▁officers ▁and ▁plain - cl oth ed ▁store ▁detect ives . ▁ ▁Lar ge ▁department ▁stores ▁will ▁use ▁both ▁and ▁smaller ▁stores ▁will ▁use ▁one ▁or ▁the ▁other ▁depending ▁on ▁their ▁shr ink ▁strategy . ▁Store ▁detect ives ▁will ▁pat rol ▁the ▁store ▁acting ▁as ▁if ▁they ▁are ▁real ▁sh opp ers . ▁ ▁The ▁presence ▁of ▁uniform ed ▁officers ▁acts ▁as ▁a ▁d eter rent ▁to ▁shop l ifting ▁activity ▁and ▁they ▁are ▁mostly ▁used ▁by ▁high - end ▁ret ail ▁establish ments . ▁Sho ppers ▁in ▁some ▁stores ▁are ▁asked ▁when ▁leaving ▁the ▁prem ises ▁to ▁have ▁their ▁purch ases ▁checked ▁against ▁the ▁rece ipt . ▁Some ▁expensive ▁mer ch and ise ▁will ▁be ▁in ▁a ▁locked ▁case ▁requiring ▁an ▁employee ▁to ▁get ▁items ▁at ▁a ▁customer ' s ▁request . ▁The ▁customer ▁is ▁required ▁to ▁purchase ▁the ▁mer ch and ise ▁immediately , ▁or ▁it ▁is ▁left ▁at ▁the ▁checkout ▁area ▁for ▁the ▁customer ▁to ▁purchase ▁when ▁finishing ▁sho pping . ▁Many ▁stores ▁also ▁lock ▁CD s , ▁DVD s , ▁and ▁video ▁games ▁in ▁lock ing ▁cases , ▁which ▁can ▁only ▁be ▁opened ▁by ▁the ▁checkout ▁operator ▁once ▁the ▁item ▁has ▁gone ▁through ▁the ▁checkout . ▁Some ▁stores ▁will ▁use ▁dummy ▁cases , ▁also ▁known ▁as ▁" de ad ▁boxes ", ▁in ▁which ▁the ▁box ▁or ▁case ▁on ▁the ▁sh elf ▁is ▁entirely ▁empty ▁and ▁the ▁customer ▁will ▁not ▁be ▁given ▁the ▁item ▁they ▁have ▁paid ▁for ▁until ▁the ▁transaction ▁has ▁been ▁completed , ▁usually ▁by ▁other ▁store ▁staff