Internal theft at retail stores, restaurants, and companies is a problem much bigger than most businesses realize.
Employees can and will steal. That’s the bottom line. From office supplies, gadgets, clothing, and accessories, to shoes, food, toilet paper, and even cold hard cash from the til. Nothing is safe. That’s just the sad reality.
Most of the time it’s harmless, but over the long run, it adds up.
The good news is, it can be prevented or at least drastically minimized with a strong retail security program.
One of the more necessary services that American Security Forces offers is our retail security that helps prevent losses.
Here’s why: Fortune.com reports that retail businesses have lost over $32 billion due to shoplifting and employee theft!
A clerk taking a pack of cigarettes or a shoplifter walking out with a book doesn’t seem like it would have that big of an impact. But when those small crimes happen across millions of businesses throughout the country, it adds up quick. Unfortunately, theft is happening everywhere and not just to retail businesses, either.
Retail Theft is Everywhere
The sad fact is that if your company has employees and you keep some type of inventory, the chances are high that you have experienced theft. From office supplies to larger items such as appliances or machinery, employee theft and fraud is rampant.
A 2014 article by InCorp.com reports that businesses lose 5% of their revenue to fraud every year and that employee theft reaches an estimated $50 billion annually!
In addition, 75% of all employees have admitted to stealing at least once from an employer. Again, it doesn’t sound like much. But the impact of those thefts can be disastrous to businesses. One-third of all companies that filed for bankruptcy report the cause as employee theft.
The Fix: A Retail Security Program that Prevents Losses.
There are a number of security measures a business can take to reduce theft and fraud. Perhaps the most important, though, is implementing a retail security program that prevents losses that is designed for the needs of your business.
A security program that prevents losses will look at your business and identify areas of opportunity for thieves. Then, the program will identify solutions. It may also identify any operational errors within the business that could lead to losses.
American Security Force can develop a program and put a system in place to reduce theft and fraud. Then we can create a security team to help manage that program internally.
If you suspect your business is suffering from shoplifting, employee theft or fraud, call American Security Force at 877-722-8585 today to learn how we develop security programs with customized plans for our clients.
