When it comes to achieving success within the hyper-competitive retail industry, there are different operational elements that brands must consider, from marketing, merchandising, and information technology, and everything in between. However, given the fact that retail is essentially about satisfying the consumer, nothing is more effective than the creation of an engaging environment where the customer can shop and interact with the retailer.  

Sean Sportun, Vice President, National Accounts & Community Engagement at GardaWorld, says nothing is more important than ensuring the safety and security of that environment for staff, guests and assets of the retail organization.  

Retail stores are “where customers go to touch, feel, test and purchase product, and to engage with retail associates about product details and features. They are “as a significant hub of sales and activity, it’s in the best interest of all brands to ensure a safe and secure environment to enable the extraordinary experiences that they’re attempting to create for their employees and guests.”

GardaWorld – a global leader in security operating in more than 43 countries around the world - provides a breadth of services and solutions designed to help businesses in different industries and sectors protect their people and assets. With nearly three decades of experience, GardaWorld is known to optimized retailers existing security.  The company bring to each of their clients enhanced security solutions to bolster the safety and security of their premises to combat theft. 

"Our goal is to help protect retail businesses, their people and their assets. And, because we understand that every retailer is different, with varying business and security needs, we allow our clients to build a customized suite of services and solutions that meet their unique needs." - Sean Sportun.

“The theft costs Canadian retailers around $5 billion per year. It’s not just the retailers that are suffering the consequences. Theft also hits the customer who ends up paying for the price. Inflation is often required to make up for the shortfall caused by dishonest visitors.”

Sportun goes on to explain that the cost associated with theft is not limited to finances.  The brand’s reduced credibility in the minds of their consumers as a loss due to theft that cannot quite be properly quantified, but it bears significant impact. To support retailers, GardaWorld offers a robust selection of physical security services to clients within the retail community, including ambassador guards at the front door, floor walkers that can help identify shoplifters, and mobile patrols that roam from store to store, in addition to consulting and investigation teams that add a critical layer of strategy and intelligence to a brands suite of protective solutions.  

Sportun explains that all solutions have the end-user, the retailer, in mind. “We work with all types, formats and sizes of retailers, from single location mom-and-pop shops to brands operating multiple locations across the country. We understand that every retailer is different, with varying business and security needs, we allow our clients to build a customized suite of services and solutions that to meet their unique needs. We send a team to conduct a complete risk assessment of the store and evaluate the security elements that are required to create a safer and more secure environment. We work with many different retailers operating in provinces and territories right across the country, so we have access to an entire network of data and information that we can share across the board to help businesses identify trends and take the necessary measures to protect themselves from crime.”

In addition to theft, retailers have got to defend themselves against other forms of loss such as shrinkage.  Shrinkage are losses from fraud and operational deficiencies, which can have a significant impact on a retailer’s bottom line.  GardaWorld assists and equips retailers in safeguarding their assets and reducing losses through a range of services.

“It is crucial to strike the right balance between protecting profits and ensuring a positive customer experience,” notes Marc-Andre Plaisance, Director of Loss Prevention at GardaWorld.

Our team of experts conducts a thorough evaluation of the physical and operational security measures of the business. We identify weaknesses, assess the effectiveness of existing security measures, and propose enhancements.

 “A security audit is like a health check-up; you need to understand the source of the problem before prescribing a treatment.”, adds M. Plaisance.

In cases of suspected internal theft or fraudulent activities, our investigation services assist merchants in building a strong case. This ranges from examining cash reports to searching for potential irregularities and conducting in-depth interrogations. We ensure that the legal and ethical aspects of the process are strictly adhered to, which helps merchants, whether small or large, resolve their internal theft issues.  

As for external theft, our trained guards operate incognito as “floor detectives,” dressed in civil clothes. They are visible enough to deter potential thieves but discreet enough to intercept any attempted shoplifters. This proactive approach not only minimizes shoplifting but also fosters engagement with employees, who view the floor detective as an ally in the fight against theft. 

Combined with the human expertise that the company employs, its innovative and performance-driven security systems continue to play a significant role in its ability to protect the assets of retailers all over the world.  

“The alarm system is obviously an incredibly important piece of the protection toolkit, when combined with GardaWorld monitoring and surveillance centre, it allows for real-time verification as to whether it’s an emergency or a false alarm. It’s just one of the many ways in which this type of security technology has changed over the years, becoming more intuitive and better at detecting intrusions and anomalies. Technology is allowing for all the tools that we’ve been working with for years - motion sensors, glass break detectors, camera systems, network video recorders, and other access control devices – to improve and connect to one another, adding more protection and more resources to loss prevention managers and their teams."

As Ethier explains, GardaWorld’s state-of the-art security systems extends well beyond the scope of loss prevention and catching criminals. It’s serving retailers as incredibly meaningful business intelligence – advanced analytics not only transform retailers’ loss prevention but optimizes operational efficiencies such as foot traffic and self stocking.  

“We’re able to deploy advanced systems that offer retail operators and store managers intelligence, such as customer heat maps that illustrate where visitors are spend most of their time. Data related to insufficient stock on shelves can also be relayed, prompting automatic messages to be sent to employees responsible for replenishing stock to alert them of the situation.

Doug Sales, Senior Director, Commercial Systems Sales - Ontario and West, at GardaWorld, sees an entire new generation of tools, software and solutions emerging that are smarter and more accurate than they have ever been before.  

“The advancements that are currently being made around the development and use of technologies fuelled by artificial intelligence are immense.” He states. “It’s also serving as another layer allowing them to not only capture recordings of incidents and the related data, but now allows retailers to quickly and precisely find that video data, creating efficiencies and saving time and money, too.”

Despite the potential in artificial intelligence, he says that technology should only ever serve as a layer of the protection for a business, advising that a combination of tools supported by human resources will likely always be the best approach to security.  

“Some of the technological tools and solutions today are incredible,” he says. “But many within the retail industry are finding that a hybrid solution, one that deploys the very best in technological tools and human intuition, is the security system that has the greatest impact, allowing for the most sophisticated responses within a layered approach.”