Tweet

How to control Shoplifting ? (Remedies to Shoplifting)

Written by: Nilesh Shah

Article Overview: Not all of the following practical suggestion will apply to your retail business as the level of shop theft committed against your premises will depend on a range of factors. These include: 1. The type of goods you sell 2. The location 3. The layout of your shop and the style and location of your displays 4. The local crime rate 5. The hours you trade 6. The number of staffs you employ and their experience You need to consider all of your circumstances and then choose the preventive measures, which suits you the best. Remember - all retailers are at risk. Never think that your type of business isn’t.

How to control Shoplifting ? (Remedies to Shoplifting)

Here are a few remedies that helps control theft.

Establish a Policy
Establish a store policy for the prevention of customer theft and ensure that all staffs are aware of it. Remember to brief new and part time employees on store policy procedures.

Educate Your Staff
Well-trained and alert staff forms the basis for good crime prevention. Don’t rely on Technology instead of investing in proper staff training. Training need not be expensive - 15 minutes each week should be enough to refresh your staff’s memories, and stay alert.

Vigilance
Teach your staff to be alert, and to recognise shop thieves. Thieves will often look around the room rather than at the products, or behave in other suspicious ways. Train your staff to spot potential thieves.

Knowing what to do when a suspect is identified
Decide what you expect your staff to do when a suspect is identified. Making suspects aware that they have been noticed will often be enough to deter crime. Use the normal sales approach e.g. ‘can I help you in any way?’ or ‘can I help you find anything?’ Make yourself busy near the suspect; keep walking past them; smile at them, and look them in the eye. If the theft has already occurred you will want your staff to keep the suspect under observation - or alert specialist security staff if you employ them & detain the customer when he/she approaches the exit gate.

Physical Security
Use of a combination of preventive measures. Most strategies work best in combination rather than isolation, e.g. CCTV can work effectively, particularly where helped by security mirrors, good lighting, and alert well-trained staff. Store design is important.

Some useful measures are:

Mirrors:
Mirrors can help you keep an eye on areas, which would otherwise be out of sight.

Display (’Loop’) Alarms
High value goods can be protected by alarm wires which ‘Loop’ through them to an alarm box. If the wire is disconnected or cut, the alarm sounds. Product tagging may also be of value.

In-store closed circuit television (CCTV)
CCTV cameras will deter some thieves, and can help with prosecutions if good quality equipment is used. Cameras should be highly visible, e.g. monitors may be mounted at entrances, and signs displayed alerting potential thieves to the use of CCTV.

Dummy cameras can provide an inexpensive short term deterrent on their own, or increase the apparent cover and hence deterrent value of a live system. But do not rely solely on dummy cameras. Thieves will soon find it out.

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID)
RFID tags can be tagged to each of the inventory capturing rack-space. If someone tries to take out this products with RF tags tagged to it, sensors will find it and it will beep.

Store Banning
Your shop is private property, just like your home. Although there is an implied invitation to come in and shop, you are fully entitled to exclude any person from your shop if you feel that their presence is unhelpful to your business - e.g. drunks, or someone whom you have previously caught, or suspected of stealing.

You do not have to give any reason for banning someone. Just politely tell them that you would rather they did not shop here any more, and that you would appreciate it if they do not come into your store again. If they return they will be trespassing, and you can order them to leave. If they refuse, you are entitled to call the police assist you in removing them. If your shop is in a shopping centre, then you can call a security guard.

Related Articles
  Retail Loss Growing Problem
  Calculate the Cost of Shoplifting and Employee Theft
  Into the Mind of a Shoplifter
  Joint Ventures: The Profit Power of Motivation
  To Catch a Thief

Article Tags: 15 minutes, alert staff, crime prevention, customer theft, exit gate, good lighting, isolation, loop through, out of sight, physical security, preventive measures, sales approach, security staff, specialist security, staff store, staff training, staffs, thieves, time employees, vigilance



Related Forum Posts
Re: How can you fix your damaged image? - This will be hard to fix at first,but I learnt there are some people that are good on damage control, their job is to control and fix damages. On my own they will need to embark on community development to earn the respect of the people.
Re: Searching for options for good investments!!! - Hi, Why not invest in your self? Starting your own business can be profitable, a tax break for you & your kids, provide a job environment you can control, can be passed on to your kids, and can be sold if you need the capital. Would you rather trust your money with a company you have no control over (especially in this economy) ...or yourself? Jeff
Don't give up control - I would never give up control of my company - I'm building it up to be a great business and I am going to take it there - why would someone sell the control of their business?
Would you give up ownership of your company? - Most inventors are not interested in becoming businesspeople - they want to invent and that's what they're good at. With that being said, I've seen so many inventors say no to a financing deal because they didn't want to give up control. Would you give up control of your company if an investor asked for it?
Re: Is Your Advert Really Worth It? - [quote="bmueller47":28wgag5k]Hi Topeyinka, I often wondered, how much control one has where the ads by Google are displayed. They are virtually everywhere. You visit your email site (googlemail) and on the right hand side there are all the adverts. Who is in charge where what is displayed? Maybe someone knows the answer.[/quote:28wgag5k] hi bmueller47, I think one can control advert also with google by giving specific target you want. You have to choose your choicest keywords before you place your adverts in google. That is how to control where you adverts will go for target audience.


Share this article with your friends. Fund someone's dream.

Leave a comment below or share on the left and you'll help support entrepreneurs in Africa through our partnership with Kiva. Over $50,000 raised and counting - Please keep sharing! Learn more.

Tweet

Newsletter

Get advice & tips from famous business
owners, new articles by entrepreneur
experts, my latest website updates, &
special sneak peaks at what's to come!

Name:
Email:

Popular Articles

A New Year in the Pharmaceutical Industry

Starting a Business a Brave Move or a NoBrainer

Suggestions

Email us your ideas on how to make our
website more valuable! Thank you Sharon
from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for
your suggestions to make the newsletter
look like the website and profile younger
entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez.