Expo helps retailers’ profits

A Western Bay of Plenty Retail Crime Prevention Expo held in Tauranga in late July has given retailers valuable information on how to protect their profits by reducing the opportunity for criminal activity within their workplace.

New Zealand’s annual retail turnover is in the region of $65 billion. Retail loss through theft is estimated to be between $650 million to $1 billion annually. This equates to between one and one-and-a-half percent of turnover. Some retailers report that their loss is as much as five percent of turnover.

Community Constable Steven Campbell with some of the information given to retailers. Photo: NZ Police

The news is not all bad though. In the Western Bay there has been a decline in retail dishonesty offences. In particular, significant reductions have been made in Mt Maunganui and Tauranga, which are attributed to community policing staff working closely with retailers delivering business crime prevention messages.

Western Bay is keen to see this downward trend continue.

“The aim of the Expo was to educate and inform Western Bay of Plenty retailers that crime is not random and that there are opportunities to reduce being targeted, many of them relatively inexpensive,” says Community Constable Steven Campbell.

Two hundred crime prevention packages were handed out to 120 retailers from a broad cross-section of the community who attended the Expo.

“At the end of the two-hour presentation participants took with them a commitment from all services that we are serious about reducing retail crime and improving work safety in the Western Bay of Plenty,” says Steven.

Each attendee filled in a brief survey relating to historical crime, repeat offences and current shop security.

“The Expo was a very good example of Police forming effective partnerships with other agencies, community groups and local businesses with a vested interest in community safety,” Steven says.

Community policing, Northern Communication Centre, Department of Labour, Accident Compensation Commission, New Zealand Fire Service, Neighbourhood Support Networks, Community Patrols of New Zealand, Western Bay of Plenty District Council, Tauranga City Council, Safe City Tauranga, Mainstreet Groups, Tauranga Girls College Business Enterprise, graffiti removal companies, security companies, insurance brokers and Health and Safety East Coast all made a valuable contribution to the success of the event.

The Expo was well received by its audience and an example of some of the comments received included:

• “We are apprehending three to eight shoplifters per week in our store.”
  
• “I found the armed robbery section very interesting.”
  
• “The refund fraud very pertinent to us; this section had some very good advice.”
  
• “Police response has been excellent!”

Steven says work with retailers will continue.

“A recent Western Bay of Plenty area scan has highlighted five retail outlets as significant hot locations. Community policing staff will now work closely with these individual retailers to help build crime prevention strategies within their workplaces,” he says.