INVENTORY PROTECTION: PROFESSIONAL METHODS OF PREVENTING SHOPLIFTERS

Shoplifting is the act of knowingly obtaining goods from an establishment in which they are displayed for sale, without paying for them. Usually shoplifting involves concealing items on the person or an accomplice, and leaving the store without paying.

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SHOPLIFTING CONTROL METHODS

Shoplifting is common because it is a relatively unskilled crime with low entry barriers that can be fitted into a normal lifestyle. People of every nation, race, ethnicity, gender and social class shoplift. 

• Closed-circuit television (CCTV) It is use of video cameras to transmit a signal to a specific place, on a limited set of monitors

• Electronic article surveillance. Special tags are fixed to merchandise or books. These tags are removed or deactivated by the clerks when the item is properly bought or checked out. At the exits of the store, a detection system sounds an alarm or otherwise alerts the staff when it senses active tags.

•   Radio-frequency identification (RFID) is an anti-employee-theft and anti-shoplifting technology used in retailers. Is the wireless use of electromagnetic fields to transfer data, for the purposes of automatically identifying and tracking tags attached to objects.

•  Loss prevention personnel can consist of both uniformed officers and plain-clothed store detectives.  Who effect set of practices employed by retail companies to preserve profit. Store detectives will patrol the store acting as if they are real shoppers. The presence of uniformed officers acts as a deterrent to shoplifting activity and they are mostly used by high-end retail establishments.

• Shoppers in some stores are asked when leaving the premises to have their purchases checked against the receipt. Some expensive merchandise will be in a locked case requiring an employee to get items at a customer's request. The customer is either required to purchase the merchandise immediately or it is left at the checkout area for the customer to purchase when finishing shopping.

• Many stores also lock CDs, DVDs, and video games in locking cases, which can only be opened by the checkout operator once the item has gone through the checkout.

•  Some stores will use dummy cases, also known as "dead boxes", where the box or case on the shelf is entirely empty and the customer will not be given the item they have paid for until the transaction has been completed, usually by other store staff.

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