Program Goals/Program Components
Shoplifting is a common form of property crime and can cost American retailers billions of dollars annually (National Retail Federation 2017). Anti-theft wraps are security devices used in retail stores to proactively prevent shoplifting by wrapping products in a security wire wrap. Examples of products that can be protected by anti-theft wraps include skincare products, supplements and vitamins, and cordless electronics.
The Alpha Two-alarm Spider Product Protection Wrap, made of mesh and wire, was used for this intervention. It is designed to increase the threat of detection and therefore decrease the likelihood of the item being shoplifted in a number of ways. First, the anti-theft wrap is highly visible and has a unique appearance. Therefore, people who might otherwise steal should typically recognize it as an anti-theft device, which should deter them from shoplifting. The appearance of the device also makes it more visible to store security or associates, alerting them to the potential crime taking place and allowing them to prevent the theft. Additionally, if the wire wrap is cut or removed from the merchandise in an improper way, the device emits a loud, piercing alarm to alert people nearby, thus preventing the potential person from removing the item from the store. Finally, if the wrap is removed from the store, it triggers an alarm, alerting nearby staff and increasing the likelihood of the person being apprehended.
Program Theory
The logic of anti-theft wraps is based on the theories of rational choice and situational crime prevention. Rational choice theory posits that people are rational beings and make the choice to commit crime based on weighing the costs and benefits of that particular crime. Therefore, a person is more likely to commit a crime if the environment creates an opportunity where the potential advantages outweigh the risk. In the case of theft, Clarke (2000) proposed the CRAVED model as an explanation for why certain merchandise is more likely to be stolen: if it is concealable, removable, available, valuable, enjoyable, and disposable. Thus, an item like a bottle of vitamins would be a likely target because it is lightweight and small in size, easily removable from stores, high in value, and possibly kept in unattended parts of the store.
In addition, with regard to retail theft, situational crime prevention theoretical frameworks speculate that crime can be prevented if potential thieves are less motivated and better controlled; products are made less profitable or more difficult or risky to target; or retail managers and others are more motivated to prevent crime (Felson and Boba 2009). Anti-theft wraps in particular make products riskier to target and more difficult to remove from the store (Hayes et al. 2019).
