Retail Security: Tips to Keep Your Store and Customers Safe
Shopper activity is accelerating as businesses reopen and the labor market recovers. Many consumers are excited to visit brick-and-mortar stores, however, more than two-thirds of retailers said the pandemic caused increased security risks for their organization, according to a survey from the National Retail Federation.
Retailers must anticipate that with the resurgence of consumer, activity comes an increase in threats and plan accordingly. Here's a checklist of recommendations to enhance your retail security to help protect your customers and business.
1. Prioritize protective health strategies along with security by implementing retail store security systems that do both.
Customers and employees have increased expectations about how retail businesses are proactively protecting the health, along with the safety and security, of their people.
Start with access control. Access control systems can not only help streamline operations but can also help retail businesses manage the number of people in a space. They can limit the spread of germs, stop intruders, and uphold a positive workplace experience—simultaneously. Use solutions with mobile identification to reduce physical contact. Today’s touchless access systems also have facial recognition capabilities in place of swipe cards or tags.
Access technologies enable you to secure your facility in seconds against intruders whether you’re onsite or offsite, working remotely, or following a hybrid structure. A fully integrated access control system provides insights to businesses that can be turned into action, which really adds value to a retail store security system.
2. Reduce shoplifting and internal theft with an anti-theft retail security system.
Retailers in the NRF survey said that their biggest security threats were workplace violence and organized retail crime (ORC). They noted that ORC gangs were more violent and aggressive than before due to COVID-19, changes in policing, and the growth of online marketplaces. They commonly stole “lower-impact” items and essentials, from laundry detergent to allergy medicine.
Internal theft is also on the rise as organizations may see an uptick in internal theft and fraud. As Loss Prevention Media points out, “Internal theft will increase significantly due to rationalization—the employee believes they are owed for their contributions.”
This trend has prompted the need for innovations in anti-theft retail security systems. Over half of retailers have upped their investment in anti-theft devices for retail stores to protect their customers, employees, and operations.
Top-performing video surveillance security solutions and cameras are essential for retail security. IP-based cameras provide good image quality, progressive scanning, and megapixel sensoring. They can sense when something disappears and prompt an alarm, flag intruders, and count people.
3. Use offsite retail security management.
You probably do not have the bandwidth to keep a 24-7 watch on your people, property, and assets. Luckily, there are security services that can provide surveillance for you 24-7, 365 days a year. Remote monitoring systems and professional monitoring reduce the need for physical security guards.
You can link a team of remote expert security professionals to your video monitoring feeds for surveillance whether you’re on or off the clock. When an intruder trips an alarm, the professional monitoring team can judge whether it’s an actual crime in progress, verify the footage, and alert the authorities. Police will see that it’s a verified video and respond much more quickly.
Use Retail Shop Security Systems to Create Thriving Businesses
Retailers have experienced ample challenges in recent years but that presents many opportunities. Stores can be a welcome respite for consumers to connect and access quality inventory. Once you have reliable safety and security in retail stores, you set the stage for consistently positive customer and employee experiences.
Let us help you prepare a plan that makes sense for your retail business, and for your customers and staff. Reach out to us for additional information, and to set up your consultation with an expert in the retail security industry.
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