How to Secure Your Retail Business

Whether you sell grocery essentials, decadent desserts, handmade soaps and candles, or colorful clothing, your small retail shop is a unique — and essential — part of your community. And in order to keep providing joy to customers, you need to keep your store safe and secure.

The right security measures can go a long way in protecting your store, stock, and employees.

Install a Security System from Ring for Business

Between the hours spent training employees, ordering new stock, counting tills, and taking inventory, it may feel like you’re always at your shop. But in reality, you can’t be there around the clock.

With a Ring Alarm and Ring Protect subscription, sold separately, you don’t have to be onsite to know if someone is trying to enter your retail store after-hours. Instead, you can buy an Alarm Kit, easily install the sensors (or hire a professional so you don’t have to take time out of your busy day), and get alerts on your phone when the Alarm gets triggered.¹

Ring Alarm comes with the following components to protect your business:

If you’re looking for even more protection, you can also add these optional sensors, sold separately, to your system:

Since running a retail store can already be more than a full-time job, Ring also offers 24/7 Alarm Professional Monitoring.² An agent will watch for alerts, call you if your Alarm gets triggered, and dispatch authorities if you request help or can’t answer. You can also share Ring App access with a trusted employee, so they can keep an eye on notifications while you’re away.

Add Indoor and Outdoor Security Cameras

There’s a lot to keep track of at your retail store, from cash registers and storerooms to parking lots and loading docks. And with indoor and outdoor security cameras, you can capture footage of important moments you weren’t there to see.

Your cameras will send notifications to your phone when they detect motion, and you can check in at any point via Live View. If you want the ability to view and save old footage, a Ring Protect subscription gives you 180 days of access.³ That means you can look back on a day when merchandise went missing or even pull up a positive interaction between an employee and a raving customer.

Some outdoor cameras come with lights that automatically shine when motion is detected, which can alert unwanted visitors. Plus, you can use Two-Way Talk to speak with the person on camera, whether it’s someone you don’t recognize or an employee who forgot the door code. And with Virtual Security Guard⁴, you don’t need to monitor your camera feeds — a highly trained professional will check for alerts from your Alarm and cameras and use Two-Way Talk and sirens to try and deter suspicious activity.⁵

Whether you just had your grand opening or are finally ready to invest in security, you can start with a few Floodlight Cameras or a Ring for Business Bundle. As you stock more merchandise, hire more employees, and see more foot traffic in your store, you can add as many new sensors and cameras as you need to feel extra secure.

Use Heavy-Duty Locks and Change Them Regularly

When your retail shop houses expensive merchandise and cash, it’s crucial to protect what’s inside with a strong lock. Double-cylinder locks are often a safe option since you need a key to unlock the bolt from both the inside and outside of the door, but a local locksmith can help you determine if there’s a better alternative for your shop.

Turnover can be high in retail settings, so be sure to change your locks regularly to ensure only current employees have access to your store. Even if you’ve had the same crew for a decade, you should still rekey your locks regularly in case a key gets lost.

You can also install a smart lock with a code to eliminate the need for keys altogether. Instead of calling a locksmith, you can change the code periodically from your phone and notify the employees who need access.

Cash Out Tills Regularly and Store Cash in a Safe

Unless you run a completely cashless retail store, you might have thousands of dollars sitting around during a day of heavy sales. To prevent people from having easy access to cash, you should frequently remove money from registers and put it in a secure safe. Keep enough cash in each till to provide change for a few average-sized transactions, and put a cap on the amount of money a cashier can keep in their drawer.

Avoid leaving large amounts in the store for long periods or overnight. Use a tamper-safe bag to transport cash to the bank or contract with a company that can do it for you.

Safeguard Restricted Areas With Access Control

Some areas of your retail store may be off-limits to nearly everyone except management, such as back offices and merchandise store rooms. Consider adding an access control system to keep those areas protected from unauthorized access. Keycards and access codes can help you track who comes and goes, and many systems keep a record with exact times.

Access control can also be helpful on exterior doors that customers can’t access. You’ll know who was on the premises and when they entered, and you can prevent non-employees from getting into areas that aren’t public.

Simplify Retail Security With Ring for Business

Implementing innovative security measures can help ensure your retail shop continues to thrive. If you’re looking for a system that can grow and adapt with your business, Ring for Business has everything you need, from indoor and outdoor cameras to Alarm Kits with compatible smart locks.

Learn more about Ring for Business, discover the convenient features that come with a Virtual Security Guard subscription,⁴ or speak to a specialist now to find the best setup for your retail shop.

¹ Ring Alarm and all Ring Alarm accessories require a subscription for in-app features and digital notifications, including digital arming / disarming and integration with other Ring, Echo, Alexa, and third party products. Subscription sold separately. View ring.com/protect-plans for pricing and details.

²  A compatible Ring Protect subscription is required to enroll in the Ring Alarm professional monitoring service. Professional monitoring service is available only within the U.S. (all 50 states, but not U.S. territories) and in Canada (excluding Quebec). Ring does not own its own professional monitoring center. Smoke and carbon monoxide monitoring is not available for a business or commercially zoned address. See Ring alarm licenses at: ring.com/licenses. Additional permit or false alarm fees may apply depending on your local jurisdiction. Additional charges may apply in areas that require permits or guard response service for alarm verification.

³  Your Ring videos in the cloud are stored temporarily, up to 180 days. Changing your video storage time will only affect videos that are recorded after you adjust your storage time setting. Check Ring Protect Subscription Plans for more information.

4  Virtual Security Guard is an add-on service that requires the following (each sold separately): subscription fee per enrolled location plus a compatible Ring Protect plan, Ring Alarm system, enrollment in Ring Alarm professional monitoring, and an eligible device. Rapid Response is the seller and provides the service and agents monitoring person detected motion events. Learn more.

5  Virtual Security Guard does not support Two-Way Talk for ONVIF-compatible cameras.

Have a Story?

If you have stories or videos you’d like to share with us, please send them to stories@ring.com.