Retailers' attitudes towards shoplifting and prevention devices

Abstract

This study examined retailers' attitudes towards various aspects of shoplifting and how these attitudes influenced retailers' management of the problem. Although shoplifting is a common problem, the results of the survey suggest that retailers differ with regard to their views on the seriousness of the problem, the effect of shoplifting and preventive devices on store image and the price of products and whether severe penalties are a solution. Retailers who felt that the problem was severe, requiring severe penalties, differ significantly with regard to their attitudes as to the effect of prevention devices on store image and the effect of customer theft on prices. The results of the survey also suggest that background variables in general and ‘retailer type’ in particular have little influence on retailers' attitudes towards customer theft and related issues. Differences in attitudes were related to differences in store management and the extent to which they have been victims of ccustomer theft. Retailers who were ‘poor’ store managers and serious victims of customer theft felt that severe penalties were a solution to the problem while retailers who were ‘good’ store managers and suffered less from customer theft did not consider severe penalties to be a solution to the problem.

Keywords:

• Customer theft
• shoplifting
• store management
• Australia