7 Ways Security Guards Help During The Holidays
Does the thought of the upcoming holiday shopping season have you in a cold sweat? Are you worried about how you and your employees will provide the added security you’re going to need? If your answer was yes to either of these questions, consider hiring security guards to patrol your property. Increased store security during the holidays provides a safe environment for your employees and your customers. Consider these seven ways security guards will help.
1. Monitor Parking Lot Activity
Security guards monitor the increased parking lot activity you’ll experience during the holidays. The added patrols reduce the risk of vehicle thefts, break-ins, and vandalism that can occur during peak shopping periods. Security guards also provide additional protection for customers while they’re in the parking lot, especially at night when lighting isn’t at its best.
2. Protect High-End Merchandise
Retail stores stock additional merchandise during the holidays, including high-value items. Thieves use that information to their advantage. Stocked shelves and crowded aisles make theft much easier. Grab-and-go thefts – when thieves grab merchandise and run – increase during the holiday season. If you’ll be stocking your shelves with additional merchandise, security guards will provide an added layer of protection to prevent grab-and-go theft.
3. Observe Customer Browsing
During peak shopping hours, the increased foot traffic makes it difficult for you to keep an eye on all the customers. Crowded stores create the perfect environment for holiday shoplifting. You and your managers can circulate through the store, but some areas will still be difficult to monitor effectively.
Guards give you the added coverage you need to monitor customer activity throughout the store. If security guards do observe shoplifting, they have the training to handle the situation professionally and effectively.
4. Prevent Black Friday Madness
Black Fridays are one of the most important shopping days for retail stores. They’re also the most chaotic, which is why you need added store security. The increased customer foot-traffic combined with large quantities of merchandise can lead to aggressive behavior, violence, and theft. Increased security presence reduces the risk of Black Friday problems. Guards also provide crowd control while shoppers wait for the doors to open.
5. Enhance Employee Safety
Extended holiday hours mean that your employees will be working late into the evening. Added security during the holidays enhances employee safety.
First, security guards provide protection for employees who stock the shelves overnight. Second, security guards are available to escort your employees to their cars when they’ve worked a late shift. Finally, security guards provide added protection against disgruntled customers.
6. Provide Security for Cash Drops
Retail stores experience an increase in cash flow during the holidays, which means cashiers need to empty their tills more often. The increased sales activity also means that you’ll be making larger cash drops. Those large cash drops remain in the store until they’re picked up by armored car. Added store security provides the protection you need when you have large amounts of cash on hand.
7. Reduce Employee Theft
You don’t want to think about employee theft, but it happens. Your employees handle a lot of merchandise during the holidays. The addition of on-site security guards reduces the opportunities that employees have to commit theft. During the holidays, have security guards conduct bag checks as your employees leave the store. As an added security precaution, require your employees to use clear bags for their personal property.
Is your retail store ready for the upcoming holiday shopping season? Implement the security tips provided here to increase your store security. For additional assistance, contact us at Eagle Eye Security to discuss your security needs. We can help you protect your retail business.
