Shop lifting is a serious issue for many companies and business owners across the nation. A potential customer walks into a store and takes something without paying for it. The one left holding the bill is the company. Each year companies spend millions on retail theft prevention to minimize the financial losses from shoplifting. It is estimated that $25 million per day is what retail outlets lose because of shoplifting. Companies will often invest in secure retail displays to keep the thief from succeeding in their efforts. There is another threat that companies have to face and that is a shoplifting insider.
Security and loss prevention is a reality for companies today. Having the ability to identify warning signs of would be shoplifters can save your company a lot of money. When confronting an employee about shoplifting it is important to question them in private. If a mistake is made, then there is no need for damage control over the reputation of the questioned employee. Employees who steal will exhibit signs of their wrongdoing. Seven signs to look for are:
- Bringing in and leaving with excessive bags. Some companies require bags checks of employees before they leave for the day. If the employee starts refusing bag checks, this may be an indicator of shoplifting.
- Keep an eye on work areas. If the employee works in the same area every day, check to see if there are supplies missing on a regular basis.
- Employees who dodge being seen while leaving the store may be involved in shoplifting. After all no one wants to be seen doing something that is against the law.
- Take note of strange behavior. Inconsistent attendance, not focusing on work, leaving designated areas.
- Watch for employees who want to be alone while they work.
- Nervousness may also indicate shoplifting if the employee is confronted about the topic.
- Check for any prior conviction of theft or shoplifting on background reports.
Tablet computers are extremely popular and retailers want to display them prominently so customers can interact with them. How can a store give tablets full exposure without inviting theft? Here are three ways to secure tablet computers without compromising retail security:
- Lock the tablet to the display using brackets like the TSBracket (Tablet Security) by Sennco Solutions. The key lock makes it difficult to steal the merchandise,
yet allows retailers access to quickly change their displays when the time comes. The bracket's base is permanently attached to retail display tables, shelving, or even walls. While in use, the bracket's head is locked onto the base with a key lock. This makes it very secure, yet allows authorized personnel to easily change the displays when necessary.
- Use sturdy retail display tables. Even the best bracket can be yanked from its moorings. Strong metal tables or shelves ensure that there is no hidden weak point in the displays.
- Make sure employees regularly pass through the display area. Any security measure can fail if a criminal has enough time to work on it. By displaying items where there is ongoing employee traffic, criminals will be deterred from trying time-consuming methods.
The best loss prevention solutions not only keep merchandise in place, they also display it in such a way that it is enticing to potential customers. Sennco's Tablet Security Bracket is a perfect example of this combination. It allows tablets to be displayed in the open, can be swiveled to either portrait or landscape forms, and can be used along with advertising materials.
There are many factors that go into making a retail display successful. It must attract
attention, hold customer interest, motivate people to buy, and prevent theft of the merchandise. Fortunately, all of these things are possible with the right display practices and retail security solutions. Here are the top five steps to take to create a successful retail display:
- Display merchandise where people can interact with it. The more familiar customers become with the products, the more they'll want to buy them.
- Use effective retail theft prevention devices to keep display merchandise from being shoplifted. Some examples are brackets to secure tablets, retractable cordwinders for small electronics like cameras and phones, and cables for other merchandise.
- Make sure the display area is brightly lit. People are more attracted to bright areas than dim locations.
- Station employees nearby to answer customer questions. An employee presence also acts as a theft deterrent.
- Keep advertisements and other display materials clean and fresh. Replace shopworn posters, dust the merchandise, and wash the shelving units as necessary. This ensures that the merchandise makes a great impression on customers. It also ensures that the store itself has a trustworthy atmosphere.
Creating excellent in store displays is easy if you keep all of the above elements in mind. Even retail theft prevention is simple with products from Sennco Solutions. These anti-shoplifting devices make it easy to secure tablets, other electronics, and even larger merchandise while allowing the best possible customer experience.
There was a time in history when every store was the same. Small, expensive items like cell phones, games, and cameras were locked away inside clear cases. An employee might have been nearby, but more often, help was nowhere to be found.
Today, most stores have moved away from this style of presentation, but a few persist in using it. From a customer's perspective, there is one word that describes the feeling of a locked display case: forbidden. Customers are literally forbidden to touch the merchandise. For obvious reasons, this does not put people in the mood to buy.
Modern stores, however, give customers the welcome and open feeling they crave. Bright, open displays allow people's natural fascination with electronic gadgets to take over. Checking out the latest merchandise becomes fun and exciting.
Once attracted by an open display, customers automatically make the leap from touching the merchandise to wanting to take it home. This desire to keep the fun products they've been playing with is an almost instinctual response. Needless to say, sales are much better with these open and inviting displays.
Thanks to modern retail theft prevention methods, open displays are as safe for stores as any cabinet. Cordwinders, customized cables, alarms, and other innovative retail product security devices from Sennco Solutions ensure that customers buy the products they want to keep instead of trying to walk off with the display models. These anti-theft devices are unobtrusive, so they don't get in the way of customers' enjoyment of the display. The only thing they ever interfere with is shoplifting.
With a well-secured open display that uses the right variety of retail product security devices, customers will feel welcome and have a natural urge to keep the items with which they’ve interacted.
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http://www.inc.com/john-brandon/how-to-catch-employees-who-steal.html
There are multiple reasons retailers should care about loss prevention: shoplifting and other forms of retail fraud eat into the profits. The average amount of shrinkage in retail is about 1.5 percent according to a recent University of Florida study, but this doesn't mean stores can relax. Like most averages, the percentage of shrink can affect different establishments in drastically varying amounts. For some stores, shrink can be high enough to completely wipe out the profit.
Retailers who sell electronics, yard equipment, and other items that are highly attractive to thieves are especially at risk of suffering catastrophic effects from shoplifting. Small electronics are highly attractive to shoplifters and are easy to fit into pockets. Outside displays of lawn equipment, bicycles, and other large items are almost like giveaway stands if they're not properly protected.
One way to improve loss prevention is by outfitting displays with anti-theft devices such as cables, brackets, and alarms like those made by Sennco Solutions. Such loss prevention products are so effective that they're used by retail giants like Target, Wal-Mart and Best Buy. This doesn't mean that they're only good for big retailers. Beefing up display security is a great way for stores of all sizes to improve the effectiveness of their loss prevention programs.
An excellent article touching on loss prevention and how an LPQ feels how he is truly helping.
From LossPro on twitter:
RT @LPmag: My Turn - Loss Prevention and the Eighth Commandment http://t.co/WxujPet9 (http://twitter.com/LossPro/statuses/160393205123252224)
Here is a very informative article regarding loss prevention and the how "times are a changing" As a retailer, are you ready for the future of commerce and to deal with the thieves of tomorrow?
From DonnaCrumley on twitter:
How to balance emerging technologies with loss prevention risk - http://t.co/yPL3HfLK (http://twitter.com/DonnaCrumley/statuses/159989758997708800)