Retail security blind spots in click-and-collect and curbside pickup

Click-and-collect and curbside pickup have become essential parts of the Canadian retail experience. They give customers speed and flexibility while helping retailers connect digital sales with their store networks. Yet the same convenience can create security gaps that traditional loss prevention programs were not designed to manage.

The risk environment is already under pressure. Police-reported shoplifting in Canada exceeded 182,000 incidents in 2024, a 14% year-over-year increase, according to a recent GardaWorld Security article on how retailers can reduce risk through an integrated retail security strategy. As inventory moves beyond the sales floor and through staging areas, side entrances and parking lots, retailers need to consider where visibility and control may be lost.

Convenience has expanded the retail security perimeter

In a traditional transaction, merchandise generally moves from the sales floor to a staffed checkout and then leaves through a monitored exit. An online pickup order follows a different path. Employees select items, move them to a temporary holding area and later transfer them to a customer inside or outside the store.

Orders may be stored near stockrooms, customer service counters or employee-only doors. Curbside deliveries may require staff to carry high-value merchandise beyond the store’s physical security perimeter. During busy periods, speed can take priority over verification, leaving employees to make quick decisions with limited information.

The most common blind spots are between systems and teams

Click-and-collect security is not only a camera coverage issue. The most significant gaps often appear where ecommerce platforms, store operations, loss prevention teams and physical security procedures do not connect.

Identity verification is one example. A stolen account, compromised payment card, altered confirmation email or shared order number can allow the wrong person to collect merchandise. If staff rely on a single identifier or feel pressure to avoid delaying a customer, fraudulent pickups may appear legitimate.

Staging areas create another vulnerability. Multiple completed orders concentrate merchandise in one location, often before the customer arrives. Weak access controls, poor inventory reconciliation or unclear responsibility for the area can enable internal and external theft. A duplicate handoff may not be discovered until the rightful customer arrives.

Curbside pickup extends these challenges into the parking lot. Poor lighting, obstructed camera views, unclear vehicle routes and limited employee communication can make it harder to identify suspicious behaviour or respond to confrontation. Employees may also be exposed while carrying merchandise, using mobile devices or approaching unfamiliar vehicles.

Traditional loss prevention controls may miss the full journey

Many retail security programs are still centred on the sales floor, checkout and main exit. That leaves the digital-to-physical order journey divided among systems that record only part of the event. The ecommerce platform confirms the order, the point-of-sale system records payment, video captures activity and staff complete the handoff. When those records are not aligned, suspicious patterns can remain hidden.

A retailer may see repeated pickups associated with different names but the same vehicle, frequent claims that orders were never received or unusual activity concentrated during shift changes. Individually, these events may appear routine. Together, they may reveal an organized pattern of pickup fraud or process abuse.

Seasonal hiring and inconsistent procedures across locations can increase the risk. If employees receive different instructions on identification, exceptions and escalation, criminals can target the stores or time periods where controls are easiest to bypass.

Stronger security can support a smoother pickup experience

Retailers do not need to add friction to every order. They need controls proportionate to the risk. The first step is to map the complete pickup journey, from order placement and item selection to staging, customer verification and final handoff.

Practical measures can include:

• Using clear, consistent verification requirements, with enhanced checks for high-value or unusual orders
• Restricting and monitoring access to pickup staging areas
• Positioning cameras to cover storage, handoff points, entrances and designated curbside spaces
• Giving employees a simple escalation process for mismatched identification, duplicate pickups or aggressive behaviour
• Linking order, incident and video information so loss prevention teams can identify patterns across locations
• Reviewing lighting, signage, traffic flow and staff communication in parking areas

Security personnel can also provide visible deterrence, support safe handoffs and respond when a routine customer interaction escalates. When trained staff, connected technology and clear procedures work together, retailers can protect merchandise and employees without undermining convenience.

Click-and-collect and curbside pickup are no longer temporary services. They are part of the modern retail operating model. Treating them as part of the security perimeter can help Canadian retailers close hidden gaps before isolated losses become repeatable vulnerabilities.

Ready to identify the blind spots in your pickup operation? Talk to a GardaWorld Security retail security expert today. 

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