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Theft is a serious issue that affects retail stores of all sizes. From apparel stores to department stores, supermarkets, and speciality stores, all are at risk of being targeted for theft. Over the years, this has caused substantial losses in the retail sector and has led businesses to invest in security measures to mitigate these risks.
If you are a retail store owner, one highly recommended and effective way to keep your cash, inventory, and valuables safe from theft and damage is by investing in commercial safes for retail stores.
Even if thieves break into your store, it becomes more difficult for them to access your cash and valuables if they are stored securely in a safe. Commercial safes come in all shapes and sizes, and the ones made for retail stores have special features to make theft extremely challenging for opportunistic burglars.
Read on to find out all about commercial safes for retail stores, why they are so important for retail security, how to choose the best ones, and the top choices for retail security:
RETAIL SECURITY AND COMMERCIAL SAFES
Retail stores face different types of security threats with the most common being shoplifting, burglary, and internal theft. This is a huge issue for both larger as well as small retail stores, with the latter often finding it difficult to bounce back from the losses incurred by said threats.
While shoplifting and burglary remain serious issues, one of the biggest causes of inventory loss and cash theft is internal theft, aka theft and fraud done by employees. Retail security measures are designed in a way to combat all these threats and keep the business and its assets safe from unauthorised access.
If the right security measures are not taken, it leaves the retail store susceptible to losses and damage, and in serious cases, all can be lost in a single break-in. While this is a worst-case scenario, losses incurred at a small scale are still losses, and repeated losses can adversely affect the business in the long run.
Other than protection against shoplifting and theft, retail security systems create a safe environment for customers, protect employees from potential risk and create a sense of security, safeguard the business’s reputation, ensure compliance with legal and regulatory requirements, and help reduce insurance premiums.
Retail security measures include the use of alarm systems, CCTV cameras, access control systems, advanced locking mechanisms, security lighting, security guards, and more. One very efficient way of increasing security and keeping your cash and valuables safe from theft and damage is by investing in commercial safes for retail stores.
A retail safe is a secure storage box made specifically for retail security. It provides an added layer of security and makes it difficult for opportunistic thieves to steal cash and other items of value from the store. It not only prevents external threats such as burglaries but also prevents internal theft carried out by employees looking to steal money and valuable store inventory.
Commercial safes for retail stores are highly secure and made with durable materials to resist tampering and brute force. They are ideal for storing items such as cash, jewellery, documents, digital media, and other valuables.
WHY DO YOU NEED A COMMERCIAL SAFE FOR YOUR RETAIL STORE?
As a retail store owner, you must take every measure to keep your business and its assets safe. When you think of retail security, the centre stage is usually taken by alarm systems and CCTV cameras. While these are indispensable tools to enhance the security of your retail store, investing in a commercial safe will ensure that your cash and valuables stay protected, even if someone is successful at breaking into the premises.
Other than burglaries and break-ins, retail safes are great at preventing internal theft, which is a serious issue facing the retail industry. Around 40% of total thefts in retail stores are driven by retail workers, with the biggest frauds carried out in warehouses and distribution centres.
Although these fraudulent employees make up a small portion of the total workforce, the losses incurred due to internal theft are four times higher than those caused by shoplifting. The reason is that these employees are usually aware of the ins and outs of the business and know how to use that information to their benefit.
A commercial safe for retail stores is an incredibly useful security tool for businesses, particularly for cash management. If you deal with cash daily, which most retail stores usually do, the right safe can make it easy to secure and manage the inflow of cash.
When the cash register hits a certain limit, the money can be transferred to a safe to prevent a big amount from being kept at the counter. Alternatively, the cash can be deposited into a deposit box to begin with. These strategies help prevent money from being stolen and unauthorised individuals from accessing it.
Another great use for retail safes is to store expensive store items and inventory. This can be particularly useful in retail stores that deal in valuables such as jewellery. The most valued pieces of jewellery can be locked away in a safe and only brought out to show to certain customers. The safe can also be used to store and put away items that were displayed during the day so that if anyone were to break into the store at night, they wouldn’t be able to get their hands on the store’s inventory.
Retail safes also offer a great storage solution for items that you may consider keeping away in a bank safe deposit box. While a bank safe deposit box has its own set of advantages, it is located away from the store at a bank which limits access. You will need to visit the bank to access your valuables and also be mindful of the bank’s working hours.
With a commercial safe for retail stores, you have easy access to all your valuables since they are available onsite and can be taken out anytime by authorised persons.
While security from theft is the main reason people invest in safes, the right commercial safes for retail stores also offer fire and water protection. In case of a fire, these safes keep their contents safe from the damage caused by flames and high heat.
In case of sprinklers being triggered to put out the fire or in the event of flooding in flooding-prone areas, high-quality retail safes are also resistant to water and keep their contents safe from moisture and water damage.
Installing a commercial safe in your retail store also often leads to insurance discounts as the business is seen as less risky and it deters both customers and employees from stealing from the business.
TYPES OF COMMERCIAL SAFES FOR RETAIL STORES
Commercial safes serve the same purpose as residential safes, which is to protect valuables from theft and damage. However, they differ from the latter in terms of their intended use.
Commercial safes are made specifically for offices and businesses such as retail stores. They are usually bigger in size to accommodate more cash and valuables and offer a higher level of security. They are also often rated for burglary resistance and have more features for better protection.
Security safes may come with different types of locking mechanisms, but commercial safes for retail stores have advanced locks with anti-tamper features to prevent any unauthorised access. Some of the most popular types of commercial safes for retail stores include:
Drop Safes
Drop safes, also called deposit safes, are secure storage boxes used for safeguarding cash, cheques, important documents, and small valuables from theft. They are mostly found in businesses where deposits are made at regular intervals, such as retail stores.
Depending on the size of the safe, there is either a slot at the top or front, or a drawer, to drop in cash without having to open the safe at all. This not only keeps the contents of the safe protected from external theft but also internal theft as it restricts unauthorised persons from accessing the safe. Only authorised individuals have access credentials and are allowed to open the drop safe.
For retail stores, the best place to install commercial drop safes is with the cash register. Every time a sale is made, the cash can be deposited into the drop safe simply by sliding the cash in through the slots or drawer. This allows for better cash management and reduces the amount of money left in the cash register.
Commercial drop safes come in a variety of styles, sizes, and types, and have features that prevent unauthorised access. There are under-counter or desk drop safes that are placed under the counter or cash register to keep them hidden from direct view.
Then there are digital drop safes that use a digital locking system such as a digital keypad to unlock them and access their contents. They are more secure than key safes and eliminate the use of physical keys that can get lost, stolen, and copied.
Last but not least, there are time delay drop safes that open a few minutes after the access credentials are entered. This way, even if an unauthorised individual gets their hands on the access credentials, they are left to wait for the safe to open, and if there’s one thing that thieves and burglars are short on, it’s time.
Burglary Safes
A burglary safe has been rated for resistance against burglaries and offers unparalleled protection at keeping your cash and valuables safe from theft and damage. These safes can be used to store anything of value that you may want to keep secure such as cash, documents, and valuable store inventory. They can be installed within a wall or under the floor or secured to the floor or a fixed piece of furniture.
The resistance of a safe against theft and burglaries is dependent on its type and features. The best way to determine the level of security of a safe is to check its burglary rating. There are different rating systems, and the higher rated a safe is, the more secure it is from unauthorised access.
Burglary resistance for safes in the UK is determined by burglary ratings which follow European Standards EN 15540 and EN 1143-1. These safes go through several tests to gauge their level of security and resistance against force.
According to the EN-1143 Eurograde security numbering system, certified safes are rated from 0 to 7 based on how well they can withstand an attack. The main criterion is to test a safe against theft, burglary, and force.
Fire Safes
The best commercial safes for retail use protect against theft as well as damage caused by fires. Fire resistance in safes is measured by their fire rating which indicates the duration the safe can withstand the heat and flames without damaging its contents. Fire ratings range from 30 minutes to over 2 hours, with a higher fire rating providing increased protection for sensitive items and valuables.
Fire safes are made with fire-resistant materials and are properly sealed to prevent smoke, heat, or water from penetrating the inner chamber. The best fire-resistant safes are tested according to the UK and European standards for both fire protection as well as security.
In addition to fire resistance, these safes are also resistant to water, which is an incredibly useful feature in situations where a fire is extinguished with sprinklers or in an area prone to flooding and water damage.
Smart Safes
Smart safes are secure storage solutions that come equipped with advanced features to offer much more in terms of security and control. They are slowly becoming a popular choice for both residential and commercial use and are incredibly useful in protecting valuables from theft and damage in retail stores as well.
What makes them smart is their ability to connect to the internet and integrate with other smart devices and security systems. They also offer remote monitoring capabilities and secure locking mechanisms such as biometric locks.
Smart safes also allow you to easily access and manage the safe and its contents through a smartphone app. They can also send real-time alerts and notifications for all kinds of access attempts made so that you can always monitor access and take immediate action, if necessary.
WHY CHOOSE CALDER SECURITY?
Choosing a commercial safe for your retail store is an important decision that requires careful consideration of several factors such as the type of safe, its security features, and ratings for burglary, fire, and water.
If you’re unsure about which retail safe to choose, it is best to get professional help and seek advice from an expert in the field.
We, at Calder Security, are members of the Master Locksmith Association (MLA) and are familiar with a wide range of safes, cash boxes, and strong boxes. Our SSAIB-approved contractors can help you assess your retail store’s security needs and recommend a suitable safe perfect for your requirements.
We offer professional safe installation services to not only prevent theft and fire damage but also ensure that the safe is secured in place properly, cannot be removed, and is not in danger of falling or damaging anything.
We also offer safe opening services since misplacing the keys, forgetting the code, or failure of the safe itself can all lead to the contents of the safe being inaccessible. By design, of course, safes are very difficult to access in these circumstances and you need a professional safe engineer to do it for you. Our Calder specialists can open most safes and restore them to full working order afterward.
When you need to relocate or remove your safe entirely, you can count on us to carry out the job with ease. In addition to that, our professional safe repair and maintenance services ensure that your safes are always in optimal health providing you with the best security.
Contact us here or call us at 0800 612 9799 to talk to our security professionals for more information on commercial safes for retail stores and the top choices for security.