Theft can be a costly problem in just about any shop. All shop owners should have an anti-theft strategy and the best time to implement an anti-theft strategy is when the shop layout is being designed by your shopfitter – at this stage of the shop fitting process it is easy and cost effective to put into practice the necessary measures to prevent theft in a shop.
Utilise shop layout effectively
The biggest measure you can take whilst your shopfitter is designing the shop layout to discourage shoplifting is to do your best to make sure there are no (or as few as possible) dark corners that are not visible from the rest of the shop. You need to think about aisle placement and where the counter and till will be positioned. Ideally the counter should be positioned close to the entry and exit points and in such a position that who ever is working on the till can see as much of the shop as possible.
Product placement
Think about where you locate expensive items around the store. If they are in full view then it’s less likely they’ll be stolen by shop lifters. If an item is small and has a high margin then perhaps think about keeping it behind the counter where you can serve customers on demand.
Enclose valuable products
If you have the type of shop that stocks very expensive items like a jewellery shop then it’s highly likely you’ll want to use locked cabinets. Where customers can view items and then request to look at a product In more detail when they wish to. Obviously members of staff should keep keys to locked display units on them at all times.
Use security tags
Something you see very frequently on the high street. Particularly in clothing shops are security tags. Where by if they are not taken off an item of clothing, then they set an alarm off when they they are taken out of the shop. Many also have ink dye in them so that if they are forced open the ink dye stains the clothing – creating another deterrent for shop lifters.
CCTV
CCTV can be particularly useful if you have a problem with persistent shop lifting. In that it’s a fantastic tool if you have to deal with the police because if you have a thief on film then it’s hard evidence! Position the cameras on areas that are difficult to keep a watch on when you are in your shop. Remember those dark corners!