Three-minute burglaries continue to impact jewelers who don't adopt proper closing procedures.
Blanketing something over showcases isn't fooling criminals who repeatedly case jewelry businesses and are relentless in targeting items of significant value like luxury watches.
Hence the name of the crime, alarms and surveillance systems are not deterrents by themselves since burglars are in-and-out in three minutes or less. Regrettably, the best jewelry store burglary prevention advice — putting everything away at night — is often taken as a light suggestion, rather than as a must-do.
Get in the habit of making your closing procedures a priority by overcoming these obstacles that make the task of putting everything away seem like a chore.
"It takes too much time to put everything away."
While it is more time-consuming than leaving jewelry in showcases, there are ways to speed up the process.
Use properly designed showcase pads that can be easily removed and placed on bakers racks for quick transportation to a safe or vault where they can be stored. This can also significantly reduce the time needed to set up in the morning, which saves on labor costs in the process and makes your business much more secure than if merchandise was left out overnight.
"Sooner or later merchandise is going to get damaged if it's moved that much."
By leaving the items in their displays on these removable pads, the items are actually handled less.
This greatly reduces the amount of potential damage that could result if items were taken out of the displays and placed in storage containers for placement in the safe or vault — not to mention that this traditional method of putting merchandise away is also considerably less efficient.
"It's dangerous to move that much jewelry."
Just like when your business opens for the day, you need to have smart procedures. When closing, is your staff:
- checking to make sure that all customers have exited and a potential criminal isn't hiding in a back room or bathroom?
- locking doors and removing any indications that you're still open for business?
- closing with multiple people and having someone observing any suspicious activity happening outside?
- notifying local law enforcement of your regular closing time so they can patrol the area?
- moving a manageable amount of jewelry at one time and securing the safe, vault, and other showcases after each trip?
Remember: theft, robbery, and burglary prevention are all imperative as criminals continue to target jewelry in a variety of ways. JM University® can help train every associate at a jewelry business on how to practice better procedures — including a comprehensive course on opening and closing!
Want to learn more on how you can keep your jewelry store safe 24/7? Read our comprehensive Jeweler Security Guide by clicking the button below.
