Dr John Guthrie, of the Otago marketing department, said that video monitoring and other anti-shoplifting technology had become more sophisticated, but losses continued to rise.
The Otago study had begun with an initial pilot trial based on recent interviews with 26 Dunedin supermarket staff, and would be extended via a national online survey to hundreds more participants in supermarkets, starting next month, Dr Guthrie said.
The new anti-shoplifting approach, based on strong, positive relationships between retailers and their staff was clearly "not splitting the atom".
"It just reflects the fact that people matter."
Marketing had traditionally highlighted the mutual benefits to be gained by positive links between retailers and customers, but many other "win-win" gains could result from stronger relationships between retail employers and staff, he said.
Otago PhD marketing student Balkrushna Potdar said the initial study found evidence that such a good relationship meant employees were "more proactive and alert to preventing and informing of theft".
The research, supervised by Dr Guthrie, was published in the latest issue of the Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, and examined how the principles of "psychological ownership"- traditionally applied to relationships between retailers and customers- could be applied to cutting losses from shoplifting and other retail crime.
The study was led by Mr Potdar, and supervisors Dr Guthrie, Dr Tony Garry and Prof Juergen Gnoth, all of the Otago department.
Mr Potdar said financial losses from shoplifting were estimated at 6.6% of overall sales, and "fantastic" benefits -including a better business bottom line and higher staff morale- could result from the new approach.
