The National Retail Federation says cell phones are among the most popular items with shoplifters. Well, no wonder – cell phones and other wireless devices have quite a black market street value. They’re also small and lightweight, so they’re easy to conceal. So although loss prevention is a major concern for all retailers, wireless store security is nothing short of critical.

And it’s not only shoplifters you have to worry about. Employee fraud accounts for huge losses in too many wireless stores. Consider these facts: 

1. Realistically, shrinkage isn’t something you can avoid altogether. But there are plenty of steps you can take to make shoplifting and employee theft a lot more difficult. Read on . . .
2. Employee “ghosting” is one common cause of internal loss. In this scenario, an employee activates an extra line when a customer purchases multiple lines but doesn’t use all of them. The employee sells the phone, then cancels the line. This type of inventory theft can be tough to uncover.
3. Employees can also steal phones by creating dummy accounts, using partially or totally false information.
4. Shoplifters are a diverse group. Three-quarters are adults, and they come from all walks of life and income groups.
5. Be aware that shoplifters often make purchases even while they’re stealing, so they don’t stand out as suspicious.
6. The busiest stores that sell the most popular items are the most common shoplifting targets.

Tips to improve wireless store security

Here at Palmer Retail Solutions, we recommend these techniques to protect your wireless store:

• Periodically review your store’s layout. Can you make it less inviting to potential thieves?
• Use the latest technology to protect your technology merchandise. Surveillance cameras are a smart start. Integrating them with electronic data gathering allows you to correlate what you see on video with what you see in your paperwork. You can keep an eye on both customers and employees. Look for features such as remote viewing, exception reporting, and audio surveillance. You can get tips on how to select security cameras and where to place them here.
• Look into our CELLMATE display accessories that secure devices without sacrificing your customers’ ability to them out for themselves.
• Track your inventory in detail, looking for questionable sales and/or customer patterns.
• Greet and engage with customers. They’ll know you’re watching, although personal attention is also a part of delivering a higher level of customer experience.
• Install signage that states you do not tolerate shoplifting.
• If you have to, hire a uniformed security guard.

When it comes to wireless store security, vigilance pays off. In a busy store, a motivated (and poorly supervised) employee could steal numerous phones in just one month. If each “lost” phone costs you several hundred dollars, your total losses could be staggering. That’s a painful hit to your bottom line. So is shoplifting, which accounts for 40% of retail shrinkage and costs retailers $45 billion annually.

It’s easy to see why investing in more effective security measures is well worth the investment.