POSSIBLE INDICATORS OF SHOPLIFTING:

• Customer creates a diversion (making it easier for someone else to shoplift)
• Customer looks around a lot (to see who might be watching)
• Customer is wearing a heavy coat (even though the weather is warm)
• Customer loiters in the store (looking for the right opportunity to steal)

..............WAYS TO PREVENT SHOPLIFTING:        

• Greet each customer. Let him/her know you're paying attention.
• If a customer's behavior seems suspicious, ask him/her if you can help him/her with anything.
• Keep the store clean and uncluttered.
• Make sure all lights are on and that there is good visibility throughout the store.

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PREVENT EMPLOYEE THEFT!

• Develop a written cash control policy and train your employees.
• Conduct surprise cash audits of the register.
• Determine what your average sales are by shift and day. Regularly watch for variances that could indicate theft. Compare merchandise sales to gasoline sales.
• Determine the average number of customer transactions by shift and day. Regularly watch for variances that could indicate theft.
• Track significant cashier transactions by shift. Look for anything unusual.

Note: You may want to investigate the benefits of computerizing this type of information.

• Develop a strict policy for recording damaged or spoiled goods.
• Establish a control policy for cigarettes.
• Develop an employee policy for consumption of store merchandise that discourages theft.

Consider what other dealers are doing in this area:

• Allow employees to purchase merchandise at cost during their shift.
• Give employees free drinks.
• Require employees to obtain a receipt for any merchandise they consume.
• Give on-duty employees free popcorn. This keeps the smell of fresh popcorn in the store, encouraging customers to buy.
• Allow employees to charge merchandise (excluding tobacco and alcohol) during the month. Employees must fill out the charge slip before taking/consuming the merchandise. At the end of the month, employees pay off their charges, receiving a 10% discount.
• Prevent unauthorized access to the store. If an employee who has access to keys quits, change locks immediately. This prevents the ex-employee from entering the store to steal merchandise or other employees from stealing and blaming the ex-employee.
• Use friends or a mystery shopper service to shop the store.
• Install a video monitoring system; review the tapes.

Note: One dealer keeps a tape for every day of the month, This creates a monthly "snapshot" of employee activities. If the monthly inventory indicates shrinkage, the dealer can go back through the video record and try to pinpoint the source of the problem.

• Code safe drop envelopes so you can identify which employee made which drop and in which order. This will help you pinpoint responsibility for any missing cash.
• Challenge all cash/sales variations. Discuss the problem with employees and rotate shifts. (Does the problem move to another shift?)
• Reward employees when they are honest. Share your successes with them.
• Make careful hiring decisions. Take the time to check references. Look inside containers for any concealed items.
• Install a video camera system and/or convex mirrors.