Retailers should prepare themselves for an onslaught of crime during Christmas as £431.2 million of stock will be stolen from UK stores, according to research by Checkpoint Systems.
More than 105,000 incidents of theft will occur during this time, a rise of 206 per cent from a normal four-week period.
Some £2.93m of stock will be lost every hour of trading in 687 separate incidents of shoplifting, totalling some £26.4m on the year’s busiest shopping day, Saturday, 22 December. The findings warn that the products most at risk of being stolen are perfumes, alcohol, women’s wear, cosmetics, and electronic media.
What they say
David Nuttall, Managing Director of Checkpoint Systems UK, said: “Christmas is a busy time for retailers. Ensuring product availability, customer service, and adequate staff levels is crucial but in order to maximise profits, management must ensure security solutions are in place to protect stock. With a packed store it is difficult for staff to monitor the shop floor effectively and, therefore, it is the time that technology solutions come into a world of their own.”
The research found that the number of incidents at Christmas rises by 206 per cent and the value stolen by 236 per cent. Amongst the shoplifters that are arrested, the value of items is normally around £77.95 but at Christmas thieves target higher priced goods resulting in the value reaching £85.71. During Christmas period, Saturdays are the highest day for theft, however during the rest of the year retailers need to be more concerned about Thursdays.
Definitions
‘Christmas’ is defined as the four weeks up to the 24 December. The Centre for Retail Research conducted the research on behalf of Checkpoint Systems.
Top ten most stolen items at Christmas (In rank order):
1.Perfumes – Kate Moss, Hugo Boss XX and XY, Ghost, La Coste Inspiration, FCUK, Estee Lauder Beautiful.
2.Alcohol – Whisky is the main product by value, but champagne, vodka and party drinks are very important.
3.Women’s wear – dresses, jackets, shirts, blouses.
4.Cosmetics – make up, Christmas gift packs, eyeliner, lipsticks.
5.Electronic media – games, DVDs, CDs.
6.Razors and razor blades.
7.Electronics – iPods, iPod power adaptors, Nintendo Wii and Xbox 360 consoles.
8.Christmas groceries – packed meat and fish, cheese, biscuits, coffee, Christmas gifts, chocolates.
9.Underwear and lingerie.
10.Toiletries, deodorants and aftershave.
Specific product names, where mentioned, are estimates for 2007
Just outside the top ten are jeans, toys (such as transformers, Bratz, Sleepy Heads, ‘High School Musical’ consumer products), power tools, and domestic electricals.
About the study
The information for this study has been compiled from the Global Retail Theft Barometer 2007, a national database of 10,000 retail theft offences committed in 2005-06, and interviews with 20 security managers.
