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Evaluating the effects of protective Keeper boxes on ‘hot product’ loss and sales: A randomized controlled trial

Security Journal volume 24, pages 357–369 (2011)Cite this article

Abstract

Retail companies lose large quantities of key merchandise because of errors, omissions, fraud and theft. Lost inventory frustrates consumers, skews stocking processes and reduces sales. Further, theft events introduce violence and concern into retail environments. Victimized businesses fight back against losses by installing crime prevention measures, but fail to use rigorous research to design, evaluate and refine countermeasures. Grounded in situational crime prevention, this article describes a 10-store randomized controlled trial on the effects of plastic protective Keeper boxes on loss and sales levels of a ‘hot product’. The study provided evidence of the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of the countermeasure in a micro place environment.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Loss Prevention Research Council, University of Florida, 3324 West University Avenue, Suite 351, Gainesville, 32607, FL, USA

    Read Hayes & Daniel Downs

  2. Florida Survey Research Centre, 633 NW 8th Avenue, Gainesville, 32601-5074, FL, USA

    Tracy Johns & Mike Scicchitano

  3. CapIndex, 105 John Robert Thomas Drive, Exton, 19341, PA, USA

    Barbara Pietrawska

Authors
  1. Read Hayes
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  2. Tracy Johns
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  3. Mike Scicchitano
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  4. Daniel Downs
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  5. Barbara Pietrawska
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Correspondence to Read Hayes.

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Hayes, R., Johns, T., Scicchitano, M. et al. Evaluating the effects of protective Keeper boxes on ‘hot product’ loss and sales: A randomized controlled trial. Secur J 24, 357–369 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1057/sj.2011.2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/sj.2011.2

Keywords

  • situational crime prevention
  • overload
  • shoplifting
  • hot products
  • RCT
  • evidence-based

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