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10 Tips to Beat Shoplifters
Publish Date : 12/23/2005 4:52:07 AM Source : Mike Delaney
Studies have shown that, in the United States, as many asone in twelve customers is a shoplifter, and thatshoplifters commit an average of 50 thefts before beingcaught. That's if they are caught at all; it's estimatedthat only 10-15% are apprehended.There are vast numbers of tips circulating regarding how todeter shoplifting. With over 20 years' experience as ashoplifter, I know which are effective, and which are awaste of time. Here are a few battle-tested and inexpensivethings you can do to minimize shoplifting in your store.1. FIX YOUR FIXTURESIn most cases, shoplifters require privacy in order toconceal merchandise. This is especially true with smallspecialty shops that the arrangement of the fixtures createsmany areas for the shoplifter to be hidden from sight.Determine where your staff spends the majority of theirtime. For many small stores this is near the cash register.For others, it might be near the phone, or the office.Arrange you fixtures with the goal of minimizing "blindspots" on the sales floor. From their usual vantage point,your staff should be able to look down almost every aisle.Once you have maximized visibility by arranging fixtures,consider installing a large convex mirror to view anyunavoidable hiding places.Next time you are in a convenience store, take note of thelayout. Most allow direct visibility of the sales floor to alone clerk, and mirrors expose the remaining areas.2. ALTERNATE CLOTHING HANGER DIRECTIONSOne way shoplifters can steal a tremendous amount ofclothing is to quickly grab as much clothing from a displayas they can carry, and run out of the store into a waitingcar, before your staff can react.A simple way to thwart this is to alternate the direction ofeach hanger on the display, especially on those near thestore exit. This makes it impossible to take an entirearmful of clothing off of a circular rack at once, and makesit difficult on a tree rack. Make it part of the opening orclosing duties to have an employee "Set the Hangers".3.REQUIRE A RECEIPT FOR ALL RETURNSMany shoplifters steal with the express intent of returningthe merchandise to the store, the same or another branch,for a cash refund.This can be addressed by requiring a purchase receipt forall returns. This creates some conflict, however, with theinterest in delivering quality customer service.A compromise policy is to require a receipt for cash refundsand general store credits, and to allow same-item-onlyexchanges without one. This way, the legitimate customerwith a defective product, or with the wrong size or color,is accommodated, but the thief is not.4.LOCK UP SHOPLIFTER-ATTRACTIVE MERCHANDISEAs a general rule, the smaller and more valuable an item is,the more attractive it is to a shoplifter; particularly tothose who steal with intent to either sell the merchandisethemselves, or return it for a refund.Keep small, expensive items behind the counter or locked ina display case. If the display case has a lock, lock it; donot assume that the case alone will dissuade a shoplifter.Legitimate customers will understand this as a necessaryevil and won't object, shoplifters will go elsewhere.5.BE SMART ABOUT E.A.S. TAG PLACEMENTElectronic Article Surveillance (EAS) is a system in whichmerchandise has a small "tag" affixed to it which is eitherremoved or deactivated when the item is purchased. If notremoved or deactivated, it triggers an alarm as it passessensors near the store exitEAS systems are expensive, but fairly effective. If you haveone in place, affix your alarm tags carefully. Hide the tagsbeneath seams and labels, or on an internal page of booksand magazines.If you can't hide the tag, try to make it less noticeable byaligning it with physical aspects of, or the graphic designon the packaging.Consider placing two tags on the merchandise: oneobvious,and one not so obvious. The shoplifter may removethe obvious tag and not notice the other one, thus settingoff the alarm.Guerrilla Loss Prevention Tip: Even if you don't have a EASsystem, consider buying some tags anyway. There aresuppliers who sell recycled tags inexpensively. Shoplifterswill recognize the tags, but since they don't see any sensorgates at the exit, they may think you are using a new systemthat they aren't yet aware of. It might just be enough todeter the theft.6.MONITOR YOUR FITTING ROOMSDo not let customers enter and exit your fitting roomswithout encountering your staff. A fitting room is an idealplace to conceal merchandise: if shoplifters can getmerchandise into the fitting room, they have completeprivacy, and even a mirror to gauge how nicely themerchandise is concealed.A favorite shoplifting method is to place several items ofclothing on a single hanger. This relies upon theinattentive employee counting the number of hangers, not thenumber of clothing items. Or worse, barely lifting theireyes as they ask "How many?"Shoplifters then enter the fitting room and conceal theextra merchandise brought in on the single hanger.Generally, it will be extra clothing brought into fittingrooms, but I have brought 35mm cameras in with a pair ofjeans draped over my arm (and the camers).Make sure your fitting rooms do not have anyplace to discardlabels and pricetags.7.SIGNAGEPosting the correct signs around your store can deter manyshoplifters, even (possibly especially) experiencedshoplifters.Guerrilla Loss Prevention Tip: Shoplifters are dishonestpeople, so don't feel guilty about stretching the truth alittle on your signage, for effect. For example, you mightpost the classic sign that says simply, "Smile,You're onCandid Camera", whether you use cameras or not.Or a sign with changeable numerals on J-hooks that says "##Shoplifters Prosecuted This Year. Are you next?" Becreative. All the retail greats were creative people. Andremember your primary goal is to coerce shoplifters intotaking their craft elsewhere.8.CAMERA DOMESA recent study has showed that closed circuit television(CCTV) cameras are now the most feared anti-shopliftingdevice. Perhaps this is due to cameras being mentioned sooften in the nightly news.Whatever the reason, shoplifters don't like them. CCTVsystems can be costly. But as with signage, if shoplifterscan be deceptive, why can't you?Guerrilla Loss Prevention Tip: The smoke-colored domehousings used to mount CCTV are fairly inexpensive. Buyseveral, and place a lot of them in the ceiling tiles allaround your store.Smart shoplifters know that not every dome has a camerainside. But then the question in the shoplifters mind is,"Am I standing under one that does have a camera in it?"This is extremely effective. To see it in action, next timeyou visit a Wal-Mart, look up.You don't have to prove you have any cameras at all in orderto deter theft, all you have to do is make the shoplifterthink you have cameras!9.PROSECUTE ALL THIEVESCall the police on every shoplifter you catch. Noexceptions.In the shoplifters' minds, if you don't call the police,they win, and they will continue to hit your store over andover.Do not release juvenile shoplifters to their parents;prosecute them. The only time I was ever caught, I wasthirteen years old. The police were not called, and Icontinued shoplifting another 15 years --including from thestore in which I was caught.Prosecute all thieves. Period.10. EXCEPTIONAL CUSTOMER SERVICEThis is, far and away, the single most effective thing youcan do to deter shoplifting. By knowing where your customersare, offering your assistance, and anticipating their needs,you will virtually eliminate shoplifting. An alert employeeis your most effective weapons against thieves who thrive onanonymity.Isn't it strange how virtually everything about successfulretailing eventually comes around to quality customerservice? About the Author
Mike Delaney has over 20 years' experience as a shoplifter,and nearly 10 years' experience in retail loss prevention.Contact him at: delaneybookreview@yahoo.com
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