Woolworths is now following Coles’ lead in installing large security cameras and screens on the top of self-serve checkouts.
This is being done worldwide. Here is a picture of Tesco, a large chain in the UK doing it too.
The public does not like it, but there is no choice. Shoplifting is now such a big problem. The figures quoted for Australia range from about 1.3% to 3% of retail sales depending on who you talk too. Among my clients, I have seen numbers when we calculate it between less than 1% to over 4%. The 4% guys did not last very long.
If you want to know how to calculate your figures, I have written here a step by step approach. Using this approach in less than an hour, you should be able to get a pretty good feel of what size of a problem you have. If you cannot use current figures, use last financial year and do not be too concerned if some values are a guess. In my experience as long as you are reasonably sure, it should be good enough to give you a decent feel. Trust me, doing nothing and being ignorant of the figure is not better.
I would also recommend that you seriously consider following Coles and Woolworth's lead in putting up such large security screens.
