Black Friday is behind us and the holiday shopping season is in full swing. In many cases it will be the little things that store owners do that will make a big difference in the profitability of the season. One thing to be aware of is that shoplifting is up 6% since the recession hit.  The National Association for Shoplifting Prevention estimates retailers lose $25 million a day to shoplifting.  Make sure you measure shrinkage and the trend for how much you lose in your store to theft  are not on the rise.

 

Giving all employees brief but frequent reminders of what to look for can pay dividends. Some of the following points may help get you started. The rest will come from your own years of experience and the ideas of your staff when asked.

 

1.       Many shoplifters work in groups of two. One person is the distraction while the other is the thief.  When something occurs, make sure you are looking around and not at the distraction.

2.       Watch for items inconspicuously hidden under clothing, in handbags, strollers, umbrellas or stuffed into pockets.

3.       Make sure that labels are on the right merchandise. Switching a label to a more expensive item is theft.

4.       Be wary of people that spend more time watching the sales staff than shopping.

5.       Keep a count of what goes into the dressing room and what comes out.

6.       People that look at items more to kill time and delay. They do not seem interested in buying.

7.       Eliminate blind spots in the store—hang a mirror or a camera.

8.       Treat restrooms with the same scrutiny you do dressing rooms.

9.       Monitor trash—putting goods in the trash and picking it up after hours is not uncommon.

10.   Alarm doors that are not supposed to be used for customer traffic.

 

These ten actions are a good start. Shoplifting costs both the store and your good customers’ money. Have a great holiday!