Edmonton Retailers Working to Prevent Theft
RCC Workshop to Address Issues Relating to Organized Crime

Toronto, April 21, 2008 – Retailers in the Edmonton area who are interested in learning more about how to prevent losses in their stores are encouraged to attend a workshop being hosted by Retail Council of Canada and its presenting sponsor, Visa Canada on Wednesday, April 30, at the Fantasyland Hotel.

The workshop is open to all retailers — small, mid- and large — and will examine everything from the basics of retail loss prevention to the new and more sophisticated ways that organized criminals are targeting retailers.

"Retail crime is affecting retailers of all sizes and it is seriously impacting their ability to grow their businesses, increase staff, and deliver superior customer service," says Diane J. Brisebois, President and CEO, Retail Council of Canada (RCC). "Retail Council of Canada is pleased to bring this event to Edmonton in an effort to share with local retailers some hands-on tips and tools so they can protect their customers, their staff, and their businesses."

Similar workshops are being hosted this year by RCC and Visa Canada in Saskatoon, Halifax, Vancouver, and Toronto in an effort to heighten awareness among Canada's retailers about the growing problem of retail crime.

The sessions are being tailored to meet the needs of independent retail owner/operators, chain store managers, and regional retail loss prevention specialists.

To enrol in the workshop, please register online at www.retailcouncil.org/events/workshops/lpworkshops.asp. Registration fees start at $100 per person (RCC Member Rate). Groups of 4 or more receive a 15% discount. For more information, please contact the RCC Events Department at (888) 373-8245.

Retail Loss Prevention Facts:

• According to a recent survey conducted by Ipsos Reid for Retail Council of Canada and RBC Royal Bank, it was determined that small and mid-sized retailers lose the equivalent of $1,000 per month to retail crime.
• In 2006, credit card fraud losses in Canada were valued at over $185 million.
• In the same year, debit card skimming losses were valued at over $94 million.
• Bank note counterfeiting levels are still high, even though they have declined significantly in recent years. Retailers need to remain vigilant to prevent counterfeiting levels from rising again.

The Bank of Canada, in collaboration with various partners including RCC and Visa Canada, has developed a free training kit providing easy-to-follow advice for Canadian retailers about how to avoid becoming victims of bank note counterfeiting, payment card crime, cheque and money order fraud, and identity theft. For more information, please visit: www.bankofcanada.ca/en/banknotes, or call the Bank of Canada at (888) 513-8212.

Retail Council of Canada (www.retailcouncil.org) is the Voice of Retail. It is a not-for-profit association representing more than 40,000 stores of all retail formats, including independent merchants, regional and national mass and specialty chains, and online merchants.

MEDIA: For more information, contact: Derek Nighbor, Senior Vice-President, National Affairs, Retail Council of Canada, (888) 373-8245, ext. 234; e-mail: dnighbor@retailcouncil.org.