Question

Imagine you are a security consultant for a large department store. Explain how you would target shoplifters. Include specific information about the psychological and demographic characteristics of shoplifters.

Answer 1

As a security consultant, the first thing I would do is to install a close circuit camera ring around the store leaving no blind spot, on top of that there are anti-theft devices that comes which can be installed in the store to avoid stealing. For example in clothes there can be anti-theft magnet can be installed, along with installing a passageway at the entrance, which will go off if any item whose barcode is not scanned is taken outside the store. As per the psychology of a thief goes, 1/3 of the shoplifters were suffering from depression, according to a research. They said the most common factor found approximately in 1/3 of shoplifters was depression. Lower emotional stability, lower agreeableness rate along with high extraversion behavior.

The stats are shocking as 1 in 11 people in our country is a shoplifter. In last five year more than 10 million people were caught shoplifting.

Approximately 25% of shoplifters are kids and 75% are adults. Among these adults 55% of them confessed that they are doing it since they were teenagers.

Since there is no profiling among who is shoplifter and who is not, we cannot say men steal more because as per study both men and woman equally shoplift.

Since shoplifting is addictive as it increases the chemical activity in brain, people do it often just to get the rush.

They say it’s the thrill of getting away rather than the merchandise.

So as an shopkeeper, all you can do is stay alert and look out for people whom you find just window shopping and trying to avoid the checkout counter after spending some time in store and at best install the security system and keep an guy monitoring it all the time.