The Shoplifter (1964)

the thief. They belong to the business executive, the grandmother, the college student, the teenager, the factory worker. But many merchants don't guard against these hands. Even though they annually steal $2 billion, more than all the nation's burglars and stickup men combined, they are the hands of the shoplifter. [Music] Excuse me. Your business is selling merchandise, right? Yes, it is. That's right. Yes. And merchandising is the way to do it. appealing displays, easy to serve oneself and make them want it. Unfortunately, many customers take this serve yourself too literally. And about one of every 60 customers entering your store will want it so badly they will attempt to steal it. The shoplifter knows the hand is quicker than the eye. The eye of an unobservant salesperson. It's the hands that do the stealing. The amateur shoplifter may steal because she can't resist an opportunity to get something for nothing, because of need, for the thrill of it, for luxuries, for psychological reasons. Shoplifterss come from all economic levels. The most active days are Friday and Saturday. Opening and closing hours and lunch hour are choice times because that's when alertness by sales personnel is usually the lowest. But who steals, why, and when they steal makes little difference to the salesperson who does the most efficient job possible. Alertness and courtesy by you are the greatest deterrence to shoplifterss. And it goes without saying that protecting your store's profits enhances your opportunity for salary increases and it directly affects you as a customer in other stores since shoplifting losses are added to the price of merchandise. Here you see actual footage of a professional shoplifter at work. She is about to commit a theft. No one in the supermarket knows what is taking place. She stacks these stakes neatly, too neatly. To an unobservant salesperson, she may appear to be an average housewife, but an alert salesperson will notice the large coat, full skirt, and big purse. These make for quick and easy concealment of merchandise. Notice how easily she slips the stakes under her dress, holding them between her legs. [Music] This is one of the many methods of boosting, the professional term for shoplifting, and it's the most common technique employed by the female pro. Given enough privacy, she can make off with portable television sets, typewriters, radios, tape recorders, and small appliances just as easily. She can steal items weighing as much as 25 lb. She buys one or two inexpensive items to cover her presence in the store. It is folly for retail merchants to attempt to cut selling and operating costs by reducing the number of sales personnel. An adequate salesforce ensures good customer service and is far less expensive than losses to shoplifterss. What this shoplifter can steal in seconds will more than pay the daily wage of a good salesperson. By stealing cartons of cigarettes, this professional can easily earn $100 a day. She earns as much or more when working drugstores, clothing stores, hardware or discount stores. This woman represents a growing number of shoplifterss who are taking advantage of the selfservice store, the removal of barriers between goods and customers, and the improved display techniques which are psychologically designed to increase buying. Although the professional makes up only about 10% of those stealing from you, the dollar value of what they steal far exceeds that of the amateur shoplifter. Pros usually steal expensive items, later selling them for about half the retail price. The security chief of one large department store believes one professional shoplifter is more costly than 100 amateurs. While some store managers claim the small but frequent theft of the amateur is their greatest loss. Smaller stores can't afford security personnel and boosters know it. They are also quick to recognize sales personnel working on commission because a stall will usually send them scurrying to a hotter sales prospect. And that's what the shoplifter wants, privacy. But regardless of who is the greatest threat to store profits, the amateur or the professional, most shoplifterss can be deterred by observant salespersonnel who acknowledge all customers, letting no one go unrecognized. personnel who treat everyone as a customer. This professional will be the first to admit that the presence of an observant, alert salesperson would have sent her away empty-handed. This is the merchandise she carried out of the store. However, she neglected to pay for these items. The average housewife does about 90% of her family shopping and more than 85% of the nation's shoplifting. She is a typical amateur shoplifter. She may feel your store owes her something that such a small item won't be missed. [Music] Her purchase came to $13.50. Most supermarkets operate on a very low profit margin. The theft of a 99 cent item represents a substantial loss based on what this housewife purchased. And she'll probably be back tomorrow or the next day. Don't allow empty cartons to accumulate in the front of your store. Many a request for what you think is an empty box has been prompted by the knowledge that it has been filled with your merchandise by an accomplice. [Music] Men also pull this trick, stuffing meat, cigarettes, or other items down their trousers and covering it with their shirt. Placing tags inside the wrapping can eliminate much of this. Switching containers. Putting expensive items into cartons formally containing inexpensive items is a popular trick. An alert cashier will notice all tears and broken seals. It's easy to slip items under her knitting. Beware of customers bringing bags, boxes, or any large container into your store. No, these slacks weren't exactly what she wanted. The green ones are. Use the check system. Make sure everything is returned. This woman gambles that a bag from another store will not be searched. [Music] It's better for the purse to be too large than too small. Wearing a rain cape on a sunny day should arouse your interest. Some shoplifterss don't always hide their thefts. They merely exchange their old for your new. Here's a happy customer. Happy that the clerk wasn't alert. Didn't check inside the cooler. Unpackaged clothing should always be checked. One clerk didn't take the time. [Music] Switching pinned on tags and tied tags gets this shopper a $25 coat for $13. Knowing your merchandise will curb this theft technique. [Music] With the aid of this clever booster box, only 2 seconds are needed to steal an expensive camera. Here is another type of booster box. It's carried by the shoplifter for the convenience of his companion. Not all packages are what they seem to be. The cleverly arranged ribbons conceal the opening in this box. Many service areas provide supervised checking facilities for their customers convenience and for their own protection. Professionals often work in pairs. No one could be more casual than this customer. Despite all the activity going on behind her, she is the shield. Often a hidden zipper allows a lifter to do her own stuffing while the partner acts as a lookout. Here is a shoplifter making her selection while her companion serves as lookout. The chosen dress is placed under her arm temporarily. [Music] She doesn't plan to carry it out. She'll wear it. [Music] Sorry, these won't do. That's right. She's wearing the stolen dress under her own. Clothing left in fitting rooms is easy pickings for shoplifterss who just wear them over or under their own clothes. Check fitting rooms frequently for merchandise left inside. This man appears interested in a suit. His companion is even more interested. Female boosters can take three or four suits, including hangers, in one motion, holding them between their legs, with comparative ease. Sometimes a partner will enter the store first, select the suits to be stolen, and put them on the end of the rack for easy identification by the Confederate who will do the stealing. [Music] If a professional shoplifter can get an item between her legs without you seeing that item, she can steal it. This method can be used in any store to steal almost any item. Articles displayed on the counter's edge are easily stolen. An observant sales clerk would notice the clothing difference between mother and child, raincoat and sunsuit. [Music] This man had a profitable day. It's good merchandising to display as few articles on the counter as possible. A booster would hesitate to take a loan item since it would immediately be missed and draw attention to his presence. On a rainy day, this shoplifter simply palms the tag and walks out of the store. Stealing larger items requires more self-possession. It is estimated that one of every 60 customers to enter your store tomorrow will try to steal something. The key to defeating this rising tide of shoplifting lies with you, the observant store employee. Even the cleverest shoplifter cannot steal from you if you realize that quick, courteous service to customers is your primary function. Police and retail security reports reveal that the most effective solution to shoplifting is the prevention of the theft. To steal from you and your store, the shoplifter must have two favorable conditions. merchandise to steal and privacy to steal it. Since you are in the business to sell merchandise, you must display your wares. The stress, therefore, must be on the reduction of the shoplifter's sense of privacy. You can do this by doing the best job of selling you can. Quickly acknowledge and serve all customers, even if you feel they are not ready to buy. Convex mirrors, peeppholes, and observation points also eliminate the shoplifter sense of privacy. But 100 observation points, closed circuit television cameras, and other electronic devices cannot compensate for good salespeople who are aware of everything going on around them. These devices contribute to the shoplifters's feeling that they are being watched. But when a shoplifter spots an alert salesperson, they know they're being watched. Service to customers is everything in your job. It not only increases sales but decreases shoplifting. If you treat everyone as a customer, you will have performed your duty as an efficient, courteous salesperson. And if they are a shoplifter, you have prevented a theft. [Music] An adequate number of salespeople during busy hours ensures prompt service and prevents mass shoplifting. A uniform guard patrolling your aisles is also a strong deterrent to stealing. Other shoplifting preventatives include elevated sales stations for complete surveillance and therefore maximum control over your merchandise. Adequate lighting and low displays permit greater visibility. [Music] Shoplifterss develop patterns for stealing. For example, a shoplifter never keeps his eyes on the merchandise. He watches you and the customers around him, waiting for that moment of privacy when he can steal. Beware of loose coats. They can conceal countless types of items. Alertness on your part is the strongest preventative to shoplifting. Awareness of all customers. Knowledge of your merchandise. Serve all of your customers as quickly as possible. Even if you are busy with one customer, immediately acknowledge new customers. I'll be with you in a moment, sir. To a customer, those words mean courtesy. To a shoplifter, it means I'm watching you. Never leave your section unattended. And for customers who are just looking, keep them and the merchandise in sight. May I help you with that tow rope? Asking this question is courteous. It also deters a shoplifter. [Music] Valuable items should be displayed out of reach. Stacks of merchandise left in stairwells, freight elevators, halls, and in the shopping area are easy prey for shoplifterss. After restocking departments, all merchandise should be returned immediately to the stock room. This is a popular trick for stealing popular records. You can lose hundreds of records and other items to the magazine fan. Or you can save hundreds of records by putting them out of reach behind glass as this security conscious department store did. Not all book carrying customers are avid readers. [Music] A shoplifter has struck. Don't allow empty hangers on racks. [Music] You're here to sell things, not to get personal. Someone ought to teach you your manners. I'm going to report you to the manager. It used any distraction that draws off the sales clerk may offer an opportunity for a new shoplifter to be created. If you see someone take something, the best policy is usually to make no attempt to apprehend the suspect or accuse them of shoplifting. Get a physical description, their outstanding characteristics, their dress. If possible, keep the suspect in view while notifying your superior. Your obligation may end with getting an accurate physical description and alerting your designated authority. Depending upon your store's policy, you the salesperson by being alert, observant, curious, and devote yourself to doing the best sales job you can.