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Retailers warned of threat to New Year sales from shoplifting |
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Friday, 19 January 2007 |
Over one-in-10 Britons has shoplifted over the past five years
· Males aged 16-24 years are the demographic with the highest percentage of shoplifters
· “Shark eyes” cost retailers in excess of £1.7 billion in the past year
Retailers are being warned to look-out for shoplifters in the New Year sales period as new research* from G4S Security Services (UK) reveals that over one-in-10 adults is potentially light fingered.
According to the UK’s leading security provider, 13% of people aged 16 to 64 years old have admitted to shoplifting items, either intentionally or by accident, during the last five years. It warns that the New Year sales period brings an increased threat of retail theft due to greater crowding, bottle necks on shop floors and high volume purchasing.
Over the last 12 months, around £1.7 billion of merchandise was stolen and G4S is urging retailers to take the threat of retail theft very seriously if they wish to build on the profits made over the Christmas period.
Douglas Greenwell, Sales & Marketing Director for G4S Security Services (UK) commented: “The New Year sales period can be a boom time for retailers but can also offer rich pickings for shoplifters. There’s a real danger that they could make substantial losses unless the threat of retail theft is taken very seriously. With so many potential shoplifters coming through the doors in the New Year sales period there will be immense pressure on staff to be vigilant whilst maintaining customer service.”
Men are more than twice as likely to intentionally commit retail theft, with 5% of men having intentionally taken from shops over the past five years compared with just 2% of women.
“Ultimately it is consumers who suffer as retailers are forced to raise the cost of products in order to cover losses. The actions of thieves drive the prices up for the honest consumer. So while retailers should ensure that they have taken all the necessary measures to prevent theft, it is up to everyone to look out for shoplifters.”
G4S Security Services (UK) says that retail staff and members of the public should be on the look-out for some of the common shoplifting techniques:
· “Shark eyes” - individuals glance towards security cameras without moving their heads
· “Shielding” – concealing items behind another individual’s back
· Using a different “bag person” to carry the items off the retail site.
It warns that ‘professional’ retail thieves who use these techniques are a huge threat to retailers. In the last year alone there were 85,000 retail thieves in action who were stealing in excess of £5,000 of merchandise each.
Greenwell continues:
“There is simply no excuse for retailers losing such a vast amount of merchandise to professional retail thieves. Adequate security provisions and staff training can successfully prevent retail shrinkage as even the most ‘professional’ shop thieves use techniques that are easily noticeable to trained staff.”
According to G4S’s research, individuals living in the South of England are more likely to commit retail theft than those living in Scotland and the North. Around 5% of people living in the South have intentionally shoplifted from retailers, compared to 3% from the North and just 1% of people living in the Midlands.
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