How much stock gets stolen at your work place?

Hey guys, the company I work for in retail has two stock takes throughout the year. We range everything from games, movies, fridges, TVs, laptops, you name it, we probably have it

We got the results from our stock take not long ago, and I was blown away at how much has actually been stolen! I'm talking 30-40k in 6 months

So it got me wondering, how common is this large amount of theft in your workplace? How do you tackle it?

It's very common, natural even I would say. Since my first job that I end up having some kind of responsibility regarding stocks. Increasing frequency of stock take and better control over goods inwards and out usually works. Having a second St by a different person, even if just on selected products is fine too, since many times the st is the moment when things vanish.

With that type of goods I would certainly look into some shady business going on between supplier or distribution and warehouse people.

@phbz: We've had many cases where delivery drivers simply don't deliver products. A couple of stores have even been mapped by delivery drivers for theft after hours, and have succeeded. Its a damn shame really

I very briefly worked at 2 major retailers and one of the first things I learned was about how much stuff gets stolen. And oftentimes its employee theft, so I guess that's the main thing they watch for.

Yeah I can understand that. There was a huge case of employee theft (store manager and all) about a year ago so the company is on high alert in that sense. But because so much attention has been put there, stock on the floor is disappearing even more than ever

Oh I steal all the time from JB, just the other day....

Oops, you mean from where we work, umm I dunno, cant be too much as its hard to steal a service, I wouldn't be told anyway, not my responsibility.

Yes I had to do that TC.

Not working in retail anymore. I honestly don't know what is worth stealing at my current work place. While the products are crazy expensive, they are worthless without the information the company provides with it.

It's called "skimming" IIRC. Retail companies account for it in their bottom line. It's part of retail. The best way to deal with it is video surveillance.

Haha well played sir, well played

None. The school has nothing to steal. Students provide their own supplies as do teachers. I guess you could try take the chairs...

i'm still using a mechanical pencil that disappeared from a warehouse i worked in one summer. 19 years ago.

anyway, at work, I doubt much theft happens. i work in an office rather than a retail / warehouse location so i don't think there's even much opportunity

When I worked retail in my teens, plenty. I haven't worked in an environment where that's really a thing for a long time, though.

-Byshop

I used to work in a small local grocery store. The owners were pretty chill and let me get a drink or a snack every now and then. I imagine it's a lot worse at major chain stores.

At my current workplace, probably nothing. Nothing worth stealing.

At some past workplaces which were retail stores, yeah I heard stories about electronics being stolen at Wal-Mart, I've seen employees arrested right in the store.

As for how much? I have no clue. Tracking stock has never been my job.

Used to work in Best Buy a long time ago, I remember the loss rate (theft or accidental) was around 7% on average. I thought at the time it was pretty high.