I often work with a lot of small business owners who are worried about how much exposure they have when it comes to theft. As it happens, for the last two weeks I have been working with a company who have a store inside a shopping center in Charlotte, a shopping center which has recently seen a rise in petty theft, and both myself and the guys at John Bradberry services, have been workington ways in which they can reduce this unnecessary loss to the bottom line of this small business.
If you are in a similar situation and you are looking at reducing theft in your store, here are some tips to help you out.
Service With a Smile
On of the best ways to scare off thieves is to be on the front foot with your service. Not only doe this help your overall image to the customers, it also serves as a great deterrent for anyone who is looking to steal from your store. In order for this to work well, you will need someone to man the shop floor at all times, as well as having someone on the till. Busy times will need to be managed carefully as this is when most thieves strike but the key is to meet and greet everyone who comes into the store, greet them with a huge smile and ask if there is anything that you can do for them. A thief will be put off by this and far less likely to think they can get away with taking anything from the store.
Basic Security
Although there are always ways around it, having deterrents like CCTV cameras, ‘security protected’ stickers on high value products and alarms are absolutely necessary in your fight to reduce theft in your store. Items such as these may not put off harden criminals but they will work against any first time shoplifters.
Community
If you have a store on a high street or inside a shopping center, it is important that you work closely with your neighbours to share information about thefts that have taken place and watching out for each other where possible.
Security Teams
Hiring security is a great expense which perhaps your small business can not afford but perhaps it is something that you could consider for the weekends when things get busy. It is important to consider the cost of your goods, if you sell high value items then it makes perfect sense to hire professional security teams to keep a watch over your goods when things get really busy.
Staff Training
You should have staff who are constantly vigilant during their shift and in order to achieve this, you need to give them comprehensive training on how to watch out for shoplifters and what to do in the event that they see something. This will serve both for the safety of your staff and the prevention of theft in your store.
