New forum targets theft at DIY stores and builders merchants
Some of the largest retailers in the DIY and building trade have come together to form the DIY and Loss Prevention Forum in an effort to reduce theft and levels of shrinkage from their stores and yards.
The retailers and builders merchants which include B&Q, Homebase, Travis Perkins and SELCO will use the forum to share best practice and data. They will also work to influence relevant organisations at both a local and national level to reduce the risk of criminal activity and fraud.
The sector has a number of unique loss prevention issues, particularly the size and location of the yards and ‘sheds’ and the threat of burglaries for large and high value items.
Copper piping has become a major source of concern because of its global scrap price – the global price of which is likely to reach £7000 a ton by the end of 2011. The Forum says that staff are now on constant vigil because thieves visiting DIY stores and builder’s merchants have been hiding the copper tubing inside plastic drain pipes and asking till staff to scan the plastic while it is still in their trolley to avoid detection.
Other types of crime on the increase include drive-offs when thieves masquerading as tradesmen take advantage of the vast yards by loading up flat-bed lorries and leaving the premises without paying.
“We have come together to fight criminal practices and share intelligence from our businesses,” said Jim McKenna, head of Group Security at Travis Perkins, the newly-elected chair of the DIY and Building Trade Forum.
“From plants that go in the ground to hire plant, much of the equipment and the materials we have on offer are high in value which is why we find ourselves a target from external thieves. However, we will also be working together to drive the issue of internal compliance to ensure all staff follow best practice procedures.”
“The Building Trade works a lot on generous credit terms with small to medium sized businesses and some of the procedures have, in some instances, been subject to abuse over the years and require attention. This is not necessarily theft, but simply bad practice that has developed unchecked. Putting this right is like picking low-hanging fruit in that it is not on the surface hard to do, but does require a behaviour change and winning over the hearts and minds in our sector which is what collaboration as a sector is all about.”
The driving principles of the Forum will be the protection of people, and property. In the case of people, this refers to both customers and staff members.
The new Forum is facilitated by Anne Davies of loss prevention specialists ORIS who used to work in the DIY sector.
Davies said: “The industry is interesting because it is both very traditional but also very contemporary because it caters for both skilled trades people and the amateur DIY practitioner who want the latest domestic technologies and the best in lifestyle accessories, both inside and outside of the home.”
“The size of the premises and the staff required to offer customer service, present a number of challenges in terms of security and compliance and, like with the other sector-specific Loss Prevention forums that we facilitate regularly, it is encouraging to see the sector working on those issues in a collaborative fashion.”
The Retail Bulletin’s Loss Prevention Summit 2011, sponsored by Vangent, will be on September 13th in London and will look at both store-level and online fraud prevention measures.
If you are serious about tackling your company’s loss prevention issues, then you need to attend this retailer-led, interactive summit. This event is FREE for retailers. For full details click here.
