Did you know that businesses lose million of dollars every year due to theft? And we’re aren’t talking about shoplifters. Sadly, the majority of these losses are due to retail theft from actual employees.
Before attempting to stop the shoplifting and significantly reduce the shrinkage, you must perform a thorough inspection of your inventory. Once that’s done, there are multiple ways that you can prevent warehouse retail theft.
Here are five ways you can prevent retail theft:
Keep Everything Organized and Well-Placed
It should be easy to see that merchandise is missing, particularly in a warehouse or business where inventory is checked. However, that’s not always the case. Disorganization gives thieves the green light to steal without getting caught. That’s why it’s important that you keep your inventory organized.
A good way to do this is to make sure your merchandise is faced. This means that the products are pulled to the very edge of the shelf to create a wall of product. Doing this makes it easier to notice something amiss.
Learn the Common Methods and Traits of Shoplifting
As a disclaimer, there isn’t a particular profile for a thief. They come in different sizes, ages, races and gender. However, that doesn’t mean that they don’t exhibit the same traits and habits. In fact, many thieves work in large groups or small pairs in order to distract the employees. One of the most common methods of shoplifting is trying to hide the merchandise from view.
Some Places that the Products Are Stuffed in Include:
- Strollers
- Purses
- Clothing
- Umbrella
- Purchased Products
- In Rare Cases, You Could Have that One Thief Just Grab Something and Run
- You Also Want to Keep an Eye out for These Common Traits that Shoplifters Have:
- They Spend a Lot of Time Watching the Staff
- They’ll Take Multiple Items in a Dressing Room but Only Come out with One
- They’ll Act Very Nervous and Examine Items without Any Interest
Coordinate Customer Service
Not only will having quality customer service provide a great experience for customers, it can also put a stop to shoplifting. It’s essential that you have effective store management tactics and use them as a way to prevent theft.
Here Are a Few Techniques You Can Use to Reduce the Opportunity to Steal:
- Greet Every Customer at the Door, Which Shows Them that You Know of Their Presence
- Make Sure There Is an Appropriate Amount of Staff in the Area
- Teach Your Employees How to Keep an Eye out for Price Switching
Invoking policies and training your staff on scenarios of theft is going to save you from a world of headaches.
Rearrange the Layout of Your Store
Changing the interior design of your store is a great way to keep things organized and reduce the risk of theft.
Here’s How You Can Do This:
- Keep Your Checkout by the Door, So Customers Pass It on the Way Out
- Eliminate blind spots that thieves use to hide. You can do this by adding mirrors and proper lighting in every area.
- Make Sure Your Displays and Fixtures Are Low to Increase the Visibility of the Customers
- Lock Any Kind of Small or Expensive Items inside Locked Cabinets
Install CCTV Cameras
If you thought that you couldn’t have eyes everywhere at all times, you’d be wrong. This is where CCTV installation of cameras come in. Installing multiple cameras provide you with high-tech surveillance in every corner of the warehouse, giving you a birds-eye view of the aisles. Of course, you still want someone patrolling so they can try to catch the thief. However, you can only do and see so much within a single aisle.
Every business wants to make a profit. They don’t want the items they spent their budget on taken without making a profit. With a well-trained staff, an organized layout and a tight security system, you won’t have to worry about any of that.
