Welcome to the Deep Dive. Today we're getting
into something really critical for anyone in
retail leadership, loss prevention, LP. Yeah,
LP. It's traditionally been about, you know,
security guards, maybe some reports after something
already happened. Right. But things have really
changed. We've got organized retail crime, ORC,
ramping up. Customer interactions are way more
dynamic. It's a different landscape. Absolutely.
Just relying on those specialized LT teams, it's
just not cutting it anymore. The scale, the tactics
potential thieves are using, it demands something
more, something proactive. And that really brings
us to the core idea for today, especially for
you executives listening. Effective LP, well,
it really starts out there on the sales floor.
with your frontline associates. Exactly. It's
a fundamental shift, moving away from just reacting
towards proactive engagement. And it's driven
by the people who are actually there day in,
day out. So for leaders in retail, understanding
this is, well, it's crucial, isn't it? Your teams,
they're your eyes and ears out there, your first
line of defense. They really are. And if you
overlook their role, their potential here, you're
leaving a pretty big gap of vulnerability for
the business. OK, so the big question we're diving
into is how can you as retail executives actually
empower these frontline teams, make them effective
in loss prevention, but crucially, without messing
up store operations? Yeah, how do you make them
part of the solution without turning them into
security guards and hurting sales or customer
experience? It's a tricky balance. It is, but
essential. So maybe let's start something common.
That initial LP training during onboarding most
retailers do something, right? Yeah, there's
usually a quick module. Maybe a compliance video
Yeah ticked off in the first week typically right
during that whirlwind of paperwork and meeting
people LP gets a brief mention feels like a checkbox
exercise Sometimes it does covers the basics,
you know for compliance, but here's the thing
Onboarding is just step one. Think about an associate,
maybe a month, two months in. How much of that
specific LP info really sticks when they're also
learning products, dealing with customers, all
the rest? It's bound to fade, right? And as we've
seen shrink, whether it's internal theft, external
stuff, even just procedure errors, it often comes
from those gaps, gaps in awareness. That's such
a key point. It's not always, you know, bad intentions.
Sometimes it's just people forget, or they don't
fully grasp the risks or the best practices consistently.
So the challenge for executives is, how do you
keep reinforcing it? without pulling everyone
off the floor for hours. Exactly. That costs
payroll, it costs selling time, especially if
you're running lean or during busy seasons. It's
a major resource strain. It really is. So if
formal training sessions aren't practical for
ongoing stuff, what's the alternative? How do
you keep LP top of mind for these teams? Well,
this is where the idea of delivering information
in the flow of work comes in. It's pretty powerful.
In the flow of work. Meaning LP knowledge doesn't
always need its own separate long training block.
It can actually be more effective when it's woven
into the daily routine. Makes it feel relevant
right then and there. Actionable. OK, I see.
And this is where things like mobile platforms,
like Insight that we saw mentioned, might fit
in. How do they help bridge that gap? Yeah, platforms
like that let you push out short, targeted bits
of information, reminders, tips, whatever, right
to the associate's device. When? like during
their shift? During natural pauses, you know,
maybe before the store opens, during a quick
transition on the floor, even those little moments
between customers, IBCs, some call them. IBCs
in between customers. OK. So instead of pulling
someone away, they get a quick hit of relevant
info right there. Got it. Got it. Can you give
some like concrete examples? What kind of micro
learning content would work for LP in retail?
What would executives want to see? Sure. Imagine
a quick reminder, maybe with a short visual,
on spotting subtle behaviors from team members
that might signal internal issues. Or a quick
alert. Seeing a lot of requests for this high
theft item, here's what to watch for and who
to notify. Very specific. Actionable. Exactly.
Or maybe guidance on handling a situation where
one customer seems to be deliberately distracting
multiple associates. What do you do? Yeah. That
happens. Right. Other things relevant for executives
may be refresher tips on safe cash handling,
updates on spotting return fraud, or, and this
one's often overlooked, how just providing really
good customer service is actually a powerful
LP tool. Wait, say more about that. Excellent
customer service as LP. How does that work? Well,
think about it. Genuine customer engagement,
approaching someone, offering help, making eye
contact. It's a natural deterrent. Because you're
showing you're aware. You're present. Precisely.
You're sending a signal. I see you. I'm here
to help. Often, that simple, friendly interaction
is enough to make a potential shoplifter think
twice, maybe leave. That's really interesting.
And it's not confrontational. Plus, it makes
the experience better for legitimate shoppers.
That's a win -win for executives. Exactly. It
protects the brand experience and deters theft.
So the associate isn't just about selling and
stocking anymore. They become like a sensor,
an early warning system. Sort of, yeah. But let's
be clear, especially for the executives listening,
we're not asking them to become fraud investigators
or security experts. Okay, good clarification.
It's about equipping them to recognize potential
red flags, those early warning signs, and knowing
the right way to escalate, following the store's
procedures. So what kind of signs are we talking
about? Things an associate might actually notice?
Simple things, often. Like a back door that keeps
getting propped open when it shouldn't be. Or
a customer who seems way more interested in scanning
the room, looking at cameras, than actually looking
at products. Or maybe noticing a pattern. Like
the same friend visiting an employee right around
closing time several nights in a row. Just little
anomalies. Things you'd notice if you're paying
attention to your surroundings. Exactly. And
the key for leadership is making sure associates
understand why these things matter, that they
could be significant. And that's where the reinforcement
comes in again, through those mobile platforms.
That's the value. The more often these potential
signals are flagged in quick, digestible ways,
short videos, quick quizzes, reminders, the more
likely associates are to spot them in real time
and, crucially, know what to do about it, who
to tell, how to report it. And thinking about
the executive perspective, the bottom line, the
scalability here seems key. Our sources mentioned
platforms like Insight, can push out content,
even video, without needing screaming, without
pulling people away, without extra payroll hours
for training. That's a huge advantage. You integrate
LP awareness into the workflow. You don't create
separate, costly events around it. But the impact
goes beyond just cutting shrink numbers, which
is obviously important. Right. You're hinting
at something broader, like the store culture.
Exactly. When loss prevention becomes a regular,
low -key part of the conversation, not some big,
scary topic, it helps build a culture of attention
to detail. of confidence, accountability. Associates
feel more comfortable, more empowered maybe,
to speak up if they see something amiss. Managers
have more opportunities to coach on these things
in the moment. The whole team just operates with
a bit more... Situational awareness. And connecting
back to what you said earlier, if great customer
service is part of your LP strategy. Then you're
actively protecting the brand experience for
your actual customers. It becomes a positive
feedback loop. So this culture shift, it doesn't
need some massive top -down overhaul. Not necessarily.
It really starts with consistency. Those quick
weekly touch points we talked about. A short
video heads up before a big sale event where
theft risk might spike. A targeted message clarifying
a policy change around return. Little and often.
Precisely. Awareness starts to become behavior.
Behavior, repeated, becomes habit. And those
habits, that's what drives results in loss prevention.
This whole focus on empowering the frontline,
making them central, it feels really timely,
especially thinking about NRF Protect coming
up in June. Yeah, that's a big one. You know,
that event is always buzzing with the latest
tech, AI, facial recognition. big strategies
for tackling ORC and policy innovation. It absolutely
is. And all that tech, all those strategies,
they're incredibly important, no question. But
the fundamental point, the key takeaway for executives
from our sources today, is don't lose sight of
the person on the floor. the associate wearing
the name badge. That individual is still your
most powerful, most adaptable LP asset. Technology
supports them, strategy guides them, but they
are the ones interacting, observing, engaging
day in and day out. So amidst all the talk of
advanced analytics and new gadgets, maybe the
core question for retail leaders walking out
of Protect or just thinking about their strategy
now is, are we really equipping our frontline
teams? Right. Are we giving them the info they
need in a way that actually fits into their busy
day? Are we going beyond that initial onboarding
checkmark to build genuine ongoing awareness?
Because empowering them, making them that first
line of defense that directly protects your bottom
line. And it enhances the customer experience
too, both critical for any retail executive.
Absolutely. It's about safeguarding profitability
and ensuring that positive interaction for your
shoppers. So as you, the listener, evaluate all
the new LP tools and strategies out there, maybe
the most vital question is... How can we better
support and empower the actual people on our
sales floor every single day? How do we make
the person wearing our name badge a truly effective
central part of our entire loss prevention approach?
It's something worth really thinking about. Definitely.
Thanks for joining us for this deep dive.