With the holidays around the corner, retailers are busy with merchandising new inventory, preparing for crowded stores and getting their holiday decor out and ready. The never-ending checklist to effectively get ready for the retail holiday season seems endless. And in many ways, it is. But one thing that simply can’t get ignored is how you can prepare theft… specifically, how you can prepare to AVOID it from happening to your business.

One of the most effective things you can do is keep your store clean, clutter free and neatly organized. In doing this, it will help you keep track of what may be missing in your store. Likewise, it will help you know when things are just as they should be. In combination with this simple yet effective approach towards theft-management for your store, below are a few additional steps you can take.

1. Be suspicious. It’s okay to have just a little bit of uncertainty surround you when you aren’t confident your customers are acting honestly. Your extra glances their way can make the difference in them stealing something or not.

2. Provide great customer service. If you and your sales team are friendly, approachable people who engage in conversations with your customers, it’s likely someone looking to steal will not get the chance. Between your friendly chit chat and your suspicious glares, they won’t have the opportunity.

3. Know your pricing and your products. Sometimes theft can happen in forms other than someone simply putting something unpaid in their pocket and walking away. They may change price tags on products to get something for less. Be aware of your products and pricing to avoid this… and don’t be scared to double check these details even during a check out procedure.

In addition to paying extra attention to your customers, products, pricing, inventory and organization, you should become familiar with your local police department. They may have tips on local crime taking place that could effect you and what you should look out for. In addition, it doesn’t hurt to have a friendly cop stop in your store to say hi every now and then. Finally, verify returns to avoid empty boxes or false merchandise being returned, check gift receipts for accuracy, communicate with your employees about store security procedures and stay focused on safety always.