Retail Security and the Holidays
The holiday season is nearly upon us, and that means a lot for many retail stores. Not only is this a busy time of year for sales but it can also, unfortunately, be a busy time for criminals. Criminals often take advantage of the hustle and bustle of the season to commit crimes.
Therefore, it’s very important to focus on protecting your property and your assets at this time of year.
We know that the holiday season is very busy and that there are many different jobs that need to be done. There is a lot of work that has to be completed in preparation for this season. We also know that this can lead to business owners putting less focus on retail store security than they should. Criminals know this as well, and that’s why that tend to strike more often at this time of year. In fact, one study showed that shoplifting and fraud during the holiday season costs American retailers about $8.9 billion dollars.
This 2012 report found that retailers could lose about $3.8 billion through shoplifting, $4.7 billion through employee theft, and $400 million through vendor and distribution losses during the holidays.
In order to protect your business and your assets, there are several things that you should do.
Focus on Customer Service
This tip won’t just help you protect your retail store from criminals, but it will also increase your sales. Customer service helps sell products and services. It also makes shoppers feel at home. However, did you know that good customer service can also prevent shoplifting?
Many shoplifters look for retail stores that are understaffed. They take advantage of these situations to slip merchandise into their bags or coat pockets when no one is looking. By ensuring that your staff is on hand to greet every person who walks into the store, you are letting potential shoplifters know that they are being watched. This will help reduce crime.
If the holiday season is very busy at your store, you may want to look into having more staff in store to speak to shoppers as they enter and exit the property. While this could require hiring some additional temporary staff, you’ll actually end up saving money due to the drop in crime.
Provide Proper Training
Train your staff to be able to identify shoplifters and to react to possible crimes correctly. As mentioned, have staff make contact with customers and be aware of all customers in the store. Train your staff to ask anyone who seems to be wandering around the store if they need help. Shoplifters often walk through stores for a while, waiting for the right opportunity to steal. If they are approached by store staff during this time, their chances of attempting a crime are significantly reduced.
Use Physical Security
Shoplifters often target small yet valuable items that can easily be slid into a pocket or bag without drawing attention. This includes small electronics, medication, razor blades, make-up, alcohol and many other similar items.
For this reason, it is a good idea to place these items behind security gates or inside locked cabinets. This way, shoppers will need to ask staff for access to these items, which will drastically reduce crime and loss.