ASCONIA Retail Security Consultancy Blog

  ASCONIA Retail Security Monthly blog 

It's been a busy year so far for ASCONIA and long may it continue. Within the last few months we have been conducting Loss Prevention Audits, Advising Security companies about retail security and we've been invited to give a Retail Security Presentation at a conference in the City. So we thought that we'd put pen to paper or finger to keyboard and write a blog explaining what we've been up to and provide our expert opinion relating to some retail issues within the UK.

Recently we have been providing our expert advice to another security company assisting with the creation of company policies and security. ASCONIA were asked to provide our knowledge relating to smash and grab incidents, how these can be deterred and what retailers should be doing after they have been targeted. We were also asked to assist with writing a Smash and Grab policy.  

We have recently been asked by two high profile retailers to conduct Loss Prevention Audits within their flagship stores based within the Oxford Street and Bond Street areas. Both Loss Prevention Audits identified previously identified security issues that had not been resolved and some new ones that the client is currently reviewing.





Loss Prevention Audits identify where losses are being made within your store and recommend how those losses can be reduce.
For more information please email info@aconia.co.uk or check ASCONIA Loss Prevention Audits

A Retail Security Training course has recently been attended by security officers in the London area working for a prestigious retail store. Most of the security officers had SIA Door Supervision Licenses, but not the required retail knowledge to complete their duties to the clients standards.  At the end of the course positive feedback was received from the security officers, stating that they had learnt a lot and that they were now confident that they had the required knowledge to complete their duties.

Hull Shoplifter suspect dies in escape bid

Recently a shoplifter being pursued by security drowned in a river. With no intent to criticise the security officer involved or his company or the retail chain employing the security company procedures need to be reviewed
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Value of the product stolen. Although no value of product is worth someone's life, the question has to be asked if the value of the product warranted the security officer leaving the store and pursuing the shoplifter.

Security Officers safety. We always training security officers attending our courses not to peruse a shoplifter further from the store than is safe or that you can see the store. It is not known if the shoplifter was meeting colleagues Was the security officer Had the police or back up been requested.

Staff safety. It is not known what the security officers primary duties were, the safety of staff or to prevent losses. If the security officers priority was the safety of staff, unless colleagues remained in the store this was not achieved. If the priority was the protection of stock, could the shoplifter of been deterred before leaving the store?

It is an unfortunate incident and one that every security officer has in the back of their mind when pursuing a shoplifter, what will happen if/when the shoplifter is caught and can the shoplifter be detained safely. Our intent is not to proportion blame with any parties involved, but to identify that existing policies need to be reviewed.

Prolific Shoplifter banned from City Centre

A prolific shoplifter in Cardiff has been banned from every retail store within the City Centre. Is this the future of solving persistent shoplifters? The sceptics amongst us would identify that this would move the shoplifter to another area, only moving the problem from Cardiff to another city or town. Many police commanders have the not in my borough philosophy that could hardly be described as solving the problem or going forward. It is not the police commanders fault that they are assessed on statistics to assess if they are doing a good job and it could be presumed that it would be more cost effective to move the problem than solve it.