Recently "Retail Week" offered this shocking headline: "Store Crime costs UK retailers a staggering £3.9 billion last year & as a country we rank as the worst in Europe"
What is the figure for Jersey? It’s got to be a substantial figure, but why is it that some retailers , especially in Jersey, don't appear overly concerned?
As the recession bites, we need to be "ruthless survivors" with a focussed ‘back to basics’ approach to our business model and plan, surely our approach to all aspects of retail crime must be included in this plan? As customers with money to spend are harder to find we need to minimise lost margin from any type of crime.
Retail crime is not just shoplifting, it ranges from graffiti that ruins shop fronts, vandalism that costs thousands to repair, the abuse and threats that demoralise staff and incite fear in both customers and staff, to burglaries that cripple businesses and the violence that ruins lives.
Shop staff, managers and owners want to feel pride in their work but suffer from the daily blight of crime, much of which goes unreported and unpunished -- why ?
Crime saps companies of funds, places pressure on prices, demoralises staff and can have devastating consequences on physical and emotional well-being.
Back to the plan: Be vigilant, conduct an audit or risk assessment of your systems, then diligently address them, test existing systems:
;If you have a ‘tagging’ system, make sure all staff are adhering to it
;If you transfer goods from a remote warehouse to the shop floor, do you have an audit trail for reviewing goods in?
;When did you last review key holders ?
Work with the Police, they have demonstrated a great partnership approach to the significant problem with destructive youth activity in Town in recent months, which has caused great difficulties and resulting loss of profit for affected retailers. The increased Police presence ‘on the beat’ has virtually eradicated the problem.
Action:
;Protect yourselves! Review systems, make Crime Prevention part of your business plan
;Encourage greater interaction between business and the Police in reducing crime and protecting staff: Give feedback to the Police. Assertively follow through on offences, this demonstrates a tough stance to offenders that they won’t get away with it.