Sudden, frightening and increasingly common, snatch and grab shoplifting is becoming an all too familiar headline.

This form of shoplifting differs from traditional theft attempts in that it often involves more than one assailant, who targets a store as a group, ripping products from display before quickly fleeing.

So how can retailers best protect their store, their staff and their stock against the snatch and grab?

The snatch and grab in action

On July 4, MTMJ-TV Milwaukee posted images of a snatch and grab theft in detail, showing a group of 10 offenders entering an apparel store at Pleasant Prairie, ripping clothes off racks and feeling.

It happened in a matter of seconds, but resulted in the theft of $30,000 worth of merchandise.

Apparel retailers aren’t the only stores to be targeted either. More commonly jewellery stores and electronic retailers find themselves subject to sudden “flash mobs” of thieves seeking high value items like the latest mobile phones, tablets and jewels.

Cult of Mac recently reported a spate of thefts targeting Apple stores, noting in the most recent incident five men stole iPhones and iPads valued at $29,000 from an Apple Store in Southern California.

“They quickly began ripping display items out of the display tables, before fleeing the location,” Cult of Mac explained.

So how can retailers seek to prevent or deter this type of theft?

Preventing the snatch and grab

Preventing snatch and grab shoplifting requires a slightly different approach to combatting individual incidents and traditional shoplifting thefts.

In some cases, the snatch and grab is a simple crime of opportunity where items can easily be accessed from the entryway and make an ideal target for thieves.

In other cases, the snatch and grab is more organised, with the mob of shoplifters having cased the store previously and knowing exactly the items they seek.

Either way the following strategies can assist when it comes to deterring the snatch and grab.

Product positioning

Regardless of whether it’s discounted sale items or high-value electronics, products should be positioned out of immediate reach of the doorway.

Ideally, high-value items like mobile phones and jewellery will be situated close to the Point of Sale in a position which thieves have to make an effort to reach, which takes further time and effort to retreat from.

This makes the products harder to access for shoplifters, and therefore less desirable. It gives retailers additional time to alert emergency services and also greater opportunity to catch images of the thieves on CCTV.

Highly secure displays

Newly-released high security displays offer increased security for products like mobile phones and tablets. They offer features like dual alarms, steel cables, and a steel stand which can withstand up to 180kg of force. They also come with the option of permanent lockdown.

Best practice sees the display tables or counters these displays are fitted to bolted to the floor or secured to the wall.

Lockable stock cabinets

For high-value items like mobile phones, tablets and jewellery, lockable cabinets or stock drawers are also an option. These can be fitted with smart locks and keys which track which staff member accesses the cabinet, how often and at what time.

Dummy displays

Some retailers opt for dummy displays which see mock merchandise displayed on the floor of a retail outlet while actual stock is secured out the back in locked stock cabinets.

This theft prevention method needs to be weighed against the risk of shoplifting and the fact legitimate customers cannot readily interact with the products.

Meanwhile, major electronics retailers often use special versions of software on demo devices which render them useless if stolen from a store.

General security

A store which has an apparent emphasis on security is often less likely to be targeted for thefts, including snatch and grabs.

For retailers, that may mean they emphasise security measures like CCTV through signage, or ensure their product security tags and EAS antenna are visible. This indicates to thieves a store is being monitored consistently.

Meanwhile, apparel stores could consider the addition of benefit denial strategies, such as ink dye pins. These can make items less appealing to thieves because the products they take are rendered useless when the tags are illegally removed.

Security guards

Many retailers are complementing their upgraded product security features with store-based loss prevention strategies like employing security guards.

CCTV

In addition to high security displays and security guards, modern, reliable and clear CCTV footage assists police identify the offenders involved.

Staff Education

Staff should be educated about the rise in snatch and grab incidents and provided with clear instructions about what to do. This includes calling police if there is suspicious activity inside or outside a store, such as groups gathering or people casing a store.

In some instances, retailers have also issued personal distress beacons to staff.

You can learn more about the best security tags and labels available or alternatively find out about upgrading your EAS with benefit denial security tag pins and tags here.

If you think shoplifters won’t target your store, think again. No matter your store type or size, at some point odds indicate it will be targeted for theft.

Sometimes that shoplifter may be an amateur taking advantage of opportunity but on other occasions a theft could be a highly premeditated crime.

Regardless of whether it’s a novice or professional job, these are four of the most common techniques used.

Distraction

A theft is easier to commit in a busy environment where the sales associate has their attention elsewhere. The professional shoplifter knows this all too well.

Often working in groups of two or more, this technique sees one person try to distract staff while their counterpart conceals an item or removes it from its packaging.

These types of shoplifters are also more likely to strike at notoriously busy times. That’s why Christmas and sale seasons are such renowned periods of theft annually and why opening, closing or shift changes are when thieves are more likely to strike during any given day.

Staff should be aware that busy times present a store security threat, and should pay extra attention to what’s happening on the floor during these periods.

Meanwhile, if a customer appears to be commanding a staff member’s attention for no good reason, chances are there’s something more occurring.

Staff should be trained to identify suspicious behavior, and clear on a retail outlet’s policies when it comes to approaching a suspected thief.

Layering

In the apparel sector layering is a notoriously common technique employed by thieves. It sees shoplifters enter the fitting room with multiple items and then wear the stolen items under their own clothes as they exit.

In some cases these thieves will actually remove EAS tags prior to leaving the fitting room, but in other instances they may be willing to take a chance.

Staff should be on the lookout for customers who appear bulky when they exit the change room, and simple procedures like counting products as patrons enter and exit should be employed.

Meanwhile EAS best-practice should be employed in conjunction with new technology like the ApparelGuard which offers state-of-the-art protection against layering and fitting room theft.  Installed in the change room, the Fitting Room Guard features sensors that alert staff when a tag is being tampered with.

Boosting

Boosting is a technique that sees purpose-made bags employed to conceal items and/or interfere with Electronic Article Surveillance. Improved EAS technology means boosting is far less effective than it used to be, however some thieves still try to circumvent the system.

Boosting is best combatted with an up-to-date EAS system and a clear bag check policy that allows security staff or sales associates to thoroughly check items as patrons exit.

When checking bags, staff should be on the lookout for possible hidden compartments, or lumps and bumps that could be products concealed out of sight.

The smash and grab

Of all the shoplifting techniques, this is the most brazen. The smash and grab sees bold thieves enter a store and quickly grab products within plain sight of staff and customers before running off.

High-value items or easily accessible displays are often the target of this type of theft.

The best way of combatting the smash and grab is to position high-value items away from the front of a retail outlet, or to employ higher security that sees products tethered to displays.

Meanwhile, CCTV can assist police in identifying thieves involved in a smash and grab after the event.

Some final tips

Effective loss prevention is a multi-pronged strategy that seeks to reduce theft at a number of levels. The best methods of combatting all shoplifting techniques include:

• Staff training
• Good store layout
• EAS including hard tags or labels for individual product protection
• CCTV for store monitoring
• Customer greeters
• Secure displays for high-value items

Should you need further advice about the right EAS solution to protect your merchandise, contact our friendly Security Tags staff here.