Program Goals/Program Components
Protective display fixtures are used by retailers to prevent and deter the theft of high-loss or “hot products”. For example, premium razor blade replacement packs are considered high-loss products for some retailers because they are in high demand for regular personal use, are relatively expensive, are small and readily concealable, and can be converted into cash or drugs at flea markets, local stores, or over the Internet (Hayes et al. 2011). Protective display features allow retailers to display these products, rather than keeping them behind the counter (keeping products behind the counter could decrease retail sales). By increasing the effort and time needed to execute a theft, protective display fixtures increases the perceived risk of theft detection while reducing their perception of potential rewards of stealing a hot product.
The fixture requires an individual who attempts to access the high-risk item (such as premium razor blade replacement packs) to press a button, which emits an audio alert signal before the individual can open a small window to access the product. This process allows only one item to be dispensed slowly per retrieval, which helps to prevent multi-item theft. In addition, since two hands are required to operate the fixture, (one hand to hold the window open and one hand to retrieve the item), this hinders a commonly used method in which one hand is used to remove items while the other is used to conceal the items.
Program Theory
The use of protective display fixtures to guard merchandise in retail stores is grounded in rational choice theory and in the principles of situational crime prevention, which are derived from routine activities theory. Rational choice theory suggests that behavior inside retail stores is rational in that individuals will likely calculate the risk, effort, and potential benefit of stealing merchandise (Cornish and Clarke 2003).
The situational theoretical framework maintains that crime can be prevented if criminal motivation is lessened and better controlled, targets are made less profitable or more difficult or risky to attack, and retail managers and others are more motivated to prevent crime (Felson and Boba 2009). The basic design of this protective display fixture (i.e., the audio alert requirement of using both hands to access the product, the inability to retrieve more than one item at a time, and the time-consuming nature of the retrieval process) follows the principles of situational crime prevention and rational choice theory by increasing the calculated theft effort level and perceived risk of detection, while decreasing the potential rewards.
