Loss prevention. It even sounds ugly. But it’s an ugly truth that every retail enterprise – any enterprise, really – must plan for. Here are some ideas for protecting yourself from the painful reality of retail theft. [level-members]
As inevitable as death and taxes, you will have merchandise leave your shop unpaid for. Some ways of minimizing your losses include:
- Solid training for new employees
- Proper accountability for more seasoned employees
- Conducting regular inventories and spot checks
- Using a PoS system that is computerized and includes real-time inventory features
Unless the problem gets out of hand I would resist more visible – and off-putting – measures like security cameras or locked cases for more valuable merchandise. You simply have to factor in some percentage of loss and allow for it. Creating a shop that is so tightly secured probably won’t guarantee you’ll never lose merchandise, but it will guarantee that you will lose customers and good employees.
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