32 



BULLETIlSr 1044, U. S. DEPARTMEIvrT OF AGEICULTUEE. 



tion and by keeping a running inventory of certain articles which 

 the dealer believes would be particularly susceptible to such thievery. 

 If the latter method is to be used, it is well to pick out small articles 

 which could be easily concealed and which are more or less expensive. 

 A half dozen of these could be selected and the inventory taken of 

 them at the beginning of the clay's business. The kind, size, and 

 brand of each article should be given to the cashier or checker at 

 the exit, who would be required to list all those articles when pre- 

 sented at the exit by the customers. At the end of the day, another 

 inventory should be taken and the number of items removed should 

 be listed. If all articles are to be accounted for, these figures should 



Fig. 13. 



-General view of a self-serve grocery store, showing both shelves and tables for 

 display of goods. 



agree with the cashier's or checker's figures. If there is a difference, 

 either the goods were removed without being paid for, or else the 

 cashier or checker failed to list all the articles presented by the cus- 

 tomers. If this method is used a number of times and over a general 

 line of merchandise, a fairly good estimate of the shrinkage by 

 thievery can be obtained. 



The instinctive fear of detection comes simultaneously with the 

 act of taking anything for which no payment is intended to be made. 

 Therefore, if the articles most likely to be taken are so placed that 

 an effort must be made to reach them, there is less danger of their 

 being taken. Another method commonly used is that of placing all 



