Your say
Best letter of the month
RETAIL FRAUD
AWARENESS DAY
RETAIL FRAUD IS A MAJOR CONTRIBUTOR TO THE £4.1 BILLION
WORTH OF ANNUAL LOSSES FROM THE UK HIGH STREET*
Shoplifters, criminal gangs and the internal fraudsters and briefing document was developed
disloyal staff are behind these shoplifters causing them. Retail that took this message into the
horrendous figures that further Fraud Awareness Day was a heart of any organisation where
compound the existing staging post to raise the profile of shrink measurement and
recessionary pressures on the High this multi-billion pound issue and management are not yet on the
Street. how to deal with it for the benefit board agenda.
The loss prevention and profit of the silent majority – the retail This is because Retail Fraud
protection community are businesses themselves, their honest Awareness Day sought to show
desperately trying to get fraud and staff and customers and their stores of all shapes and sizes how
shrinkage onto the Board agenda, shareholders. to help themselves in practical
but they cannot do it alone. It Although scheduled to be an terms. If the authorities recognise
requires a collaborative approach annual event, we should all strive that retailers are further
across the industry and a within to make every day a fraud tightening procedures and
retail organisations – an approach awareness day so that all staff – processes to cut losses, they are
that moves away from denial and not just the Loss Prevention team more likely to receive a more
towards a cultural acceptance that and Finance Director – are in step sympathetic hearing from the
‘shrink can and must be shrunk.’ with measuring and managing the police and courts when
Which is whyThe Retail Fraud problem. prosecutions are brought before
Awareness Day at the end of June RFAD also provided practical them.
was so important. It provided a tools to retailers. Although many
shop window of opportunity for larger stores have sophisticated Laurence King
retailers to arrest the loss prevention measures in place, Chairman
haemorrhaging losses as well as a generic strategy and a team The ORIS Group
TAKING STOCK OF STOCK The retail loss prevention forum In today’s climate, where every
TAKING (sponsored by the Retail Fraud penny counts, I regularly hear
We are in the business of stock Magazine and Orridge & Co Ltd) experienced loss prevention
taking and taking stock of losses, will be driven by contributions specialists asking for guidance on
which is why we are launching a from leading UK retailers and the best strategies to adopt and
new online forum to help retailers. supported by a series of expressing their desire to share
Taking Stock community meetings. good and bad experiences with
(www.takingstockforum.com.uk) is As a retailer, should you chose to their counterparts in order to
a new Retail Loss Prevention embrace this community, with improve both their own
forum, designed to allow retail regular online participation you effectiveness and their
professionals to come together, could reap the benefits of organisations profitability. This
share best practices and frequent intellectual exchange, forum has been developed and is
experience as well as give and learn new ideas as well as refine being supported by Orridge and
receive advice from industry old ones. You could influence the Retail Fraud as a catalyst to
colleagues. forums evolution whilst improving industry collaboration,
For some time, many retailers contributing to others, keeping up communication and best practice.
across the UK have expressed their with current events and new For more information please
desire to be a part of such a business leads. contact: Charlotte Mottram at
powerful communication tool Whilst many successful retailers charlotte.mottram@orridge.co.uk.
LETTERS
though the use of a community are focussed on improving their
forum. We believe there is a loss prevention strategies, until
common appreciation for the now, there have been few ways Simon Kniveton
strong benefits that such an online for the industry to share their IS Director
forum could provide. experience with their colleagues. Orridge & Co Ltd
ISSUE 4 AUGUST 2009 • 35
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42