Question

Go to a retail store of your choice and introduce yourself to the store manager as a retailing student at the University of Mount Olive. Explain that your visit, observations, and questions are part of a class assignment focusing on retailers' loss prevention programs. Develop answers to the following questions and submit a 2-3 page answering them: Are there surveillance cameras? If so, where are they located? Are they monitored continuously or merely there to scare shoplifters? What is the store's policy against shoplifters? What are the store's procedures for approaching a shoplifter.

Answer 1

As a part of the assignment program I visited a nearest retailer and had the following observations:

1. I observed that the store had surveillance cameras in each and every row in order to have a complete rack visibility.

2. There were more than 10 cameras and when enquired, the shop owner informed that as they wanted complete coverage of their working and non-working premises, they had installed multiple cameras. There were two cameras at the entrance and two at the back side. One each on the sides of the shop. Inside the shop there was one camera that was focussed at the cash collection centre. The other cameras were all around the shop to ensure complete visibility of all racks and corners.

3. The very thought of camers will instill a thought amongst the consumers that they are being continously monitored but, the camera footages are hardly monitored by the shop owners, They tend to have a look at the footage only when necessary. Instead, the shop keepers should have the habit of monitoring the camera footages continuously in order to prevent theft.

4. The store has very stringent policy against shoplifters. If they have shoplifted a very costly product, then they are handed over to the police personnel immediately, on the other hand if they are really petite or less costly, then they are made to pay for the product and are excused with a very strict warning, They are sometimes even penalised with a very higher cost punishment sometimes,

5. When the store incharge notices that an individual shoplifts a particular product, they are quietly called into the office room and checked thoroughly. Not all shoplifters will accept their crime untill proven. Hence they have to be dealth with very carefully some shoplifters might be serious criminals with pistols in hand. Hence ascertaining all types possibilities, it is more important to approach and handle a shoplifter with utmost carefulness.

1. The shoplifters are first verbally questionned.
2. They are then physically checked to procure the shoplifted item / product.
3. They are penalised first.
4. They are then given sever verbal warning.
5. If the value of the product is high then they are handed over to cops for legal proceedings.

These are the store's procedures for approaching a shoplifter.