Following a robbery at one of her stores, Spar retailer Susan Connolly offers up advice for others to help protect themselves
A day of reflection after the worst start to a new year.
We cannot stop this from happening but we can make it harder for the criminals.
Yes what happened happened we lost stock and damaged was caused but it still could have been worse.
The first tip I have for retailers is mop your floor last thing every night if you don’t already. Due to this we were able to get trainers prints from the criminals. It doesn’t seem a lot but it the case of prosecution it goes a long way.
If you have a cigarette gantry make sure it is locked properly. Ours was which seemed to surprise them. Due to this it delayed them causing them to panic. Still unfortunately missing the police but it wasn’t by much.
Make sure your alarms are working as they should. Do a test once a month. We do this and our alarm system worked as it should. It rang me and I was able to head to the store immediately.
CCTV cameras are vital. Look at installing them if you do not have them. Make sure all cameras are clear of cobwebs, spiders and rain marks etc.
Do your own press release when incidents happens. Get hold of your local radio, news and newspaper. We have managed to get this incident over the whole of Wiltshire this morning. I did a radio piece, it’s on line and possibly on TV thanks to BBC Radio Wiltshire picking up the story. By doing this you inform all other retailers in your area and send a message to the criminals that we will not be beat and we are getting wiser by the day. It also reinforces the cry for help with retail crime both with the police and government.
Lastly but probably most importantly if this does happen to you regardless of time of day please let them do their thing. Products can be replaced but people can’t. Call the police.
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