How do I spot shoplifters?

Q. With the holiday season approaching I want to warn my sales associates to watch out for increased shoplifting. Any tips?

A. Shoplifting losses total $16 billion annually across the U.S., more than a third of all retail losses.

A major problem for store personnel is that there's no single shoplifter profile. They can be ordinary customers or professional thieves. A University of Florida study found slightly more men than women shoplift (55-45 percent), but women steal a higher dollar value of merchandise. A third -- but only a third -- of all incidents involve teens. Some show signs of nervousness or suspicious behavior, but others are cool pros.

There's also no single day of the week that is shoplifters' favorite. More thefts occur on Saturdays (18 percent) and Fridays (15 percent), but together that's only a third of all incidents. The favorite time of day, however, is 3-6 p.m., (34 percent) followed by noon-3 p.m. (26 percent).

There are things you can do, however, to reduce shoplifting. The first is to acknowledge and attempt to serve customers as promptly as possible. Even if you're busy, a polite "I'll be with you soon," may discourage casual thieves.

Other steps: don't turn your back on customers, watch loiterers, develop a warning system or code word for all employees when a suspected thief is present. Also, lock expensive merchandise in a showcase, display only half the pair if items are sold in pairs, return any items to stock that shoppers inspect but don't buy right away, keep tables and aisles neat and orderly, keep sales areas clear of discarded sales receipts, lock registers when not in use and open them only when ringing up a sale.

The booklet "How to Prevent Shoplifting and Employee Theft" is available from the Michigan Retailers Association ($3 for non-members) at 603 South Washington Avenue, Lansing, MI 48933.