More than $13 billion-worth of merchandise is stolen from retailers in the U.S. every year. Much of this is not premeditated stealing. In fact, over 72 percent of shoplifters commit the crime on impulse. As the weather improves and it’s easier to make a getaway outside, give potential thieves a reason to think twice by being vigilant and using tools that can make a difference in store security, like strategically selected fixtures. Choosing display cases and shelving with these tips in mind can actually save you money.
- Mirrors placed throughout the store can allow you to see seemingly hidden aisle ways and corners. They may also act as a deterrent to shoplifters, letting people know they’re being watched.
- Use shelves that are shorter in the middle of the store, and place taller shelves against walls so there is no access to get behind them. Shelves that are taller than people offer ideal seclusion for thieves. If you can’t see a person, you can’t see them pocket your merchandise. In addition, you’re more likely to pick up on furtive movements or guilty actions if you can see the person’s head.
- When choosing display cases, choose ones that lock for valuable merchandise. Keep most merchandise inside the case, rather than displayed on top.
- Design your store flow to force traffic past the cash register. If the check-out line is closer to the door, your presence, and that of any other customers waiting to pay, will likely intimidate the amateur shoplifter. Don’t place the register all the way in the back of the store.
- Keep slat wall and product hanging on hooks away from entry ways. It’s too easy for someone to slip merchandise off the hooks and into their pockets on the way out the door.
