Do you want to figure out how much anti-shoplifting tactics work?
When you own a retail store, the possibility of someone shoplifting haunts you every time you take your eyes off of a customer, even for a second.
It's only natural that you want to increase the security of your store to prevent loss in sales and protect your store from future shoplifters. However, with all the ways there are available to help your security, which one of them is the best choice for you?
Below, we have some shoplifting statistics that can determine how effective a product or tactic can be.
1. Sign Posting
Posting signs around a shop make thieves feel as though they're kept watch on by the owner despite being out of their line of sight.
Depending on what kind of sign you place, a shoplifter will often think twice before acting against the law. For instance, if you put a sign that says something like CCTVs being around an aisle with cigarettes, one of the most shoplifted items in a store, the shoplifter will lose their nerve and may even leave the store all to avoid the risk of getting caught.
It is, however, important to note that signs work only when used in an appropriate surrounding. Funny signs, for example, may not deter any shoplifter from stealing something worth around $1000. You should make sure that your sign represents the same amount of authority that your store has in value.
Also, you should be careful not to place too many signs in your store. A shoplifter will often think that you do not have any actual means to set off an alarm it he/she sees that there are too many signs. They will instead think that you're only bluffing.
2. Customer Education
This tactic became popular in recent years because of how forgiving it is and how it doesn't require too much force from the employees.
The tactic, in essence, is to give the customers who got caught red-handed a chance. They can either pay for enrollment into an anti-shoplifting course that the retail store holds every year or get arrested. Most choose to take the anti-shoplifting course.
This has become a saving grace for people who were not out to steal out of criminal intent in the first place, only resorting to that due to other reasons such as kleptomania.
Since the implementation of the re-education program, the total amount of dollars in stolen items has dropped by $60.
3. Mirrors
A shoplifter often doesn't plan to steal anything until they get the impulse to steal something. The reasons they get the impulse may vary, from not having enough money on hand to wanting to experience the thrill of theft. Some thieves say the thrill is the greatest reward when stealing something.
Making sure that there are ways for your employees to keep an eye on the customers with mirrors will help prevent thieves from getting this high.
4. Burglar Alarms
Burglar alarms are the most used form of loss prevention today. Over 87% of retail store owners have one and they say that burglars are often dazed and confused when the alarm gets activated. They will tend to give up once they realize that their number is up.
This is also useful for when a shoplifter thinks that he/she is close to getting away with their crime. Some owners say that the shoplifter will often drop the merchandise and try to make a break for it when they get startled by the loud alarm.
5. Video Cameras
Video cameras are one of the best countermeasures to thieves. Not only do they provide you with protection, they also help you keep an eye on your employees to prevent employee theft.
Big, bulky, and obvious surveillance cameras are often the best choice if you want to deter would-be thieves and criminals.
Unlike small and hidden cameras, big ones give criminals the feeling that your authority in the shop is absolute. They know that you are not to mess around with. When they see one, they often lose the will to steal. Small, hidden cameras are often hard to spot; hence, people are more likely to continue with their plans to steal from you.
Sometimes, you don't need to own an actual surveillance camera to scare criminals away. A fake one placed somewhere it would get noticed in an instant will be enough to shake their confidence.
6. RFID Tags
It is a known fact that a shoplifter will often steal something on the same occasion that they buy something. RFID tags help you prevent this from happening.
These are often pinned to clothes, but there are other varieties of RFID tags that allow you to stick them to anything you please. They emit a radio wave that sets off an alarm when it crosses a boundary.
Though some thieves know how to prevent the alarm from going off, this is a great countermeasure against less experienced criminals.
7. Good Customer Service
Thieves thrive off of being alone. Having someone at the ready to assist them will help decrease the probability of people stealing from your store.
Training your employees to be there for anyone even if they only seem to be looking around will reduce the amount of alone time a thief can have. When you approach a suspicious person, ask them if they need help. If they say they are only looking around, let them know that you'll be close by if they need anything. This act will discourage the thief from even thinking about stealing and improve your customer service.
8. Hiring a Security Guard
Having a uniformed officer by the entrance of a store has shown a big difference in shoplifting incidents versus a store that doesn't have one. However, it's also shown that it makes your regulars feel uncomfortable if you have a uniformed guard by the entrance.
Having a guard dressed in plain clothes is not only better for the feel of your store, but is also shown to be more effective in catching criminals than those in uniforms because thieves mistake them for regular shoppers.
9. Keep Tabs on Dressing Rooms
Dressing rooms are the best place a thief could ask for. The rooms provide thieves with privacy and gives them the opportunity to confuse your employees with the number of clothes they bring in.
Placing an employee with the sole purpose of keeping track of the clothes customers bring in a dressing room will help out your store by a lot.
You can also implement a rule where customers can only bring in a certain number of clothes into a dressing room at a time.
10. Place a Checkout Counter Close to the Exit
When you place a checkout counter by the exit of your store, you're giving your employees a chance to scan customers one last time before they leave the area for anything that seems to be out of place.
Also, this gives you and your employees the chance to make eye contact with anyone leaving. Normal customers tend to not get bothered by this and instead smile at your direction. Thieves, on the other hand, will find it uncomfortable and they will often start to act shifty once they lose their confidence. Since thieves tend to shop alone, making eye contact with them will be simple.
Know About These Shoplifting Statistics and Improve Your Store's Security
These helpful shoplifting statistics should help you determine what you can do to improve your store's security. Implement these steps and help bring down the number of thefts happening to you.
Did you find this list helpful? Come and check out our website for more helpful blogs like this one, which tells you about anti-theft devices and why you should care about them.
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