Bag-checking policy is fair call

18/Aug/2011

By Sergiu Muntean

Comments: 4 readers have left a comment

BAG checking has become a common practice used by retailers to reduce theft, and with good reason – shoplifting is a multimillion-dollar industry.

A 2 to 3 per cent loss of sales to shoplifting can amount to about 25 per cent loss in profit.

More than one in five businesses reported being the victim of shoplifting in the 1999 Small Business Crime Survey.

It has been estimated that shoplifting costs Australian businesses about $810 million annually (Australian Institute of Criminology).

At the moment there are no legal requirements for customers to show the contents of their bags.

Store security staff and/or employees have a right to request customers make their personal bag available for inspection.

However, in general terms, no legal authority exists for any person to comply.

The Retail Traders’ Association of WA has sponsored the Bagcheck Code.

It is not a written act of law, but information for retailers. It has been developed as a compromise between the interests of retail and customer groups.

The Code has been developed with the assistance of the Department of Commerce.

The department (commerce. wa.gov.au) advises business owners to display signage that the business will request a bag check of customers.

It implies the customer is consenting to this store policy. Whether the customer has seen or read the clearly displayed sign really does not matter.

A merchant should be entitled to implement lawful procedures that will deter or reduce theft from their outlet.

Bag-checking polices will be just one of the topics in the business theft prevention workshop to be run by the Business Growth Centre at the Joondalup Reception Centre, 102 Boas Avenue, on August 23.

Sergiu Muntean is a business consultant with the Business Growth Centre.

What everyone else is thinking

averill

04/09/2011

Emeritus post 18.08//2011 - service has nothing to do with shop stealing. Some people go in to shop and buy, - some go in to steal. Stealing is big business. All customers on leaving the store should present all bags, shopping baskets, prams, and anything else that can hold items. Security staff should be on every door, not only to check bags, but to stop and re- search anyone who on passing through the security system makes the alarm go off. It annoys me greatly to see some people being let through without any checks because of their
ethnicity; others are searched thoroughly because of their ethnicity. One law for all, search everyone, or no one.

enduro

20/08/2011

Emeritus Professor: it cannot be proven the individual has actually shoplifted until they have chosen to pass the checkouts without paying. Simply bagging, pocketing or wearing something does not account for shoplifting. Eating a product prior to exiting does account for stealing - whether or not you choose opt pay for it at the point of payment.

Better service and greater attention will not stop people stealing or damaging others property and checking peoples bags upon exit is indeed better service.

Raymond De Mouilpied

20/08/2011

I am all for proper checks on peoples bags and in some cases their prams. I used to be in the Police Force, and I remember attending a complaint of shop lifting in the Perth
City. A young woman with a child in a pusher was caught stealing expensive panties and bras. On further investigation at her home, it was found that at least 12 women with children were stealing all expensive bras and panties and sending them to Hong Kong as used clothing so ther was no taxes paid. These items were then sold in shops as new items, netting the owners a large amount of money. We stopped this group from operating, but I am sure it would have continued. I think all items in the stores should be tagged so they cannot remove the items from the store until it is detagged by the sales person. If the shops do not want to use the tec available, then they only have their selves to blame for they losses. Ray.