It’s that time of year again. Holiday season is approaching, which means activity in malls will also be increasing – with bargain shoppers looking to hit the Black Friday sales that start earlier each year. This year, in particular, is bound to see in-person holiday shopping traffic skyrocket as this will be first year since 2019 that we’ll have a restriction-less holiday shopping season. To kick off the busy season for shoppers, Black Friday is coming up on Friday, November 25 and we expect it will be busy for both online and bricks and mortar retailers. We’ve compiled a list of helpful retail security tips to keep your business secure, successful, and safe on Black Friday this year.
1. Prepare Your Staff
Your staff are your frontline when it comes to managing your store, and you need to ensure they’re prepared and up to speed on store policies, emergency management, and have a complete understanding of your stores Black Friday/Cyber Monday promotions. By taking the time to ensure your staff and the knowledge and a high level of comfortability, you can go into Black Friday weekend with trust that your employees will manage your store, and the higher demand of customers, with ease and efficiency. In addition to preparing your staff, you must ensure you have enough staff throughout the day, and into the weekend. It is also a good idea, if you’re able, to keep some employees on-call in the case that employees fall ill or call in sick throughout the busy shopping weekend.
2. Control Store Capacity
As we’ve mentioned, in-person shopping is slated to see a steep increase for Black Friday this year and while your business may not have to worry too much about maximum capacity during the normal shopping season, Black Friday may provide cause for your business to adhere to strict capacity restrictions to keep your staff and customers safe and your merchandise secure.
3. Product Placement
While it may be tempting to lure customers into your store with the most valuable or in-demand items near the front of your store, it is not recommended – especially on high traffic shopping days, like Black Friday. By strategically placing your merchandise in your store, you will be less likely to incur any losses from high-ticket item theft. In addition, it is recommended that you spread items that are on sale throughout your store to prevent overcrowding and maintain a smooth flow of traffic throughout your store. When done effectively, product placement can also aid in crowd control and retail loss prevention.
4. Monitor High-Risk Areas
If you do not have a security team to ensure your store and staff are safe and secure, then it is recommended that you have an employee assigned to walking through the store periodically and monitoring high-risk areas within your store. High-risk areas may include areas where there are expensive merchandise, the cash desk, or the back room where additional inventory and staff items are kept. Otherwise, if you can hire a seasonal security guard or team to patrol your store during high traffic times, you and your staff can rest assured knowing your highest traffic and high-risk areas are being closely and carefully monitored by professionals.
5. Retail Loss Prevention Security
Loss prevention is the most effective way to prevent theft, ensure customer and staff safety, and create a safe and enjoyable retail environment. By hiring a team of professional security guards, like IntercomLux Security who specialize in retail loss prevention tactics, your store and its merchandise are carefully monitored and secure during high traffic times. Our team takes a preventative-first approach to all of our services, especially retail loss prevention, to deter and mitigate risk before it turns into something more serious – like retail theft, distraction theft, or an emergency.
To support through the business of Black Friday – and beyond – our team is available to help with all your security needs, whether it’s on a seasonal or full-time basis.
About IntercomLux Security
Owned and operated in Vancouver, BC, IntercomLux is a full-service security company providing a wide range of unique clients with tailored security solutions. To receive a risk consultation and a complementary quotation, reach out to our team of experts today: inquiries@intercomlux.com | 604-283-8599