Apprehension or Prevention?

Probable cause, intent, to detain or not to detain, can all be a headache for the small independent retailer. This begs the question: Should your efforts be focused on apprehension or prevention? If prevention is more your style, where are your efforts best spent?

Giving top notch customer service, driving home to your employees that first, foremost and fanatically SERVE THE CUSTOMER will have the most profound impact on minimizing loss due to shoplifting. Beyond serving the customer, taking advantage of technology are paramount to reducing loss and keeping your employees safe.

Cameras have improved leaps and bounds with better image quality and lower prices. Electronic Article Surveillance, aka EAS, is another way to use technology to decrease loss, increase customer satisfaction and make your store a safer place to shop. Two of the major objections I have heard over the years for getting an EAS system are:

1. Making your customers feel like they are at the airport.

2. The expense of a system.

While I understand both of these objections, they are not entirely valid; there are ways around them. People prefer to shop at stores that employ EAS and feel that a store having EAS saves them money, and it does. Prices for an EAS system have dropped over the years. Depending on the type of product you want to protect, and where you are located, an EAS system can be purchased and professionally installed for under $2,000. I will delve into details on EAS in future articles but in the meantime contact us for more information on EAS or other products that will help you to sell more, lose less and protect your investment.

Product Highlight: EAS Security System

Bonus Tip:

Wednesday through Saturday are shoplifters’ favorite days to steal from you! Shoplifters are, in general, lazy as they prefer the evening hours. Thanks, -Mark Turner