Interior Design Important For Retail Security

Jul 17, 2007 3:06 PM

New research from the United States suggests that retail businesses underestimate the value of interior design, and retailers in Australia are taking note.

According to Mark Norton, general manager for ADT Security, retail businesses that take a one-or-two-dimensional view of security are failing to effectively combat shrinkage in Australia.

"Undoubtedly the biggest security issue all retailers have in common is preventing shrinkage, but many retail businesses aren't making best use of their existing systems to detect and deter thieves," Norton says.

"It isn't enough to just monitor your store, such as with electronic surveillance and loss prevention personnel. Your security systems should interact with the store environment itself, and vice-versa. For example, making sure your CCTV cameras are prominently mounted with a wide, un-obstructed view of the area they monitor means they'll be more effective -- both in detecting shoplifters and deterring them," Norton says.

Australian research from Charles Sturt University suggests that employee theft is a significant part of the overall shrinkage losses of a retail store and may be as high as 41 percent of total loss.

"Preventing shrinkage doesn't stop on the shop floor. It's a mindset that the whole business must reflect, and this is best achieved by removing opportunity for thieves," Norton says.

Norton says that all cameras and all personnel have blind spots, and to talk to a security expert about minimizing them. Doing so could include limiting point-of-sale materials to certain sizes or locations to ensure the CCTV system has a clear field of view.

"Apply the same principles to security in staff-only areas as you would to the rest of the store. Keep stock under surveillance and consider whether source tagging such as RFID is appropriate for your products," Norton says.

He says last-line solutions, such as electronic article surveillance, are invaluable, and will work best if retailers limit the opportunities for thieves overall.

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