The holiday season is coming, and retailers are getting ready to deal with an increase in customer traffic as well as increased levels of theft.
According to the National Retail Federation’s annual Return Fraud Survey, 93.1% of retailers said stolen merchandise has been returned to their stores in the past year, up from 88.9 percent in 2008. The National Retail Federation also reports in a study released in June 2009 that retail thefts averaged 1.52 percent of retail sales in 2008, up from 1.44 percent in 2007.
“Because the majority of retail thefts are actually caused by employees, not shoplifters, it is important for retailers to implement a security strategy that includes both high-tech and low-tech methods,” states David Balestrery, CEO of Sentry Security. “While employee training and anti-theft signage can reduce shoplifting, we have found that many of our customers have been able to catch thieves and provide the authorities with valuable evidence because of their use of security cameras.”
Additionally, Sentry Security recommends that retailers implement the following strategies to reduce holiday theft:
• Maintain rotating employee shifts so the same people do not always work together on the same shift
• Put items that are easy to shoplift close to the checkout counter
• Post signs stating that you will prosecute shoplifters
• Install a video surveillance system using either visible or hidden cameras
• Protect your perimeter with door and window sensors
• Protect highly sensitive areas with interior motion detection sensors
• Test your alarm system regularly and post signs to let your customers know that your establishment is protected by an alarm system.