Shoplifting Costs Retailers $37 Billion Annually – Automated Gates are an Affordable Deterrent

A recent Miami Herald story headlines how officials were able to bust a $15 million retail theft ring – arresting 23 people who appeared to be ordinary shoplifters trolling pharmacies and supermarkets day after day “swiping pricey diabetes strips, pain killers and heartburn medication” in what turned out to be a major organized crime racket.

As noted, most of the stolen goods were small items easy to hide, and had the possibility of a quick resale. Items like fashion accessories, jeans, lingerie, Apple products, electronic games, mobile device accessories and OTC drugs disappear from stores to the tune of $35 million per day. Officials in the article go on to say that shoplifted goods costs retailers nationwide up to $37 billion annually, driving prices up for everybody.

To combat this astronomical loss, retailers are turning to cost effective deterrents.  Access Control solutions from Tensator are a proven first line of defense. Take a look at this recent post to see how shoplifters were successfully thwarted.

Tensator’s Access Gates successfully discourage and prevent shoplifters from walking out with stolen merchandise in bags, or in their pockets, or pushing out shopping carts with stolen goods from stores. Once the gate is forced, an alarm sounds, and staff is instantly alerted. The gates also prevent flash robs – by preventing mob exodus.At unused checkout lanes, wall-mounted Tensabarriers® effectively block shoplifters from making their escape and Tensator’s single line call forward systems help reduce ‘sweethearting’ a form of employee theft where a customer chooses their cashier, usually a friend, who only scans the lower value items in their basket or cart.

While it is a testament to everyone involved in rounding up the retail theft ring, retailers can help deter theft by making sure shoplifters think twice. If your store is a target for shoplifters, Tensator’s access control experts can help you implement a cost-effective and proven first line of defense against retail shrinkage.