Let’s talk about something that doesn’t get enough attention: shrinkage.

Now before your eyes glaze over and you start thinking about cameras and signs and corporate buzzwords, hear me out. This isn’t about preaching policy—it’s about protecting your business, your margins, and your peace of mind.

Because running a gun store isn’t easy. You’re navigating compliance, thin margins, seasonal demand, and let’s face it—people trying to steal from you. And not just the ones in hoodies and ball caps. Sometimes it’s your own team. Sometimes it’s your systems.

That’s why this matters. Loss prevention isn’t sexy, but it is smart. And if you do it right, it doesn’t just stop theft—it builds stronger systems across your entire operation.

Let’s walk through 7 tactics you can start using today.

1. Shrinkage Isn’t Just Theft—It’s Leaks in the Boat

When you hear “loss prevention,” you probably think about someone sneaking a box of ammo into their coat. That happens, sure. But more often, loss creeps in through operational cracks.

• Bad receiving practices

• Mismatched UPCs

• Pricing errors

• Discounts with no structure

• Clerical mistakes no one notices

Here’s an easy win: Run a detailed sales report, Sort by your lowest-margin items and ask yourself:
“Why am I only making 10% on these holsters?”
If the answer is “I don’t know,” that’s your red flag.

Shrinkage starts with not knowing where the money’s going. Awareness is the first step.

2. Treat Your Sales Floor Like a Tactical Layout

You wouldn’t go into a fight without understanding the terrain. Your store is no different.

Look at your floor like a thief would:

• Where are the blind spots?

• What’s close to the exit?

• What’s easy to grab and hide?

If high-demand accessories are sitting up front near the door, you’ve basically rolled out the red carpet for a quick snatch-and-go.

Fix it:

• Funnel foot traffic.

• Put high-value items where staff have clear sightlines.

• Use displays that slow movement.

• Walk your floor with intention—and often.

And here’s a little exercise: walk your store and ask yourself,
“If I wanted to steal something, how would I do it?”
Then fix that.

3. Your Cameras Are Only as Good as Your Eyes

Yes, you have cameras. Good for you. But are they watching anything—or just sitting there collecting dust and giving a false sense of security?

Pro tips:

• Point cameras at registers, entrances, exits, and high-theft zones.

• Watch your footage. Even just an hour a month, focused on peak sales hours (use your POS data to find them).

• Use motion-triggered alerts if you can.

Thieves don’t wait for you to be ready. Most of the time, the footage that catches them already exists—you just weren’t looking.

4. Your Best Weapon? Customer Service.

You read that right.
Friendly, intentional, engaged customer service is one of the most effective loss prevention tools you have.

Why? Because it sends one clear message: “I see you.”
That’s enough to make most bad actors think twice. They want anonymity. You’re removing it.

Bonus: it boosts sales, too. You win both ways.

Train your team to:

• Greet everyone

• Make eye contact

• Ask questions

• Be present

It’s not just good retail—it’s smart defense.

5. Don’t Hand the Keys to the Safe—Even If You Trust Them

Internal theft is harder to spot and often more expensive than the random walk-in with sticky fingers.

And here’s the tough truth: sometimes the problem is someone on your team.

So you’ve got to build systems that don’t rely on trust alone.

• Audit your void and discount reports regularly.

• Set permissions—not everyone needs access to everything.

• Separate duties—the person doing the close shouldn’t be the one counting the drawer alone.

• Rotate closing shifts to keep things unpredictable.

• Enforce individual logins—no sharing, ever.

This isn’t about not trusting your team. It’s about building guardrails that protect everyone—including the honest ones.

6. Audits Aren’t Fun—but They’re Necessary

I get it—no one loves doing audits. But if you’re not routinely checking what’s supposed to be there against what’s actually there, you’re just hoping things aren’t going sideways.

Hope is not a strategy.

Start small:

• Do cycle counts every month or quarter.

• Run “what should I have” vs. “what do I have” reports.

• Investigate variances—don’t just write them off.

If you’re always short on the same SKUs or seeing certain accessories vanish, there’s a pattern—and it’s trying to tell you something.

Also: measure your store’s performance per square foot. Is that display earning its keep? If not, rework it. Use your space like a pro.

7. Policies Don’t Stop Theft—People Do

Here’s the truth: you can hang all the signs you want, install every camera system on the market, and build a Fort Knox cash wrap—but if your team isn’t on board, none of it matters.

That’s why culture beats policy every single time.

Start by being real:

• Share how much shrinkage cost you last year.

• Make loss prevention part of your store culture, not just a “manager thing.”

• Celebrate team members who spot something off or suggest improvements.

• Involve your team—they’re your eyes and ears on the ground.

And here’s a little something that might surprise you:
When you treat your team like pros and ask for their help protecting the business, they’ll show up for you. Every time.

Final Thoughts

Look—there’s no silver bullet. You can’t eliminate theft completely. But you can make it a whole lot harder, and you can build habits and systems that protect your margins and your peace of mind.

Start with one of these seven tactics. Just one.
Build the rhythm. Then stack another on top.
You’ll be surprised how much you start noticing—and how quickly your team starts stepping up too.

P.S. If you want to explore tools and reports that help you spot shrinkage, monitor employee actions, and stay ahead of compliance requirements, check out coreware.com. We’re building solutions for retailers who want to run smarter, tighter, and more secure businesses—because we’ve been where you are, and we’ve got your back.