In his local newspaper, Steve Densley President of the Utah Valley Chamber of Commerce wrote of a recent visit to a Provo-Orem area store.
… I saw a young person slip a shirt under their coat and zip it up. I was saddened by the act and decided to follow the person to see if they would pay for the item as they left. Regrettably, the person did not pay for the item after heading out the door. …Unfortunately for the young person, who appeared to have plenty of money, will have a police record to deal with and a very public situation to think about.
He uses this as a starting point to write about the extent of theft, who’s stealing and what retailers might do.
Seeing a young person steal a shirt caught the attention of one Chamber of Commerce President. (image source: ABC News-What Would You Do?)
Who’s Stealing?
Densley points out that while juveniles represent a disproportionately high share of shoplifters, the majority of them are adults. It’s another reminder that you can’t stereotype shoplfiters. You have to look beyond headlines to see who’s stealing from you.
“…the temptation to steal is just too hard to resist for some individuals.”
Densley may be correct. But there’s good and bad in that observation. What it tells is you is that people will try to steal. It’s also a reminder that for many, shoplifting is a crime of opportunity. Make it easy and, as Steve says, “the temptation is just too hard to resist.” So your job, as a retailer, is to make it difficult.
You Can Do Something about Shoplifting
That’s what Steve is telling retailers in the Utah Valley. He makes a few suggestions.
- “Provide Good Customer Service” – Shoplifters need to be unseen and unknown. Greet every customer as they enter and leave your store. Train your employees in both customer service and loss prevention, they go hand in hand. It will help you sell more and lose less.
- “Use Anti Shoplifting Systems” – electronic article surveillance systems like the latest systems from Checkpoint allow you to protect merchandise without having to keep a constant eye on everything. And use the proper anti shoplifting tag or anti shoplifting label to for the items you’re trying to protect.
- “Video Surveillance” - is helpful when in dealing with employee theft or when prosecuting shoplifters.
- “Improve Job Satisfaction Among Employees“ – Start by “hiring the right people,” says Steve. But once they are on staff, it’s your responsibility to help them recognize that your company’s success is to everyone’s benefit. Make employees part of your shoplifting prevention team.
I’ll add another items to Steve’s suggestions. Join with local law enforcement and other local businesses to combat theft. Both organized retail crime and individual shoplifters tend to hit more than one store in an area (see Thieves Focus Locally). Working together you can make it more difficult. Your local Chamber of Commerce is a great place to get to know other local business people and share concerns.
Give us, at American Theft Prevention Products, a call to help you fight theft in your store. We can make recommendations based on your specific product mix.
What’s Your Perspective?
Do you have more suggestions to add to Steve’s thoughts. Share them here.
