My employees that watch and catch shoplifters spotted an individual who concealed an electronic item between two pairs of pants, then entered the fitting room of the business. The fitting room attendant did not handle or touch the clothing, and therefore did not prevent shoplifting in this case.  The electronic item was stolen while the shoplifter was inside of the fitting room.

This is a common occurrence among our employees – a simple act such as handling the items going into the fitting room could have be enough to prevent shoplifting in this situation.  Training our employees to be aware of the techniques shoplifters use can go far to prevent shoplifting within your business.

Having a strong loss prevention program in place is beneficial in protecting the assets of a business.  Employing the expertise of a loss prevention consultant can make this daunting task a reality for businesses that may not know where to start in creating a program.

Once there are guidelines in place, employees can be trained to prevent shoplifting in their everyday work.  Some basic guidelines are to teach employees to pay attention to the shoppers in their area, and to provide good customer service.  A potential shoplifter does not want attention, so if attention is provided to every customer in your business, the shoplifter knows he or she has been noticed.  This is exactly what a shoplifter does not want.

Additional loss prevention ideas are to have controls in place in areas like your fitting room.  Fitting room attendants should handle the clothing that goes into the fitting room to make sure that merchandise is not concealed within it.  The attendant should also count and limit the number of garments going in, and then make sure that is the number that comes back out.

When you prevent shoplifting within your business, you decrease your shrink and increase your profits – common business sense.

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

Reactively Prevent Shoplifting

The first time a shoplifter is caught, he or she will undoubtedly claim that it’s the first time they’ve ever done anything like this, will truly be embarrassed, will offer to buy the item or items, and will swear that they will never do it again.  In some cases, it may be true that this experience will prevent shoplifting from occurring in their lives again; for others, the experience may be only a small inconvenience.

This is just opinion, but I believe that very few retail thieves get caught the first time they give it a try.  The first time, they are generally very nervous, very suspicious, and extra careful to avoid detection, checking closely for one-way mirrors, CCTV cameras, security tags, or employees in the vicinity.  It’s only after they become more comfortable and confident that they let their guard down enough to be caught.

But what reaction should a storekeeper or owner have that is likely to prevent this shoplifter from repeating his actions?

First of all, the experience and embarrassment will probably keep a small percentage of shoplifters from stealing again.  But for others, letting them walk is only an invitation to suffer future losses from this shoplifter and others who hear that your establishment doesn’t prosecute for theft.

Is prosecution always the best course to take to prevent shoplifting?  Not always, but usually.  The crime of shoplifting is a serious one, costing retailers billions of dollars every year.  The courts are generally the best place to take care of shoplifters as they get the benefit of experiencing first hand the consequences of their illegal activities.  The storeowner doesn’t really know, when a shoplifter is caught in his store, if it’s the first or fiftieth time the person has been caught.  The court will know at least know if there have been any previous prosecutions and deal with it accordingly.  First offenders are usually given deferred judgment which means that the offense will not remain on their record forever, unless they fail to meet the terms of their probation or are arrested on another charge.  Repeat offenders receive harsher and harsher penalties.

A shoplifter is responsible for his own situation.

To discuss this and other ways to prevent shoplifting, call 770-426-0547 or click here for contact information.

I can be anyone – someone like your kids, your mother, or your neighbor.  I am a shoplifter but I don’t have a certain description, and I don’t wear a name tag that says “shoplifter.”  How are you able to identify me – before I steal your merchandise?

Businesses that successfully prevent shoplifting within their stores have sound loss prevention measures in place.  A business owner cannot take for granted that his or her customers will not steal.  As much as we’d like to trust our fellow man…our business loss prevention sense has to prevail in order to have the most profitable business possible.  Low shrinkage and high profitability is the goal – not enabling shoplifters by being an easy target.

One way to prevent shoplifting is to recognize the signs that a customer that may be thinking of shoplifting. Then react appropriately to prevent the crime from occurring.  Train your employees to watch how customers act.  A person that is considering shoplifting will be looking around, watching the employees.  He or she will probably find a secluded area with few employees or other customers. And the shoplifter may have a means to leave the business with the merchandise, be it in her purse, under his jacket, or another means of concealment. 

Another best practice to prevent shoplifting is to provide excellent customer service, aggressively, to those who may be acting suspiciously.  Attention is not what the shoplifter is looking for in your store.

You can also prevent shoplifting by keeping your employees informed.  When you keep good records of your inventory, you can recognize what items are being stolen most often.  Let your employees know which items are considered high theft in your business, so that they can pay extra attention to that area of your store.  Additionally, if your employees know that you recognize quickly what items are being stolen, the employees themselves may think twice before stealing from you, their employer.

For more information contact us: prevent shoplifting or call 1.770.426.256.

When you want to prevent shoplifting you must understand how a shoplifter steals. They need only several seconds in most cases to conceal your merchandise. You need to be aware of how they conceal it. And be on the look out for the signals.

Concealment:                             
Purses, large or small                               
Shopping bags from your store or others                         
Under clothing                        
In pockets-this is the most common                            
Infant strollers-who would demand to see under the baby or wake them up
                                          
Ticket Switching:                         
Remove higher price ticket and put a lower one in its’ place. Or placing a sticker with a different barcode over the one on the package. Barcode software is available over the counter.            
  
Change ticket price with a pen or pricing gun. This may be to just create confusion while a partner is the one stealing.   
                                         
Refunding:                                
Customer removes the tag from new merchandise, claims it was purchased and receives the cash. Without ever leaving your store!                

Customers making frequent refunds. Track who is refunding. Require ID.

Same person using different names and addresses to obtain refunds.
         
Used Receipt  – Receipt from a previous purchase is used to obtain a refund on additional merchandise.                           
                                            
Distraction:
Asking to see more merchandise than employees can keep track of.         

Using another person or a small child to keep the employee occupied while a partner steals merchandise.   
  
Shuffling merchandise around

I will never forget the rather large woman who was stealing 22lb frozen turkeys by holding one between her thighs, under her dress. OK that is a bit disgusting. That’s why I waited to blog about this after Thanksgiving.

Shoplifters are good at what they do. You have to be better. Get trained; get the right equipment and tools to help you and most important get the right attitude. Your effort to prevent shoplifting has to be a 24/7 endeavor.

For more information contact us at prevent shoplifting or call 1.770.426.0547

A shoplifter walks into your store.  How do you know they are going to shoplift?  What does a shoplifter look like?

If shoplifters wore name tags that said “Hello, my name is Sue and I shoplift” then our jobs would be quite easy.  But, in reality, there is not a “look” to a shoplifter.

They can be dressed nice, dressed shabby, be clean, be unkempt, be male, or be female.  There is no picture in the dictionary next to the word “shoplifter.”

So how does a business prevent shoplifting in their store? While the person can’t be picked out as a shoplifter from their look, they can be distinguished for their actions.  A shoplifter may be looking around and watching other employees or customers.  He or she may appear nervous or apprehensive.  They may be wandering your store and not appear to be shopping the way that others do.  By teaching your employees to watch for these clues, you can prevent shoplifting in your business.

Shoplifters often work in groups, having one person distract the employee while the other steals.  This is good information for your employees to know, so that they can be aware of this technique and prevent shoplifting in this style.

Your employees should also have knowledge of what items in your business are considered high theft.  These items should be kept in an area where employees can monitor them.  Employees should provide excellent customer service at all times – but especially when customers are looking at these high theft items.

Have your employees pay attention to their surroundings while they are working on your sales floor.  If they are stocking shelves or straightening merchandise, they can still watch the customers around them and provide good customer service.

Using some of these tips to prevent shoplifting in your business will help convince your shoplifting customers that they should shop elsewhere for the “deals” they seek.

For more information contact us at prevent shoplifting or call 1.770.426.256 – Atlanta Georgia

It is vital for a company to take certain protective measures to prevent shoplifting because it can singularly be the cause of thousands of dollars in lost revenue to a retailer. The first and most important protective measure is to make the shoplifters feel watched.  Elevate the cashier’s platform, install mirrors that enable cashiers and sales people to see over and around displays, install a closed circuit television system with visible cameras. Ultimately most shoplifters want to remain concealed. Anything that threatens that concealment may cause them to take their “business” elsewhere.

 Other ways to prevent shoplifting are to post signs warning against shoplifting.  Emphasize that your company policy is to prosecute all shoplifters. Many shoplifters, even once caught, believe that they can talk their way out of the situation. Let it be known that is not an option in your establishment. Encourage checking bags and packages on entry. Require receipts for merchandise returns for cash and insist upon a photo ID and signature for returns without a receipt. Even then only give the customer a gift card or voucher to be spent in the store.

 Install surveillance cameras to cover cash registers, high-value merchandise displays, entrances, loading docks and any rear entrances. There is a constant battle that occurs every day between the retailer and the shoplifter. Of course it’s a battle that we would like to win, but more over it’s a battle we would like the shoplifter to choose not to fight. The best way for us to prevent shoplifting in a store is to discourage the shoplifter at the onset. Make him/ her think it will be more trouble than its worth to escape unseen with their ill-gotten goods and you will successfully prevent shoplifting in your establishment.

For more information contact us: prevent shoplifting or call 1.770.426.0547

As a retailer it is always in the back of your mind how to prevent shoplifting . However, you can’t really begin to stop it until you understand why it happens. According to research performed by the Urban Institute, shoplifting is usually a crime of opportunity perpetrated by regular customers, particularly juveniles, and is often considered a gateway for juveniles into other criminal activities. Shoplifting tends to be more problematic for businesses located near city centers, high-traffic areas, schools, and areas of concentrated low-income residents. Smaller retailers, especially those without organized loss prevention, are also at greater risk of shoplifting.

Now, chances are you specialize in more than just one item. So, in order to prevent shoplifting you must also be aware of what merchandise the average shoplifter is interested in. Hot items for shoplifters include tobacco products, CDs, video games, earrings, birth control products, decongestants, and brand-named clothing or footwear. Products such as cigarettes and alcohol are susceptible to shoplifting by minors because they are unable to purchase them legally. Birth control products, such as condoms or pregnancy tests, are vulnerable because shoplifters are often too embarrassed to purchase these items.

I know some of you are reading the above paragraphs and thinking “who cares?” You don’t want to know why an individual shoplifts; you just want to know how to stop them. Well, the hard fact is this: anyone can be a shoplifter, and if you spend all your time eyeballing every single person that walks into your store you’re not going to have time to do what you’re actually there to do – make money. Therefore, taking a few minutes to understand the average shoplifter, their motivation and the items they are most likely to try to steal can go a long way to helping you prevent shoplifting altogether.

For more information contact us: prevent shoplifting or call 1.770.426.0547

I am a shoplifter.  I want to steal from your business.  Just try and stop me!

What are you going to do to prevent me from shoplifting in your business?  Billions are lost every year to retail theft.  The results of this loss can be seen in every aspect of your business:  higher prices, inventory shrinkage, lost profit, even business closure.

Prevent shoplifting by fostering an environment in which your employees enjoy their work and want to prevent theft.  By having employees who are committed to good customer service, they can provide that attention that honest customers appreciate and we shoplifters despise.

Another way to prevent shoplifting is to look at your sales floor the way that a shoplifter would.  Are there blind corners and secluded areas?  Do your employees provide good customer service or do they tend to ignore the shoppers?  How about your high theft items – are they in a secure area or in a locked case?  At the very least, these types of items need to be located where employees can be nearby.

What is considered a high theft item?  A business needs to keep track of its inventory versus its sales of products so that a loss can be identified quickly.  Once an item is identified as high theft, then measures can be taken to prevent the theft of that merchandise.

Proper staffing is also a way to prevent shoplifting .  If there are only a couple of employees in your business at a given time, and it is a large business…this provides plenty of opportunity for shoplifters like me to be unattended.

You can’t provide one employee for every shopper that comes into your business, but adequate staff can prevent shoplifting as well as provide good service to your customers.

The goal?  Scare away us shoplifters and bring in honest customers.

Shoplifting loses, profits win.

For more information contact us: prevent shoplifting or call 1.770.426.256 – Atlanta Georgia

A business owner wants to do everything he or she can to prevent shoplifting within their business.  Who wants to stand back and watch their products walk out of the doors at the hands of a shoplifter?  Only the business owner that does not wish to remain in business very long.

Establishing a loss prevention program is beneficial to boost profits and prevent loss within a business.  A program can be broad and can include many levels of security.  For example, having high theft items locked up can be part of a loss prevention initiative, as well as having key logs and secure key policies to prevent employee theft.  Having secure keys that access locked cases can also prevent a shoplifter from stealing the keys – and then having access to the jackpot of merchandise.

Your employees can also prevent shoplifting by providing good customer service to all customers, including those that may be intending to shoplift.  A shoplifter can only shoplift if they do not have the attention of store staff, so teaching employees to provide that attention in the form of customer service will go far to prevent shoplifting . The shoplifter will move on to the next business, the one without knowledgeable staff that know how to prevent theft.

I researched the attempted theft of camcorders at a large retailer, by using CCTV.  While the shoplifter was fighting with the package and attempting to remove the merchandise, a manager happened to walk by.

The manager did not see the shoplifter in the nearby aisle, but that is all it took to startle the shoplifter and cause him to abandon the camcorder.

Sometimes, we do not even realize when we prevent shoplifting .

Not every shoplifter is so easily spooked, however.  Working with your employees to prevent shoplifting is one way that a business can reduce this form of shrinkage.

For more information contact us: prevent shoplifting or call 1.770.426.256 – Atlanta Georgia

If you are reading this you are likely a retailer who has recently experienced loss looking for ways to help prevent shoplifting.  If you have been in business a little while you know that inventory shrinkage – inventory loss is going to happen and there is only one way to not have any, close the doors and send every employee home.  It is a matter of reducing your losses to a reasonable acceptable level.

Let’s fix some thinking about CCTV: cameras do not prevent shoplifting on significant levels.  Cameras will deter the impulsive shoplifter who is not your typical thief.  Not worth the investment to simply deter that group.  Amateur and professional shoplifters know that no one is watching the cameras and they totally ignore them.

Your burglar alarm is a mute point…it is only in use when you are closed.

The use of an EAS system (electronic article surveillance) such as a Checkpoint system will prevent shoplifting better than anything else short of hiring loss prevention security agents to walk the store. 

The presence of the Checkpoint system will keep most shoplifters out…studies show 85%.  And this majority makes up the most losses.  What’s left are the professional who will steal no matter what, but thank goodness they are the minority.

So number one way to prevent shoplifting is employ security personnel, second best, install a checkpoint system.

For more info visit: prevent shoplifting