The Way to Prevent and Handle Robberies and Theft in Retail

Are you equipped to deal with retail theft and robberies?

Whether you answered yes or no to this question, continue reading. Robbers and thieves can strike suddenly, and they can catch you off guard even if you currently have a crisis plan in place. That is why it's important to periodically evaluate your processes and improve them when necessary.

To help you do that, we have put together some retail crises which you may encounter and how to manage them.

1. Armed robberies

The perfect way to"deal with" with armed robberies is to stop them. Understand that robbers commit crimes because they think that the payoff outweighs any risks. Since the Beverly Police Department at NJ places it,"A robber commits a hold-up since he or she considers that their gain will be worth the risk. By decreasing the possible gain and increasing the chance of apprehension, possible victims can decrease their chance of being a target."

How do you do that? Here are a few hints:

Know when, why, and how robberies occur

Let us begin with the when. According to the Portland Police Bureau, armed robberies usually happen during opening and closing times, in addition to lunch breaks. Why? "Opening and closing periods are especially vulnerable times because of low staffing and massive sums of cash available. Lunch hours are primary times for the exact reasons."

Also be wary that the holiday season raises the odds of robberies due to higher money volume and massive crowds that may preoccupy retail employees.

With that in mind, you can prevent robberies by taking some precautionary measures. The Beverly Police Department recommends having"several workers present when opening and closing the business." These employees can:

Inspect the company for forcible entry before going into the business.
One worker searches the premises prior to admitting others. If all is clear, the worker entering the shop first can indicate the company with some prearranged sign.
At final make sure nobody is hiding in the enterprise.
At final one worker can enter the parking lot first and may indicate the company with some prearranged sign if it's safe.

Practice safe money handling

Robbers are after money, so take the essential cash handling precautions to minimize risk and loss. Here are some of the ways to do that:

Avoid having unnecessary amounts of money on your register. Only keep the volume you will need to conduct regular business, and put everything else in a protected or move to the bank.
Do not make predictable trips to the bank. Change up the occasions of your excursions in addition to your route.
Have marked money on your register. Take five and ten-dollar invoices then record their serial numbers and string dates. Place those invoices on your until and include them at the money to be provided to the robber. Don't use marked money in regular transactions.

Improve visibility

Having a checkout area that's highly visible can discourage robbers. That why it is best to:

Prevent fixtures or hints that could block views of and from the register. These include big signs in your doors and windows, counter displays which are too high, and fittings that block people's view from the outside.
Cover your blind spots using cameras or mirrors. This can allow you to track the hard-to-see areas in your store.
Invest in good lighting both indoors and outside your shops.

Things to do in Case of an armed robbery

If an armed robbery does occur, remain calm and do the following:

Cooperate with the robber. Do not resist, and do not do anything that would place store workers or clients at risk. (Read: do not attempt to be a fanatic.)
Prevent surprises. Robbers are usually nervous, so anything fast or surprising moves could put you and others in harm's way.
Activate any hushed or holdup alarms you have in the shop.
Try to give them the marked money on your register.
Be observant. Take note of the amount of robbers involved in addition to their physical characteristics (e.g. height, eye and hair colour, hair length, etc.). Also be aware of what they're wearing and some other weapons used.
Call the police immediately after the incident. Give time of the robber's death and provide them a physical description in addition to the method of traveling.
Preserve the evidence. Keep clear of the crime scene and avoid touching anything the robber(s) might have touched.

2. Flash mobs

No, we are not talking about the fun, break-out-in-song type. This sort of flash telescope involves many people (occasionally up to 40 people ) walking into a shop to overwhelm employees and steal product as fast as possible. Here's a movie of retail flash mobs in action:

The potency of flash mobs lies in their numbers. When a bunch suddenly walks into a store and wreaks havoc, it can be tricky to react properly. And oftentimes, robbers walk from the shop before employees even know what is happening.

So how can you stop and react to flash mobs? Here are some tips:

Work with law enforcement to track questionable behavior

According to the NRF's Powerful Crowd Management Guidelines, retailers must work closely with law enforcement to identify and report possible flash mobs. As an example, if you or workers see unusually large groups of people in your area, you want to alert the authorities straight away.

Social media may also pave the way for flash mobs. Individuals involved in these crimes may plan and organize with social networks, so keep a look out for any mentions of your shop or general location.

Responding to flash mobs

The NRF recommends that retailers re-position workers in the shop to discourage flash mobs. One thing you might do is put partners in key areas or close high-value products (because these are generally the target of individuals who take part in flash mobs.)

And when a flash mob does occur, don't try to fight back since this might lead to violence. The NRF advises that you"instruct employees and clients to retreat into a safe portion of the shop."

To put it differently, stay safe and allow your surveillance cameras and the appropriate authorities do the job.

3. Shoplifting

Shoplifting can be major problem in the retail industry, accounting for 38 percent of retail shrinkage. That is a big chunk, so every merchant must take action to stop it. Here's how:

Know the indications

Shoplifters usually exhibit the following behaviors:

Avoids eye contact
Spends more time looking at workers and exit routes Instead of browsing the product
Wears bulky garments
Walks in and out of the shop repeatedly without purchasing anything

Acknowledge every customer who walks in

Greet each and every person who comes into your shop. This tells them that you are aware of their existence, and it makes them less inclined to commit a crime. But do not just stop with a greeting card. Continue to engage them as they look around.

Jay Gurewitsch, owner at ArcadiaNYC, writes on Quora:

"If they're taking a look at something, we might tell them something unique about that product in passing as we go to help someone else or restock a shelf. We keep such pitches to a single sentence, e.g.,'that vase is handmade in Massachusetts. '''

"It helps the client to ask any questions they have, and by the loss prevention standpoint, it tells them we know they have it in their hands."

When you see someone shoplifting...

The perfect procedure for tackling shoplifters may change based upon the laws in your area, in addition to the sort of the store you've got and where you are located. Nevertheless, if you decide to face a shoplifter, here are some best practices:

1. Establish shoplifting probable cause -- You should first have probable cause when you're planning to detain a person suspected of shoplifting. This means you or your employees needs to have witnessed the individual take your product and try to leave the store without paying for them.

2. Confront them -- in case you opt to confront the suspected shoplifter, approach them when they've exited the premises. According to security expert Chris E McGoey, it is ideal to have extra staff with you when you approach the shoplifter.

"A good rule would be to outnumber the suspected shoplifter with a least one. The additional personnel usually prevents the defendant from fighting or trying to flee. A female backup is greatest if a female suspect has been arrested," he wrote on his site .

When you approach the shoplifter, immediately identify yourself. Always have a form of ID to show the defendant. In case you have loss prevention employees that aren't in uniform, then see to it that they have their badge or ID handy.

"The presentation of credentials must happen simultaneously with the words"I am with ACME Stores, and I'd love to speak with you about the'two bottles of ACME wine' on your luggage," adds McGoey.

From that point, aim to recover the product before going back in the store so that you can confirm the theft prior to detaining the shoplifter.

3. Escort them back into your shop -- Take the shoplifter back into your shop. You might want to have more than 1 escort to stop them from running or endangering other people in your store. Once inside, see if there are some other items which you are able to retrieve, then tally the costs.

Final words

Nobody wants to think about being robbed or stolen from, but as a business owner, you will need to consider such situations and prepare for them. The last thing you need is to be caught off guard.

Now, we'd love to hear from you. What are the procedures for handling robbery and theft? Tell us in the comments.

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