TIPS AND ADVICE
Avoid theft during the store's opening hours: 6 little tricks to prevent theft
The vast majority of stores experience that goods are stolen during the day. It is very normal, but nevertheless annoying - and of course it can be expensive.
We have collected 6 tips on how you can avoid theft during the store's opening hours.
Train staff so everyone knows what to look out for
First of all, you should have a conversation about what is considered suspicious behavior and when you should pay extra attention to a possible thief:
- Does the person seem nervous?
- Does the person ask a lot of questions or ask to see a lot of items?
- Does the person look around – e.g. for cameras or hidden corners?
In addition, you must agree on how you will react if you discover suspicious behavior. Some good tips are to
- Contact the thief quickly and show that you are aware of him/her
- Stay close to the person and keep asking if he/she needs help
- Point out the person to colleagues, get hold of the store manager or contact guards, so that the employee is not alone in the responsibility
If you have specifically seen that a thief has stolen something, you are allowed to detain the person. However, this can be an unpleasant experience, and it is therefore important to talk about who takes on this role. It would be a good idea to have guards that you can call if necessary.
Put alarm tags in your products and detectors at exits
Be aware of how thieves can cheat their way through
It is of course a great help to the staff if you use alarm tags in the products. That way, the alarm starts if someone tries to go through the detectors with a product.
However, the thieves have discovered that metal interferes with the detectors, and they may therefore find themselves using bags with foil on the inside - therefore always keep an eye on the exits and behavior that indicates that a person is secretly putting things in a bag.
Put the expensive products in lockers
It is always a good idea to lock the most expensive products behind glass doors or a grill. You can display products for interested customers, but the thieves will not be able to take them from the shelves.
When you do this, you can also advantageously make rules for how many items you can present to customers at a time. A brave thief may ask a lot of questions, show you a number of products and try to distract you so that he/she can steal some of the products.
Make sure to clean up the store on an ongoing basis
In continuation of rules on the display of goods, it is a good idea to have rules for cleaning up in the shop.
In a messy store it can be difficult to keep track of your products and customers. Make sure to clean up during the day so that you always have control over where your goods are - then you will also discover more quickly if a product disappears.
Use surveillance mirrors to keep an eye on the corners
If you have corners and nooks where you stand hidden, it might be a good idea to have surveillance mirrors so that you can better keep an eye on all the customers – even while you are serving other customers.
A surveillance mirror can also help you give customers a better experience, because you can spot them and offer help, even if they are a bit hidden.
Set up video surveillance, which scares the thief and gives you a better overview
Last but not least, it is of course a good idea to set up video surveillance in the store. Monitoring can be used both during and outside opening hours, so you always have an eye on the business.
Video cameras and signage about these scare the thief. With cameras, the thief risks being caught in the act, or that you can subsequently identify the person.
Video surveillance provides peace of mind for both owners and employees, and it is a good investment in theft protection in the store.