Enhancing C-Store Security

The COVID-19 pandemic contributed to a rise in crime at many retail locations, but best practices and new technology are helping c-stores keep stores secure.

Zhane Isom • Associate Editor

During the pandemic, theft and robberies at retail stores soared to an all-time high. National Retail Federation’s (NRF) “2022 Retail Security Survey” found some 89.7% of respondents reported that COVID-19 had resulted in an increase in the risk of violence within their organization, and the majority of respondents noted that “overall risk” increased, as did the risk of shoplifting, organized retail crime and employee theft.

Jack L. Hayes International Inc.’s “34th Annual Retail Theft Survey,” released in May 2022, found that total theft at retail stores rose 26%, shoplifting rose 26.6% and employee theft rose 22.6% in 2021.

Now that the world is returning to normal, some retailers have seen crime rates decline at their stores. But lingering issues from the pandemic, including ongoing labor shortages, continue to increase risk for c-stores. Understaffed stores can be targeted for crime, while increased employee turnover can make it more challenging to train and develop staff in loss prevention techniques, the NRF survey pointed out.

Savvy c-store retailers are continuously working to improve and enforce store security and loss prevention practices.

According to NRF’s “2022 Retail Security Survey,” the technologies retailers use or think about using most include RFID Systems, artificial intelligence (AI)-based point-of-sale (POS) or self-checkout video analytics, license plate recognition and self-service locking cases or lockers.

Cubby’s, which operates 168 stores in Iowa, Nebraska and South Dakota, is one c-store that has been fortunate enough not to see many crimes but still continuously evaluates new tactics to improve security and loss prevention.

“We have been lucky as a company not to have some of the problems that other chains are having with shoplifting, internal theft and robberies,” said Mike Wilson, chief operating officer for Cubby’s. “We do keep a close eye out and would be interested in bringing in things that make sense and add a safety equation to our employees.”

When it comes to keeping c-stores safe, everyone inside and outside of the stores plays a huge part, especially with the proper training and technology.

“We believe that well-lit stores that are well staffed with customer service-oriented employees are our best defense against theft and crime,” said Wilson. “In many neighborhoods we are a community hub, and the community helps ensure safety.”

Sean Sportun, vice president of national accounts and community engagement for GardaWorld Canada, has decades of corporate security experience, including a long tenure at Circle K where he led the company’s Central Canada loss prevention department. He agrees that employees play a crucial role in c-store security.

“The program begins and ends with employees. Having a comprehensive plan, coupled with regular mandated

training, is imperative for employees,” said Sportun. “It will create a robust safety culture while ensuring employees are well prepared to do the right thing when faced with a real-life situation.”

TACTICS FOR C-STORE SECURITY

As technology continues to advance in the area of loss prevention, retailers are fi nding new and improved options at their fi ngertips, but it’s often an adherence to tried-and-true best practices that can provide the biggest improvements.

“Keeping cash low by using smart safes, having armored car pick-ups and removing cash handling from store managers helps us keep out the temptation of crime,” said Wilson.

Having a multi-layered approach to c-store security programs is ideal and can provide retailers with peace of mind. Sportun shared the following strategies to help improve c-store security: Keep Windows Clear: While it’s important to advertise marketing opportunities, it is equally important not to block the window view to the outside. If the potential offender can see the employee while outside and the employee has a clear view of the parking lot, it will make a would-be criminal less likely to approach the property. Risk Assessment: Have a qualifi ed security professional conduct an in-depth evaluation of existing practices to identify vulnerabilities and opportunities for improvement.

Partnerships: Understanding the importance partnerships have on combating crime trends is by far the most essential piece of the puzzle for retailers. With the growing issue of targeted thefts/robberies of tobacco products, Toronto Crime Stoppers has taken the lead in developing a national awareness campaign to bring attention to this crime trend, which is often driven by organized crime.

C-STORE SECURITY IN 2023

As retail risk changes, retailers must adopt new strategies and technologies to mitigate those risks. Not only is having a quality security program in place necessary, but retailers also need to start thinking about their stores’ surroundings and the type of environment in which they want their future store to be located.

“Retailers will have to start making decisions on where to locate new stores,” said Wilson. “Retailers will need to make tough choices between serving some communities and keeping their employees safe.”

While some crime may be inevitable, c-store retailers can make strides in loss prevention by making it a high priority for their company and investing in training and technology.

“With elevating security concerns, organizations and independent store operators should be reminded of their duty of care obligations to all who enter their premises,” said Sportun. “This includes staff, shoppers (whether they make a purchase or not) and any other individual who enters the premises.” CSD

Retailers Implement Different Security Technology

Retailers are implementing or thinking about implementing di erent loss prevention technology to ensure their stores’ safety.

Source: National Retail Federation, “2022 Retail Security Survey”

Reported Increase in Risk due to COVID-19

Retailers reported that overall risk rose due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with 51.7% reporting a “major increase” in violence and 36.2% reporting a “major increase” in shoplifting.

Overall Risk Violence Shoplifting ORC Employee Theft Cargo Theft