Survey claims shops need to be smarter with security

The survey revealed that only nine per cent of retailers nationally treated security as a priority, even though crime cost the industry £2.5bn in 2005. Installers also have their part to play, as TAC Satchwell's John Sage believes.

"Shops are dynamic environments that change all the time, yet frequently you'll see cameras in the corners of the rooms that have never been moved to allow for changing room layouts.

“Often the technology in place is absolutely fine, but the set-up, positioning and even the camera lens are wrong. The approach to security needs to be a bespoke one and retailers must turn to security providers that can go the extra mile – it should never be a case of simply installing some cameras and hoping for the best. Retailers must look to protect their investment – both their products on sale and their annual spend on security solutions – by carrying out a full professional survey and risk assessment."

TAC Satchwell asked managers from leading stores and supermarkets from 19 UK cities to rate the importance of security against a list of other retail issues. As many as 22 per cent rated security as the least important factor in their day-to-day work, compared to a list of issues including profit, recruitment, merchandising and competition. The company says the figures prove that, although investment in security measures is high in this sector, profits will continue to be hit by crime until it is treated as a priority at all levels of the business.