With all retail comes theft, whether we like it or not. While you may not be able to completely avoid loss, there are steps you can take that can help you reduce the occurrence of theft.
Here are 5 ways that you can improve your anti-theft efforts:
- Find your store’s vulnerabilities: Every store has it’s vulnerabilities, and it’s your responsibility to identify them before someone takes advantage of them. Are there certain items that are easy for customers to slip in their bag or pocket? Are there certain areas of your store that are less supervised? You need to identify these faults and rectify them before a problem arises. The best way to start? Look at your store and figure out how you would try to steal something.
- Be aware and prepared: You should be prepared for any situation, but even with preparation, things can still happen. Know that theft usually increases during the holiday season. Are you having a sale that is going to bring in a crowd? Make sure you enhance security during that period of time. Install anti-theft and metal detector systems as added protection for those times when man power just isn’t enough. Keep up to date with the newest technologies and stay ahead of thieves.
- Set up cameras: It’s not enough to just set up cameras, you actually have to use them. Cameras allow you to watch more than one area at once and can be really useful in avoiding theft. Consider placing signs around the store notifying customers of the cameras as an added deterrent.
- Train your employees: You need to be aware of anti-theft prevention procedures, but you also need to train your employees. You may not always be in the store or you may be doing work in the back room. Either way, it’s your responsibility to make sure your employees know the proper procedures in dealing with theft.
- Hire security: Hiring a security team can really help you in retail loss prevention. Choose a security company that will place a guard that fits your needs and is properly trained in the retail and security industry. It never hurts to have an extra set of eyes, especially when the owner of that extra set knows how to properly handle things in the event there is someone trying to steal from your store.
Whether you’re opening a new store or are trying to revamp your security, these tips are here to help. You should be constantly reviewing your security program and looking for the newest technologies to keep you ahead of the game.
How have you dealt with retail loss prevention in the past?
