6 Tips and tricks To Prevent Theft In Your Store Or Business

The future will be digital, but it will not be totally unrelated to the physical. Although the forecasts point to an increasing technological dependence on retail, businesses will continue to be anchored to their premises and stores.

For this reason, among associations and groups, great importance is still given to the scourge of shoplifters. In other words, the more traditional thefts that occur in grocery stores, supermarkets, and other local shops.

According to the study ‘Retail Security in Europe’ of Crime & Tech, on the mainland sector companies lose around 2,542 million euros a year for loss and theft.

Only in summer more than 25% of these thefts accumulate equivalent to 635 million expropriated. Has COVID weakened this threat? The reality is, no. 

The nature of the problem

Although the collective imagination depicts theft as a marginal activity of occasional and unprofessional criminals, the reality is that the problem is much more stratified.

As Kantar points out, globalization is taking a step backward. ” Local consumer brands are growing 50% more than international ones, contributing to 72% of market growth.”

It is the perfect breeding ground for the emergence of criminal organizations dedicated solely and exclusively to exploring the weakness of the growing local businesses; businesses more exposed to theft and less digitized in security systems.

Thefts are [usually] carried out by organized gangs that look for high-value products, such as bottles of alcohol or quality sausages, and that find an easy way out on the black market

This is a problem that cannot be answered by law. And it is that, the Penal Code does not include dissuasive offenses for thefts if these do not exceed 400 euros. This turns the threat into an almost imperceptible trickle of losses for businesses.

” Some accept the payment of fines as a fee or fee they pay for having this profession and others do not pay the fines and seek ways to avoid payment until the penalty prescribes, ” the employer’s document states.

The most frequent thefts occur among small electronic products , and general losses increase exponentially depending on the number of hours the store is open.

However, in the opposite sense, the damages of a theft are associated more with the amount of the stolen as the size and turnover of the store decreases.

What, who and how is stolen

In order to respond to robberies, it is necessary to know the profile of the offender. 

In this sense, the Crime & Tech study collects the type of product that accumulates the most thefts depending on the type of premises. The enumeration is displayed from highest to lowest, in order of quantity and probability.

• Electronics: mobile phones and accessories, video games and software, devices.
• Textile: accessories, jerseys, pants.
• Food: alcoholic beverages and soft drinks, cheeses and meats, chocolates and sweets.
• Hardware and DIY: automatic tools, screws and screwdrivers, home accessories.

Who perpetrates the crimes? There are two clear aspects: that of the occasional thief and that of organized gangs. Each one is governed by its own methods and preferences.

• Individual thieves: these are usually clients who give in to certain temptations and who are used to being driven by some kind of frustration. They are common in supermarket checkout counters.
• Gangs of two or three: They are well equipped with hammers, bags and inhibitors, operate with a solid structure and are skilled in the face of appearances and deception.

Among criminals, however, there are not only clients. Many stores face cases of internal theft professed by disgruntled employees seeking to do economic or reputational damage to the store. These show their own patterns:

• Product theft
• Appropriation of money from the cash register
• Fraudulent returns
• Total or partial cancellation of receipts
• Product consumption
• Fraudulent use of membership cards

5 practices to improve the security of your store

Although there is no magic recipe capable of completely eliminating thefts, the safest businesses in the market do manage certain measures that reduce the amounts lost due to this type of crime.

From Shopify they list the most important – and affordable – in proximity commerce.

Order on the shelf

The more strict you are in the placement of the products, the easier it will be for you to detect possible thefts. The best thing to do is to build product “ walls ” that will deter criminals.

Commercial Property Insurance 

It describes insurance that protects commercial structures as well as their contents against damage that is caused by storms, fire, or other reasons for peril or loss. The policies can be purchased to protect a specific building at one location or multiple buildings located in various places (global.

Commercial property insurance covers your company’s physical assets from explosions, fires and storms, burst pipes vandalism, theft, and fire

Body language tracking

Thieves are identified because they spend more time observing cashiers and clerks than shopping, trying many items but choosing only one, picking things up at random, and appearing nervous .

Install cameras and give this information to security personnel if there is one, so that they are prevented from theft,

Staff training

Your employees are the best containment tools in case of theft. That is why it is important to maintain an active training – and practically free – that will avoid many problems.

Teach them to transmit presence at all times, impose rules regarding containers and bags from outside, train them to identify labels and establish a non-verbal communication system .

Store layout

Place the boxes oriented on the left side of the outlet ; It is proven that customers always turn right when entering stores. By forcing them to checkout, you will reduce their incentive to steal. Hence, you should always keep them attended to .

At the same time, it places mirrors to eliminate blind spots , places the most valuable products in closed showcases and limits the number of products to take per customer.

Signaling

It is a very economical measure that provides two benefits at the same time: on the one hand, security , and on the other, image and reputation . Of course, when placing the signs you have to take into account certain minimums.

• The first sign must be positioned at the entrance of the store.
• Place them at high heights and close to the position that security cameras usually occupy.
• Use pictures and symbols ; They are proven to double compliance with the rules.