ICSC@Red River is quickly approaching. The ECAM shopping center security team will be at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in Dallas, March 30-April 1, 2022. Sign up to meet with one of our experts to learn how live video monitoring can help deter unwanted and criminal activity from retail centers and other commercial properties.
Retail Industry Challenges
Entering 2022, retailers are facing many of the same challenges they did in 2021. COVID variants continue to worry consumers who have veered to online shopping. Supply chain disruptions and product shortages are impacting bottom lines. One of the ripple effects from that is inflation in the form of higher costs for products and even higher wages fueled by the Great Resignation, a recent wave of Americans quitting their jobs.
A survey by Deloitte of 50 senior retail executives found that 70 percent of them believe labor shortages will hamper growth in the industry this year. Seventy-four percent expect those shortages to be in customer-facing positions.
A recent outbreak of smash-and-grab thefts hasn’t helped matters either. The news has been inundated with stories about these organized retail crimes where gangs are ransacking high-end stores to steal whatever they can get their hands on. Organized crime has steadily grown over the past few years. The Buy Safe America Coalition estimates that more than $68 billion of merchandise was stolen in 2019.
Copper theft is also back on the rise as copper values have more than doubled since COVID started. We saw HVAC units, utility lines, and other copper parts stolen years ago when the copper values were high and the copper products were being resold to scrap metal dealers. Despite DPD and major metros having a copper theft task force, we have seen this unwanted trend rising in the past year unfortunately.
A Retail Security Solution That Works
Many retail centers use on-site security guards or patrols to help guard their property. There’s no question they can provide a good physical presence. However, they can only be in one place at a time and can be expensive.
Live video monitoring is a more cost-effective way to manage security issues at shopping centers. Trained security professionals monitor analytics-based surveillance cameras in real time to watch for crimes in progress. If they observe anything unusual, they can take immediate action to help deter the incident before damage happens.
Cameras can be placed strategically around the shopping center to cover parking structures, back alleys, rooftops and storefronts – all for a cost that can be up to 60% less than guards.
Schedule a Time to Meet with Our Security Specialists at ICSC@Red River
Stealth’s team of security experts will be in attendance at ISCS@Red River in Dallas, March 30-April 1, 2022. Schedule a one-on-one meeting to learn how a proactive security solution like live video monitoring can help deter break-ins, theft, vandalism, parking lot issues and other unwanted activity.
If you cannot make it to the show and would like more information, contact us.
