Although more and more consumers are buying gifts online, you wouldn’t know it by the size of crowds during the holidays. The rush of shoppers right before Christmas is at its highest. After-Christmas sales will bring in another influx of shoppers. It’s that time of year when retail storeowners need to be on high alert for shoplifting.

Make Shoplifters Feel Unwelcome.

• Keep small, easy to steal items out in the open. Put them at the end of isles or near the cash register.
• Have employees roam the isles asking customers if they need help finding something. It’s not only good customer service, but also a deterrent to shoplifters to know they are being watched. Employees near the front of the store should greet all those entering with a friendly smile and eye contact.
• Mount signs announcing strict shoplifting policies. Put them in places where shoplifting is most likely to occur—in dressing rooms, in low traffic areas.
• Add highly visible security cameras throughout the store.
• Place retail store security guards at entrances. The guards can observe suspicious behavior (i.e., someone avoids eye contact, comes and goes from the store without buying anything, seems nervous). If a shoplifter is identified, the security guard can detain the individual until law enforcement arrives.
• Keep your store organized. If your store is messy, a shoplifter will get the impression that you probably won’t notice if something is missing.