Black Friday is the single busiest shopping day of the year. Shops become overcrowded with people who are in a rush to find their favourite products. Although the tradition started in America, it soon made its way to the UK, where now, shoppers spend over £2.5 billion in stores on the day alone. With so much chaos, it’s not a huge surprise that Black Friday can take a toll on a business’s security.
How Black Friday Impacts Shops And High Street Businesses
Being the busiest day of the year for shops, with the most customers and chaos, it allows an opportunity for criminals to take advantage. Often, there are huge numbers of shoppers, with very few security guards and a lack of effective CCTV cameras to act as a deterrent and capture any unfortunate incidents. This allows criminals an easier opportunity to get away with theft and damaging of goods.
Each year in London alone, the police deal with over 3.5k incidents of theft on Black Friday, with many more suspected of going completely unnoticed. This can lead to huge losses for shops and high street businesses who may end up having expensive items stolen or damaged on the day.
On top of this, the sheer mania of people rushing to find their favourite products or snatch the best deals can lead to a sharp rise in the number of objects, products or store features being damaged or broken. This again leads to losses for businesses who only want to make the most of a big day.
What Measures Can Businesses Put In Place To Remain Safe & Secure?
Manned Security Guards
By placing a suitable amount of security guards in front of and throughout your store, criminals will be less likely to steal in the first place. A physical security guard presence acts as a major deterrent that’s enough to put the majority of people off. What’s more is that it’s be far easier to catch them if someone does still try to take anything. Unlike most other measures, security guards are able to respond immediately, safely, and professionally to deal with the matter at hand.
Still the most effective way to detect and respond to situations, security guards are a strong way to minimise damages and the costs they result in.
CCTV Systems
CCTV cameras act as another deterrent to those who may have considered stealing from your business. The knowledge that you will have captured them on camera and may be able to track them down is often enough to put someone off attempting to steal. Make sure to have a comprehensive system in place that covers all entrances and exits, and in particular, covers high value items.
With a CCTV system in place, you’ll also be able to record footage of any deliberate damages that may occur during the event, safeguarding you against even more unnecessary costs.
If your business would like help with minimising costs and keeping your staff, inventory, and customers safer, get in touch with Aegis Support Services today. We can help you with any of the needs mentioned above and protect your business this Black Friday weekend.