Britain’s retail sector is a core contributor to the UK’s economy, employing over 3,000,000 staff and providing 20pc of the country’s GDP. However, it is also a sector that struggles greatly with shoplifting, which the British Retail Consortium has estimated accounted for £1.6 billion of loss in 2012.
This hefty figure may also be the tip of the iceberg, with estimations suggesting that only 9pc of shoplifting incidents are reported. In the UK, the main problem is customer theft, at 52pc, compared with the USA, where the biggest problem for retailers is staff theft.
However, there are plenty of ways that retailers can fight back against shoplifting; primarily by investing in the right security provision.
Practical Deterrents and Tips
Having sufficient staff is key to deterring impulse shoplifters. Make sure you have staff present and visible across your sales floor, and train your employees to approach and greet, so that they are visible and obviously in close proximity. This helps genuine customers to get a great service – and acts as a deterrent to would-be shoplifters. Train your staff to identify common ploys, such as the switching of bar codes and checking inside larger items to ensure smaller items haven’t been stored within.
Stock items that are of the highest value should be placed in clear view, close to employees. Make sure they aren’t hidden by merchandising or displays. You may also want to limit high value display cases, so that you can keep easy track of them. Don’t stock high value items near to exits.
Getting the Right Staff
Use the services of a security firm. You can find high quality security guards in Gloucester through agencies or you might prefer to get in touch with firms individually for competitive pricing. Why not contact Cuffgroup Security for more information about security guards?
Invest in technologies such as CCTV, tagging systems, merchandise alarms, bulky packaging and dye tags. Make sure that your staff are trained in using these technologies and that you have clear processes in place for using them. It is also worth investing in analytics to see which items are typically stolen and to identify other trends, such as packaging and location. This information can help with your decision making and control.
