It's common for us to jump to an image of someone who's had an unfortunate upbringing, or a harsh run-in with recreational substances, but making this generalisation can be a costly move on that hits your bottom line. 

The reality is that the average criminal can be absolutely anyone - so rather than focusing on specific personal traits, focus on the customer's actions. 

Having worked with numerous clients over the years, we've heard many stories of the cleptomaniac Mum, the not-so-innocent child and the unsuspecting everyday-Joe. 

We've also learnt that a close eye needs to be kept on staff. Now, you may be able to trust your team with the world, and that's fantastic. However, before you hire anyone, systems and process must be in place that can carefully identify the occurrence of stock going missing, or any shady activity in general - we've even heard of stories about the delivery driver getting in on the theft action! 

Your staff need to be trained to notice these key suspicious behaviours. Which are often...

• Long periods spent in the store with no purchase.
• Discomfort/awkward mannerism when eye-contact made with staff 
• Constantly looking around at staff.

The old "How can I help you?" line usually is enough to put off most criminals.

And secondly, remember that technology doesn't discriminate. Are your tagging measures adequate? Are your displays secure? In 2017, the technology helping businesses reduce their shrinkage cost is advanced, highly efficient and often easy to implement.

Making these minor, yet important adjustments over time will go a long way in securing your stock and reducing the impact of shrinkage on your companies bottom line.

If you would like to discuss loss prevention, I'm always happy to hear about what you want to achieve. In return, I'll show you how we can do it. 

 Lorri Dangerfield  - Contact me here. 

"Lorri has over 25 years of management experience and is now helping businesses get the best results on their Loss Prevention"