Security Tools that Reduce Holiday Retail Theft During the Holiday Season

The holiday season is a busy time for retail stores. However, along with an increase in shoppers comes an increase in theft such as shoplifting and smash and grab robberies. Recently we’ve talked about a few tactics that you can use to reduce Holiday retail theft during the holidays. Since this is such an important issue, we wanted to dive into it further in this post. Today we’re going to talk about some security tools that you can use to reduce retail theft this holiday season.

Security Cameras

One of the most common forms of security in the retail industry is security cameras. You will likely find these in most stores that you visit. There are several benefits to security cameras. The most obvious advantage is that they allow you to monitor your store and provide you with more information about what your customers and your staff are up to. This can help you catch shoplifters. Another advantage is that they can act as a deterrent. If a criminal sees a security camera pointed at him or her, the criminal may be less likely to attempt to commit a crime.

For a security camera setup to be effective, it must cover the entire store and not leave any “dead spots.” Unfortunately, this kind of setup can get quite expensive. In addition, unless the cameras are being monitored in real time, you might not realize that someone has shoplifted merchandise you’re your store until you watch the footage back later on, which is obviously too late to stop the crime.

Security Guards

Security guards are another popular security tool that is frequently used around the holiday season. While most retail stores do not hire security guards during the rest of the year, they are frequently hired to provide additional security during the holidays. Security guards ensure that someone is always watching over the store and the customers.

In most retail stores, store staff are typically responsible for watching out for shoplifters and other criminals. However, when stores get busy, staff members may end up spending all of their time helping customers, making it difficult for them to also keep an eye out for shoplifters and thieves. A security guard can help watch over incoming and outgoing people traffic as well as monitor the staff. There is always a risk of employee theft, be aware of ways to stop fraud and employee theft

However, in addition to the cost of security guards, store owners should be aware that having security guards located in your store could intimidate some customers.

Security Gates & Other Physical Security Tools

Many retail crimes happen because criminals have easy access to valuable merchandise. A great way to protect this merchandise is to utilize security gates and other physical security tools. For example, items such as cell phones, cameras and tablets are quite small but also quite valuable. These items are often targets for criminals for this reason. By locking these items in secure cabinets, you greatly reduce the likelihood of them being stolen by a shoplifter.

In addition to shoplifting, smash and grab robberies also increase during the holiday season. Criminals know that there will likely be more merchandise inside the store in order to account for the busy holiday crowds, so they are more willing to take the risk and to smash windows and rob retail stores. By installing security gates, you prevent access through the windows and doors of your store when the gates are locked. This not only drastically reduces the chances of a successful smash and grab robbery taking place, but security gates also serve as a strong visual deterrent.

For more tips on layering security, important for both homes and businesses, download our 10 Critical Points to Securing your Shop, your Employees, and your Goods eGuide.
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