How Stores Can Prevent Shoplifting

February 13, 2017 by Anas Mustafa

Approximately 50,000 people in Canada are charged each year with theft under $5,000, which is a criminal offence usually connected with retail theft as well as shoplifting charges.

Shoplifting Prevention Tips

The top types of property that are usually stolen from stores include, in no particular order, the following:

Clothes
Food
Perfume
Alcohol
Jewellery

If you thought that there was a typical profile to identify those most likely to shoplift, think again, since shoplifters come from different backgrounds and age groups, and it might surprise you to know that around 50% of people who are charged with theft under $5,000 have no prior criminal record.

What follows is a look at what stores can do to stay one step ahead of shoplifters who seek to target their businesses.

Greet Customers: When your sales staff greet customers, the veil of anonymity is removed, and shoplifters are not likely to frequent stores where staff take the initiative to greet everyone who enters.

Monitor Suspicious Customers: If you have customers who avoid eye contact, act oddly, walk around aimlessly or linger in certain areas of your store, have your staff, one, approach these customers, and two, ask them if they require help. This will let these customers know that they are being noticed.

Employ Enough Staff: It’s important to have enough staff to properly keep track of what’s going on in your store. This will ensure that there are staff walking around the store, going up and down the aisles and interacting with customers. Shoplifters are unlikely to be too comfortable in a store where they lack the opportunity to steal.

Properly Position Popular Products: If there are products that are more prone to being stolen than others, be sure to place them where they will be hard to steal, such as near the cash register. This will deter even the most determined shoplifters since they’ll know that their theft attempts are unlikely to succeed.

Use Cameras, Mirrors and Tags: You’ll keep shoplifters on their toes if you have enough security cameras and convex mirrors strategically placed in your store. After all, who wants to steal if they know that they can be seen regardless of where they are in your store? While you’re at it, use anti-theft tags on products so that shoplifters have one less reason to tempt fate.

If you take to heart the tips mentioned above, you’ll be able to keep shoplifters at bay — and this will ensure that theft does not eat into your corporate bottom line.

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How Stores Can Prevent Shoplifting

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