The illegal act of taking goods or unauthorized removal of merchandise from a store without paying for them is known as shoplifting. Every business, including Costco, has a shoplifting policy and a zero-tolerance policy for shoplifting. 

The “no-touch” strategy used by Costco ensures that products are handled as little as possible while moving through the supply chain, which increases efficiency and lowers labor and logistical expenses. It has security cameras, guards, loss prevention staff, and store staffers at the checkout counters to check receipts as consumers leave as preventative measures against stealing. If a theft has been reported, nobody will be allowed to leave without having their receipts checked.

Costco Shoplifting Policy is given below-

Felony: It is a serious offense that carries a sentence of at least one year in jail or the death penalty. If a theft has been reported, a felony charge will be brought against the person. Terminated: Costco provides its customers with fair prices. It deals with theft incidents every day, much like many other well-known merchants do, and if somebody is found, their membership will be canceled. Loss of employment opportunities: Employees who are found shoplifting at Costco risk losing their job possibilities. Shoplifting at Costco can have serious repercussions. Embezzlement charges: An embezzlement offense, which is defined as taking or misappropriating money given to you in trust by a third party, such as an employer or organization, for personal gain, is the taking of money or property by a person entrusted with their care. Employees that shoplift will be charged with embezzlement. Banned: Anyone detected stealing will be permanently barred from the store as well as all future Costco stores across the world. loss of freedom: Authorities often look into incidents of alleged Costco events involving shoplifting. Loss of freedom is the result of a shoplifting conviction at Costco.

Theft is a serious crime, and by examining the few key points that were used to describe Costco’s shoplifting policy, we may conclude that the regulations are stringent. The business employs several strategies to stop the loss, such as membership policies that limit opportunities for shoplifting and keep track of client purchases. Costco pays its employees the minimum wage, which increases job satisfaction and lowers the likelihood of employee theft.

Methods for discouraging Costco shoplifting

Several strategies are used by Costco to discourage and stop stealing they are illustrated in the below-

CCTV cameras: Shoplifting is reduced thanks to the stores’ CCTV cameras, which monitor activity and document any instances of theft or other crimes committed by consumers or personnel. Pays more than minimum wage: It pays its employees substantially more than the minimum wage to combat employee and internal theft, which enhances job satisfaction and lowers the likelihood of an employee stealing. membership policy: The business controls who enters their stores through their membership policy, which reduces the potential for shoplifting and keeps track of consumer purchases, to prevent theft from customers. Guards: Security guards have the right to detain a person before they depart Costco’s property if they notice any suspicious behavior or potential theft situations. Tags: Using tags placed on goods that sound an alarm when removed from their packaging while leaving the store is another way to deter shoplifting. These tags can be applied by staff members, placed on goods at the point of sale, and placed on clothing racks and shelving units to deter theft by both customers and staff members.

In the above, the methods of identifying Costco shoplifting policy are illustrated.

Loss Prevention in Store at Costco entail:

Loss Prevention in Store is a set of practices employed by retail companies to preserve profit in other words it is a strategy to avoid losing money due to theft and other inventory shrinkage sources. Costco has several methods which are given as follows-

Placing memory cards: one of the methods is putting memory cards and other little goods in bigger packaging to make them tougher to steal covertly. a piece of cardboard:  Another method is At Costco, one may purchase products like postage stamps by bringing a piece of cardboard to the register and exchanging it for the item when they pay. One gate for entrance and exit: There is just one entry and one exit that Costco workers must continuously watch to check customers for legitimate memberships and improve loss prevention. Membership system: the membership system allows employees to keep both customers and staff safe by letting them know who is shopping within the store.

To be concluded by employing loss prevention methods Costco can keep their product secure.