Hiring a security guard to establish a presence in your retail business can both deter would-be shoplifters from stealing from you and help you catch criminals in the act. While you can count on your hired security guard doing a top-notch job, you can't expect him or her to be everywhere in your store at any given time. For this reason, it's helpful to train your staff to look for suspicious individuals and report them to you. You can then relay this information to your security guard via walkie-talkie, and he or she can keep a close eye on these individuals. Here are some things to watch for.
People Whose Attire Stands Out
In many cases, a would-be shoplifter can be identified in advance of committing a crime due to his or her attire. Many shoplifters conceal items under their clothing, so watch for people who enter your store with clothing that catches your eye. For example, a shopper may be wearing a jacket on a hot day; this is something that should raise an eyebrow. Or, a shopper might be wearing excessively loose clothing; while this could be a fashion statement, it could also be a way to hide stolen items.
People Who Look Fidgety
The average honest shopper will enter your store and begin browsing slowly, walk straight to his or her desired item, or something in between. On average, shoppers shouldn't look nervous or fidgety, but this is commonly the look of someone who may be planning to shoplift. Watch for people who are constantly looking around; they may be trying to spot the location of your security cameras or identify your loss-prevention staff. Sometimes, these people will spend a long time in your store without apparently having a focus — in other words, they won't be loading up a basket or cart or browsing in a concentrated manner in one particular section.
People Who Make Repeated Trips To The Changing Room
If your store has changing rooms, keep a watchful eye for shoppers who make repeated trips to this area. While some patrons may indeed just be trying on multiple outfits in anticipation of making some purchases, others could be putting garments on beneath their clothing. Look for those whose appearance may change after repeated changign room visits; for example, someone may appear larger after putting clothing on beneath his or her clothing. You can then relay this information to your security officer for additional monitoring.
Share