The US-based Loss Prevention Foundation (LPF) reports a partnership with Loss Prevention India (LPI). Based in New Delhi, LPI will cover India, Sri Lanka and the United Arab Emirates. The Loss Prevention Foundation adds that it’s also expanding into the UK, Australia, South Africa, the Caricom nations in the Caribbean, and other regions in 2014.
Gene Smith, LPF president, says: “LPF has been very successful with elevating the loss prevention professionalism in the United States. As a result of this success, we have had many countries express interest in bringing the validated content to their countries as a means to elevate the professionalism of their loss prevention efforts. This is just the start. Our Partnership with LPI will continue to expand and include a local LPF Chapter, which LPI is assisting with forming. We are assembling a retail advisory committee in India and we will grow local membership as well as support webinars, seminars and LPF Education Days, similar to what we have in place in the United States.”
Lalit Kumar, founder and president of Loss Prevention India (LPI) says: “Knowing the Loss Prevention Certification courses were not created by any single individual’s perspective on Loss Prevention, but rather by a collective industry effort supported by over 300 individuals from more than 200 retailers means that we can bring this experience and knowledge to the retail market in India. Retail in India is in a consolidation phase and focusing more and more on EBITDA positive stores. With the new FDI [Foreign Direct Investment] rules in India, global retail practices have a larger scope. The latest skill development policy of the government of India supports these employment related courses and we, as a well-established LP industry organization, are positioned to help bring these to the retail market as well as to contribute back to the program adding input and content specific to facing India’s retail environment.”
Kevin McMenimen, a founding Executive Board Member of foundation and International Liaison for the body, says: “The certifications and proctored exams are already available in over 175 countries, but we recognize that a more localized presence in many locations by way of partnerships like this one provides greater local acceptance and market relevance. As per the latest surveys, shrinkage in India was reported at 2.8 per cent in India which is among the highest in the world. Through a partnership with LPI, whose mission is to help retailers protect shrink and create better loss prevention awareness and practice, this opportunity connects like-minded goals and objectives across the LP industry in both regions.”
