Kroger is an American chain of stores that operates department stores, pharmacies, jewelry stores, and supermarkets throughout the United States. Their headquarters are in Ohio and they were founded in 1883 by Bernard Kroger. It is one of the largest chains today, competing with big corporations like Walmart. As it is a well-developed organization, they would have to deal with the problem of shoplifting. Shoplifting causes loss to the company, and they usually make the in-store employees pay for it. So, it comes at a terrible cost. Let’s learn ‘Kroger Shoplifting Policy’.
Kroger’s Shoplifting Policy
Unlike other stores, Kroger is a tad bit strict with its shoplifting policy. They have a loss prevention team, whose responsibility is to prevent loss of inventory. Loss of inventory could happen due to various reasons, including shoplifting, and the loss prevention team works daily to minimize loss.
The team follows people suspected of being shoplifters. They have a great surveillance system in place, with cameras all around their stores. This network helps them keep shoplifters in check. If they find anyone acting suspiciously, they record them with these cameras and keep the evidence to prove their case later. They also have a no-touch policy, which means employees are not allowed to touch or chase after suspected shoplifters.
No-touch policy
This policy is called the ‘no-touch’ policy or ‘no-chase’ policy. For their own sake, employees should not pursue shoplifters out of the store. This is to avoid any injuries or worse situations in case the shoplifters try to fight with the employee. They could also be armed, and cause serious damage to anyone who tries to stop them. In the store, however, they will do what they can to get hold of the shoplifter.
How does Kroger Prevent Shoplifting?
Kroger has measures in place to prevent shoplifting. Though they can punish the shoplifter if they get caught, it is better to prevent people from taking things in the first place. First of all, there are a lot of cameras in place. But to get the point across to potential shoplifters, employees constantly walk around and monitor the customers. They keep asking people if they need help, especially if someone is suspicious. Seeing someone monitoring them constantly, it gets difficult to take an item and the possible shoplifting incident fails to take place.
How are Shoplifters Caught?
As Kroger’s in-store employees aren’t allowed to chase shoplifters, how do they get caught? The first way is getting caught in the act while at the store, and surrendering. The employee who caught them could ask them to just put the item back, and the situation ends there. If the shoplifter tries to run out or do anything drastic, things will be worse for them.
The employees will report the ID number, details of their vehicle, or whatever mode of transport they used to the police. The moment the employees get wind of the shoplifter, they call the police. Using all the evidence they obtained from the employees, the police can track down the shoplifter. They will either ask them to pay a fine or in the worst-case scenario, arrest them.
What happens to Shoplifters?
- First of all, the item that was stolen will be taken back from the shoplifter. They could be fined a certain amount of money to compensate Kroger as they spent precious resources while tracking down the shoplifter.
- The shoplifter could be blacklisted, placed on a ‘trespasser’ list. They will not be able to enter Kroger after getting caught, at least for some time. If the shoplifter tries to enter the store again despite this, Kroger can press charges against them.
- The punishment that the shoplifter gets depends on what they stole and the laws of the state they live in. The costlier an item is, the bigger punishment will go to the shoplifter. Most shoplifting incidents, especially in stores like Kroger, will be considered minor misdemeanors and a fine will settle the case.
- At places like Kroger, the cost of the goods are usually not too high. But, if the value of the goods exceeds a certain limit, then the shoplifter could be taken to court. They could be arrested and made to pay a fine.
Conclusion
Kroger has a strict shoplifting policy, and they do not look kindly upon shoplifters. The shoplifter cannot be touched or chased by an in-store employee. This assures the safety of employees, but things could take a bad turn for the shoplifter because it means the police will get involved. Kroger will turn in all the information and evidence they have with respect to the shoplifter. The police will track them down and chase them, and they could be fined or arrested, or both. They do have good prevention measures in place too, which are far more effective than punishments. We hope this article helped you.
