Under 5 minutes25 store-control checksToolkit match at the end
How much could you be losing?
Adjust the inputs below to estimate where everyday control gaps may be putting margin at risk.
Strong Controls
0/50
Core controls are in place. The opportunity is consistency and documentation.
Estimated Margin Exposure$2,500-$7,500
per month
$30,000-$90,000 per year
Business Context
Top 3 Risk Areas
Ranked from your inputs
How the Risk Tool Works
What the scan explains
MarginHero converts everyday operating gaps into a practical scorecard.
The sliders above represent the five risk categories we measure so owners can
see where margin is most exposed.
ScoreEach answer raises or lowers the Margin Risk Calculator score.RankThe tool identifies the top risk areas instead of treating every issue equally.RecoverThe report points to the checklist, template, or training path that should come first.
Most preventable loss starts as a missing procedure.
MarginHero turns common retail exposure points into clear checklists, templates,
training, and review rhythms that owners and managers can actually use.
The margin risk is usually already inside the routine
The risk is rarely one clean event. It is a refund without approval, a no-sale that
nobody reviews, a camera angle that misses the register, an employee who was never
trained on what to do, or an accusation that was handled without neutral documentation.
Industry signal$112.1B
Retail shrink reached an estimated $112.1 billion in 2022. Even a normal-looking
shrink rate can become a major operating drag when the business is growing.
Source: NRF National Retail Security Survey
Inside the store~29%
Retailers attributed roughly 29% of shrink to employee/internal theft, with another
27% tied to process, control failures, and errors.
Source: NRF National Retail Security Survey
Employee pressure40%
Gallup estimates replacing frontline employees costs around 40% of annual salary.
Confusing policies and unsafe theft response can make already-fragile staffing worse.
Source: Gallup workplace research
False accusations of theft get expensive$$$$
A rushed stop, public accusation, or poorly documented response can turn a theft concern
into legal cost, lost trust, and employee coaching issues.
Sources include NRF retail shrink reporting and Gallup workforce research. MarginHero uses these figures for educational planning, not as a guarantee of loss or savings.
What owners are actually trying to solve
Proof before punishment. Training before escalation. Controls before loss.
Know which refunds, voids, no-sales, discounts, and paid-outs need manager review.
Show employees how to respond to theft concerns without chasing, accusing, or escalating risk.
Connect POS exceptions, camera timestamps, cash movement, and incident notes in one routine.
Protect good associates by making expectations clear before something goes wrong.
This is where money leaves the register through refunds, voids, discounts,
paid-outs, no-sales, and end-of-day shortages. MarginHero looks for whether
those events are approved, documented, reviewed, and tied back to a specific employee.
Review exception reports weekly.
Require manager approval for refunds, voids, and paid-outs.
Reconcile drawers against receipts, POS records, and cash drops.
Category 02
Physical security
Physical security is about visibility and access. The scan checks whether
cameras, keys, alarm codes, exits, entrances, and high-risk merchandise areas are
controlled well enough for managers to spot problems early.
Confirm cameras cover registers, exits, and high-value product areas.
Review keys, alarm codes, and manager permissions after employee changes.
Use opening and closing checklists consistently.
Category 03
Employee onboarding
Onboarding protects the business by making expectations clear before employees
handle cash, returns, discounts, inventory, or customer incidents. The goal is a
repeatable process with proof that training happened.
Train employees before they operate a register alone.
Use written policy acknowledgments for honesty and loss prevention rules.
Keep training records searchable by employee and topic.
Category 04
Inventory and shrinkage
Inventory risk shows up when counts, receiving records, sales data, and product
movement are not compared often enough. MarginHero focuses on category-level
shrink so the owner can see where margin is actually disappearing.
Track shrinkage by category, not only total inventory variance.
Cycle count high-value and high-theft items.
Document receiving discrepancies before inventory is accepted.
Category 05
Incident management
Incident management turns messy moments into usable records. Strong stores capture
the same facts every time: what happened, who was involved, what evidence exists,
and what follow-up is needed.
Use one standard incident report template.
Capture receipts, camera timestamps, photos, and witness details.
Store records where managers can search and retrieve them later.
Free margin scan
Get a practical Margin Recovery Scorecard in under 5 minutes.
Start with your current concern, answer practical operating questions, and unlock a
scorecard that ranks the controls to tighten first.
1Choose the retail issue that is already on your mind.
2Answer each control question and watch the risk ranking update.
3Unlock the scorecard and choose the right kit or starter pack.
Services
When the scan says the leak is real, choose the right level of help.
Start remote when you need a fast read on POS exceptions. Bring MarginHero on-site
when the issue involves people, cameras, cash handling, or an active incident.
Use 90-day POS data to see whether a pilot is worth the next step.
02Go on-site
Validate the data against people, process, cameras, and store conditions.
03Commit only when useful
Credits keep the entry work aligned with a pilot or annual engagement.
Launch offers
Start with the complete Essentials Kit, or test one urgent control first.
Margin loss estimator
What could shrink be costing your store?
Enter annual retail sales to estimate losses using a default 1.6% shrink rate.
Adjust the rate if you already know your store’s number.
Default based on NRF’s 2023 National Retail Security Survey average shrink rate.
Estimated annual shrink$12,000Recommended$499
Essentials Kit launch price
$249
Complete starter system
Entry offer$49
Cash Handling Control Pack
Best useEssentials Kit
Start here and add HeroMode later
Recommended launch offer
MarginHero Essentials Kit
A ready-to-use asset protection starter system for independent and specialty
retailers that need practical controls without building an enterprise AP department.
Built from 20 years of asset protection work across big-box, specialty retail, and service environments.
Cash Handling PDF
Register accuracy, drawer controls, cash drops, paid-outs, and deposit discipline.
Shoplifting And Theft PDF
Safe response, observation, documentation, and manager follow-up.
Chargeback PDF
Order proof, dispute evidence, red flags, and prevention habits.
Refund, Void, And Discount PDF
Approval rules, exception review, and weekly manager controls.
Physical Security PDF
Cameras, entrances, exits, high-risk areas, keys, alarms, and closing routines.
Also included
Six-minute shoplifting training video, deposit log, quick cards for every training, and the incident reporting tool.
Complete kit$499
Launch price
$249
The flagship offer. Best for owners who want the full starter system in one purchase.
Not ready for the full kit yet? Start with the most universal control point:
register accuracy, cash movement, drawer reconciliation, and deposit documentation.
Cash handling training PDF
Deposit log
Manager review prompts for shortages, overages, paid-outs, and cash drops
Upgrade path
If the pack is useful, move into the complete Essentials Kit for refund, theft, chargeback, physical security, and incident controls.
Starter pack
Entry price
$49
A focused first purchase for owners who want to solve one urgent register-control problem.
Preview examples
The CASH FrameworkPaid-outs and no-sales controlsQuick reference and knowledge checkMonthly deposit log
Launch strategy
The Essentials Kit is the recommended offer. The Cash Handling Control Pack is the only smaller entry point for owners who want to start with one urgent control before buying the full system.
Insurance value
Documented employee training may help reduce claims, strengthen your renewal position, and support stronger conversations with insurance partners.
Future add-on
Hero Mode is being shaped by operator interest.
The Essentials Kit is the launch product. Hero Mode is the future associate-facing
training layer for teams that want short missions, recall checks, and completion proof
after their core controls are in place.
Buy today
Start with the Essentials Kit.
Get the procedures, logs, quick cards, training video, and incident tool first.
Vote next
Tell us if Hero Mode matters to your team.
Interest signals help decide when associate missions move into the release queue.
Build later
Turn real requests into mission topics.
Refunds, cash control, chargebacks, safe response, and incident documentation.
