Less than half of Canadians believe retail stores take adequate security measures to prevent shoplifting. However, according to a new Leger survey, the majority say they would feel safe working in one of these stores.

The Retail Security Survey shows that a large majority of people support retailers taking steps to prevent theft, such as installing surveillance cameras or electronic intrusion alarms on items, hiring security guards, or locking certain products in display cases.

On the other hand, the survey participants differed as to whether they would support measures such as receipt checks by branch employees when leaving the branches or the abolition of self-checkouts. The idea of ​​requiring customers to scan their ID to make a purchase received just 17% of the vote.

More than 1,500 Canadians aged 18+ completed the online survey between August 4th and 6th. The results were weighted according to age, gender, mother tongue, region, level of education and presence of children in the household.

When it comes to the security measures retailers have in place to prevent shoplifting, 45% of respondents said businesses have the right level.

Around 27% said they were not taking enough action, while 10% felt stores were doing too much to prevent shoplifting.

When asked about the rate of shoplifting in their region compared to the rest of Canada, only 14% of respondents said their province had more shoplifting than other parts of the country.

This sentiment is strongest in British Columbia, where a quarter of respondents say their province has more shoplifting than others.

According to the survey, two-thirds of Canadians would feel or feel safe working in a retail store, compared to 18% who say they do not feel safe. By gender, 70% of men surveyed said they would feel safe, compared to 63% of women.

According to another survey conducted in May by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, shoplifting and burglary continue to be a major problem for Canadian businesses.

The organization has found that recently theft or shoplifting is the most common community safety issue for its members, followed by vandalism or burglary.

Three out of four small business owners admitted to being concerned about their own safety or that of their employees and customers. About 65% said they have recently increased their security spending, including purchasing cameras or guards to address security issues.

By Sammy Hudes