How much, what and how?
Retailers, particularly pharmacies, are not very willing to provide any information or participate in any studies regarding the kraalsdebates in their establishments. Therefore, it is difficult to make an accurate presentation, much less estimate the size of their losses. However, according to the data of specialized associations, the number of petty crimes in retail stores is constantly growing.
For example, according to a report by the Retail Leadership Association and the Buy Safe America Coalition, in 2019, more than $68 billionworth of goodswere stolen from retailers in the United States. Of course, most of this astronomical sum is accounted for expensive goods (electronics, designer clothes, small household appliancesbecause they are easy to resell.
Pharmacies are also an easy target for petty villainyactors, as the aisles of their salesrooms are filled with small necessities that can be snatched on the fly.
According to international statistics, the most frequently stolen from pharmacy shelves are baby medicines, toys and other goods for children, test stripski for glucometers, electric toothbrushes, BADs for weight loss, vitamins, over-the-counter pain relieversand anti-allergic drugs, cosmetics and hair care products, deodorants, razors and razor blades, pregnancy tests, and small items that are usually placed in the checkout area: Chewing gum, condoms, band-aids, lip balms, condoms, lip balms, etc.etc.
To steal all these goods, thieves use a variety of tricks and stratagems apply:
- Hiding things: a simple and common way for thieves to make off with goods without paying is to hide them in their personal belongings.
- Barcode swapping: fraudsters re-stick the barcode from a cheap item to an expensive one, to pay a lower price, hoping for the inattention of the employee behind the cash register.
- Distraction: Thieves often worktogether, while one person (or several people) is talking to pharmacy employeeswhile distracting them, someone else is stealing in the retailstore.
- Removing items from packaging: To reduce the volume of items stolen from a store, thieves remove items from the original packaging and hide them, and return the empty packaging to the shelf.
Precautions
There are several techniques and tools that can prevent pharmacy theft.
Bright light. Worth beautifully illuminatethe pharmacy sales floor, without leaving dark places that could be hiding places for thieves to hide items in clothing or bags.
Goods. The most expensive goods should be placed placed away from the entrance to the store and kept in closed cabinets and display cases. This makes their theft more difficult, because it requires from the thief atat least lock-picking skills.
Layout of the sales floor. The layout of furniture can also help prevent theft. Set up racks and shelves so that the entire space remains within the line of sight of a security guard or first desk worker. This way you will prevent thieves from hiding in areas with poor visibility. Thieves can hide in areas with poor visibility.
Mirrors. If remodeling is not possible necessary, installing mirrors in strategically important places, for example, on corners or in secluded corners of the sales floor, will expand the field of vision of pharmacy staff and help them to timely notice suspicious activity of visitors.
Orderliness. Keeping the sales floor clean, orderly and organized can repel thieves. They usually choose unkept stores, hoping that clutter on the shelves indicates that employees are inattentive.
Surveillance cameras act as a deterrent because if people know they are being filmed, they are less likely to steal. And in the event of a theft, you can go back to review the CCTV footage and provide the police with evidence of the crime.
RFID tags. Another precaution you can take is to use magnets and RFID tags that are commonly attached to merchandise. They trigger a signal on a frame at the entrance if goods “leave” the sales floor without going to the cash register. However, the disadvantage of RFID tags is that they can be easily detected, damaged or torn off, and magnets can’t be used on every item. In addition, thieves have gotten smart and started using metal-lined bags: to steal items with RFID tags and security magnets, they put them in such bags.
Red flags
Pharmacy staff are the first line of defense against potential crimes. Of course, it is not the responsibility of the front desk employee to apprehend thieves, but he or she should still pay attention to red flags. There is no such thing as a “typical” thief, but thieves often exhibit patterns of behavior that you can learn to recognize.
First of all, you should be alerted to the following:
A person or group of people who do not belong to the usual demographic of your patients. For example, three teenagers who walk straight off the sales floor.
Shoppers who don’t buy anything, but walk up and down the aisles of the sales floor for too long, pick up items, look at them, put them in a basket, and then come back and put them back.
People who hide their face from surveillance cameras, for example, under a large hood, and avoid eye contact with pharmacy staff.
People who enter the sales floor with a stroller, a large bag, or who wear bulky clothing.
What is the pharmacist’s course of action?
Ironically, the best strategy for preventing theft is to treat customers in a friendly and considerate manner. If pharmacy staff notices that visitors are exhibiting suspicious behavior, they can approach them under the pretense of providing good service. When pharmacists greet everyone who walks through the door, offer their assistance to customers who are taking their time to make a purchase or stand in front of display cases in remote corners of the pharmacy for too long, they are thereby always keeping thieves at bay. For ordinary people, such behavior will only be a sign of attention and good service, but for potential thieves it is a signal that they are being watched. Active behavior of front desk staff is especially important for small pharmacies that do not have security guards.
Favorite moves
Small thieves remove a huge amount of goods from retail outlets every day.
How do they do it?
Umbrellas. While walking down the aisles or leaning against a counter, merchandise can be easily and discreetly thrown into a closed umbrella that hangs from the elbow. It can hold many small items that are undetectable when the thief leaves the store.
Papers or magazines. Small objects can be easily hidden in rolled or folded papers. Usually thieves roll them up so that there is a small hole into which it is convenient to push the stolen goods..
Carriers. Under the baby, in a pile of blankets, toys, diapers, bottles and other things can easily hide goods. In addition, strollers usually have additional pockets, trays, special bags and other secret places.
Outerwear. A coat or jacket makes it easy to hide small items. Professional thieves also make special slits in the pockets and lining. While such a thief takes one tovarodka right hand, his left hand slips out of the slot and takes another object and drags it through the lining under the outer garment.
Bags and bags. Many thieves bring bags of groceries from another store and hide the items under what is already in their bags. To avoid this, many stores require that bulky items be left in storage lockers or seal bags with tape.
Wider skirts. Female thieves sometimes hide goods under wide skirts, clasping them between their thighs. Women with strong hips have been known to steal rather large items in this way: electronics and household appliances. However, such masters caught quite often – their characteristic gait of small steps gives them away.
Shutterstock/FOTODOM UKRAINE photos were used
