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Make Your Retail Space Safe

Protect Yourself and Your Customers

Businesses need to protect themselves not only from shoplifting but from other forms of shrinkage that can further undermine slim profits in today's economy.

The latest National Retail Security Survey reports that losses from employee theft have reached record levels and that total inventory shrinkage cost the nation's retailers $32.3 billion in 2001, up from $29 billion in 2000. According to the University of Florida criminologist Richard C. Hollinger, Ph.D., Director of the National Retail Security Survey, 46 percent of retail theft losses are attributable to disgruntled employees and 31 percent are the result of shoplifters. Fortunately, there are strategies—both high- and low-tech—to prevent losses from shoplifting and shrinkage.

Make Shoplifters Think Twice

Technologies such as anti-shoplifting systems, digital video surveillance, and Point-of-Sale monitoring solutions, tied into remote and central-station monitoring, will help retailers protect their assets. However, businesses shouldn't overlook common sense, low-tech methods to inhibit sticker fingers.

• Look out for mis-marked merchandise, open showcases, merchandise without security tags, and other suspicious signs on the sales floor.
  
  
• Instruct employees to make frequent eye contact with browsing customers.
  
  
• Install convex mirrors, bright lighting and cameras in "blind spots."
  
  
• Make frequent announcements over the public address system such as "Security to area four," even if they are fictitious.
  
  
• Have a single entrance and exit to your business.
  
  
• Keep expensive merchandise in locked cases.
  
  
• Install security cameras in plain view.

Don't Forget Employees

The majority of your employees are probably trustworthy and conscientious, but for those that are disgruntled, the temptation to steal may be hard to resist. You can reduce those opportunities with polices like these:

• Authorize refunds in the customer's presence.
  
  
• Don't allow employees to write up, ring up or wrap purchases for themselves or family members.
  
  
• Provide employees with lockers or another secure area for handbags, purchases, coats and other personal belongings.
  
  
• Require management authorization of employee purchases.
  
  
• Limit the number of "no sale" rings, and define the circumstances under which they're permitted.
  
  
• Make bank deposits daily—without exception.
  
  
• Encourage employee involvement by treating them well, educating them about the problem and providing training in loss prevention.

Your Total Safe Solution

Making your business safe may take some time and effort, but it's worth it. If you don't, shoplifting and shrinkage can dramatically impact your earnings, profitability and growth. And in the end, it will be your loyal consumers who pay the price in the form of higher retail prices.

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