The Best Security Services and Systems for Preventing Shoplifting and Burglaries

Theft or abnormal loss is one of the biggest issues businesses have to deal with. In 2020, the average dollar loss per shoplifting incident in the US was $461.86. That same statistic, when limited to employees, jumps dramatically up to $1,550 per incident.

A majority of shoplifts and burglaries are felonies, and the repercussions for a business can not be ignored. Consider this: if you operate on a 20% profit margin but lose an item of $200 due to shoplifting or burglary, it would make a sale of at least $2,000 to recover the loss.

As IoT and wireless services find their way into virtually every industry, security services are not far behind in adopting new techniques and strategies, either. By combining different technologies with anti-theft strategies, businesses have been able to make their stores theft-resistant and reduce losses.

Five key security services and systems being used in the industry that will likely be at their peak within the next 5 (five) years include:

Smart Security Services to Prevent Shoplifting & Burglaries

Merchandise Security Systems

Merchandising security, which is gaining popularity, is when you’re showcasing a test product and tethering it to the display furniture. This is a great way to allow consumers to pick up and test your products while keeping them from “walking off.”

Unfortunately, that may not be enough at times. That is why these devices are often paired through a wired or wireless connection to the alarm system (silent or loud). Whenever a linked product gets disconnected or gets moved from its place, the system gets notified immediately.

An easier way of doing this is with an RFID chip, which in essence allows the system to geotag and track the item in real-time.

Smart Inventory Management

By far one of the most effective tools against shoplifting and burglaries is via smart and frequent inventory management. This involves using smart barcode scanners to conduct stock takes routinely, comparing the inventory present to the register.

This system informs the staff of any discrepancies and identifies the period between which the item went missing.

AI/ML & Video Analytics

The idea of surveillance cameras at key points around a retail store is fairly common, but implementing AI/ML analytics algorithms on the video is relatively new. It requires a hefty data center to ensure minimum false positives. These algorithms detect suspicious behavior and inform the security guard/supervisor immediately. It uses demographics, history, and other relevant data to make informed decisions.

Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS)

An EAS system is a wireless security system that tags different articles and reads their relative position to each other. Not only do the tags set off the alarm if they aren’t deactivated before crossing the outer gates, but it also communicates with the system about other items that the shoplifter may have.

RFID, combined with AI and ML, is geared towards improving anti-theft techniques and also improving the overall shopping experience. The tags help eliminate checkout lines, make checking prices convenient, and even can even simplify the checkout process to a few clicks or a tap.

If you’re interested in using high-end security services at your retail store or warehouse, get in contact with Americom today. We have helped many companies safeguard their inventory from external and internal thefts and would love to do the same for you!