I have seen it all after 10 years working in the field of loss prevention. I have seen shoplifters enter a store with not a single bag and leave with multiple bags full of merchandise. This means that they not only left the store with stolen merchandise, but that they also stole the shopping bags in which they put the merchandise. Many stories can be told by someone who tries to prevent shoplifting.
One thing continues to be true time and time again – shoplifters always go for the easy stuff. The merchandise not protected by retail anti- theft devices is considered the easy stuff. I observed that the majority of shoplifters detained in my stores shoplifted the unprotected merchandise more often than any other merchandise in the store.
Often times the shoplifter admitted during the interview and processing that the merchandise taken was not the merchandise the shoplifter originally planned to steal. They admitted that when they saw a security tag; they would quite simply find something easier to shoplift. They also stated that they found retail anti-theft devices impossible to remove without damaging the merchandise or injuring themselves.
Shoplifters are not as cooperative as one might think and often they do not give up without resistance. Because I wanted to prevent shoplifting in the store as well as prevent the dangerous confrontations I had been having, my observations led me to consider that I could likely prevent shoplifting throughout the other areas of the store by increasing the use of security tags.
I began placing the retail anti-theft devices on more and more merchandise in the store in an effort to prevent shoplifting and injury to myself. My plan worked. I experienced a decrease in the number of shoplifters as well as a tremendous decrease in inventory shortages.
Prevent shoplifting in your business by visiting the Loss Prevention Store to purchase retail anti-theft devices and reduce or eliminate your losses from theft. For more information on the use of retail anti-theft devices to reduce or prevent shoplifting, please contact us or call 1.866.914.2567.