Unlock a Better Retail Experience: Combatting Theft Without Locking Up Merchandise
Retail crime continues to be a significant challenge, with retailers increasingly turning to locked merchandise as a solution. However, this approach can drive customers away, according to a recent report from Retail Dive based on a survey by Numerator. The findings are telling:
- 60% of in-store shoppers encounter locked merchandise regularly.
- 27% of shoppers would either switch retailers or abandon their purchase entirely if they come across locked-up products.
- 61% of consumers report seeing more locked merchandise in the past year, particularly at drugstores and mass retailers.
This trend, while aimed at reducing shrink, poses a risk to the overall shopping experience. When faced with locked items, 62% of shoppers will wait for assistance, but those unwilling to wait are shifting a higher percentage of their spending online.
The Hidden Costs of Locking Up Merchandise
Michael Brown from Kearney highlights that while locking merchandise may reduce theft, it can also hurt sales and margins:
- Customer Frustration: Locked items hinder accessibility, especially when stores are understaffed.
- Lost Sales: Shoppers may leave without purchasing if they cannot access products easily.
- Higher Prices: The costs of securing merchandise and staffing locked cases often result in price increases, impacting customer loyalty.
A Smarter Solution: Purchek® Technology
At Gatekeeper Systems, we believe locking up merchandise should be a last resort. That’s why we offer an innovative alternative with Gatekeeper Systems’ Purchek® Technology. Purchek® ensures that unpaid merchandise never leaves the store, without interrupting the shopping experience. Here’s how it works:
- Confrontation-Free: The action to stop a cart is taken by the technology, not an associate, removing any bias and immediately deescalating any required interactions
- Seamless Shopping: Paying customers following an expected path experience no disruptions, maintaining an open and inviting store environment.
- Enhanced Safety and Profitability: By preventing theft without locking up products, Purchek® reduces loss, increases profits, and enhances safety for both shoppers and employees.
Unlock Your Store’s Potential
Retailers in urban and high-theft areas are under increasing pressure to find effective solutions to shrink. Rather than driving customers away with locked merchandise, why not invest in a system that safeguards products while enhancing the shopping experience?
Purchek® Technology is designed to do just that. It’s the smarter way to combat theft, protect your profits, and keep your customers coming back.
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Source: Retail Dive: “Locked-up merchandise increases as shrink and theft disrupt consumer behavior” by Howard Ruben, Nov. 6, 2024.
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