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Retailers warned over seasonal shoplifters  RETAILERS
have been warned to be on high alert this Christmas with shoplifters expected
to target stock valued at over £45million in British and Irish stores.
A surge in shoplifting is expected in Ireland in the four weeks to Christmas,
according to ISME, the organisation that represents small and medium firms.
Items that will be the prime targets include electronics, drink and perfume.
Research from ISME found that in the four weeks to Christmas 60 per cent
of retailers in Ireland said they had difficulty with shoplifters, 65
per cent of these adding that they had been a victim of shoplifting.
Head of research at ISME Jim Curran said: “Retailers need to be
extra vigilant around Christmas time as there are bigger crowds around
and more stock on the shelves. This means there are bigger opportunities
for shoplifters.
“Stores need to make sure they have good store management and
good stock control as well as proper security measures.”
Also having properly trained staff to deal with shoplifters is crucial
according to Mr Curran, who said workers need to know how to address shoplifting
so that the business does not get in trouble.
“It is a huge issue and can result in huge costs for businesses.
It needs to be addressed,” added Mr Curran.
British firm Checkpoint is predicting that goods worth more than £26million
will be stolen on Saturday, December 22 this year in Britain, the year’s
busiest shopping day.
It said shoplifters in Britain will target stock valued at £430million
and popular items for thieves — who are carrying an average of £86
worth of goods if caught — include designer label perfumes, whiskey
and women’s clothes.
David Nuttall of Checkpoint Systems UK said: “Christmas is a busy
time for retailers. Ensuring product availability, customer service and
adequate staff levels is crucial but in order to maximise profits, management
must ensure security solutions are in place to protect stock.”
If the situation is as predicted in Britain it would mean £48,833
would be stolen per minute from retail stores at Christmas.
The warning comes after a survey of High Street shops by the British Retail
Consortium showed that the value of goods stolen from retailers has hit
a 10-year high.
Across stores of all types, the number of detected shoplifting incidents
rose by nearly 3 per cent to almost 40 per store per year, the BRC said.
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