When we think of gift boxes and wraps during this time of the year we would probably think of robe boxes, shirt boxes or jewelry boxes. Wraps would bring to mind those colorful papers and foils that we use to hide the boxes and try to camouflage the gifts inside. Then there are the ribbons that tie everything together and make the packages beautiful. The whole purpose is to protect the items we have purchased from prying eyes and snoops.
Retailers have to protect their merchandise against more than just prying eyes, nosey relatives, and curious kids. Store owners have to think about theft issues that will be impacting them during the holidays. It is an unfortunate fact of life that during this time of the year criminal activity, especially shoplifting rises significantly. The harm that is inflicted by these criminals is more than simply the loss of a piece or two of merchandise. The business owners, store employees, and customers are all impacted by the actions of those who enter a store and steal from it.
The obvious effect theft has on the business owner is that a stolen piece of merchandise eats into the profit margin of the store. We use to estimate in Loss Prevention that for a big box retailer it required selling approximately 10 units of something to make up for the loss of one unit of the product. The small or medium retail owner is trying to be careful in how much to markup goods in order to stay competitive with the national chain stores. Consequently, these owners may have to sell a bit more to make up for a stolen item.
Employees are impacted by shoplifters because it could mean a storekeeper may not be able to hire an additional worker for the holidays, never mind for an entire year. Merchandise shortage may mean seasonal hires have to be let go a little earlier than a business owner truly wanted to release them. Shoplifting also means that shortage has to be considered when a store owner is deciding on employee pay. Knowing that theft is going to happen and it will hurt profits, a business owner has to keep expenses lower and one of the biggest expense areas to a store is payroll.
Customers are affected by thieves because many of the store markups are a direct result of shoplifter activity. Customers don’t want to pay more than they have to for an item and so they may take their business to a big box competitor or to online shopping if prices increase. Mom and Pop shop owners can’t afford to mark-up goods too much or they risk losing business. Not marking up to make up for losses means Mom and Pop stores have to sell more to customers. Customers they are already fighting to keep. To top it off, the shoplifters take merchandise that may have been available to a paying customer to purchase. The customer can’t buy what isn’t there and a vicious cycle ensues.
In order to combat shoplifting and larceny at all times of the year, the small retail owner should be using retail anti-theft devices. This is where the best boxes and wraps come into play and they aren’t the type we use for our gifts. The ones store owners should be using are those that will keep thieves and criminals from stealing in the first place. Small items can be protected in Alpha Keeper boxes while larger items are securely surrounded in Spider Wrap. Both devices allow owners to leave merchandise in the open and accessible to customers who can then carry items in the store or to a register. By the same token, the anti-theft devices keep criminals from being able to get access to merchandise and prevent them from getting products out of the store without causing alarm activations.
Business owners, you don’t need to experience empty shelves and cash drawers on the account of theft. Don’t allow crooks to victimize you, your employees and your customers. Box and wrap your products with retail anti-theft devices so your shoppers can have the merchandise they want at affordable prices. Your customers can enjoy more green in their pockets and you will see more green in your registers.
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