Even LP folks need to make quick runs to the store to pick up a few things. Shoplifter wasn’t on your shopping list but you still notice the guy loitering by the high-theft items. You still spot large flat bags, jackets in July, even unmanned self-checkout lanes and broken public view monitors. You weren’t actively surveilling the store but your brain doesn’t have an “off” switch for this stuff.
Now picture if regular shoppers, who are already exhausted by the surge in theft, could easily do the same. If you’re not clutching your pearls yet, check out this headline: Iceland, a grocery chain in the UK, is now offering customers $1 on their loyalty cards if they report shoplifters. Real money. For a tip.
Yes, it’s across the pond. But the concept? Pure retail wildfire. Thefts are getting worse, violence is reaching a tipping point, and the employees are feeling the strain. The company says it’s trying something… anything, to reduce the $25 million it loses each year to theft. And honestly – this might actually be genius.
Why? Because who’s in the store when thefts happen? Shoppers. Who are also sick of it. So why not give them a hand?
I’m not suggesting we deputize customers and put them in dangerous confrontations. Nobody’s asking them to play security guard or chase anyone through the parking lot. But what if they could discretely call out dishonest behavior with their loyalty app? What if you gave them an anonymous way to speak up… and a reason to?
I promise I haven’t lost my good senses, but how is this any different than a neighborhood watch? People looking out for a place they care about. That’s the idea. And maybe it’s not so crazy after all.
No, it’s not a perfect system. There will be hiccups. The technology or the risk might not be scalable. But if your gut reaction is to laugh it off, maybe you’re not thinking against the grain.
Now it’s your turn.
Would this fly at your stores? Or is it already dead in the water?
Let’s find out. Email your view (named or anonymous) to comments@talklpnews.com and we’ll feature it in an upcoming issue of The Retail Rundown.