Retail Safes | Types, Features, Security Levels & Considerations

Safes have been one of the best ways to protect precious possessions throughout history. In fact, safes have been around since the 13th century BC, and archaeologists were even able to find an ancient wooden safe in the tomb of Pharaoh Ramesses II.

It was only during the 16th century that blacksmiths in southern Germany were able to craft the precursors of modern safes that were made from thick sheets of iron. Today, safes have been a staple for anyone who wants to have a reliable, secure, and private compartment inside homes and offices.

However, when it comes to retail safes, these safes have several different types and uses. Retail safes protect highly confidential and valuable possessions which is why they are designed to be even more robust, safe, and convenient.

In this guide, we will cover the types of retail safes, why they are used, and the differences between various retail safes.

TYPES OF RETAIL SAFES

Safes, also called strongboxes, are lockable boxes made from reinforced steel to secure precious possessions from unauthorised access.

There are several types of safes. Any box with a locking mechanism can be called a “safe”. However, when it comes to commercial safes, the product needs to be made from specific guidelines and good practices for them to be serviceable.

Modern safes are made from very sturdy materials that aren’t impenetrable but are strong enough to withstand a lot of damage. Furthermore, these safes have advanced and sometimes even state-of-the-art locking mechanisms that make them extremely difficult to “crack”.

Here are some common types of retail safes:

Office safes

Office safes are neatly tucked away in a corner or cabinet. These safes are commonly found in most offices and are usually ideal for C-level employees. They are large enough to store documents, cash, and other precious possessions.

These safes have stronger impact resistance and may also be equipped with an alarm that is triggered when the safe is tampered with.

Data or media safes

Since retail businesses are going digital and relying on customer data, it is important to protect this information as per digital data rights and even business policies.

Thieves have always been associated with physical safes, but in the digital world, hackers play the same role in digital data! Online thieves use multiple methods to penetrate the digital defences of businesses to steal data.

One way to protect this data is to either save it on an external hard drive and store the hard drive in a physical safe or to simply use digital security software that provides a “sandbox” environment that separates specific data from other programs and networks.

Data safes are important for retail businesses because they can allow them to decrease liability, protect customer/supplier payment data, and more. Popularly, most small to medium-sized businesses keep a copy of this data in USBs and store them in regular safes.

It is important to note that these safes are small, compact, and can even be portable. They can be installed in server rooms and offices.

Deposit or drop safes

Deposit or drop safes have been a popular type of safe for commercial use. These safes work on the same principles as a regular safe, except that they have a slot on top that allows authorised personnel to store money without opening the main vault door.

This type of safe not only helps keep the deposits protected but also restricts employees from being able to see or steal the contents inside. Once the deposits are made, they can only be accessed by authorised individuals and no one else.

In the case of retail business, the contents of deposit safes are transferred to larger commercial safes that are designed to hold larger volumes of cash. The frequency of this transfer may depend on business policies, but deposit safes are usually cycled every week by most businesses.

Fire-rated safes

Safes are important to not only protect possessions from people but also from environmental damage. Fire-rated safes are designed to withstand extreme temperatures. So, in the case of a fire in a retail store, you can rest assured that the contents within the safe will remain protected.

While most safes aren’t completely impenetrable by fire since there are several variables like exposure time, heat, and intensity, they do an excellent job for most use cases and are a good investment for retail businesses.

Additionally, these safes are also impact-proof, this is important because, in the rare event a burglar is able to infiltrate a well-protected business, they would usually go with a brute-force approach to “crack” the safe, especially with simple key lock safes. This usually means that they would use a hammer or any other tool to impact the locking mechanism and use force to unlock the locking pin.

While safes built using British Standards and appropriate accreditations won’t budge, even with brute force, it would still be wise to get an impact-proof safe that helps you cover all the bases.

LOCKING MECHANISMS FOR RETAIL SAFES

The security level of a safe is determined by the locking mechanism and the materials used to construct the safe. Let’s go over the locking mechanism first.

Here are some of the most common locking mechanisms for retail safes:

Key locks

Key locks are as old as time! They are simple to use and work just like any other locking mechanism with a key lock. All you need to do is insert a physical key, turn it, and unlock the safe.

These locks are incredibly convenient and easy to use. However, their immediate drawback is that they can accept duplicate keys and can even be “picked” by a professional lockpick thief within minutes.

Additionally, you also must make sure not to lose the key! Losing the key means losing access to the safe. In this case, you will have to contact the manufacturer to open the safe for you.

Combination locks

Combination locks are extremely common for most safes. Chances are that you might already have seen these types of locks in heist movies!

These locks use a dial mechanism with a combination of numbers. To open the safe, you need to rotate the dial in a specific order according to your combination code.

These locks are more secure than key locks and all you need to do is remember the code. Please note that even though these locks are rated to be more secure, they can still be cracked by some professional thieves. However, to crack these locks, you need time, patience, and highly spiralised equipment – these factors usually make the attempt difficult for thieves.

Electronic locks

Electronic locks introduce digital locking mechanisms to any type of typical safe. These locks use a digital interface or a keypad.

To enter the safe, you need to enter the right PIN code or password. Most safes are designed to accept four-to-six-digit PIN codes making them highly convenient and reliable.

These locks are tamper-proof and can be designed with various fail-safes. For example, if the system detects multiple failed attempts, it will lock the safe for a certain amount of time.

Biometric locks

Biometric locks use next-generation security technology to protect valuable possessions. They use facial, fingerprint, or iris scanning technology to validate and open the safe. In most cases, these safes can be found at retail headquarters.

These safes are expensive but can be worth the investment if you are looking for an almost impenetrable safe for retail use. They are convenient and extremely reliable and most of these safes are integrated with smart software that provides additional convenience and security.

Dual locks

Dual lock safes provide a sort of two-factor authentication. These safes use two locks that need to be validated at the same time. They are ultra-secure and the hardest to break in since they take additional time and patience.

So, even if one lock is compromised, the thief would still require access to the other lock to open the safe. Some safes also use a combination of digital keypad locks and a physical key making it even harder!

Retail stores that have larger collection boxes may be best suited for this type of safe – you can also use this safe to store multiple possessions such as digital data on hard drives, and cash.

WHAT TO CONSIDER WHEN BUYING A RETAIL SAFE?

Here is what you need to keep in mind when purchasing a retail safe for your business:

Type of safe

The type of safe you pick will dictate its security level. As discussed, there are several types of locks for safes so you will need to pick a locking mechanism that is best suited for your business.

If your business deals with a large inflow of cash, then a keypad or biometric locking mechanism would be best for you. You can also go with dual locks or even a simple lock for temporarily storing precious possessions.

For the best experience, we recommend that you consult with a professional security company like Calder Security. The security experts can assess your business needs and provide you with multiple options and best practices to secure your business.

Size of safe

The size of the safe will depend on where you want to store it. For office spaces, a small safe, about the size of a regular cabinet would be best suited. Some offices have larger shelf space. In this case, you can install a larger safe and integrate it with the office furniture.

Most businesses also go with the option of standing safes. These safes have their own stands and can be kept in the corner of any office room.

Cash rating (more on this below)

All security safes come with a cash rating that is used by insurance companies to evaluate the terms of the insurance plan. The cash rating provides additional security and peace of mind, especially for retail businesses.

In a nutshell, a cash rating determines the amount of money or valuables the insurance company will cover in case of a burglary.

For example, if you have a safe with a cash rating of £20,000 and you had around £2,000 of cash stolen, you will be covered for the full cash rating amount of the safe instead.

Cost

The cost of a safe depends on its size, locking mechanism, quality, and materials used. Regular retail safes can range from £500 – £1,500. However, some simple lock safes can go for as low as £150.

Again, your expectations from the safe will depend on your business needs which is why you must have your business assessed by a professional security company that can advise you with the right type of protection according to your budget.

Required accreditations

Safes are accredited and guaranteed according to strict standards. This is why they need to meet certain requirements to ensure their effectiveness. These accreditations are also important for any insurance claims that you make in the future.

All safes must be approved by the Association of Insurance Surveyors (AIS), which is usually indicated by a purple “AIS approved” logo.

Comprehensive Security

Safes are great for most use cases but can be considered as half-measures. For a safe to work effectively, you need to look at things more comprehensively. Retail stores with safes usually have other first-line security measures like burglar alarms, CCTV cameras, access control systems, fire alarms, and quality door locks.

These measures not only increase accountability within the store and the effectiveness of the safes but also make it extremely hard for them to be accessed by unauthorised personnel.

SECURITY LEVELS FOR RETAIL SAFES

As discussed above, cash ratings are essential for safes, especially retail safes that are bound to store large amounts of cash. When investing in a safe, you will need to ensure that the cash rating of the safe matches the cash flow requirements of your business. For example, a typical retail safe with a £5000 cash rating will cover you for £5000 in cash or £50,000 in valuables.

Here is a summary of cash ratings for various retail safes:

£1000 cash rating coverage = £1000 cash or £10,000 valuables,
£2000 cash rating coverage = £2000 cash or £20,000 valuables,
£3000 cash rating coverage = £3000 cash or £30,000 valuables,
£4000 cash rating coverage = £4000 cash or £40,000 valuables,
£5000 cash rating coverage = £5000 cash or £50,000 valuables.

These ratings are based on the build quality, material type, locking mechanism, size, and other factors of the safe.

Safes with higher cash ratings are seen as more secure since they are thoroughly tested against brute force and typical break-in methods. Keep in mind that high-security retail safes are built according to European standards and are categorised by a grading system, with a higher grade meaning a higher cash rating.

A professional security company can look at your business needs and help you pick the right type of safe with the correct coverage level!

CONTACT CALDER SECURITY

If you are unsure about choosing the best type of safe for your business and are getting overwhelmed with the plethora of choices, contact Calder Security to help you make the best decision and keep you, your business, and your valuable assets safe and sound.

We are members of the Master Locksmith Association (MLA) and are familiar with a wide variety of safes, cash boxes, and strong boxes.

Our experienced engineers not only assess your requirements and suggest the most suitable safe for your needs, but can also install, repair, maintain, remove, relocate, and open a wide range of business safes.

Photo by The Nix Company on Unsplash

Retail safes – Types, why are they used? differences