Setting up a retail store is hard work. Right from the start, you have to think about the investment, stock your shelves, hire staff, and spend a lot of money on marketing and branding in the hope that the business succeeds. But what happens when someone takes your effort for granted and tries to steal from your store?
According to studies conducted by the Retail Industry Leaders Association, retail theft could lead to losses that go over $68 Billion every year! These statistics are quite worrying for any business owner.
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If you want to avoid these losses by keeping your business safe, you should sign up for the best anti theft class online. A class like that will give you tips to navigate anti-theft in retail stores.
You can also go a step further and get the best anti-theft devices that can help you protect your business in the best way possible. Here are some of the options you can try out.
1. Store Alarm
A store alarm is at the top of the list of the best anti-theft devices you should get for your store. A store alarm will alert you if anyone tries to enter the store when you are not around. The alarm can also alert law enforcement, such as the police, to intruders. When the police hear the alarm, they will jump into action quickly and apprehend the thief.
Store alarms also help to deter crime and retail theft in many ways. A thief will think twice before trying anything fishy if they know the store is protected by an alarm system. Why would a thief risk it if the chances of getting caught are very high?
2. RFID Item Tags
Fitting your inventory with RFID tags can significantly reduce the chances of a thief getting away with their loot. RFID tags transmit the location of any item in inventory at all times. That way, if a thief picks up an item and fails to pay for it, the tag will ping to indicate that it has left the store. You can mobilize your security team to jump in and save the day as soon as that happens.
3. Security Cameras
Stores with security cameras are less likely to experience high theft rates than those without. High-quality cameras allow you to monitor any suspicious activity in your store and take appropriate measures.
But it is not enough for you to have a functional CCTV system in place. You also need a trained professional who knows what to look out for, paying close attention to the feed.
Some of the suspicious behaviors you should train your security team to look out for when monitoring the security feed include:
- Customers pick random items from different shelves without paying attention to what they are picking.
- A customer who is always looking at the security guards and retail staff in the store.
- Customers who carry many items for fitting in clothes stores.
Not all customers who do these things are thieves. But looking out for them can give you a significant chance to avoid those trying to steal from you.
4. Security Mirrors
The only problem with security cameras is the possibility of blind spots. You can avoid blind spots by putting up concave mirrors at the end of every aisle in your store to get a wider field of view of angles your cameras don’t cover. That way, a thief can’t hide behind the aisles to hide something in their pocket before leaving the store.
5. Store Sensors
Store sensors are important gadgets when it comes to preventing shoplifters. Sensors are always the last line of defense, even when a thief picks an item off the shelf and hides it without raising the attention of any of your attendants.
Most store sensors work in the same way. As soon as a customer buys an item, the clerk will remove the item from the store’s database by running its barcode. Any item not purchased and scanned cannot leave the store.
The best place to put your store sensors is beside your security guards at the exit. If the alarm on the sensors goes off, the security team can apprehend the thief.
6. Customer Bell Or Buzzers
Shoplifters never want the store clerk to know that they are in the store. That way, they can lift items off the shelf and get away without anyone spotting them. That is why small store owners and retail shops must have bells or buzzers to alert them when someone enters the store. A thief will think twice before trying any funny business if the bell sounds as soon as he steps inside.
7. Cash Safes
Always keep your cash in a safe. That is the only way you can be sure a thief will have a hard time stealing from you. Even when you use cash registers, you can keep all the cash in a safe and keep the keys off the premises for the best results.
Bottom Line
The price of complete security and protection is constant vigilance. You need to be constantly careful to avoid the risk of petty theft and robbery in any of your retail stores.
The items above can give you an excellent chance to keep your store safe, but they are not all you need. That is why taking an anti-theft class is crucial for your business. So sign up for the best anti-theft classes to give your business the best chance at safety!