Offense is the best defense. To prevent something from being stolen, you first need to know how to steal something.

  • Switch price tags with a cheaper product
  • Wait for staff to clear the area around you
  • Move into blindspots
  • Deception (exploit of trust)
  • hekin big distracc

Turning those things on its side, you would consider someone dodgy if they

  • Are taking unecessarily long time in a certain area
  • Looking around too frequently
  • Move only when staff move

There are quite a few different security mechanisms that stores employ - we’ll discuss a few of these.

Psychological Security

  • Security Cameras
    An obvious one - security cameras are designed for surveillance and presence.
    Though, some cameras might be dummy units…

  • Mirrors
    Mirrors are often placed in sections where there are blindspots.
    They make the store more visible and open by covering up these areas, and the reflection makes the store appear more spacious.

  • Signage
    “Shoplifting is a crime” and “CCTV operation is in use” signs are often put up in stores to remind the customer not to do anything dodgy.
    Sometimes the fear of getting caught will outweigh the desire for theft.

  • Security Guards and Floor Staff
    Again, the presence of security around you will make theft much harder, as you would have to wait for an opportunity where no eyes are on you, or when they are distracted

  • Bag Policy
    Some stores ‘enforce’ a bag policy, where you cannot bring in bags bigger than a certain size.
    This prevents products from being ‘accidentally’ placed into the bags.
    Though, are these policies ever really enforced these days

Product Security

  • Electronic Article Surveillance
    There are many different types of EAS systems that utilise a whole range of different technologies.
     
    One of such systems use electro-acoustic technology which causes a tag to resonate an inaudible tone which sensors can detect.
    When the tag comes into the magnetic field created by the security checkpoints, a metallic strip inside the tag vibrates.
    (To circumvent this system, you could get a really powerful magnet to deform the strip, or to even hold it in place while you walk out…)  

  • Security Chains
    A physical tether of a product to the store.
    Often these chains are additionally armed with an alarm that sounds when disconnected.
     
    But there are issues with this, discussed in this post

  • Cabinets
    Place the product behind another security measure, such as a locked cabinet

  • Destructive Security
    If you can’t prevent the item from being stolen, perhaps you could prevent the item from being used for its intended purpose.
    Perhaps destructive methods, that will damage the product (rendering it unusable) could be implemented.

For clothing goods, they often have ink vial tags that can only be removed with a certain tool. If you try to forcibly remove them, the vial will break, and a permanent ink will spill onto the clothing - effectively ruining the product.

Store Layout

Imagine trying to steal stuff from IKEA and having to run through the e n t i r e store only to come back to where you started.
Man IKEA is a M A Z E.

Not sure which category store layout goes under, so it can have its own category.

The layout and design of the store can also be an inherent security feature.
For example, placing checkout counters at the exit, where you have to go through the checkout to exit.

Improvement.

I’m not sure of any places that do this, but stores could possible have a ‘lockdown’ measure - where a security curtain could drop down and block off the exits and entrances to the store.

But this idea could also be shunned…
Is it worth causing a commotion over a (petty) incident?
Could the curtain hit someone and injure them?
Is it a good idea to trap civillians in a room with a potentially armed thief?

To increase psychological security, employing enough floor staff as well as security guards would help - as it would make it much harder to act dubiously.
Half the time when I enter a store, I observe the security guard, and come to the conclusion time and time again, that it would be so easy to walk out with my goods.

To prevent price tag switching, it may be worthwhile in training staff to know the correct prices of products.
Even if a barcode is used instead of a price tag, one might overlay an altered barcode - so it is important for the staff to know what they’re selling.

Ridiculous Ideas

Hey, they’re valid still, right?

The simple steps to stop a theft

Ultimately what you need to do is to hide the exit from the shoplifter.
One effective way to do this is by disorientating them - aka changing the environment

1) Smoke cloak Smoke cloaks are a mechanism where a thick cloud of smoke is deployed, greatly reducing visibility of the exit - aimed to disorientate the shoplifter, so that their environment is now foreign.
 
> Possible health risks but eh

2) Lights, cameras, action! Turn off, or dim the lights.
(Maybe add strobe lights as blinders… or even… lazers. hmmm)
 
> Also possible health risks but eh

3) R A V E
Dim the lights, turn on the hazer, and grab the closest guy with a pair of V-Moda or Audio-Technica headphones and throw him onto the DJ deck.
 
PARTY HARD.
 
BLAST SOUND, LIGHTS, SMOKE
 
…
 
> Definitely a health risk. Oh well!

Be even more esoteric

It’s not legal in Australia, but what if you liquidise some medication or some other drug and let it infuse within the air system…
 
3 2 1 *snap* goodnight

Defeat them with love and affection

Deploy and overpower them with cute newborn puppers and overpower them with cute puppers! <3

Most of these methods however, wouldn’t help mitigate organised group thefts, nor employee thefts.

What would you suggest?

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