can lead to shrinkage within your store. 

However the shoplifter may choose to steal, it is your job as the business owner or manager to make it more difficult:  prevent shoplifting and increase your profits.

For more information contact us at prevent shoplifting or call 1.770.426.0547 – Atlanta Georgia

My employees recently experienced something that we do not experience very often in our business.  They identified some suspicious people and started observing them, as they are trained to do.  They noticed that a male in the group started visiting with an employee, while the female then went to a nearby aisle and started putting merchandise in her purse.  She also put some clothing on under her jacket.  My employees were in a good position to observe this activity, but then the female received a phone call.  She discarded everything she planned to steal and the two left the store, after meeting up with a third person my employees had not seen prior.

While my employees were able to prevent shoplifting in this case, they were frustrated that these individuals were unidentified and may try to “hit” our store again.  I used this situation as a learning tool.  I explained that the third person they did not see until she was exiting was probably a perimeter lookout.  The male’s job was to distract the employee while the other female loaded up on our merchandise.  The perimeter lookout did her job and alerted the concealer that she was being watched, who then discarded the merchandise.  Our business did not suffer a loss and we were able to prevent shoplifting .

In your business, teach your employees to watch out for groups like this.  Employees need to provide good customer service but also be aware that a customer’s intent may be to distract their attention from the job that they are supposed to be doing.  Joint efforts from all employees in your business can go far to prevent shoplifting .

Prevent shoplifting without sacrificing customer service, and you can see your losses decrease.

For more information contact us at  prevent shoplifting or call 1.770.426.0547.

Over the years I have run into some pretty weird situations with shoplifters. In a companies effort to prevent shoplifting we must apprehend the thieves that are stealing. In one situation I apprehended a guy who had stolen a framed picture of Christ. He did not fight me, resist, run or any thing else that we are always prepared to deal with. But when the Police arrived at the store and we were switching handcuffs on the shoplifter he turned to me and said, “This is not a very Christian thing you are doing to me”. This guy STEALS and I am the sinner!

Another time I stopped and detained a middle aged woman for stealing about $300 worth of new tennis shoes that I had witnessed her switch tags on to a lower priced shoe. She had a pretty heavy Eastern European accent. Again while police officers were taking her into custody she stated that I was discriminating against her because she was European. The police officers taking her into custody, whom I knew very well started laughing. She looked at them with shock when they told her. “Lady this store is owned by a French company and he (pointing to me) is married to German citizen (I met my clearly better half when I was in the Army stationed in Germany). They then reminded her that she had the right to remain silent and that they would prefer that she exercise that right.

Another all time favorite is the guy who stole a $1.00 fishing lure from a sporting goods store. That was all he took! I stopped him and took him into custody. When I got him back to the Security Office I emptied his pockets (he was handcuffed) and was bagging it up for the police when I discovered a “wad” of cash well over one hundred dollars. I was shocked (still naïve then) and asked him why he stole a minor $1.00 item when he clearly had the cash to pay for it. He said, “I wanted to see if I could get away with it”. I just shook my head and told him that it was good that he had the cash on him, as he would need it for bail.

I have found over the years that you can prevent shoplifting and be entertained at the same time.

For more information on the ongoing war to prevent shoplifting contact us at prevent shoplifting or call 1.770.426.0547- Atlanta Georgia

How about a fresh approach to prevent shoplifting in your store? Is what you are currently doing appropriate? Is it delivering you the reduction in inventory losses that you want? If it isn’t then you need a fresh approach. It is said that the definition of insanity is to do the same old thing over and over and expect a different outcome.

First look at what individual products are being stolen by the shoplifting public. If you have several items that are hit the most then address your efforts around them. In other words if 10% of your product is responsible for 90% of your losses then attack there first.

There are anti theft solutions that can attack specific product problems. If for example you are a woman’s clothing and accessories retailer and are having problems with shoplifters stealing high-end handbags then there is an Alpha High Theft Solution that will stop this.

If you are a liquor store retailer and there is a problem not only with shoplifting but also bottles being opened and consumed on your property then there is another Alpha High Theft Solution for that.

Are power tools a high theft problem? Another Alpha High Theft Solution product will stop this.

Many of these items will not only protect from shoplifting where the thief tries to leave with the product but will alarm in store if they tamper with the packaging. You do not and should not try to cover every product in the store. Focus on your worst “problem children” products. Once you have fixed them then go on to the next ones and so on until your shoplifting prevention program is delivering the results you want.

The measurement for this is do you have your losses at a budget level you can live with? You do not want to spend $5000 to protect a total of $100 in losses over a one-year period. The return on investment is simply not there. Prevent shoplifting with a fresh, new look!

For more information on shoplifting prevention contact us at prevent shoplifting or call 1.770.426.0547 – Atlanta Georgia

I never realized that so many smaller retailers are actually afraid to take proactive actions to prevent shoplifting in their stores. As an LP professional that has apprehended more shoplifters than I care to remember I have a difficult time with this fear. I can assure you that shoplifters will sense your fear and you WILL become one of their favorites. Its like blood in the water to a shark.

A proactive approach sends the message “leave me alone I am not afraid of you”. To prevent shoplifting you must not be afraid to provide great customer service. That is the foundation. Wow…this is something you strive for anyway. Great customer service drives your good customers into the store and drives the shoplifters out the door, down the street into your less prepared competitor.

Use Checkpoint security systems. This provides you with 24/7 security coverage on your merchandise. It never takes a day off or calls in sick. So when your floor coverage is low you are still protected.

You must call the police whenever you catch a shoplifter regardless of age, sex or any other factor. If you do not, the smell of blood will be in the water. If the shoplifter knows that the worst they face is harsh words from you or your staff then so what! Remember most states have merchant laws in place that protect you from both civil and criminal action. You just have to follow some simple rules. If you would like a copy of your states laws contact us.

A well-lighted, clean and neat store also tells shoplifter that you are on the ball and know where your merchandise is and account for it.

You and your staff need to be trained in how to deal with a shoplifter when you do make the decision to apprehend. But even more important you need to practice it before you do it in real life.

It is simple logic the shoplifter will take the path of least resistance. Make their path an uphill climb strewn with boulders and vines. They will go away!

For more information about shoplifting or Checkpoint security systems contact us at prevent shoplifting or call 1.770.426.0547 – Atlanta Georgia

Shakespeare wrote in Hamlet “One may smile, and smile, and be a villain.”  This is a point that I press upon my employees when teaching them to prevent shoplifting within our business.  I don’t believe that everyone is a thief…but in order to prevent shoplifting your employees have to know how to identify and deter the shoplifters that frequent your establishment.

I ask my newly hired employees “what does a shoplifter look like?”  In response to this question I usually receive a variety of interesting answers.  Some employees already have the insight to know that there is not a “look” to a shoplifter.  Any person that walks into your store could be a shoplifter, whether they are young or old, male or female, etc.  In order to prevent shoplifting and reduce your losses employees need to observe customer behavior and identify when a customer may be acting suspiciously.

A person intent on shoplifting will take note of exits, the merchandise they would like to steal, and where the employees are located in the store.  He or she will notice secluded corners and choose these areas to conceal your merchandise.  Shoplifters may work in pairs so one can distract an employee while the other steals.  Shoplifters may also select merchandise quickly without really “shopping” i.e. looking closely at the item, or the price.  When your business is training employees to prevent shoplifting , these behaviors need to be brought to their attention.  Noticing simple behaviors can speak volumes as to the intent of the customer.

I recently visited with my employees that apprehend shoplifters at the company I work for.  I had studied 2010’s statistics and noticed that our average shoplifter age was pretty young – late 20s.  I reminded my employees, as all business owners should do, that anyone, of any age, might be a shoplifter.  Just because she looks like your Grandma doesn’t mean she isn’t a shoplifter. 

Their actions must be what we listen to when identifying a customer’s intent to shoplift.  Train on these technique, and prevent shoplifting in your business.

For more information contact us:  prevent shoplifting or call 1.770.426.0547 – Atlanta Georgia