Optical practices have long been a target for shoplifters and over the years Optician has reported on far too many. Shop theft in the wider retail sector is on the rise and it won’t be long before practices are caught up with more brazen attempts at robbery, like this summer’s TikTok looting of shops on Oxford Street.
In the past six years, rates of shop theft have more than doubled, according to the British Retail Consortium. While the act can be one that reflects social necessity, it’s a far cry from light-fingered Dickensian rogues or Robin Hood heroes it once was, with criminal gangs exploiting depleted police forces.
No longer is it a victimless crime, either, as staff are often put at risk when faced with criminals who won’t let anyone get in their way, and any cost increases are eventually passed on to consumers.
Compared to the likes of retail giants with paid security staff, who often don’t intervene in a theft anyway, optical practices are probably seen as a soft touch by shoplifters.
While a window full of Ray-Ban posters and frames isn’t as common a sight as it once was, the brand still has the pull that is attractive to thieves, who know they can move the product on easily for a few pounds. Other designer brands are, of course, available.
So, what can practices do in the face of a shop theft epidemic that shows no sign of slowing down? Police advise a range of measures, that includes common sense tactics such as CCTV systems and appropriate security tagging, which isn’t always practical for products such as frames that are regularly tried on.
There are also more practical measures, such as greeting a customer within the first few seconds of entering a shop as it shows that staff are on the ball.
Optician will be running news items and features on shoplifting and theft prevention in the next couple of months. If your practice has been affected by theft or if you have any unusual, and legal, preventative measures, I would be delighted to hear from you.