Retail Council of Canada Shoplifting Report

87% Of Canada's Small And Medium-Sized Retailers Victimized By Crime In The Past Year

The Retail Council of Canada (RCC) and RBC have released the results of a Retail Loss Prevention Survey conducted by Ipsos Reid. To summarize the findings, 87% of Canadian retailers were the victims of some form of retail crime in 2007 with an average loss reported at $1,005 per month.

The RCC and RBC released the following list of 12 Security Tips for Canadian Retailers

1. Ensure the store has an open layout, good lighting, with good visibility to all areas of the selling floor.
2. Ideally, stand-alone shelves should be no more than 1.6 metres high, enabling clear visibility for staff throughout the floor area.
3. Shelves and stock should be neatly stacked and price tickets properly secured to goods.
4. Where possible, expensive and easily portable goods should be secured in cabinets, located close to staff working areas.
5. Empty hangers/boxes and excess stock should be removed from racks and shelves.
6. A staff member should always check the number of items taken in and out of changing rooms.
7. Warning signs should be clearly displayed regarding possible consequences of theft as well as the security measures in place to protect staff.
8. Staff rooms and stock rooms should be kept locked at all times.
9. If not already in place, consider installing surveillance devices such as observation mirrors at appropriate and strategic points within the store; also, consider installing a quality surveillance camera or Closed Circuit TV (CCTV)
10. If not already in place, consider installing electronic sensors to notify staff when customers are entering and leaving your business.
11. Invest in an effective asset inventory control system to identify any losses as they occur.
12. Conduct a complete in-store security audit, in cooperation with staff, to assess specific security needs.

More Information?

If you are interested in learning more about the findings of this survey or would like more information from the Retail Council of Canada or RBC Financial, check the links below:

Media Release

Retail Council of Canada Loss Prevention Section

RBC's Business Fraud Prevention Website