Stop thief! Shops look at ways to beat crims

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Theft from shops during the economic downturn is a topic at a retail conference in Auckland next month.

Two crime-busting experts will address the two-day event at the Aotea Centre, talking about how to prevent people stealing from shops and how to improve security.

Grant Marvin, from Smith & Caughey's in Auckland, and Dave Norton, from Foodstuffs South Island, will talk about the role of technology in preventing crime, how to stop fraud, the importance of loss prevention in any economic climate, staff views of loss prevention and security issues, and how to prevent theft by taking organisation-wide moves.

How to revitalise retail and the plans for Christchurch's central-city shopping precinct are other topics.

ABC Events has organised the Australasian retail conference for May 23 and 24.

The main address will be given by H & J Smith chief executive John Green, about assessing this economic climate for growth in retail, challenges operating in a discounting retail market, cost-cutting and brand-building.

The Bunnings Group's chief operating officer in Australia, Peter Davis, will talk about revitalising retail and meeting the challenges of the market.

Justin Lynch, Westfield (New Zealand) director; John Journee, Noel Leeming chief executive and John Hartmann, Mitre 10 chief executive, are some of the speaker and panel session participants.

The event costs $914.25 a delegate. Organisers of Retail Australasia said the event was in its fourth year, bringing together major local and overseas retail experts to provide insight into the changing sector.