Basic Tip: Initial customer interaction is crucial to not only providing a welcoming shopping experience but setting the first impression of sales floor awareness and deterring a shoplifter.

Advanced Tip: Sincere re-engagement of customers throughout their shopping experience is also important to both sales and deterrence of shoplifting behavior. The more specific you can be regarding the customer’s selection, the better the deterrence.

Basic Tip: Physical security of your data (register along with company proprietary information) is equally important to physical security of people and inventory. Consider implementing a visitor/vendor policy that defines when a visitor/vendor can come into your store, what a visitor/vendor can/cannot do in your store and more importantly how they obtain access into your store.

Advanced Tip: Vendor access to your stores should be more restrictive than a “visitor,” since a visitor can be defined as a company representative or government official. Vendor access to your store should ONLY be pre-approved and should be confirmed before access is granted. For example: An approved vendor list, a contract to provide services or product to sell, a work order for repairs and/or approval from a company representative. If a vendor cannot be confirmed then they should not be granted access to the store and should be turned away immediately.

Basic Tip: Fraudulent use of a credit card is overwhelmingly the #1 chargeback retailers are facing today. Some warning signs of possible fraudulent use of a credit card are: Selection of merchandise without paying attention to price, size or color or items and not trying them on if apparel and/or purchase of either large quantities or large dollar amount gift cards especially when it is not during a holiday.

Advanced Tip: Not fully EMV (Chip and Pin) compliant? One of the things you can do is to verify the last 4 digits of the physical card compared to what is shown on your register or receipt. If the numbers do not match – then either cancel or void the transaction and request another form of payment.

Basic Tip: Coupon stacking is a way for associates to fraudulently discount merchandise that they will then purchase at well below full retail value.  To help deter this – set a limit or policy on the number of coupons that the register can take (depending on the register either by item or percentage of total transaction).

Advanced Tip: To identify potential incidents of coupon stacking – you can review discounts by transactions.  For example: # of Coupons greater than # will show you potential transactions where associates took more coupons than items scanned.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 3, 2016
CONTACT: James Miller, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., (850) 701-3015

Average Georgian expected to spend almost $83 this year on Halloween candy, decorations, and costumes for a nationwide total of $8.4 billion

ATLANTA, GA – The Georgia Retail Association (GRA), the state’s premier trade association representing retailers for over 50 years, announced today that consumer spending on Halloween is expected to set an all-time high with the average person spending almost $83, up from $74 in 2015. Total spending nationally on Halloween is expected to reach $8.4 billion up from $6.9 billion last year.

“More families are making a bigger deal out of Halloween each year, with consistent increases in per consumer spending, which should make for frighteningly good sales figures for retailers this month,” said GRA President and CEO Randy Miller. “Savvy Georgia retailers will utilize sales and discounts on top of the increased consumer interest to help spur even more sales and separate themselves from their competitors."

According to GRA’s partners at the National Retail Federation’s Halloween Consumer Spending Survey conducted by Prosper Insights & Analytics, U.S. consumers are expected to spend an average of $82.93, up from last year’s $74.34, with more than 171 million Americans planning to partake in Halloween festivities this year.

According to the survey, consumers plan to spend $3.1 billion on costumes (purchased by 67 percent of Halloween shoppers), $2.5 billion on candy (94.3 percent), $2.4 billion on decorations (70 percent) and $390 million on greeting cards (35.4 percent).

When it comes to preparation, 71 percent of consumers plan to hand out candy, decorate their home or yard (49 percent), dress in costume (47 percent), carve a pumpkin (46 percent), throw or attend a party (34 percent), take their children trick-or-treating (30 percent), visit a haunted house (21 percent) or dress their pet(s) in costume (16 percent).

Searching for the perfect costume inspiration will lead consumers to sources such as online (35 percent) and in-store (29 percent). Social media is the fastest-growing influencer for the perfect costume, particularly Pinterest (17 percent), which has seen 133 percent growth since 2012. Some other places for inspiration include friends/family (19 percent), Facebook (17 percent), pop culture (16 percent) and print media (14 percent).

When it comes to where consumers will shop for the season, 47 percent of shoppers will visit discount stores to buy their Halloween-related items this year and 36 percent will visit a specialty Halloween/costume store, up from 33 percent last year. In addition, 26 percent of customers will visit grocery stores/supermarkets, 23 percent will visit department stores and 22 percent will shop online.

The survey asked 6,791 consumers about Halloween shopping plans. It was conducted September 6-13 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 1.2 percentage points.

ABOUT THE GEORGIA RETAIL ASSOCIATION Since 1961, the Georgia Retail Association has been working on behalf of the retail community to unite and pursue the common goal of creating the best environment for retailing in Georgia. Retail supports 1 out of 4 jobs in the state and is directly and indirectly responsible for 78% of Georgia's gross domestic product.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:  September 7, 2016

CONTACT: James Miller, Communications Director
(321)229-9266, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Georgia’s premier retailing and home furniture advocacy organizations seek nominations, with winners being recognized during ceremony at GRA Fall Meeting in October

ATLANTA, GA – The Georgia Retail Association (GRA), the state’s premier trade association representing retailers for over 50 years, and the Georgia home Furnishings Association, the state’s leading home furnishings retail association, are now accepting nominations for the prestigious Georgia Retailer of the Year and Georgia Home Furnishings Rep of the Year awards, which recognize outstanding retailers for sound business practices, and a commitment to their employees, customers and communities. Nominations must be submitted by Friday, September 23. Winners will be announced during GRA’s 2016 Fall Meeting taking place October 11 at the Ritz-Carlton Lodge at Reynolds Plantation. Nominations should be sent to GRA State Director Jake Glos at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or faxed to (850) 561-6625.

“Georgia has more than 120,000 retailers who are all making significant contributions to the industry and their communities, and we want consumers’ help in identifying two retailers who epitomize the great work these businesses are doing,” said GRA President/CEO Randy Miller. “I encourage shoppers to nominate their favorite retailer and shine the spotlight on how they’re making a positive impact on their community and their customers.”

This is the second time that GRA has presented Retailer of the Year Awards, which recognize outstanding retailers who have demonstrated exceptional commitment and service to their employees, customers and communities. Last year’s winners were nominated by their peers and were carefully chosen by a selection committee based upon their outstanding commitment to not only their work and their industry also to their association. The 2015 winners were:

Representative Jason Shaw | Georgia Olive Farms
Steve Mathews | Mathews Furniture
Bill Harrison | Bernhardt Furniture

ABOUT THE GEORGIA RETAIL ASSOCATION
Since 1961, the Georgia Retail Association has been working on behalf of the retail community to unite and pursue the common goal of creating the best environment for retailing in Georgia. Retail supports 1 out of 4 jobs in the state and is directly and indirectly responsible for 78% of Georgia's gross domestic product. The Georgia Retail Association is a division of the Florida Retail Federation.

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