Getting a police record check
Security experts tell us that asking a potential employee to agree to a police record check will sort out the good from the not so good. In Victoria, a national name check through Victoria Police costs $29.80 – a small price to pay for due diligence on someone who will handle your cash. Click here for details about record checks through the Victoria Police.
I know of three terminations in the last month where getting the check would have saved the newsagents affected several thousand dollars. In our on situation, a check years ago would have saved us an expensive mistake.
Chasing a person of interest
The man in the photo appears to have forgotten to pay for two Murano glass clowns worth $200 each from our Sophie Randall Forest Hill store in the last 24 hours. This happened Thursday afternoon and yesterday lunchtime. In each case we had different people working. He was in an out in less than 90 seconds, wearing the same clothes each day except for the cap. He was back today and was headed for our store but saw us spot him. Security followed him but lost him.
While I don’t expect any of the 1,000+ daily visitors here to recognise the man, I figured it is worth trying.
The video footage shows him leaving with goods in hand and not paying. While we suspect he knew what he was doing, we are prepared to provide the benefit of the doubt if he makes contact and returns to goods.
While it is shutting the gate after the horse has bolted, we are making some changes not only in this store but in other stores in or group to tighten security and to make it clearer that people stealing will be identified.
Situations like this remind me why retailers become bitter and trust no one.
A new way to display ink in-store
The photo shows how they sell ink at FedEx Kinkos in
The staff member I spoke with said they did this because of theft and to cut the time it takes to manage the ink stock. It makes sense, no one is going to steal a worthless tag. On the labour cost, keeping the stock in the back room reduces display time and space.
I am not sure I would go with this in a newsagency. There is something to be said for customers being able to see, touch and feel the products for themselves. Sure, theft will be higher but there are ways to manage for that.
Having the product on display in-store makes for a more impressive display than the tags you can see in the Kinkos display.
Artline, the pen more people pinch
Graffiti artists love Artline markers. Theft is a problem. I wonder if they steal them because of the tag on the Artline TV commercial and website:
Artline, the pen more people pinch.
While it may sound churlish, this tag line is nuts. It’s attempt at humor is lost on me. Yes, Artline pens are stolen – especially the thicker markers. Graffiti artists love them and prefer not to have to pay for them. Why promote that they are stolen? It is offensive.
The theft of Artline pens is such a problem that we have moved them several times and they now reside behind the counter. I’m a newsagent carrying the cost of theft of Artline product in my shops. While theft is my problem, I don’t need people being encouraged, no matter how indirect that encouragement may be. The Artline folks ought to review their advertising strategy and think of their retail partners.
How to handle a newspaper thief
Rowan Higgon of Pakenham Newsagency passed on this brilliant advice to a newsagent who asked how they should handle the regular theft of a newspaper delivered to a subscriber’s home.
We discuss the situation with the client and they fix it by doing the following:
- Keep an old paper and plastic wrap.
- Wrap fresh dog poo or similar into the old paper and wrap with plastic.
- Set alarm for the delivery of the next days paper (we advise expected arrival)
- Swap paper over.
- The thief in our case is generally on the way to the train station and unwraps said paper on the train.
- Thief is embarrassed and now knows that we know who it is.
- Problem solved.
The alternative is the owner waits for the thief and gives him a hose down.
Justice and the graffiti thief
I heard a bit of a ruckus when in our Frankston store yesterday morning. A young guy had been caught by one of our team members stealing a marker, the kind used for graffiti. Sheri swung into action, grabbed the marker and told the criminal he was banned. No mucking around, swift and unilateral justice. I was pleased to see this – it’s the only way to deal with someone caught stealing a marker. The public humiliation meted out yesterday is worth more anything a police report could bring.
To catch a thief
I’d love to hear from anyone who recognises this chap. The video footage shows that he left without paying for a boxed pen. I’d like to get in touch, show him the video footage and see how he would like to settle the account.
Every time this happens we learn some more about how people who steal from retail businesses operate.
The cost of shrinkage
Better Photoshop Techniques sells for $24.95. Our buy price is $18.71. One copy stolen costs us the GP from three sales. This happened to us this week, a copy stolen. It’s frustrating because of the high cover price. It hits harder than losing a $3.95 magazine. No wonder newsagents automatically early return higher priced magazines. The cost of the theft risk is too high.
I’d like to see discussion opened on the cost of magazine shrinkage. At the moment newsagents wear 100% of the cost and with it costing between 3% and 5% of turnover we’re losing the battle. The problem is even worse since we do not control what we receive and therefore cannot manage our risk as effectively ads we otherwise might.
While publishers could say that we ought to better manage the risk in store, this is not easily done in higher rent situations where occupancy costs can be 15% or even higher, labour at 12%, expenses at 5% and, well, there is nothing left in the 25% GP for magazines for the kind of on the ground security necessary to stop magazine theft.
In my newsagencies the team is vigilant and, yes, people are caught. Â But we also miss people – we see a report weekly of the cost of magazine theft as we return product.
I’d like publishers and distributors to discuss the shrinkage problem with newsagents. It is unfair for newsagents to continue to carry the high cost while they, publishers and distribution, support moving top selling product outside the newsagency channel.
The things customers steal
Some low-life stole the top from the the soft toy on the right. How pathetic is that?
It’s no wonder newsagents and other retailers become bitter about browsers sometimes. Behavior like this – stealing a top off a soft toy – is appalling. It is difficult to stop.
Oh well, we’ll offer the naked soft toy for a discount and if that fails it will go to a local charity for their op shop.
To catch a shoplifter
It is fascinating watching someone walk into the newsagency, pick up a newspaper, walk to the crossword magazine display, pick up a magazine, place it inside the newspaper, come to the counter, pay for the newspaper and leave. He was good about it when approached at the food court and allowed us to take the crossword magazine back.
I remember Brian Everingham showing me the sales approach at his Puckle Street Moonee Ponds newsagency in the early 1990s. He’d hold a newspaper by the corner and let everything fall out. Thanks to that demonstration we suggested to newsagents they, every so often, have a scan only day – when you only process sales by scanning.
The crossword thief would have been caught at the counter had we done this.
Do you recognise him?
Maybe you recognise this person? He visited one of our shops on Sunday, took four items off the shelf, put them in a bag, went to the counter and convinced a team member and a manager on the phone that he had bought them earlier in the week and found they did not suit and asked for a refund. We have the video footage from several angles showing the scam from the moment he takes the items off the shelf to when he pockets the ‘refudn’ we provide. If you recognise the person please let me know.
It’s easy to get scammed when you’re busy, the key, as we have been reminded, is to have clear simple rules in place to stop the scam from the outset.