You have a culture problem.
Shrink doesn’t just come from bad actors or failed processes. It thrives in the gray areas. The blind spots. The breakroom shrugs. The moments when policies become “suggestions” and processes are seen as optional.
Too often, companies scramble to fix shrink by throwing tech at it, rolling out audits, or launching the process-of-the-month. It’s reactive. It’s expensive. And it misses the root issue.
Because when your team is inspired to prevent shrink, when they genuinely care, you’ve got something money can’t buy. That’s not training. That’s culture.
Culture is showing up and doing the right thing, even when nobody’s watching. It’s following procedures not because someone’s hovering, but because it feels like the right thing to do.
And here’s the thing: Culture isn’t convenient. It’s not flashy. And it rarely makes anyone’s job easier. Good processes don’t always make things faster. In fact, they can slow things down. But when your team feels proud of their work and takes ownership, they stick to those processes anyway… because they know it matters. Why?
Because they want to do a good job. They want the company to win. And when they do a good job, they need to hear it.
Recognition isn’t optional
Culture doesn’t grow in the dark. If you want your team to act like an army of part-time asset protection pros, you better start treating them like it. Uplift is part of the equation. You get what you celebrate.
And yes, culture is hard. It takes top-down leadership. It takes holding people accountable, especially the ones who are otherwise “great employees.” But it also takes lifting people up. Cheering them on. Helping them see that what they do matters. Because it truly does.
If your team doesn’t believe their daily decisions impact shrink… No shrink solution in the world will save you. Because you don’t have a shrink problem.
You have a culture problem.
Most columns end with a tidy takeaway or a corporate platitude. We didn’t show up just to play it safe. We’re here to challenge the echo chamber. To say the quiet part out loud because going against the grain isn’t just a name… it’s a mindset. One that calls out shortcuts and tired philosophies and demands something deeper.
We’re here to say that culture isn’t a vibe. It’s an accountability system. One that shows up every shift, at every register, in every aisle.
Tell us what you think… good, bad, or totally sideways. Send your take (named or anonymous) to comments@talklpnews.com and we might feature it in an upcoming issue of The Retail Rundown.