Deterring crime and decreasing the amount of shrink across retail stores is always top of mind. Even more so today, as perpetrators become more sophisticated at a faster rate than ever before.
In a study by the National Retail Federation (NRF), it was estimated that shrink is reducing the bottom line by $46.8 billion industry-wide. That’s leading U.S. retailers to add more public view monitors (PVMs) to decrease shrink, deter crime, and enhance the customer experience.
While the idea of deploying PVMs often conjures up the image of a large monitor at the front door, the reality is that they are being used in more ways than one. To give you an idea, here are all the ways PVMs are being deployed across the retail floor.
Entryway
Installing PVMs at the entryway is a staple deployment for many retailers, and it’s the most common use of them. Placing a PVM in this area is important because it sets the expectation that security is a top priority for the store. Since these PVMs tend to be used overhead, retailers’ pair them with attention-grabbing features like flashing LED lights and text banners.
Fire Exits
Many retailers have utilized delayed egress at fire exit doors to keep merchandise from flying out their back doors. But situations like active shooters are pushing retailers to rethink security protocols. PVMs here work by alerting perpetrators that the areas inside and outside the door are being monitored, deterring their intended illegal actions.
Self-Checkout
Self-checkout (SCO) stations help enhance the customer experience but also add a new area of vulnerability for retail crime. Retailers are deploying PVMs at eye-level in SCO stations, overhead to provide associates with a full view of the area, and some are even using them in portrait mode to get a full-body view of the shopper completing a transaction.
In-Aisle
Deploying PVMs in high-shrink areas like cosmetic and baby product aisles makes sense. PVMs here are being used at eye level or overhead. A combination of both tactics is often used to strengthen the effectiveness of deterrence in these areas.
Customer Service
The increase in return fraud places customer service in a vulnerable spot. Retailers are leveraging PVMs with other technologies, like face blocking, to ward off unwanted behavior.
Bullpen Areas
Bullpen areas like self-checkout or liquor aisles are major areas for shrink. Placing extra-large PVMs overhead quickly gives associates a wide-angle view of the space to reinforce coverage.
Receiving Door
Placing a PVM on the inside of a receiving door is a great way to provide an extra layer of security for associates. It allows them to assess the activity occurring outside before opening the door so that they can call for help and alert authorities should a situation arise.
Retailers are being squeezed by the impact of increasing shrink. The first step in creating an effective loss prevention strategy is creating a strong layer of deterrence across stores, and PVMs are at the front line of accomplishing this goal.
There are endless ways to use PVMs, and one leading retailer even used them to enhance their customer experience at SCO using Will Smith as the main draw. But to make PVMs a useful tool for your loss prevention program, it takes finding the right partner to find the right configuration for your store needs.
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deployed by today’s top retailers, give us a call.