prevent shrinkage

Identifying The Problems To Prevent Shoplifting

June 2, 2016 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

To fix a problem, you first need to know what is wrong with it. Shoplifting and employee theft are two of the main causes of billions of dollars lost in the retail industry every year. Employers and management personnel do not know how to fix those problems, and sometimes are not aware there is a problem till much later. If employees are caught stealing, the problems then are the financial costs associated with prosecuting such individuals. Is firing them enough punishment? Should the employer pay thousands of dollars in legal fees to bring such individuals to court? There are many issues associated with shoplifting, do you know what to do about them?

To read more about this topic, follow the links below.

Managing Retail Shrink Begins with Problem Identification

The retail shrink action plan should begin with problem identification.

One question I have been asked frequently is, “How did you know how to battle retail shrink in the grocery business, especially considering your background is predominantly in discount retail?” My response to that question is almost always the same, which is: “I follow the loss prevention road map.” Often I get blank stares, but after explaining, most understand and realize they have probably been following their own road map for years without realizing it.

I have always described the road map as a six-step process; one that takes years to perfect, but when executed properly can yield amazing results in not only retail shrinkage reduction, but any expense a company is attempting to minimize.

The process includes the following six steps:

• Step 1—Problem identification
• Step 2—Program development
• Step 3—Program execution, or what I like to call countermeasures
• Step 4—Comprehensive awareness programs
• Step 5—Auditing for compliance
• Step 6—Measurement

Shoplifting prevention tips for businesses

JOHANNESBURG – Preventing petty theft such as shoplifting is not an exact science, however, here are a few tips to help business owners and shopkeepers.

Danny Maduray, owner of Ria Sebetsa Security, warned businesses of shoplifters.

“If you suspect someone may be shoplifting, never accuse him but rather ask if you can help him,” said Maduray.

“Keep the person in your sight and contact security or a manager immediately. Never try to stop the shoplifter. Rather provide security with a detailed description of the person, including his vehicle, if possible.”

Maduray also listed a few tips for businesses to prevent shoplifting:

Greet customers as soon as they come into the store. Addressing customers removes their anonymity. Shoplifters are known to avoid stores with attentive salespeople.

Face to Face

With facial recognition tools, do benefits outweigh privacy concerns?

Facial recognition technology has progressed through several generations, been tested in the workplace and is employed on a daily basis by transportation venues, casinos and law enforcement.

So why aren’t retailers making wider use of it, either to identify known shoplifters or to personalize visits of loyal customers when they walk into the store?

The technology may be in wider use than most people suspect, but some merchants are hesitant to publicize their efforts and risk having them be misinterpreted by privacy advocates. As with video surveillance, facial recognition raises fears of privacy invasion, but these can be overcome, says Colin Peacock, visiting fellow at the University of Leicester in England and strategic coordinator for Efficient Consumer Response Europe’s Shrinkage and On-Shelf Availability Group.

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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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Is Low Income A Reason To Shoplift?

May 20, 2016 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

Lawmakers across the nation have been asking for harsher theft penalties for shoplifting. California and other states have passed laws that anything below $950 dollars worth of stolen merchandise is a misdemeanor. The punishment for shoplifters is negligent, and small business owners wonder whether the laws are there to protect the small business or the shoplifter. Many government officials believe that an increase in wages will help the fight against shoplifting, but many small business owners are skeptical.

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

N.J. Senate committee to take up $15 minimum wage

A New Jersey Senate committee is expected to act Monday on a plan that would phase in the state’s minimum wage to $15 an hour over the next five years.

The National Federation of Independent Business says raising the cost of labor will be a blow for small businesses. It predicts the move will cost 70,000 jobs in New Jersey over the next decade.

Senate President Steve Sweeney disputes that. He says giving low-income workers more money to spend will make the economy stronger.

“We raised the minimum wage last time. They predicted thousands of layoffs. Guess what? There were thousands of jobs added,” said Sweeney, a Democrat from Gloucester County.

William Rodgers, public policy professor at Rutgers, says the number of job openings has increased but companies are not filling many of those positions because the salaries are low.

“So by raising the minimum wage you’re going to help some of these employers fill those vacancies that they’ve been having for a long period of time,” he said. “You’re also going to see improvement in morale. Productivity is going to improve.”

Change in law results in big jump in California shoplifting

ROCKLIN, Calif. (AP) — Perry Lutz says his struggle to survive as a small businessman became a lot harder after California voters reduced theft penalties 1½ years ago.

About a half-dozen times this year, shoplifters have stolen expensive drones or another of the remote-controlled toys he sells in HobbyTown USA, a small shop in Rocklin, northeast of Sacramento. “It’s just pretty much open season,” Lutz said. “They’ll pick the $800 unit and just grab it and run out the door.”

Anything below $950 keeps the crime a misdemeanor – and likely means the thieves face no pursuit and no punishment, say retailers and law enforcement officials. Large retailers including Safeway, Target, Rite Aid and CVS pharmacies say shoplifting increased at least 15 percent, and in some cases, doubled since voters approved Proposition 47 and ended the possibility of charging shoplifting as a felony with the potential for a prison sentence.

Shoplifting reports to the Los Angeles Police Department jumped by a quarter in the first year, according to statistics the department compiled for The Associated Press. The ballot measure also lowered penalties for forgery, fraud, petty theft and drug possession.

$37,000 in goods shoplifted, couple arrested

The couple allegedly stole from Safeway, Target and Fred Meyer.

SALEM, Ore. (KOIN) — Salem police, with the assistance of a region retail theft prevention coalition, arrested 2 people for unlawful racketeering.

Salem Police Lt. Steve Birr said Michael Rascon and his wife, Maria Rojas, were arrested on Thursday morning after detectives executed a search warrant in the 100 block of Connecticut Street Southeast.

A large amount of new retail items still in their original packaging was located at the residence, police said.

Rascon and Rojas will be charged with unlawful racketeering, money laundering, organized retail theft, and first-degree theft by deception.

Investigators with Safeway/Albertsons, Fred Meyer and Target collaborated as part of the Northwest Organized Retail Crime Alliance to build the case against them.

KOIN 6 News has learned the two were selling stolen items online, buying stolen merchandise and even had “shopping lists” of things that they wanted stolen so they could turn around and sell.

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Prevent Shoplifting – Focus on the Basics

May 13, 2016 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

For decades the gold standard of learning theory was that people needed to be told something 3 times before they really understood and remembered it. If you wanted people to learn something you were supposed to: tell them what you’re going to tell them, then tell them, then tell them what you just told them.

Not anymore. People’s attention spans and retention abilities have dramatically decreased over the last 10 – 15 years. Depending on the research it’s now believed the average person needs to hear something 5 – 7 times before he understands and remembers it.

This new standard in learning has changed the way effective businesses conduct their training. Training modules are shorter and on-going, which gives employees the chance to retain and integrate the material.

The new normal is particularly important in retail. Well-trained employees are still one of the best ways to prevent shoplifting. Therefore, a successful store will combine new training methods with fundamental shoplifting prevention techniques.

Pay attention at all times

Distracted employees are a real problem in retail and it’s getting worse. Training includes, but isn’t limited to: the store’s policy on cell phone use, avoidance of personal on-the-floor conversations, proper customer service, common shoplifting tactics, and how to handle “lingering” customers.

Greet and be attentive to every customer

Friendly, conscientious employees are a natural deterrent to shoplifters. Impulse or thrill thieves are less likely to act and professional ones are more likely to go somewhere else where the employees are less diligent.

Monitor the high risk areas/merchandise

Ongoing reminders of at-risk areas are useful. When people get familiar with their environment they don’t “see” it any more. The dark area in the corner gets ignored because they stop seeing it as a prime shoplifting site.

Some items will always be a target for theft, while others are just the most recent trend. It makes employees’ jobs easier if they know that pink T-shirts are now disappearing, rather than the blue ones that were 3 months ago.

A solid, basic training program which provides a solid, basic education to employees is still the most effective way to prevent shoplifting. An additional bonus is, when done correctly, it can increase morale and employee buy-in.

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

Filed Under: Shoplifting Prevention Tagged With: Alpha 2 Alarm, Alpha 3 Alarm, Alpha High Theft Solutions, Alpha Jewel Lok, Alpha Nano Gate, Alpha Security, Alpha Spider Wrap, Background checks, Georgia Alarms systems, Georgia shoplifting systems, Loss Prevention Seminar, Periodic inventory, Prevent Shoplifting, prevent shrinkage, racial profiling, Retail Anti Theft Devices, retail security, retail security and monitoring, security, security devices, shoplifting, Shoplifting Prevention, shoplifting statistics, surveillance

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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Preventing Shoplifting Today

April 28, 2016 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

The reasons associated with shoplifting and employee theft are many. Shoplifting is now considered one of the most widespread crimes in the United States, and according to the National Association for Shoplifting Prevention (NASP) there are about 550,000 shoplifting incidents daily. The billions of dollars lost to shoplifting and employee theft robs not only the store, but the consumer and the communities where they are located. Security measures to prevent shoplifting still seem to fall short, and retailers across the nation invest heavily in the most up to date security systems for their store. For more about this and other topics, follow the links below.

Loss Prevention Strategies in a New Age of Natural Selection

There are times when each of us must challenge our convictions and embrace change.

We live in a time of great change. We work in an industry where our ability to adjust to the needs of the customer and the dynamics of a global market sculpt the landscape of retail. We serve in a profession that demands that our loss prevention strategies adapt and adjust to business strategies, our retail partners, and the many elements that can impact company profitability. This isn’t exactly breaking news. We know this. We preach this. We embrace these principles as a critical aspect of what we do. Why then, are there those that are so resistant to certain types of change?

Why do some applaud advancements in technology, but fail to take advantage of the technology that’s available right at their fingertips? Why do some advocate the value of training and education, but fail to support an industry certification program? Why do some lecture their teams on the power of information, and then not take simple steps to stay informed? How is it that we can see the train coming and stand on the tracks rather than jumping on board?

The First Line of Defense

Retailers look to make exterior customer spaces safer

The combination of shootings — by terrorists or otherwise — and other workplace violence has put the retail industry on edge. Stores, restaurants and shopping centers struggle with strategies to protect employees and customers inside their locations, as well as in the parking area outside.

There are few patterns as to how and why the violence takes place where it does, and scant data to support any particular hypothesis. Such violence doesn’t occur on a daily basis, and is just infrequent enough that occurrences generate news alerts on social media and local radio, video lead-ins for the nightly news and headlines in daily newspapers.

Already in the first three months of this year, the industry has seen such incidents as a fast-food employee accused of killing his manager in the restaurant’s parking lot in a Kansas City suburb; a discount store manager in Mobile, Ala., who police say was shot to death by a man he lived with; a 23-year-old clerk at a Norfolk, Va., convenience store shot in the chest during a robbery; and an attempted robbery at a cash loan store in Irving, Tex., that turned into a hostage situation when the armed robber grabbed a female employee to use as a shield as he attempted to get to his car for a getaway. The robber/kidnapper was shot and killed by a responding police officer.

Ten Cheap and Easy Shoplifting Prevention Tips

We’ve put together ten tips that you can use as a business owner to reduce theft and shoplifting at your business. Most thieves shoplift on an average of 1.5 times a week; with nearly $25 million worth of merchandise stolen every day. The following is a list of proactive steps you can take to reduce your losses due to shoplifting.

1. Prevention is your best protection. A business that announces they don’t tolerate theft will often be passed over in favor of a more “friendly” store. Signage and cameras (real or realistic-looking fakes) discourage many would-be shoplifters. Postacrime (www.postacrime.com) has a variety of effective signage and prevention tools. Decals on windows, fitting room mirrors and display fixtures will let the criminals know you’re watching them closely. Many police departments post advice and precautions on preventing retail theft; the Salem, Oregon police department (http://www.cityofsalem.net./export/departments/police/tips_for_preventing_shoplifting.htm) offers very practical information on protecting your business.

2. Trained employees are your best weapon against shoplifting. Just the act of greeting a patron or offering help lets a shoplifter know that he/she is being watched and the employees are attentive. Employees should watch for inappropriately baggy clothing, lingering in corners and unusual attention to traffic and employees. Occasionally a shoplifter will have a partner to create a distraction such as an argument or fainting; employees should designate one or more to react in such a situation while the others continue to work.

Filed Under: Shoplifting Prevention Tagged With: Alpha 2 Alarm, Alpha 3 Alarm, Alpha High Theft Solutions, Alpha Jewel Lok, Alpha Nano Gate, Alpha Security, Alpha Spider Wrap, Anti-shoplifting training, anti-theft devices, anti-theft tags, anti-thefts devices, EAS Devices, employee background checks, Georgia Alarms systems, Georgia shoplifting prevention, Georgia shoplifting systems, Loss Prevention Training, prevent shrinkage, Retail Anti Theft Devices, shoplifting, surveillance

A RETAILER’S WORST FEAR-STORE ROBBERY

April 28, 2016 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

It was 4:30am on a Tuesday morning. My company cell phone pierced through the quiet halls of my house. At first, I didn’t get out of bed; perhaps it was a wrong number. Silence. As I doze back off, I hear the familiar tone once again. Who could be calling me and for what reason at this hour? I let it ring. I hear the chirp of the voicemail. Before I can muster the energy to get out of bed, I hear my personal phone ringing. This one is next to me on the night stand. Something is wrong, I immediately think to myself. When I reach for my phone in the middle of the dark room, eyes still blurry, I see the caller ID. It’s a sheriff’s deputy that I’m good friends with. My heart is in my throat as I answer. “You’re morning crew was just robbed at gunpoint. Get to the store now.”

I don’t think I even gave my friend a response before leaping out of bed. I quickly get dressed and race down stairs. Those two missed phones calls were from a panicked and frantic store manager. The other from the general manager. I jump in the car and speed across town; waking the VP of Loss Prevention, the regional VP and the media relations department. All with the news that no LP manager wants to say. “Our team was just robbed. I have no info on the wellbeing of our employees. I’ll update you as soon as I gather info.”

I get to the store and see close to a dozen police units. There’s crime scene tape and the local new stations are already setting up shop. I rush to the front door and see that it’s been shattered. Later, I find that the robber fired two shots from a .45… one round came within inches of a stocker, into the door, gaining entry into the store. At this point, I don’t care about the damage, I don’t care about the money. I head straight to the staging area and am suddenly taken into an embrace by the morning manager; someone I’ve worked alongside for 10 years. She’s shaken up, but OK. So is the rest of the team. I finally have good news. I send a quick text to my boss that all employees are safe; no injuries. We lost $9k and have a broken door. All replaceable.

It was no accident that our team made it out of this ordeal safely.

Every single week, our company’s robbery policy and procedure is covered with our teams. While a robbery can happen at any time of the day or night, they are most likely going to occur early in the morning, or late at night. Training your team to react to this scenario greatly increases your chance of getting out unharmed. So we train, constantly on three very important points.

Comply – there is no need to argue with a guy with a gun. Everything in the store can be replaced. The company brings in several billions of dollars each year; the amount of cash that can physically be taken is nothing compared to your safety.
Give them whatever they want — if they want cash, give them cash. If they want the entire electronics department, let em’ have it. If they want you to open each cash register for the change, then that’s what we’re going to do in order to get them out. Do not argue, do not deny. Your job is to get them out of the store as quickly as possible and without incident. Let our cameras and law enforcement partners’ worry about trying to identify them.
Never, under any circumstance, contact the police while there is an active robbery – We never want a robbery to turn into a hostage situation. If the police show up quickly, the robbers could panic and hold the team hostage. There is also the possibility of a shoot-out with police and the potential for injury to the team. This point cannot be stressed enough. Wait until you are positive that the robber has fled the scene before making that call; because once you do, you’re going to have every free unit across the city rushing to your doors.

While I hope to never have to see one of my teams go through an ordeal such as this again, I know that there will always exist the remote possibility of it happening again; whether it’s to one of my stores, or to one of yours. If you’ve never thought about implementing a robbery policy/procedure before, I would highly suggest doing so now. The better you plan for such an act, the better your chances of coming through without injury. Remember, money and merchandise can be replaced; a team member cannot.

Filed Under: Featured Tagged With: Alpha 2 Alarm, Alpha 3 Alarm, Alpha High Theft Solutions, Alpha Jewel Lok, Alpha Nano Gate, Alpha Security, Alpha Spider Wrap, Anti-shoplifting training, anti-theft devices, anti-theft tags, EAS Devices, Employee Theft, Periodic inventory, Perpetual Inventory, POS ROI, Prevent Shoplifting, prevent shrinkage, retail security, retail security and monitoring, security, security devices, shoplifting, Shoplifting Prevention, shoplifting statistics, shoplifting violence, surveillance

WHEN YOU THINK THEY CAN’T GET ANY DUMBER

April 12, 2016 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

Everyone I know loves a good “dumb criminal” story. In fact, I can’t go a day without someone (store managers, district managers, executives, family…) asking me to tell a crazy shoplifting story. I have a top 10 list that I usually gravitate towards, but after yesterday, I may have to change it to a top 11.

It was about 7pm and I was finally leaving my office (my office in a store). In order to get to the front door, I have to walk right down the middle of the highest theft area of the store; footwear. Most days, I put my blinders on and try to bee-line to the door, but on this day… well she just caught my eye. No, it wasn’t the girl of my dreams…

As I’m walking down the main walkway, out of the corner of my eye I catch a glimpse of this woman placing a pair of shoes in her purse. Let me build you a mental picture for just a moment. This was a large woman; think Oprah Winfrey in The Color Purple big. And tall. She had to be pushing 6ft3in. She was wearing a dark green pajama dress, with slippers and curlers in her hair. I did not want to confront her; I was, in fact, a little scared. ☺

I radio for one of the store’s agents, but as luck would have it, they’ve left early for the day. It’s just me and the jolly green giant. I had a decision to make; I could go through and make the apprehension, or try and recover the product that she had concealed. To heck with it, let’s have a little fun. So I continued observation and watched as she methodically placed about a dozen or so pairs of shoes in her purse. She then began her slow walk towards the front of the store. Not having an agent in the store, I grabbed one of the managers, who just happened to be former LP. I knew she wouldn’t mind getting in on the action.

As Ms. Banner made her exit, I (scared that she may break me in half) approached her and identified myself as LP. The reaction was just as I thought it would be. She proceeds to a verbal assault that would make reading me the riot act look like poetry. At the very least, I want to recover my merchandise (and hopefully keep my bones in one piece). I reach towards the basket and grab the purse with my product inside. She, quicker that I thought she could move, races around the shopping cart and tries to remove it from my hands. After all, it is her purse… who cares if it contains MY merchandise?

Before she could get it from me, I quarterback hiked it to the manager, who didn’t miss a beat and caught it mid-flight. The manager then tossed it into the storage closet that happened to be open and slammed the door shut. (It locks automatically.) Hulk didn’t think that was funny and flipped the shopping cart over on its side and commenced to beating the door. For a minute there, I thought she’d be able to make it in. She overheard me desperately pleading with dispatch to get me an officer ASAP and she took off through the parking lot. I have to say, it was quite amusing to watch a woman of her stature running through the parking lot in slippers.

She actually was able to flee the store before the police arrived and I first was pretty upset that after all that I went through, I didn’t have her identity. At least I had my product back, right? The officer finally shows up a little later and takes my report. I take him inside to photograph the purse and the stolen product. After I pulled 13 pairs of shoes out, I noticed there was a large wallet at the bottom. Inside was her state ID, driver’s license, library card and several credit cards all with her name on them. I promptly signed a warrant for her arrest.

Would you believe that the next day, she called the store manager and told her that she had “lost” her wallet while shopping in the store? The store manager, unaware of what happened, transferred the call to me. She had no idea she was talking to the guy she almost broke in half and I actually convinced her that the wallet had been turned in to the lost and found and that she could come on by and pick it up. She did. As soon as she stepped foot in the store, she was promptly arrested by two of the counties’ finest.

Filed Under: Featured Tagged With: Alpha 2 Alarm, Alpha 3 Alarm, Alpha High Theft Solutions, Alpha Jewel Lok, Alpha Nano Gate, Alpha Spider Wrap, Anti-shoplifting training, anti-thefts devices, EAS Devices, employee background checks, Employee Theft, Georgia Alarms systems, Georgia shoplifting prevention, Loss Prevention Seminar, Periodic inventory, prevent shrinkage, racial profiling, Retail Anti Theft Devices, retail security, retail security and monitoring, security, security devices, shoplifting, Shoplifting Prevention, shoplifting statistics, shoplifting violence, surveillance

Retail Security

April 5, 2016 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

Retail security is a big concern for retailers. Billions of dollars are lost yearly due to employe theft and shoplifting. But having the security in place is not necessarily enough, training personnel-Management and hourly employees-is as vital to the success of the effectiveness of the security system as the security system itself. It is true that many of the big retailers across the United States spend millions of dollars a year in security systems for their stores, but they also spend millions of dollars in cybersecurity as well. The threat is real and the cost of a security breach is all too present.

For more about this topic follow the links below.

Retail Security: How Can Biometrics, Video Analytics and Other Innovation Cut Record Theft Losses and Boost Commercial Performance?

Retail crime hit a 10-year high in the 2013-14 financial year, with the £603m losses recorded by UK retailers 18% higher than those racked up in the previous 12 months.

Despite this, the British Retail Consortium’s (BRC) annual crime survey also revealed that the volume of theft offences actually fell 4%. While conventional security technology – primarily CCTV and electronic product tags – has been effective at reducing petty shoplifting, a surge in gang-related bulk theft is soaring.

The average value of goods, money or services stolen now averages £241 per incident.

Clearly, the security industry must evolve its approach to tackle this growing threat.

As Retail week Live packs up for another year, we asked several security experts how the industry is harnessing – and could harness – the latest cutting-edge technology to improve not only retail security, but commercial performance too.

RBTE 2016: Data security must be retail’s priority in 2016

Essential Retail caught up with PCI Security Standards Council international director, Jeremy King, to talk all things related to data security in retail. King is speaking at RBTE in London, this afternoon.

Essential Retail (ER): What should be key data security priorities for organisations in 2016?

Jeremy King (JK): Simply put, reducing risk and making data security business-as-usual. Organisations cannot afford to do anything less -not with 90% of large organisations and 74% of small organisations suffering data breaches, and the average cost of a breach reaching well over £3 million.

The European government is introducing new regulations to protect customer data this year, which puts added pressure on organisations to demonstrate their data security efforts. Even though these regulations will not come into effect until late 2017 or early 2018, good data security takes time and effort, so organisations need to make this a priority now.

ER: What about top threats or areas of concern for retailers?

JK: Phishing continues to be an easy way for attackers to get into merchant systems – but it’s something that can be prevented. Retailers need to be aware of these attacks and others and train their employees on how to spot them and protect against them. This is where incidence response comes in. If we take the example of phishing, on average it still takes an organisation 23.7 days to resolve a cyberattack caused by phishing or social engineering! Improving security controls and processes to identify and detect attacks quickly, using the PCI Data Security Standards, and establishing an incidence response should also be a key concern for organisations in 2016.

The DIY Approach To Retail Data Security

As retailers tend to have more pressing day-to-day concerns than security — namely, selling their products to customers — it can be tempting for them to regularly presume, in acknowledging the endlessly escalating battle between cybercriminals and protective measure technologists, that the experts in the latter group will develop something to counteract whatever the bad guys come up with in short time.

Sometimes, that assumption is accurate.

In the recent instance of the XSS security vulnerabilities that befell the online shopping cart Zen Cart, for example, the company acted quickly to solve its own problem.

When researchers from Trustwave’s SpiderLabs Research team sussed out weaknesses in the Zen Cart application that could allow malicious actors to gain access to cookies, sensitive information and site defacement of online merchants that used the shopping cart, they informed Zen Cart of the situation and immediately began working with the company to develop a fix.

Filed Under: Shoplifting Prevention Tagged With: Alpha 2 Alarm, Alpha 3 Alarm, Alpha High Theft Solutions, Alpha Jewel Lok, Alpha Nano Gate, Alpha Security, anti-thefts devices, EAS Devices, Employee Theft, Georgia Alarms systems, Georgia shoplifting prevention, Georgia shoplifting systems, Prevent Shoplifting, prevent shrinkage, racial profiling, Retail Anti Theft Devices, retail security, retail security and monitoring, security, security devices, shoplifting, Shoplifting Prevention, shoplifting statistics, shoplifting violence, surveillance

Investing In A Security System For Your Store

March 31, 2016 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

Many big retailers do not think twice about investing in CCTV systems for their stores. Among other theft preventive measures, CCTV systems’s cost is minuscule when compared to the theft these retailers face. Many small retail shops forego the use of CCTV systems or other preventive measures due to the cost involved initially, although the losses they suffer are more substantial than those associated with the cost of a loss prevention system. If you are thinking the investment you are doing to prevent theft is not worth the cost, think again. The retail industry loses billions of dollars yearly due to employee theft and shoplifting. Acquiring a security system for your store regardless of the size is worth the investment.

For more about this topic, follow the links below.

Loss Prevention Essentials: Electronic Article Surveillance Technology Helps Enhance Sales and Protect Profits

Systems must be properly managed in order to be effective.

Electronic article surveillance, or EAS, systems have long been a staple in the battle to curb shoplifting. Retailers over the years have collectively spent millions of dollars to protect their merchandise from shoplifters and, in some cases, their own employees. Like many major expenses, when the technology is first purchased and installed a concentrated effort is made by the loss prevention teams to train store associates on the proper processes and procedures that need to be performed in order to realize the most benefits that the technologies deliver. But like other big purchases one makes, time and in-attention to details takes their toll. Liken to the shining new toy that you got as a child for Christmas long ago, as time goes on and the allure of the toy begins to diminish, it all too often starts to be ignored. Technology investments like EAS often suffer the same situation, exit alarms start are dismissed without action, proper tag placement on merchandise begins to stray and even the simple process of testing the systems to ensure they are working are overlooked.

HBC settles race complaint from shopper, agrees to educate staff on profiling

HALIFAX – The Hudson’s Bay Company has agreed to educate its staff on racial profiling as part of a settlement in the case of a now-deceased Nova Scotia grandmother allegedly accused of shoplifting a rug.

African Canadian Kathleen Viner filed a complaint with the Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission alleging that two employees discriminated against her at a now-closed Zellers store in Greenwood, N.S., in 2008.

Viner, then a 77-year-old grandmother of 13, was stopped by a security guard “and made to feel she had stolen a rug,” according to an affidavit from her daughters, Shelley and Donna.

Viner provided proof she had bought the rug, but the incident left her shaken, her daughters said.

OBPD attempts to help local businesses prevent shoplifting

Osage Beach
Retail loss is one of the most challenging aspects of doing business.
According to the National Retail Federation, shoplifting accounts for 38 percent of an estimated $44 billion in retail losses each year. Inventory shrinkage includes shoplifting, employee/internal theft, administrative errors and vendor fraud or error.
The Osage Beach Police Department wants to help area merchants slow that retail loss, a loss that ultimately is passed along to consumers.
The OBPD hosted a Meet and Greet Partnership Meeting recently with nine retailers to discuss retail theft issues, to give pointers and allow retailers to share tips and trends. Several area businesses, law enforcement, financial institutions and prosecuting attorneys were invited.
Sgt. Arlyne Page, communications officer with OBPD, said the department began a crime prevention program in 1981, and more recently has held meetings with Osage Beach Premium Outlet managers to coordinate prevention efforts among retailers. Target store management encouraged meetings last spring, and a month ago asked the OBPD to host a meeting on shoplifting and retail and digital fraud.

Filed Under: Shoplifting Prevention Tagged With: Alpha 2 Alarm, Alpha 3 Alarm, Alpha High Theft Solutions, Alpha Jewel Lok, Alpha Nano Gate, Alpha Security, Alpha Spider Wrap, Anti-shoplifting training, anti-thefts devices, EAS Devices, Employee Theft, Prevent Shoplifting, prevent shrinkage, racial profiling, Retail Anti Theft Devices, retail security, retail security and monitoring, security, security devices, shoplifting, Shoplifting Prevention, shoplifting statistics, shoplifting violence, surveillance