During high peaks in the shopping calendar, retail business owners will see an influx of people visiting local shops, shopping centres and supermarkets. During this busy period and with so many people visiting stores, it can present the perfect opportunity for shoplifters to steal your goods.

In Cardiff, shoplifting accounts for 9.88% of the cities crimes committed between July 2018 and June 2019. Although this number is small compared to other places around the UK, it can have a damaging effect on small retail businesses.

To help prevent loses, here are 5 easy ways to prevent shoplifting.

1. Welcome, Every Customer – Welcoming every customer serves two functions. Firstly it makes genuine customers feel welcomed and looked after. Secondly, it demonstrates to potential shoplifters that you are paying attention – and that may be enough to dissuade them from trying to steal any of your stock.
2. Consider the layout and design of your store – Although you may occasionally meet a ‘Grab and Run’ shoplifter, more common ones are more likely to spend longer in your shop trying to conceal items on their person. These types of shoplifters need time and space, so you need to make sure your store doesn’t make it easy for them. Blindspots are the first thing a shoplifter will look for, so when designing your store, eliminate them by using mirrors and adequate lighting. Continuing with the first point and welcoming every customer, place your till quite close to the front of the store so you have a full view of both the shop front and the rest of the shop floor. Keep fixtures and displays low to increase your visibility. If you have change facilities, check on how many items they have when entering by giving them a tag and limit the number of items that they can enter with at one time.
3. Keep your products ‘Faced’ –  A cluttered store is an easier target to shoplift from compared to a clean one. When stocking shelves, make sure that they face forward and are placed on the edge of the shelf. When people take things from this ‘Wall’ you can keep track of who’s taken what. If they’re a genuine customer they will come up to you to make a purchase. If not, you will notice any would-be shoplifters attempting to leave your store.
4. Anti-theft/shoplifting signs – Shoplifters will always look for small soft targets such as small shops and boutiques, which lack the resources to properly protect themselves.  Larger stores employ simpler techniques such as using anti-theft/shoplifting signs. Although these types of signs may not fit your shops look, they are an effective way of discouraging shoplifters and are a cost-effective solution. You can place these signs quite high up close to CCTV cameras since shoplifters are for more likely to look for these than legitimate customers.
5. Professional Retail Security – Hiring professional retail security can be a bit overkill if you’re a small business but their presence is an effective deterrent to shoplifters. Having retail security allows them to quickly respond to any suspicious behaviour or theft in your store. Additionally, retail security can provide overnight security – keeping your property secure 24/7

If you would like to find out more about our security services or would like a quote, call 01656 713950 or visit our website for more details