EAS Devices — Page 5

Don’t Let The Dark Days Of Winter Catch You Unsecure

January 2, 2018 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

With darker daylight hours comes the need for more coffee, the use of lights earlier and a plan to keep crime away from your store or business. Have you considered that one of the following types of crime could affect you?

Burglary – This is where a bad guy, low life scum type, breaks into your property when you and your staff are gone for the day. First and foremost you must have an alarm system. Not just the $99 special either. Invest enough that you have ALL exterior doors contacted. Yes, this also should apply to doors that are not used frequently or at all. Add glass break detectors on all exterior glass that can be easily reached. Enough motion detectors to create a trap effect. In other words so that no one can move around very far without a motion detector seeing them. Bad guys do not like light and sound, so add several sirens and strobe lights with at least one strobe on the front exterior and the back exterior. This will help to draw attention to your property by other citizens and the Police. You should always have an alarm control that uses cellular to communicate instead of phone or internet lines which can be cut or compromised.

Leave select lights on in the store to make it easy for the Police to see movement. The bad guys would prefer it to be dark. Are your doors and windows secure, I mean REALLY secure? Check the locks and make sure they operate correctly and are not simply cheap hardware that will give with a push or kick.

Robbery – This is the nightmare situation where someone presents you with a gun. Not as a present either. I have been involved in many shooting situations and have looked down the barrel of a few from the wrong side. It’s kind of funny how a barrel of a 9mm pistol looks like the opening of a 55 gallon barrel.

The key here is being prepared. Deterrents include well-lit stores and alert employees. Keep the cash drawers drained. Only keep the minimum amount of money in the till, the rest needs to go into a drop safe below the register or to the safe in the office. The lower form of life that commits robberies in many cases will make small purchases even a day or two ahead to see how much money is in the drawer. And yes, they know all about larger, excess bills being kept under the till tray in the drawer.

This is where a CCTV system that is adequately covering your point of sale comes in. The DVR should never be in plain sight at the point of sale; preferably in the office. Cameras should look at the point of sale from several different angles. Invest a couple of hundred dollars in a camera that mounts on the door frame at eye level. This will get a great face shot of anyone leaving.

All cameras should record 24/7 since hard drive space is cheap. You should easily get 30 to 60 days of recording. Another awesome deterrent is a Public View Monitor (PVM). A PVM is a monitor that is placed so that everyone entering the store sees themselves as they come in. It lets everyone know the system is active. A larger monitor in the 27+” range is preferred.

Employee Theft – I do not think employee theft picks up any more than other times of the year but it should get an honorable mention. Make sure you have adequate key and door control. Trash should be inspected by a manager before it goes out. Employees that steal will use the trash to get merchandise out picking it up later or have a friend get it. Employee bags should be inspected when they leave. I can send you a policy draft if needed.

Shoplifting – Shoplifters thrive and seek out concealment. Darkness adds to their psychological comfort. This is another reason for a well-lit store. Replace any burned out bulbs. Walk your store when it is dark outside to help discover any areas such as back corners that will provide aid and comfort to the shoplifting enemy. Make sure your Checkpoint system is operating correctly. If not call us for a service call. Ensure that your staff knows how to approach potential shoplifters with customer service techniques. I teach a live seminar on this for our customers, free of charge, whenever they need it.

Existing customers can call us at 770-426-7593 x103 to schedule a seminar. I also suggest that you pick up a copy of my new book: “Protect Your Store! The shoplifting prevention guide for small to medium retailers”. It is available online at Amazon and Kindle. The book has tools to shut off shoplifters right away.

Of course, these tips are good practice year round. However, take a hard, objective look at your store as it is better to prevent than recover from an incident. If we can help you, please reach out to us since we are only a call or email away.

Filed Under: Featured Tagged With: Alpha 2 Alarm, Alpha 3 Alarm, Alpha High Theft Solutions, Alpha Spider Wrap, Anti-shoplifting training, anti-theft devices, anti-theft tags, anti-thefts devices, EAS Devices, employee background checks, Georgia Alarms systems, internal Audit, Loss Prevention Seminars, Loss Prevention Training, Loss Prevention Workshop, mobile POS loss prevention, Periodic inventory, Prevent Shoplifting, prevent shrinkage, preventing shoplifting in your store, racial profiling, Retail Anti Theft Devices, security devices, shoplifting, Shoplifting Prevention, shoplifting statistics, shoplifting violence, surveillance

Store Safety Impacts Profits: Keep Your Store Safe During The Winter Months

January 2, 2018 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

Accidents can be costly to businesses. In fact, according to the OSHA website, “It has been estimated that employers pay almost $1 billion dollars a week for direct workers’ compensation costs alone. Direct costs include workers’ compensation payments, medical expenses and costs for legal services.”

This does not take into consideration expenditures on general liability claims made by customers against businesses for accidents. The impact of a customer claim can be significant as well and according to thehartford.com “The Hartford Reports: More Than 40% Of Small Businesses Will Experience A Claim In The Next 10 Years,” March 30, 2015, the average cost of a customer injury or damage claim is $30,000 while a customer slip and fall incident is $20,000. A struck by object claim not identified as being specific to a customer or employee is listed at an average cost of $10,000. Consider then that the risk of these accidents taking place during the winter months increases significantly. What steps can you take to reduce the possibility you may have to pay out on a claim, especially during the winter months?

Slips and Falls

Slips and falls are not uncommon all year round, however, winter increases the chances of a slip on icy sidewalks and parking lots. Additionally, people will track ice and snow into the building leaving puddles of water that contribute to slip accidents. It is necessary for store employees to be diligent in placing wet floor signs near entrances and drying those areas too. Allowing standing water to remain because “people just keep tracking it in” is not an excuse that will hold water in an accident settlement case (pun intended). It is worth investing in wet area or all weather mats for the front doors to aid in the drying of shoes as customers enter the building. Have umbrella bags available for wet umbrellas. Bure sure to have deicers and anti-icers on hand for unexpected snow and ice storms to help keep sidewalks and curbs safe for patrons and employees. Stores located in traditionally warmer climates must be even more diligent because ice and snow are not as common; finding shovels and proper equipment when that rare snow or ice storm strikes can be a difficult task. Hardware stores run out of necessary items quickly as people without the tools come in at the sudden threat of storms.

Strains and Sprains

You or one of your staff may go outside to shovel snow from your sidewalks. Be careful! Not only is there the danger of being exposed to the cold too long, there is also a chance of a strain injury resulting from the shoveling of snow and ice. In an article in webmd.com titled, “Shoveling Snow Injures Thousands Each Year,” Jan 20, 2011, by Kelli Miller, the author points out that shoveling sends on average 11,000 adults and children to the hospital each year. She continues in her article, “The American Journal of Emergency Medicine details the most common health hazards associated with shoveling snow. Snow shoveling can lead to bad backs, broken bones, head injuries and even deadly heart problems.” Carefully watch those you may send out to shovel and rotate them in and out. Look for signs of excessive stress or pain and if necessary contact a local EMS station.

Parking Lots

Ensure your employees are safe if you send them outside to collect shopping carts or clear snow from parking spaces. Have orange or yellow reflective safety vests on hand and require those working outside to wear them. Moving vehicles in a parking lot may not stop quickly enough on the icy pavement if they don’t see the employee in time. The safety vest provides additional visibility to help alert drivers. While it should go without saying make sure weather appropriate clothing such as jackets, gloves and even scarfs are available for employees to help them avoid frostbite or other cold-weather ailments.

Struck-by’s

Don’t overlook the risk of ice falling from a rooftop. Too much weight from accumulated snow and ice or a slight increase in temperatures may result in ice and snow sliding off an overhang or roof. Be sure to monitor for such hazards and take proactive measures to clear potential problems before they result in an injury.

Accidents can happen anytime but winter offers unique challenges. Be pro-active and make sure you and your managers are doing all you can to make your employees and customers safe when they visit the store to work or shop.

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Should They Stay Or Should They Go? What To Consider With Seasonal Hires

January 2, 2018 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

It’s that time of year when all store owners and managers start to make personnel decisions. Remember those people you hired in late August, maybe in September or even as late as October or November? Remember the conversations you may have had with them discussing how this was a “seasonal” position? You may have really dangled the carrot in front of them and told them that if they worked hard and showed initiative they might be retained on your staff after the holidays. Guess what? It’s time now for you to start taking a hard look at your staff and making some decisions and that isn’t always pleasant. Now you have to evaluate those employees and consider whether you want to keep them or you may have to decide if you can afford to keep them. What should you be thinking about at this point with regard to employee retention decisions?

Performance

You may have told the employee that retention after the holiday season would be based on their performance. Did you take time periodically to watch how this person interacted with customers or other employees? Did you ever get any customer complaints about how this employee treated them or compliments about their service? Did you keep track of those complaints or compliments so you would have something to fall back on should you choose to end their employment? Having documentation in hand makes it easier to have those conversations. The other resources you need to rely on are your supervisors. It is wise to have a management meeting to discuss each person’s opinion about a seasonal worker. One person may like the way the employee performed on a cash register while another had issues with sales floor performance. Getting several perspectives will give a better picture of an employee during the season.

Punctuality

Review an employee’s time sheets or attendance record. If you don’t keep track of tardiness or call-outs you should start. Just because a supervisor or manager says someone was always late or always called out does not mean it was so. It often happens that during a busy time or when everything seems to be going wrong that if someone shows up late to work it is inflated in our minds. We are prone to feeling like this is a regular occurrence when in fact it only took place the one time. The employee may have called out another time but the heat of the moment distorts the reality of the employee’s attendance record. Review documentation so you know whether punctuality or attendance was really a problem.

Attitude

I shouldn’t have to include this one but sometimes the obvious isn’t so obvious. What kind of attitude was displayed while this person worked? Did they arrive to work with a negative attitude? Perhaps they were always negative about customers or even talking about other employees. A poor attitude can rub off on others and become a drain on morale. I can’t emphasize enough the importance of getting rid of someone who displays a poor attitude. I should also mention that it is worth giving consideration to someone who always has a sunny disposition. Just as a negative attitude spreads a black cloud over the other workers and can be sensed by customers a positive attitude can have the same impact. Shoppers like feeling welcomed and that their business is appreciated. Co-workers enjoy being around a fellow employee who makes work fun or knows the value of a warm greeting. This does not mean this worker does not have to be able to perform but they may not need to be a superstar if they bring something of value to the table.

Honesty and Integrity

Has this staff member demonstrated an impeccable record of honest behaviors? Are you confident this person has proven to be honest? If you track register overages and shortages take a look back at this employee’s daily register tallies. Be sure there is no concern over shortages or overages either of which could be an indicator of theft. Has there been any question about a purchase or a package check inspection? Is this person always upfront about issues they have encountered? Even something as seemingly small as having a friend punch a time clock for them indicates an integrity issue at the least. If you have a concern it would be in your best interest to cut this person from your roster.

Ending a seasonal employee’s job isn’t always easy but it is necessary. Make sure you use sound criteria and good judgment when deciding if you will keep or release someone after the holidays.

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Holiday And Shoplifting, Are you Prepared?

November 30, 2017 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

For many big retailers and the small mom and pop shop, the holidays are something to be excited about. Your sales increase and the shop can truly see profits coming in during this time of year. But, for them, shoplifting is and can be a devastating income loss that they may not escape nor recover from quickly enough.

According to many analysts, there are many items that seem to be targeted by professional shoplifters to be stolen from your shop. From designer clothing, laundry detergent, and high-end liquor, the team of organized crime rings target specific stores to shoplift thousands of dollars worth of this type of merchandise.

If you are doing business in the retail industry, prepare you loss prevention team this holiday season to be aware of the many shoplifting tricks these professional thieves know how to do.

For more about this and other topics, follow the links below.

Local shoplifting spike, national statistics show growing trend

Latest statistics show 1 in 11 Americans shoplift

SOUTH EUCLID, Ohio – Some northeast Ohio law enforcement agencies are reporting a spike in shoplifting, as we make our way into the center of the holiday shopping season.

South Euclid police reported several cases since October – some of the suspect arrests captured on police body camera video.

South Euclid Assistant Chief Joe Mays told News 5 some of the offenders are caught repeatedly, and that it’s up to parents and family members to monitor their children, and get those arrested the help the they need.

“It’s a consistent cycle of individuals who commit these shoplifting offenses,” said Mays. “Parents should know where your kids are, what they’re doing, and who they’re hanging out with. We’ve had instances where we’ve gone into a home and a parent will say well yeah they came home with a television, but they told me they got it from a friend.”

Blotter: Dallas cop posts bail after arrest on shoplifting charge in Denton County

Dallas police Officer Christopher Hankins was released from Denton County Jail on Thanksgiving Day after he was accused of shoplifting groceries at a Wal-Mart in Cross Roads.

Capt. Orlando Hinojosa, a spokesman for the Denton County Sheriff’s Office, said Hankins was released Nov. 23 after posting $1,000 bail. He was arrested the previous day on a charge of theft between $750 and $2,500.

The Northeast Police Department responded to the theft report about 1:30 a.m. at the Wal-Mart in the 11700 block of U.S. Highway 380, according to The Dallas Morning News. The officer had been wearing his Dallas Police Department windbreaker, The News reported, and a manager said he was in the store for about two hours.

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Bad Santa (this one is on the naughty list)

November 29, 2017 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

Could it be that Santa Claus is not always a jolly, giving man? Oh yeah. Take a look at this Santa. He (or I guess it could be a she) is out for a little cheer for…. himself. Regardless who they are, customers need to be watched. In this case, the store let their guard down because of the costume. Shoplifters use deception and costumes to steal.

In this case, the Santa costume allows plenty of room to hide merchandise. Shoplifters will make or modify clothing to become a shoplifting tool. We call these “booster” items. Booster coats, dresses, skirts, pants and more. I have even seen booster “bloomers”. They are worn under a loose fitting skirt or dress. The shoplifter drops a merchandise item through what looks like a pocket in the outer garment and into the bloomers which are secured at the knee. A lot of merchandise can be concealed that way. We once caught a woman with four cordless drills including batteries concealed that way.

Other costumes include religious clothing. How about a Nun? I have caught one of those. It was a difficult “habit” for her to break. Even someone who dresses as a member of the Armed Forces, a security officer, repairman, phone company technician with tools and a toolbox. A shoplifting team may use a person like this to distract your attention or create a scene while the others steal.

Another booster item could be a false bottom gift-wrapped box. Your merchandise Items go in the bottom with a trap door. Shopping bags are yet another tool. Especially ones from your store. Our inclination is that whatever is in there, was already purchased. Or they put stolen merchandise under merchandise that they did purchase.

The general rule of thumb is that shoplifters want to blend in with your regular customer look. Take a look at this video of a customer that “blended in” but was bottomless:

If your average customer wears a suit then that is the way the shoplifter will dress. If they wear shorts and flip-flops, then that is their targeted look. But a costume that portrays confidence such as uniforms, religion, public servant… is like hiding in plain sight. We dismiss that person “because an XXX would not be stealing from me”.

If a costume makes people uncomfortable, they would tend to avoid that person. Someone dressed in an outrageous way such as a stripper (okay, not too many places to hide something), odd clothing combinations and colors or some of what we can find at the People of Walmart website probably qualify.

Of course, no story on shoplifting costumes would be complete without a creepy clown. So if I have not weirded you out too much, then happy hunting!

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Make Preparations For Your End Of The Year Wrap Up

November 29, 2017 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

December is the month when retailers are focused on driving those end of the year sales. We push as much merchandise as possible out of the stockrooms to fill the floors. Empty salesfloor spaces should be “no-no’s” during this time of the year. We re-merchandise our fixtures to get gift ideas in front of our customers. We also take steps to increase impulse buys by filling check lanes with snacks, batteries, magazines, gift cards, etc. Managers should also be looking at last year sales information to plan schedules around peak times of the day in order to avoid long lines at the registers. While all of this is important it is just as important to start planning for your end of the year wrap up.

Much of December into January is the same as the rest of the year but there are some differences that need to be considered. It is the end of the year and that means you will have to consider inventory will be coming up in the next few months (depending on when you take inventory of course). Even if you take your inventory later in the year you should still be thinking about it and starting to prepare now. As your team is pushing merchandise out of the stockroom it should be emptying out. It is the perfect time to look for merchandise that has fallen from hangers or dropped into a nook or cranny that is usually hard to see. Scouring the building for merchandise that has been hidden away is another step to be taken. Sometimes customers will hide merchandise intending to come back for it later or employees may do so to avoid re-stocking it. Merchandise may also be under base decks or fall behind registers and regardless of how it gets there, it will result in shortage if not accounted for at inventory time.

You may have hired seasonal employees for the holidays. You will need to start making decisions on who you will release and who you may decide to keep on your staff. If you have other managers working for you seek their input. It is not uncommon for us to have a skewed view of what an employee’s work and productivity may be. You may see someone occasionally and think they are performing well. You then speak with their immediate supervisor and find out this employee is really a problem to their work center. Decisions must be made as to when cuts will be made and offers of permanent employment provided. Whether you like the employee or not it is only fair to give them time to start looking for other work or have the knowledge they won’t need to do so.

Review any vendor supplied items your store may carry. Are vendors maintaining their products and filling their allocated space? Conduct spot audits of vendor merchandise and make sure if there are products soon to expire they are on the front of the shelf. Be diligent that you are receiving the appropriate credits for merchandise the vendor is removing from your store. You or a delegated manager should look at vendor credits to be sure they are being given to you in a timely manner now and through the entire year.

The end of the year is also the time to look at building maintenance issues. Parking lot lighting, exterior lights, fire, and burglary alarm tests should have all been done at the start of the 4^th quarter. Now is the time to look for facility problems, are restroom sinks and toilets operating correctly? Are there any roof leaks that have not been previously reported? Are fitting room doors opening, closing and locking? Some repairs may be a landlord’s responsibility to cover, be sure those are reported and taken care of.

Finally, as you wrap up your year take time to celebrate your wins with your team and also take a look at opportunities for improvement. Make it a group effort and give everyone a chance to comment on what they thought went well and what could have gone better. Getting everyone’s insight can be enlightening and provide ideas for making the coming year even better than this year and that is how businesses stay successful.

Filed Under: Featured Tagged With: Alpha 2 Alarm, Alpha 3 Alarm, Alpha High Theft Solutions, Alpha Jewel Lok, Alpha Nano Gate, Alpha Security, Alpha Spider Wrap, Anti-shoplifting training, anti-theft devices, anti-theft tags, anti-thefts devices, Background checks, CCTV cameras, EAS Devices, employee background checks, Employee Theft, Georgia Alarms systems, Georgia shoplifting prevention, Georgia shoplifting systems, Loss Prevention Seminar, Loss Prevention Seminars, Loss Prevention Training, Loss Prevention Workshop, Periodic inventory, Shoplifting Prevention, shoplifting statistics, shoplifting violence, surveillance

New Year’s Resolution’s To Improve Shortage This Year

November 29, 2017 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

A New Year is just around the corner and once again resolutions are going to be made and many of those will fall by the wayside. Why does that happen? Are goals too big to achieve? Sometimes we all start off with good intentions and we just get caught up in our normal routines and we can’t seem to focus on what it was we wanted to get done. There may be a manager out there who resolves that this is the year they will meet quarterly with each employee and discuss performance. They might do well the first quarter but then as the demands of the job take up more and more time something gives and it was the meetings. I recall one of my resolutions was to be more organized at work. I had a filing system, it was called my desktop and I knew where everything was at. I would make my resolution, create a filing system and you guessed it by the end of January I was back to my old habits. My intentions were good I just wouldn’t stay focused on it and made excuses.

Retail shortage can be a problem for a store and if not addressed it gets worse and severely impacts the profitability of a business. Resolving to fix shortage is admirable but it requires a knowledge of where the shortage is taking place and methods that can improve problem areas. Below are some tips that can help with your resolution:

Know what causes the shortage. There are generally four areas that will impact shortage. Shoplifting, Employee Theft, Vendor Shortage and Administrative Errors. According to the 2014-2015 Global Retail Theft Barometer, Dishonest employees accounted for 45% of shortage, Shoplifters 36%, Vendor/Supplier Fraud 6% and Administrative and Non-Crime Loss 13% (pg. 53).
Rather than try to fix all areas of shortage, pick one that will give you the most bang for the buck. For example, if you were to focus on preventing shoplifting you could probably reduce your losses by almost one-third!
Once you decide what you want to focus on, find experts who will be happy to assist you. Go to a resource that has people experienced in the field of shortage reduction such as Loss Prevention Systems Inc. and look at their blogs and media pages and resource information. Contact them for help.
Educate yourself and your managers on shoplifting and employee theft. Find out how to identify and prevent both (combined this is almost 80% of your shortage). Schedule a training seminar with experts from Loss Prevention Systems Inc. who will give you the information to make your business successful. There are a number of training sessions they provide and you can find the one(s) that will be most effective at this time. You may even consider partnering with other retailers in your area to hold a group session.
Invest in a retail anti-theft system that will have an immediate impact on employee theft, shoplifting, AND non-crime loss. You can still focus on that one area of shortage but benefit from the impact it can have on preventing other losses.
Create an action plan for the area you decide to focus on. It doesn’t need to be big but it does need to have specific objectives, goals, and measures. You will also need due dates when an action item is to be complete. Set aside time each month on your calendar to review your plan. Do NOT allow anything to interfere with that time. Once you start rescheduling that time it is no longer a priority and will fail. An example would be planning to install a Checkpoint System. If you set a date of March 1^st to have it installed you need to have the date and times to schedule appointments, calls, service visits, and follow-ups if a deadline looks like it won’t be met. All of these would be on your calendar and you have to ensure they get done.

The best plans are the simple plans with achievable goals. Too many action items, trying to do too much at once or lofty or unreasonable expectations are a recipe for failure.

As you make your resolution to reduce shortage be sure to have objective dates in place and measures you can celebrate as you accomplish them. Celebrating a small victory will lead to the achievement of other victories. It may take a little time but you will see the result of your efforts at the end of the year in increased sales and lower shrinkage.

Filed Under: Featured Tagged With: Alpha 2 Alarm, Alpha 3 Alarm, Alpha High Theft Solutions, Alpha Jewel Lok, Alpha Nano Gate, Alpha Security, Alpha Spider Wrap, Anti-shoplifting training, anti-theft devices, anti-theft tags, anti-thefts devices, Background checks, CCTV cameras, EAS Devices, employee background checks, Employee Theft, Georgia Alarms systems, Georgia shoplifting prevention, Georgia shoplifting systems, Loss Prevention Seminar, Loss Prevention Seminars, Loss Prevention Training, Loss Prevention Workshop, Prevent Shoplifting, Retail Anti Theft Devices, retail security and monitoring, security devices, shoplifting, Shoplifting Prevention, shoplifting statistics, shoplifting violence, surveillance

Is New Technology The Answer to Stop Shoplifting?

November 21, 2017 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

During this holiday season, shoplifting and organized retail crime are some of the major problems retail owners and managers face. The incidents occurring every single day according to some experts are near the 500 mark every single minute in the United States. Holiday shoppers, inventory etc, are issues the retail industry know how to deal with during this time of year, but the increase of shoplifting is a problem they have to face every single day without a solution.

For more about this and other topics, follow the links below.

Is holiday retail still king? 4 ways to get smarter about holiday marketing

As more consumers shop outside the traditional holiday shopping period, how should marketers react? Columnist Kyle Henderick outlines four ways to help your brand stay ahead of the competition.

Get ready — the holiday season is upon us, and the retail landscape is changing yet again.

While the traditional holiday season has always been a cash cow for retailers, recent data shows that many consumers no longer limit their holiday shopping activities to the period from Black Fridayto Christmas Eve. With accessibility and shipping barriers lowered, consumers are evolving their spending habits to buy early. This gives retailers both a challenge and an opportunity this year.

Do changing consumer behaviors mean that you should reduce your investment in traditional holiday retail marketing activities? Or, in the new holiday retail environment, can you position your retail brand to benefit from the evolving behaviors of today’s consumers?

Holiday retail shopping behaviors vary by generation.

The New Tech Helping Business Owners Stop Shoplifters

Amazon is known as the biggest retailer online, but most people don’t know that Amazon has taken two big steps into physical retail. The better known is Amazon’s recent purchase of Whole Foods, but last December the tech giant quietly opened a small grocery and convenience store, Amazon Go, that works differently than any other.

At Amazon Go, shoppers are tracked with a series of cameras and sensors the entire time they shop. You can just walk out the door without paying a cashier, they say it feels like shoplifting, and the items are automatically charged to your credit card. While this looks like a science fiction movie, the technology is in place today helping retail store managers thwart shoplifters.

500 Shoplifting Thefts Per Minute

Shoplifting may not seem like a big deal to regular customers who pay for the goods they take home, but it is a huge problem across the United States. In fact, there are about 500 shoplifting incidents per minute, performed by a combination of professional thieves and amateurs trying to sneak away with a freebie.

Dane County leaders encourage holiday shoppers to buy local

DANE COUNTY (WKOW) — There is a push by Dane County leaders to support local businesses this holiday season.

November marks the launch of Shift Your Shopping. The program encourages consumers to buy from local businesses ahead of the holidays. On Friday, Dane County Executive Joe Parisi and other county leaders gathered to highlight how important it is to do so.

Studies show Americans spend a large portion of their annual retail shopping budget between November 1 and December 31. According to the National Retail Federation, retail sales in November and December generally increase 3.6% to roughly $650 billion.

When that money is shifted to locally owned, independent businesses, they generate more economic benefit in local communities than money spent at national chain outlets.

“Small business Saturday is more than just retail,” said Dane Buy Local Executive Director Colin Murray. “It also includes restaurants, grocery stores, hotels, flower shops, the list goes on and on. They’re all individual businesses that rely on the local economy to be successful.”

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Shoplifting and Preventable Measures

November 15, 2017 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

As a manager of a retail shop, the layout of the store is probably out of your hands and there is nothing to do about it. You have no control if the changing rooms are way in the back of the store where the opportunity to shoplift presents itself with regularity.

There are several tactics to prevent shoplifting in your store, and even though the layout of the store is out of your hands, other preventive measures can be taken to prevent and deter shoplifting.

According to experts, these preventive measures can help you manage your store better:

Customer Service
Lighting
CCTV cameras
Staff training
Signage
EAS and Security systems

Each and every one of these preventive measures cannot solve the problem of shoplifting. But when a manager or owner of a store is vigilant and knows they need to use a combination of these measures to prevent shoplifting, then the results can be seen clearly.

Target has announced that as of October, they have increased the minimum hourly wage to $11. With this increase, they hope there will be a decrease in turnover and sick days and an increase in productivity from their hourly employees.

Whether they believe employee theft will decrease with this increase in minimum wage is still unclear. And research has not found to be the case.

For more about this and other stories about employee theft and shoplifting, follow the links below.

Target’s Minimum Wage Increased. What Does That Mean for Theft?

To reduce loss from theft, retailers need employees to be more honest. Could Target’s minimum wage bump help?

Employee theft is a source of loss simply too costly to ignore, which is why loss prevention practitioners are always on the lookout for novel ways to prevent it. But what if the best theft-prevention tool wasn’t a security measure at all? What if you just paid your store associates a little more money? Would that make a difference? To what extent can wages act as a loss prevention tool?

On Sept. 25, Target announced its plan to boost staff pay. “This October, we’re raising our minimum hourly wage to $11—and we plan to increase the minimum hourly wage for all team members over the next few years to reach $15 by the end of 2020,” the company said in an announcement. According to the consensus of research, Target may experience a range of benefits for its investment, including an increase in worker productivity and decline in turnover and sick days.

Hampshire businesses targeted 35 times a day by shoplifters study shows

NEW research has found that across Hampshire more than 35 incidents of shoplifting take place every day.

A study by OnBuy.com revealed that Hampshire Constabulary reported 12,578 shoplifting offences throughout 2016/2017.

The figures showed that the force had the eighth highest rate for the crime in England and Wales.

Of the 43 police forces within that area, Metropolitan Police Service had the highest rate with 47,580 crimes reported, where as the City of London Police were bottom with just 729 incidents.

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Shoplifting Prevention

November 10, 2017 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

Kleptomania is a mental disorder. Not as serious as a more severe case of schizophrenia for example, but a mental disorder nonetheless. The inability of people suffering from this disorder to stop themselves from grabbing merchandise and stealing it is a problem mental health professionals try to understand and help these sufferers find a way to overcome.

The problems caused due to shoplifting are many. Police departments across the nation spend countless hours answering calls to retail shops where shoplifting incidents occur daily. Society as a whole loses the taxable merchandise lost to shoplifting, and the owners of some of these retail shops see their business crumble due to the heavy shoplifting they experience. But, we must remember that in some cases, these people need help, not jail.