It’s not all doom and gloom… and I have proof! Good news is out there… you just need to know where to look

I’ve done it!

This week I’ve been on a relentless quest to find some good news. I won’t lie; it wasn’t easy! You have to dig deep, way beyond the gloom-laden headlines of the BBC homepage. However, with enough persistence, I struck gold. And I thought I’d share some of my findings with you…

First up there’s the story of the Peruvian fisherman who has been rescued and reunited with his family after 95 days lost at sea. He survived by catching rainwater in his boat and eating turtles, birds and cockroaches… beat that Bear Grylls! Then there’s the Asda delivery driver whose gut instinct saved a life. A nagging feeling made him glance back at a customer’s window, only to spot her lying unconscious inside. He then called the ambulance, which likely saved her life.

And let’s not forget the miraculous return of Aggie the Maine Coon cat. Thought to have perished in the Palisades fire in California, Aggie defied the odds and was reunited with her owner two months later. I guess cats really do have nine lives!

Aside from fishermen, delivery drivers and resilient felines, another story caught my eye this week. I’ll admit, it’s not a ‘good news story,’ but it is one that deserves reflection… On Tuesday, it was announced that John Paddy Hemingway, the last surviving Battle of Britain pilot, had died at the ripe old age of 105. The RAF said his passing marked “the end of an era and a poignant reminder of the sacrifices made by those who fought for freedom during World War II“.

I couldn’t agree more. Fly high, Sir. With Scott and Craig both ardent followers of WW2, we’ve spent many lunch breaks discussing what life must have been like for those brave young men who took to the skies. As we reflected on Mr. Hemingway’s passing, Scott made a sobering observation: just 80 years ago, people were laying down their lives to protect our country and the modern world. Fast forward to today, and we’re battling an entirely different enemy – one that steals from their own.

How times have changed… Crime cost retailers a staggering £4.2 Billion last year. This includes £2.2 Billion from shoplifting and another £1.8 Billion spent on crime prevention measures such as CCTV, more security personnel, anti-theft devices and body worn cameras.

But in the spirit of optimism with which this article began, I refuse to dwell on the negatives – the media does that enough! Instead, I want to turn my attention to the wins. The stats that prove there is light at the end of the tunnel…

Over the last two years, Advantage One has caught 15,000 criminals, leading to 54 years of total imprisonment. That’s £350,000 directly recovered from shoplifters, and when you factor in the deterrent effect, the total saved stock is estimated at £2.4 Million. To put it in perspective, that’s the equivalent of all stock inventory across 30 retail stores! How about that for some good news!?!

To support these stats, I recently completed a case study proving that the ROI on store security is over 100%. More importantly, with proper security measures in place, a store employee is now seven times less likely to experience crime.

And that’s exactly what we’ll be discussing at Retail Risk – London. No scaremongering. No dwelling on worst-case scenarios. Just practical, proven solutions and success stories that show crime prevention actually works.

See you next week!

Advantage One will be exhibiting at Retail Risk – London (stand 5) on 27th March. For more information and to book your free delegate pass, click HERE…