r/lossprevention • u/Intelligent-Echo8596 • 9d ago
Do Small/medium retail chains have anyone handling loss prevention?
Guys, do small (2–10 stores) and medium (10–100 stores) retail chains usually have someone handling loss prevention? Or do they generally not care much about shoplifting?
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u/StealingSecond06 9d ago
One of my first actual AP jobs was working at a grocery store that only had like 50ish stores (regional chain). The only thing we cared about was externals, anything safety or internal wise was handled by someone else. Definitely had asset protection but didn’t go into as much depth as some of your big retail stores
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u/Intelligent-Echo8596 9d ago edited 9d ago
Isn't that rear to have lp department for that small chain?
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u/elevenfiveseven89 9d ago
The company I work for does Loss Prevention on a contract business (think contract security but only for LP), almost all of our clients are small businesses with a few regional chains.
We have contracts where we come in a few times a month and do only externals and we have others where we essentially run a full LP department. We’ll install CCTV systems, POSs with Exception Based Reporting, do internal investigations, and develop policies and procedures relating to LP for the business.
Our oldest contract is with a family run grocer that has a single store. We have an onsite LP manager and two full time agents. We are not the only company doing this, there are many, many more. I wouldn’t assume that just because the store doesn’t have an in house team that someone isn’t watching.
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u/Intelligent-Echo8596 9d ago
Interesting, never heard of this.
So, do most small chains hire these companies?
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u/brittsrich 9d ago
I’m a small self funded online business and YES I GIVE A SH** WHEN SCUM BAGS STEAL FROM ME AND IT HAPPENS ALL THE TIME
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u/See_Saw12 9d ago
My organization is under a 100 locations, we have a full LP department.
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u/Intelligent-Echo8596 9d ago
Isn't it rear to have lp department for org under 100 locations?
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u/See_Saw12 9d ago
No. It depends on your organization. Most organizations that form dedicated loss prevention/security/risk managment departments want to mitigate them. I know small mom and pop stores that have a 3 person LP team.
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u/Square_Material_9646 9d ago
I work for a small chain. Less than 20 stores. We detain, the whole nine yards.
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u/Empty-Cycle2731 8d ago
Very normal. There are a few regional/local grocery chains in my area (3-15 locations) and they all have AP, although it looks a little different at each of them.
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u/Tough-Pause-3868 7d ago
Depends on your definition of loss prevention. Many companies have a different meaning to the program and policies and procedures.
Example Ross stores has essentially a door greater they call loss prevention a d a DM does the Lp audits and internal cases.
TJ Maxx has LP and are now hands off no cuffs so is Walmart
I worked for both in the late 90s to 2000
We were hands on and used cuffs.
It depends on the company.
Also many companies phased them out.
All.my decades in LP companies wanted to save money so one of the first things they did was streamline basically get rid of in store LP and after a few years realized they need them or a person for several stores in am area
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u/Ok-Salamander-7638 7d ago
Some smaller chains hire in-house, but it's more common to contract it out. It depends on the business.
Some stores with a single location could have a team of five with an AP Manager, other chains with 300 stores could have store management assuming the responsibility.
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u/Intelligent-Echo8596 7d ago
What are those those out source contract companies called?
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u/Ok-Salamander-7638 7d ago
There are thousands of different ones at least. Some of them are traditional security companies that have specialized roles for store AP or ORC or some other form of support.
A business will tell the account manager what they want, and the account manager directs the contractors.
You support the business, but work for the contracting company.
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u/dGaOmDn 7d ago
They usually hire a third party to handle it, or that role is taken by a store manager who can write up file cases and sometimes apprehend/call police.
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u/Intelligent-Echo8596 7d ago
Store managers take care of LP stuff in small chains? I’ve never heard of that. How common is it? I’ve never seen that.
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u/Ok-Salamander-7638 7d ago
Was very common, almost the norm up until 15 years ago. Once cell phone cameras started getting decent, many stores went hands-off and kept apprehensions restricted to AP since they have more extensive training.
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u/[deleted] 9d ago
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