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One of the main concerns for many business owners, big or small, is the risk of theft within their establishment and no matter how much an item is worth over time this behaviour will have a negative effect on trade. In retail settings whether that be high street chain stores or local boutiques, the fitting room is a hotspot for criminal activity. However, with some practical knowledge you can minimise the opportunities thieves have to commit crime, and inform your staff on how to make your business a lot less vulnerable.
For a detailed insight into how changing rooms can be used for all the wrong reasons as well as practical advice on how to stop it, this blog will reveal all.
In a retail space the most obvious place for a thief to strike is in the fitting room – here they will attempt to stuff items into their bags and clothing, and rip off security tags. When a customer comes in to the fitting room they may try and overwhelm the shop assistant by bringing in a lot of items, however it’s important that staff stick to the number of items allowed in and hand out a numbered tag so you are aware of how items are being tried on.
Other key prevention tactics include:
Pockets within clothing should also be checked in case jewellery or small accessories have been hidden inside, and try to limit each changing room to one person at a time.
Even if you don’t have enough staff to cover all areas, you can lock the changing rooms until they are needed. This means that items can be counted when in use and all staff can keep an eye on the customer and what they are bringing in and out of the fitting room.
Have your staff routinely check the fitting rooms after every customer, or every hour. During the inspection they should look for any removed tags are left on the floor or hidden, and clothing that has been left behind – anything found should be recorded with the time and date as this may give you an indication of a regular thieving pattern.
Most importantly, make sure there is someone looking over the fitting room! If an opportunist sees this area unattended they will act quickly and steal items without you even knowing. This doesn’t mean that there has to be someone constantly stood there, but if your staff are practicing good customer service they will assist people when needed and even a simple “Hello” will show potential thieves that you are aware of their presence.
Along with the practical advice found in this blog, one of the bets deterrents for thieves is having a professional security guard – as an extra pair of eyes and ears they can oversee the activity within your premises that may be missed by bust staff members. Leisure Guard Security, based across North West England, have over 100 fully trained officers who can boost the level of security in your business and reduce the amount of criminal threats. For more information about our services get in touch today.
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