The usual mantra is: small shops rip off customers more than the multiples do. But former shopkeeper Peter Levene has turned this idea on its head. "Customers rip off small shops more than they do the larger ones," he says, basing his views on the fact that one customer in 200 is a thief. The quantity of goods stolen is not determined by the size of the store, but by the limitations of the thief's pocket or bag and, for this kind of theft, the average steal is £15. The average spend per customer in a small shop is about £2.50 and in a large store it is about £60. Therefore, for the gross spend of £12,000 by 200 customers in a large store, the theft of £15 worth of goods is equal to 0.125% of turnover. In the small shop, where the 200 customers spend £500 and steal £15 worth of goods, the loss is equivalent to 3% of turnover, 24 times the rate of the bigger store. Levene's advice is that small traders should arm themselves with knowledge. He has launched his Clear 'n' Easy Accounts on CD which is run on Excel. It will highlight stock losses and save hours on bookkeeping. I have already had feedback from retailers praising this CD and I don't make recommendations lightly. It is on half-price offer for £14.99 plus £1.95 p&p and includes Levene's business guide on retail legislation. Anyone who is interested should ring 01273 605696. {{GROCER CLUB }}