As with home security, the best practices for retail security involve placing multiple security layers on top of one another. Here’s a great guide as prepared by the Chicagoland commercial locksmith service experts at Chicago Locksmith to building an ideal security infrastructure and maintaining ideal security practices at your retail location.
Assess the Retail Layout
First analyze the layout of your location to help you figure out what security solutions should be implemented that won’t interfere with your existing security layers. Note access points, areas where items of value are stored, cash, and all exits. You want to structure your retail security according to a framework that works best with the type of business that you are maintaining.
Re Enforcing Access Points
Fortify your entrances and exits – maintaining and improving door locks, and considering their durability and longevity. Make sure to invest in high grade commercial door locks – we recommend mortise locks in commercial settings. Additionally, install window and door grilles on your property alongside with high security padlocks, and window security film.
Cameras
Surveillance cameras are an absolute must, allowing you to monitor customers and employees, minimizing loss of property. Install surveillance cameras on the entrances and exits of your store, near your Point of Sale systems, cash areas, and really any areas that anything could go wrong. Make sure to install them close enough to get a clear picture, but far away enough so that random people cannot tamper with them.
Alarms
Install alarms and sensors at all access points to prevent unauthorized access. You can also choose to install RFID alarm tags onto your products (ideal for clothing) that can alert you if anybody tries to grab a product and simply walk outside. This is an ideal use of security layering, as it provides protection from actions that a security camera might not catch.
Bright Lighting
Ensure that your lighting allows your security camera maximum capture coverage, as well as that all points of entrance, exit, and egress are well lit (for both security and safety purposes.) Motion sensor lights are a great way to cut your energy bill.
POS Security
Ensure that your Point of Sale systems are protected on both a physical and data based level. Physically bolt down your POS systems so they can’t be picked up and taken away, and lock all your cash drawers so that someone can’t just open them up. Cybersecurity is essential for preventing hacking and ensuring that all credit card information remains secure.
Access Control
Make sure that you implement key control as well as a security hierarchy in your business, in order to help restrict access to sensitive areas, or foster an environment where you will be more likely to notice any strange goings on. For example, only cashiers and managers should be able to log into a POS terminal giving them access to the cash. And only people approved to shut down the business at night or open it up during the morning should be given a key to provide entrance to the business when nobody is there.
Cash Handling Protocols
Set an official system of rules and process for handling all cash during the day, and at the day’s end, to ensure that no money goes missing before it ends up in your safe. As a general rule, it’s always best to implement as simple a series of rules among as few people as possible in order to guarantee compliance
