hi--im new to retail...!

[gungadin]

hi all.
pls excuse me for asking what may well seem a silly question here....!

i am new to retail and am wanting to purchase a small food/spirits shop but have a question as to how to go about it.

it is an established business so there shouldnt be any startup problems etc.

i am working full time and the shop will need to be run by Staff, at least until i feel confident that i can live off the income from the shop!

what i am mixed up about is, if i install a manager and maybe 1 or 2 part time helpers, how do i know that no fiddling is going on with the shop takings?

i assume that stock will be difficult to fiddle, as it will be on a database of some sort, so that when an item is scanned, it automatically shows as sold on the system?

do i factor-in a fiddle factor, say £50 a week on top of the weekly takings of say £2000?

any advice from all you hardened retailers out there will be helpful!

 

[Kernowman]

The answer then is to recruit the RIGHT staff for the job

Losses can also occur in the shop from shoplifters (on the increase apparently), so stock can "disappear" long before it is scanned because it isn't being scanned, therefore assume losses there unless your staff are vigilant at all times. Breakages are one to watch out for too.

Shortages in the till could also mean the incorrect change being given, so again the recruitment process is important and the correct procedures in place to help prevent that happening.

Be on the lookout for forged banknotes and coins, plus if you are planning on accepting credit/debit cards the same applies.

 

[sphynx]

Good quality CCTV. Make sure its known that you sometimes look through it to check the days' activity and it's not just as a new home for the cobwebs. A proven deterrant