Tips to Protect Your Retail Business from Customer Theft

Sadly, retail theft costs Canadian retailers nearly $4 billion in losses yearly. But that doesn’t mean you have to sit around and wait for customer theft. Whether dealing with robbery or employee theft, every retailer should be up to date on the RCC Loss Prevention protection strategies to keep their business safe. In 2022 RCC launched their Retail Crime Taskforce in Manitoba. “This pilot is intended to find ways to facilitate better collaboration between retailers, police, and the courts by enabling the participants to leverage a common technology for submitting incidents and analyzing macro data to identify and convict the most prolific offenders.” As the RCC continues to advocate for better practices to help retailer combat theft and find a long-term solution, following their ‘best practices’ can help you prevent and address crime. Here are some tips to help you prevent theft in your store:

6 Steps to deter Customer Theft

1. Lighten Things Up

Review the layout of your retail space to see if there are low-lit areas that could benefit from more light so you can catch shoplifters in the act.

2. Sound Off

Let customers know you’re keeping track of their coming and going by installing a welcome bell at your store entrance.

3. Roll the Cameras

If you don’t have them already, install security cameras throughout your store to have a clear view of every section of your retail space.

4. Greet Every Customer

Let suspicious shoppers know you’re around by greeting them and offering to stay nearby should they need assistance. Your friendly greeting could make them think twice about the likelihood of getting away with their shoplifting plans.

5. Stock High-Value Items near Checkout

Keep expensive items near the checkout counter. Popular or costly items are often prime targets for shoplifting.

6. Tag It

Add electronic security tags to all your products to detect non-purchased items that exit your front door; nothing stops a quiet getaway like an obnoxious alarm.

Also, don’t forget to implement loss prevention strategies with your employees. Create code phrases to communicate easily with co-workers when you see something suspicious during working hours. Although it’s often a hard truth for small retail businesses to accept, the fact remains that 33 percent of retail theft is an inside job. Want to learn more, check out the RCC publication page to stay updated with their latest newsletters: LEARN MORE

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