It is our duty, to protect Retailers with our Roller shutters

Barry Faber famously said, that crime will expand in accordance with our willingness to put up with – at Xpanda,  we couldn’t agree more.

Since the 17^th century, Hight Street retail has been part and parcel of many villages – this not only creating employment, but also, serving the people of that community, that contributes to the macro economy elsewhere.

It is our duty, to protect these retailers, not only from the severe cost of retail crime, but perhaps more importantly, guard against the anti-social behaviour that threatens the livelihoods of these shopkeepers and retail employees on a daily basis.

According to the British retail consortium, shop thefts are costing retailers £1b a year – and the number seems to be growing.

“It’s organised looting” says store owners.

Whilst some theft might be born out of desperation, it is the anti-social behaviour especially towards shop keepers and retail staff that should grab our attention.

According to an article in The Guardian:

“We’ve had people come in with trolleys that they fill up with product and walk out. This is akin to organised looting on the high streets of the UK,” he said. Where this happens outside of shop hours, the losses are far greater.

“I think there’s a real danger that businesses – I don’t just mean a couple, I mean all businesses – will look at some shops and think that is not commercially viable, because we’re spending so much to keep colleagues safe, to try to keep the product safe, that actually, whatever profit that we do make is being spent on that.”

Some supermarket bosses and retail experts stated that these organised criminal gangs are taking advantage of threadbare policing.

Lucy Brown, JLP’s director of security, said: “UK retailers spend around £1bn a year in lost stock, plus a further £700m a year in measures to prevent crime.

In recent weeks, a gang of four men looted a store after business hours, with each offender ransacking a different aisle.

On that occasion, the men got away with 40 boxes of laundry detergent, 20 jars of coffee, and up to 35 steaks and packets of lamb and pork. A fourth man who climbed behind the kiosk grabbed 20 bottles of spirits. The police attended days later to review CCTV.

“They’re hitting us, they’re hitting Tesco, Sainsbury’s, John Lewis. Some of them have Facebook groups saying: ‘I’m off to Matalan today, what do you want?’ These people are dangerous, they’re a menace to society, but they also make the working experience for our colleagues just not very nice.”

According to the BBC:

In Cambridge, 9 stores were hit in 3 weeks:

In a Spin, Cherry Hinton High Street: Reports of a shop window broken at about 22:00 GMT on 11 March

Tesco Express, Chesterton High Street: Reports of a burglary believed to have taken place at 04:00 GMT on 18 March

Elegance Beauty Lounge, Abbey Road: Reports of a shop window being broken in the early hours of 23 March

The Red Mug Lounge, Chesterton Road: Reports of a burglary in the early hours of 24 March

Thoroughbreads, Orwell House: Reports of a break-in and burglary on 28 March

Co-Op, Milton Road: Reports of approximately £180 of alcohol stolen on 28 March

Small Fry, Chesterton High Street: Reports of a burglary in the early hours of 29 March

Jane Seymour Hair, Chesterton High Street: Reports of a burglary in the early hours of 29 March

Golden Wok, Histon Road: Reports of a shop window being broken between 00:01 and 06:30 GMT on 30 March

The Home Secretary, Rt Hon James Cleverly MP, Minister for Crime, Policing and Fire, Rt Hon Chris Philp MP agrees that one of many measures we have to take as concerned citizens would be to design in our required security measures.

One such measure remains a physical barrier – a barrier that completely shuts out the world and protects shops and shop keepers from criminals and criminal modus operandi.

In a day and age where we rely more and more on electronic security measures, these all act as early warning, or a warning systems that a crime is about to take place, or that a crime has taken place.

If we alike these electronic measures to modern day vehicles equipped standard with an array of electronic safety features, none of which has replaced the humble safety belt. The safety belt remains the only physical restraint protecting a vehicle occupant of being flung out the vehicle.

Similarly, a physical barrier remains the only physical restraint against a would be criminal, a barrier that would increase the perpetrator’s chances of being caught, a barrier that would minimise stock losses drastically. A barrier that could cost far less than you think.

A Barrier that would make a clear statement to criminals – a statement that says – WE are not willing to put up with you!

The Xpanda Alustyle ™ security aluminium shutter has been designed to frustrate criminals, it’s been tested globally, and tailor made for your retail shop, right here in the UK.

Should you cherish your stores window dressing, a well made security grill, spanning the opening of your display windows could be equally effective – these products have been proven successful in many ram raid’s – a phenomena that is taking a hold on may international cities.

Rest assured, what ever your retail need, Xpanda has a tailor made product just for you.

Xpanda, real security, it’s not just a tagline, it is a promise.

Team Xpanda UK