Securing retail during the holidays: proactive solutions for safety

Holiday season retail security challenges 

The holiday season transforms retail stores into hubs of activity, with increased customer volumes creating opportunities and risks. Here are the most significant security challenges retail stores face during the peak season. 

Increased foot traffic and shoplifting

Prime shopping times— such as weekends, evenings and holidays — present heightened risks for shoplifting. Crowded aisles and busy checkouts provide cover for shoplifters, who often blend seamlessly into the busy environment. Higher-value items, like electronics, designer goods and jewelry, are particularly vulnerable as they can be easily concealed and quickly resold.

These incidents not only result in losses but also strain on-the-ground employees already managing heavy workloads, impacting customer service and overall operations. Additionally, outdated video systems that require operators to scan live feeds manually for threats introduce increased risks of human error and threats going unnoticed. 

Organized Retail Crime (ORC)

While opportunistic theft remains a problem, ORC has become a prominent threat. ORC typically involves groups of individuals working together to steal large quantities of high-value items, from designer clothing and electronics to even over-the-counter medications and power tools. These thefts are often pre-planned, with members playing specific roles, like distracting staff or providing getaway vehicles.

ORC contributes significantly to inventory shrinkage, making it difficult to manage stock levels and meet customer demand. Traditional loss prevention methods, such as manual stock checks or apprehension policies, often fall short against these sophisticated groups, who use technology, insider knowledge and coordinated networks to evade detection. 

The impact of ORC extends beyond inventory loss, as incidents are increasingly associated with aggression and violence. Addressing this issue requires retailers to adapt by incorporating advanced technologies to identify patterns, alert staff to suspicious activity and track inventory discrepancies more effectively.

Employee safety and after-hours security

Retail workers face heightened safety risks during the holiday season. Over 61% of respondents in a recent Motorola Solutions Retail Safety Survey expressed concern about personal safety during the holiday season. While most retailers discourage direct confrontation in favor of apprehension policies, incidents can escalate quickly, creating dangerous and unpredictable scenarios. Attempting to intervene not only jeopardizes employee safety but also introduces liability risks for the business.

Many retailers, particularly smaller businesses, lack the resources to maintain on-site security, leaving employees as the first line of defense during theft incidents. This challenge is amplified by staffing shortages, with 64% of retailers expecting their stores to be understaffed during the holiday rush. The risks increase further during late-night shifts and after-hours operations when reduced staff presence and poor visibility in stockrooms or back offices leave employees more vulnerable to threats that might be deterred during busier hours.

Limited visibility

Blind spots within a store layout — such as fitting rooms, stock areas or corners near exits — are more vulnerable to theft and security incidents. Maintaining awareness in these areas is challenging, especially during peak holiday hours when employees are focused on assisting customers and managing busy operations.

Many retailers still use outdated video security systems that provide limited coverage and reduced ability to identify threats in real time. Outdated or poorly placed cameras may fail to capture clear footage of critical areas in the store, leaving suspicious activity undetected. Analog cameras, often chosen for their affordability, lack integration with modern retail security systems and analytics, further hindering real-time threat detection. This reactive approach delays incident response, increasing the risk of loss and compromising store safety.

How video security transforms retail safety

Retailers face growing security challenges that threaten profitability and the safety of employees and shoppers. Limited resources often make it challenging to maintain on-site security, while outdated technology can further delay threat detection. Video security provides a practical starting point for creating safer stores this holiday season. Here’s how smart IP cameras can help protect your business, staff and customers.

Improve situational awareness

Modern video security systems can improve situational awareness by providing comprehensive coverage of vulnerable areas in your store. Strategically placed dome and bullet cameras help eliminate blind spots and secure entrances, exits and high-value merchandise displays. 

Advanced cameras with wide dynamic range and low-light performance maintain clear, high-resolution footage, even in challenging lighting conditions like dim stockrooms or glare from holiday displays. For added flexibility, pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ) cameras can focus on specific areas or zoom in for detailed views when suspicious activity is detected.

Detect threats in real-time

Integrating high-resolution video cameras into your existing video management system (VMS) can transform how you detect and respond to potential threats. These cameras allow you to identify suspicious behaviors like loitering, hiding merchandise or unusual movements in vulnerable areas. 

Recognizing these signs early allows your team to act quickly — whether by assessing the situation or contacting first responders — to help prevent incidents before they escalate. Additionally, advanced AI-powered security cameras can identify hazards like spillages or obstructions, contributing to a safer environment for employees and customers.

High-resolution cameras also deliver clear, detailed footage that can serve as valuable evidence. With over 70% of retail theft linked to repeat offenders, high-quality video is essential for capturing actionable information to share with authorities. For example, strategically placed parking lot cameras can notify your team when a known offender approaches, allowing staff to alert local authorities promptly and help protect your store’s safety. 

Enhance response with real-time insights

Video security systems equipped with different types of IP cameras and smart analytics enable faster, more effective responses to security incidents. These systems provide remote access, allowing you to assess situations and make informed decisions in real-time, no matter where you are. This capability is especially valuable during peak holiday hours or late-night operations when immediate response is critical but security may not be on-site.

With IP cameras, you can receive alerts about anomalies at your store, such as unusual activity or safety hazards, and verify them remotely. This real-time visibility helps you prioritize incidents, determine the appropriate response and avoid unnecessary disruptions. For example, visual confirmation of an incident can reduce false alarms, ensuring police or emergency services are only dispatched when necessary. 

Boost efficiency with edge analytics

Advanced IP security cameras go beyond capturing footage by leveraging edge analytics to help make your existing security system smarter, without costly overhauls. By processing data directly within the camera rather than on a central server, these devices save network bandwidth, reduce false alarms and deliver real-time insights efficiently.

For retailers, edge-enabled cameras offer a scalable, cost-effective solution to upgrade security incrementally. Instead of a costly rip-and-replace approach, you can incrementally add edge-enabled cameras to your existing setup as needs grow. These cameras can integrate seamlessly with your current video management system (VMS), improving alert accuracy and expanding analytic capabilities, ensuring your security system evolves with your business.

Maximizing your retail security investment this holiday season

Securing a budget for a complete system upgrade can be challenging, especially on short notice before the holiday season. While a complete overhaul may not be feasible, modern video security technology offers a range of additional benefits that extend beyond safety and theft prevention, helping you maximize the value of your investment.

Enhance the shopping experience

Smart video cameras equipped with advanced CCTV analytics can do more than improve safety — they can also elevate the customer experience. Heatmaps provide insights into customer traffic flow, helping you identify peak times and adjust staffing accordingly. These tools also deliver operational insights into footfall, employee productivity and inventory placement, enabling you to optimize the shopping environment for a seamless experience.

Streamline store operations

Video security technology can also support day-to-day operations. Live video feeds allow stores to assess stock levels in real-time, reducing the need for manual checks. Smart analytics further free up security teams by eliminating the need to observe video feeds continuously, allowing them to focus on high-priority tasks.

Consolidate your systems for greater efficiency

Upgrading to multifunctional devices can help streamline your existing technology stack. For example, integrating smart sensors, such as HALO Smart Sensor, can reduce the need for standalone people-counting devices while providing additional benefits like vape detection and air quality monitoring. This approach enables you to consolidate tools and make the most of your security investment without overhauling your entire system.

Securing your store with Pelco

The holiday season presents unique physical security challenges for retailers, with increased theft and safety risks to employees and visitors. Pelco offers a wide range of security devices — from camera models designed to handle challenging lighting conditions, to weather and impact-rated options for outdoor use, Pelco cameras are built for reliability in any environment. 

Pelco’s open-platform retail security cameras integrate seamlessly with your existing VMS, offering an effective solution to help you address these challenges without the need for a complete system overhaul. By leveraging your current setup, you can immediately improve safety, protect merchandise and help create a better shopping experience for customers — all while minimizing disruption and costs.

Pelco’s Elevate-enabled cameras take security a step further by integrating advanced analytics directly on the device, without waiting for a full VMS upgrade. With features like Image Health reports, Unified Site Management and Automatic Camera Updates, you can streamline operations and detect threats faster to create a safer shopping environment.

Conclusion

The safety of shoppers and employees is essential in public spaces like retail stores. While the holiday season brings opportunities, increased foot traffic also heightens risks for theft, ORC and violence. 

Video security plays a critical role in loss prevention, safety and operational efficiency. Yet, many retailers still rely on outdated analog systems without the analytics needed to detect threats in real-time.

As the holidays approach, it’s important to evaluate your current security system and identify areas for improvement. Adding advanced IP cameras with edge retail video analytics can help increase situational awareness and deliver actionable insights for a more proactive security posture. By addressing today’s challenges with modern, scalable technologies, you can ensure your store is ready to handle the holiday rush safely and efficiently.