Long article on shoplifting, the cast of characters involved and why it works. No surprise there - consumers love a good deal and stolen good sold online could give them what they want. Given a robust demand for good deals, it is no surprise that shoplifting is rampant. Discovered that there is such a thing as the Retail Theft Barometer. If the theft is happening by intimidating staff with weapons and law enforcement does not view shoplifting as a priority, there seems little retailers can do to stem the tide.
It boils down to the management team and how they approach the business from a day-to-day perspective. Retailers in some countries tend to think further out and proactively manage their business from loss prevention in-store to the entire value chain. They’re monitoring shrink outside the store, such as vendor fraud and diversion. They also have a tendency to be more informed about the upcoming behavioral trends so they can limit their loss exposure. So, it’s not just about the technology tools, but it’s also about the organization and the acumen of the people who are executing on those tools that actually make the difference.
As long as there are consumers out there who want things cheaper than they are and are willing to buy that thing if the price is in their range, there is an incentive for shoplifters. If it were possible to make that consumer uninterested in the said product even at a lower price point then the problem goes away. Maybe there is a hidden influencer marketing opportunity there aimed at making the shoplifted, cheaper version of things we covert undesirable.
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