Holiday Security

1.  Keep sight lines on the floor.  Big trees, extra decorations, and more merchandise can hide people as they lift items from your shelves.  Walk your store to look for “blind spots” and find ways to counteract hidden areas.  Make sure your staff is seen throughout your establishment.

2.  Strategically place small, high value items in employee proximate locations.  “Impulse items” tend to sell better at the register anyway, but if you are concerned about aparticular item “walking away”, move it!  Tracking your inventory for last minute reorders and to calculate shrinkage can help you establish better inventory management, but don’t be afraid to shift your merchandise on the floor.

3.  Establish training to identify counterfeit currency.  Does your staff know how to spot counterfeit cash, checks, or other forms of payment?  CLICK HERE for a Federal Reserve education area on different denominations.

4.  Read the “from” before you click.  A lot of scammers are moving to digital methods to hack your systems and steal your financial data.  Many digital thieves use a method known as “phishing” to encourage you or your staff to click on links embedded within a standard e-mail.  These text based emails are generally evoke the name of an agency they think you will trust, and they encourage you to click on an embedded link.  Look at the “From” section in the email for a clear giveaway.  Most governmental or organizational groups won’t email you from a gmail or yahoo account.  When in doubt, call before you click.

5.  Be aware of “teams”.  Established shoplifters will often migrate through communities working in teams.  One team member will occupy a salesperson while another lifts items from  your store.  Recognize this tactic and account for all of your guests with either a single staff member bouncing back and forth, or bring in another staff member (when possible).

6.  Check the card.  Credit and Debit cards are used for 75% of retail transactions,according to a 2016 payment trends study.  Although security mechanisms within cards have improved over the past few years, it is still important to match the card with the person giving you the card.

7.  Secure your deposit.  Even though credit and debit cards are becoming much more prevalent in sales percentages, cash is still a big part of the inflow equation.  Establish a system to safely store and transfer cash to complete your deposit.  A single individual transferring a big bag of cash at night can be a scary proposition.  Emporia is a safe community, but it’s always a good idea to establish safety protocols, with the hope that they will never become a necessity.

8.  Communicate with your peers.  If you spot a counterfeit, have a shoplifter, or experience some other fraudulent activity this holiday season- tell your peers, contact the non-emergency number for the police (or share with Main Street to help spread the word), and help prevent the spread of fraudulent activity.  Thieves thrive when they can hop store to store (digitally or in person), so a little communication can prevent losses for you and your peers.

9.  Know your return/exchange protocols.  Some shoplifters will attempt to return their ill-gotten goods for a cash refund.  Make sure your employees know how to establish a sale, and issue a return/exchange correctly within the confines of your store policy.  Clearly defined return periods (with a receipt), when coupled with allowable return methods (store credit?) can help avoid becoming a target of shoplifters or receiving old/seasonal inventory that you can’t reasonably resell.

10. Stick with your buddy.  Even with all the bright lights during the holidays, extended evening hours can get a little dark.  Assign “buddies” so people can feel a little more secureheading home after a long shift at work.  Make sure people get back to their car or encourage a text when people get home.  Your staff becomes like a family during the hectic holiday season, so make sure your family feels safe.