All small liquor stores run the risk of experiencing shoplifting and employee theft. According to the National Retail Federation, retail shrinkage cost an estimated $94.5 billion in losses last year — a total shrink rate of 1.44 percent.
And for small businesses, theft can be even more difficult to recoup when compared to larger chains.
As a result, preventing theft is a high priority for liquor store owners. So, how do you protect your storefront, and your business’ margins?
Train Your Team
In order to prevent shoplifting in your liquor store, it’s essential that your employees are able to identify potential shoplifters. Emphasize that there is no specific image or stereotype that shoplifters fit, so employees should pay attention to potential shoplifters’ actions, instead. For example, is a customer watching staff instead of looking at products? Are they grabbing bottles at random? Those actions could be telltale signs of a shoplifter.
If an employee suspects a customer of shoplifting, they may keep an eye on the customer in question, but should continue to provide great customer service. Directly accusing the customer of theft or physically confronting them could endanger customers and employees in the store, and should never be encouraged. Ultimately, if an employee has good reason for suspicion, they should inform the manager immediately. Next steps could include calling the police or noting the license plate and physical appearance of a shoplifter.
And, don’t forget – 75 percent of employees admit to stealing from employers at least once. Although you likely trust your team, it’s important to account for all possibilities. Be sure to outline consequences – suspension or termination – during employee onboarding and training. Keep in mind that employee theft isn’t always as straightforward as pocketed inventory: Abusing employee discounts and clocking in early or clocking out late (time theft) are also forms of stealing.
Employee Management
Modern liquor point of sale solutions can incorporate employee management, a feature that is incredibly valuable for liquor store security and theft prevention.
For example, modern POS software can allow you to control the access your employees have to specific actions at checkout, which can prevent liquor inventory theft. These systems can also allow you to track which cash registers employees used, and what transactions were completed, making inventory discrepancies easy to note.
Liquor POS software can also limit employee time theft by allowing you to view clock in and clock out times. Baked-in employee management is a major benefit of a modern liquor point of sale solution.
Liquor Inventory Tracking
A priority for liquor and wine stores, inventory tracking will help you minimize human error and catch discrepancies early.
Regular and thorough inventory management is the best way to identify missing bottles, and will allow you to take action as soon as possible. Monitoring your inventory report on a weekly or monthly basis, and after storewide sales or holiday season promotions, is a great way to make sure your numbers are accurate.
Security Storefront Additions
There are multiple retail tactics that will prevent and catch external and internal shoplifting. These measures aren’t foolproof, but that’s not important; their main purpose is to deter theft in the first place.
One common tactic is security tagging products and installing detection sensors at your store’s exits. Tags on liquor bottles can only be removed or deactivated by your cashiers at checkout, so when a customer passes your store’s exits with a tagged item, you will be notified via alarm.
Security cameras are another tried and tested method. 24/7 cameras will allow you to identify and catch shoplifters in your store. Cameras at store exits, registers, and backrooms stocked with inventory can provide you a view of both internal and external theft.
Make sure that additions such as security cameras will integrate seamlessly with your existing point of sale system in order to effectively and efficiently manage your business.
Bottle POS and Your Liquor Store Safety
Implementation of these theft prevention features may seem intimidating – but that’s where Bottle POS comes in. Our point of sale system allows you to consolidate employee management with time tracking and scheduling features — as well as deter theft by automatically creating transaction records, and coordinating in-store security footage.
Schedule a demo of Bottle POS, and learn how we can help keep your liquor store safe and secure.
