Level III Security Re qualification Classes in Houston

Show of hands, how many people like losing money? Whether it’s a misplaced $20.00 bill that you could have sworn was in your front pocket, or the fact that you just lost a significant portion of years of hard work because of a negative downturn on the stock market that was connected to your retirement portfolio, the answer is the same – Losing Money Hurts.   If you are in retail, the next time that you go to order something wholesale, imagine what it would be like if every item were marked up by 15-20%.  Could you afford to do business with that supplier?  What negative downturns might your business experience as a result of increased pricing on everything you buy?

Let’s make this idea even more “fun” and imagine that while your wholesale costs jumped up, your competitions pricing (wholesale) remained the SAME.  With the average retail Markup at 25 to 28 points, this means that to be competitive you’d have to sell at a 3% LOSS to maintain pace with your competition!   How long would you maintain a positive cash flow by selling everything below cost?  You wouldn’t, and it would be impossible.  The only way that you could compete, is to raise your margins higher, meaning your customers would have to pay more to do business with you, than they would with your competition.   This is great, but it only works on those customers that are either

A. Fiercely Loyal (how many of those do you have?)

or

B.  Ignorant (and that only works until they catch on, then they may become lifelong enemies who spread your bad name around to others)

 “Lucky for us, that sort of scenario isn’t really happening – we aren’t paying more than our competitors!”  Are you sure about that?  While you may not have the exact scenario here, retail losses due to theft can cost companies in the neighborhood of 10-20% a year in losses.  So, maybe that nightmare scene isn’t as farfetched as you might think!

Retail theft hurts your business, and it makes it more expensive to stay in business, and every lost item is a potentially lost sale, or even an opportunity to make and retain a new customer.   Thieves are becoming more, not less savvy.  A recent retailer found several thousand dollars worth of Apple iPhone and iPod and iPad inventory, which was locked in a plexiglass case.  The lock was unbroken.  The door was never opened.   The secret?  A simple Phillips Screwdriver and a couple of patient well placed accomplices.  They simply removed the screws, used poster putty to appear like the full screws were still there, when in truth they’d used a 2 dollar pair of wire cutters to shear the heads, and then happily helped themselves from BEHIND the display, out of sight from everyone, including the intentionally distracted sales associates on the overworked floor.

Ask yourself, would security officers strategically placed in “hot” areas have possibly prevented such a theft?   Studies show that the presence of Security Officers dramatically reduces both the opportunities and incidents, but also removes the incentive for most thieves to even think about attempting theft.  There’s a reason.  Sales staff is designed to help customers, not police your store.  Doing double duty and making that the sole method of “security” leaves both sides vulnerable.  Have you experienced a history of things “growing legs on their own and walking off”?  If so, and the losses are mounting, it might be time to consider a security Officer or two.  The costs of the security Officers, more than offset the potential losses that retail theft can potentially bring.  It’s one great way to remain both safe and competitive in today’s marketplace.

If you are looking to reduce your retail theft losses consider a security service, Contact Top Gun Security.  We would be happy to meet with you in person, by email or phone to evaluate your specific security officer needs. Contact Top Gun today and allow us to provide the security officer services you desire.

Top Gun Security and Investigations Locations

Top Gun Security and Investigations is based in Houston, Texas.  We have offices in Austin, Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio.  We are licensed to provide security officer-guard services  within the state of Texas.

Tags: retail security, retail theft, Security Officers