Safety and security are two of the most vital considerations every business should consider, let alone retail stores. Every firm should guarantee their employees and customers are safe from external adverse elements while ensuring their data security is sufficient and capable. Burglary and theft are two of the most common concerns in modern retail stores. Focusing on the two aspects in question is necessary to prevent them from affecting your daily firm activities. This article aims to share tips for safety and security in retail stores and why your business needs to invest in a worthy strategy.
Retail stores are the primary targets of unethical hacking, which involves confidential business information falling into the wrong hands. Your business system needs to incorporate the latest anti-hack features that will deny access to every party without authorized access. You can take numerous approaches to guarantee safety and security in retail stores; read on to learn more.
Tips For Safety and Security in Retail Stores
Use the Ideal Locks
Locks are a constant feature in every retail store; the only difference is each lock’s quality and protection capacity. You need to invest in quality locks to protect your store inventory during closing hours as they prove ideal for preventing burglary and unwanted entry. Did you know that some insurance companies require proof of forced entry before approving your claim? So, if your store lacks a lock system, your chances of compensation are very low in the occurrence of a break-in.
Choosing a solid lock system for your store is one practical tip to maximize safety and security in retail stores; the burglar should work hard to gain entry. Specialists recommend pin tumbler cylinder locks that feature a deadbolt paired with double cylinder locks for added security to your retail store. You can also consult with a commercial locksmith service to find the ideal approach for your situation.
Regularly Switch Up the Locks
Having a strong lock system on your doors is a practical approach to maximizing security in your retail store, although it may compromise after a while. It would be best if you regularly rekeyed the locks to prevent duplication from burglars with inside connections to your business. When managing a business, even your employees need access to store keys to ensure activities flow smoothly.
Since there are many parties with the store key, it is very easy for misplacements or failing to return their pair after changing jobs. A key management system proves effective in ensuring your store remains safe even when copies go missing, giving you control over who gets access to the store.
Invest in a Safe
Investing in a safe is another practical tip for safety and security in retail stores. Safes create a more secure and hidden compartment to hide your business earnings, and they feature a more powerful and more complicated lock system. Even if a burglar gains entry to your store by breaking your door locks, they’ll still have the tedious task of locating the safe and, even harder, breaking it.
Placement of the safe is also an essential factor to consider; you need to ensure it is not in an open place that everyone can see. You can place it behind another closed door or a painting, giving the burglar a more challenging time finding it. Consulting with a commercial concrete work contractor can result in a hidden compartment within your office walls, which is even better. Although you have a quality safe in your store, we recommend not accumulating large amounts of cash in the store to minimize risk exposure.
Install Security Cameras
Video surveillance also features among our tips for safety and security in retail stores. Every business should consider installing security cameras within the store and in the outside environment to improve safety. Although this approach does not guarantee the reduction and prevention of criminal activities, it proves helpful when investing in specific incidents. It also effectively discourages shoplifters and vandals since it instills a feeling that they are being watched. Commercial security firms are the ideal parties to contact for security camera installation and other security upgrades.
Picking the Ideal Store Layout
The store layout you implement also has an impact on the safety and security in retail stores. The ideal design should feature a well-defined area for customer and employee areas separated by a clear boundary. You can label your doors to show those for staff access only and those not to prevent any inconveniences. Ensure that the layout facilitates the correct functioning of commercial janitorial services to ensure easy cleaning even in the presence of customers.
Cleanliness is also an essential consideration towards improving safety within the store. A well-arranged store with clean floors and shelves gives a better impression than one with the opposite appeal. Hiring commercial cleaners will ensure your store is always clean and well arranged, guaranteeing you satisfied customers who are more likely to return.
Innovative Approaches to Securing Your Retail Store
Tech security is a factor most business owners ignore until something eventually goes wrong. At this time, the damage is already done and is irreversible, causing further complications. A breach in your system not only lets your company data fall into the wrong hands but also contributes to your customers losing trust in your business. Here are some tech tips for safety and security in retail stores that every business needs to consider in the daily running of their business.
Avoid Using Windows POS Machine
A point-of-sale machine is essential in every store as it facilitates inventory control and easier recording of day-to-day transactions. Windows POS machines are easiest to hack and notoriously insecure, which is why specialists discourage featuring them in your business. Their vulnerability is because Microsoft discontinued their support and no longer issues updated packages to improve their security. Lack of security update features makes Windows XP the weakest, making it the easiest target for hackers.
Another reason to avoid Windows XP in your retail store is that it is incredibly disruptive maintenance. Since they run on outdated software, they are more susceptible to crashes if you do not have an antivirus. Such disruptions prove costly to your business and even go to the extent of compromising on daily functioning until resolved.
Ensure Your Credit Card Swiper is Encrypted
Another tip you can use to improve safety and security in retail stores is ensuring you use an encrypted credit card swiper. Since hackers primarily target your customer card information through the POS machine, the best protective measure is to keep the data away from this machine. An encrypted credit card swiper ensures your customer data is not manipulated, stored, or shared by the point-of-sale device installed.
Every time a customer swipes their card, the data is encrypted to a secure code and processed. It is almost impossible for a hacker to decrypt this information and get a hold of customer data. Only certain financial institutions or organizations with the correct key can read the encrypted data, effectively improving safety and security in retail stores.
Store Your Data Offsite
Storing your data away from your store is always a good idea and proves effective in maximizing safety and security in retail stores. This approach guarantees safety for all your store information in case of a fire, flood, or any disaster that may damage your entire physical store. Keeping this on-site information increases risk exposure, since if something happened, everything would be lost.
Losing such data will lead to further complications. For instance, your insurance company may deny your claims if you cannot prove the amount of money you were making before the damage. You can save your daily information on an offsite server, backup to an external hard drive, or create a cloud account explicit to your store. Specialists recommend storing your data in the cloud as you can easily backup and have remote access regardless of your location.
Use Updated Software
One of the primary reasons most businesses are susceptible to unethical hacking and loss of data is using outdated software. You must ensure all your software is up to date if you wish to improve safety and security in retail stores. The updates issued feature bug fixes; some are explicit to addressing security vulnerabilities present in previous versions. Pay attention to your devices and regularly check for updates as these improvements are for the ultimate benefit of your firm’s security and functioning.
Treat Your Employees Good
Aside from technological considerations in a commercial cleaning company, it would help if you treated your employees well since they are your last line of defense. Your employees are in a better position to observe suspicious activity within the store than you, and treating them better will result in them treating your business well too. Research proves that employees paid more than the average pay are more loyal and treat customers better. Also, hire employees you trust and treat them well to improve safety and security in your store.
Factors to Consider When Evaluating Retail Store Safety
Every store owner must ensure their retail store is a safe space for their employees and customers. When evaluating safety in stores, there are numerous factors to consider, from fire hazard measures to managing natural disasters. This section focuses on the vital elements you should consider when evaluating your store’s safety.
Fire Hazards
Fire is among the most common elements that may cause damage to your store if not correctly managed. You need to identify potential causes of fires like exposed electricity wires, improper flammable chemical storage, and open flames within the store and develop a clear prevention strategy. To ensure that you are prepared for fire, you can install fire extinguishers within the store and ensure employees are correctly trained on how to handle such a situation. A commercial sprinkler system integrated into a smoke detector can also prove helpful to prevent fire damage.
Ergonomics
Ergonomics involves matching your workplace requirements to your employee capability, and it is vital when evaluating store security and safety. Failure to incorporate the ideal ergonomic configuration may result in employee injury and property damage. An excellent example of this concept is hiring weak individuals to handle heavy boxes without tools to complement the activity. Such a setup will result in back injuries, damage to the boxes, and an unproductive configuration.
Air Quality
Proper ventilation is essential in retail stores to prevent mold and fungus build-up within the store walls. Most retail stores are located within other buildings, meaning that they may lack windows to allow proper air circulation within the walls. It would be best to consider installing mechanical systems to facilitate fresh air cycle within store walls in central and back rooms. If your store features a nonfunctioning ventilation system, consider reaching out to commercial pest control services to ensure your store is not infected with pests and other bacteria.
Natural Disaster Management
The location of your retail store has a lot to say about exposure to natural disasters. Consider the common natural disasters that occur in your store’s environs and develop safety measures to prevent property damage. For areas where earthquakes are common, you can install low shelves to prevent items from falling during earth movement and arrange commercial concrete repairs to improve structural stability. Commercial fencing service providers can provide a preventative approach towards locations affected by floods, maximizing safety for your retail store.
Crime
Crime frequency in your store and other surrounding stores is another important consideration when evaluating your store’s safety. How you prevent and manage criminal activities within your store impacts the safety and comfort of your customers. Therefore, it needs consideration. You can install a security alarm system, hire security guards and set up surveillance cameras to try and nip crime in the bud.
Every business must maximize safety and security to improve the customer experience within their stores. The tips mentioned in this article are effective in ensuring safety and security in retail stores. By focusing on the information shared, you can ensure your store inventory is safe, satisfy customers, and happier employees when handling their responsibilities.