Customer Perception: Balancing Security and Experience in Retail

As the rates of shoplifting are rising across the world, retailers are faced with a tough balancing act––implementing enhanced security measures in shops without sacrificing the customer experience. How does a business protect its inventory without making the customer feel like a criminal? It’s a question retailers wish they didn’t have to ask, but as shoplifting in the US is at a four-year high and the UK reported the worst year on record in 2023, it’s an important one.

There are ways, however, and many of them can be so subtle that customers don’t even notice.

The Impact of Security Measures on Customer Experience

In brick-and-mortar stores, retailers aren’t just selling products; they’re also selling an experience. Just look at the shops for the most popular brands across the globe––good lighting, music, aesthetics, and interactive displays are all part of the equation. Visible security measures like anti-theft devices and entrance gates, regardless of how critical they are to a store’s success, don’t always gel with the relaxed and convenient environment businesses wish to create. Sometimes, they can have the opposite effect, creating a shop where customers feel stressed and constantly under a watchful eye.

Effective Security Measures Without Compromising Experience

Not all anti-theft devices are as in your face as the ones wrapped around products or clipped on garments, though. RF and AM stickers, for example, are subtle and have little impact on the product itself when attached. Better yet, AI video surveillance can reduce theft-related losses by up to 60%, and it’s far more discreet when used right. In supermarkets, pharmacies, and retail outlets, AI-based software uses deep learning to detect specific shoplifting gestures and can be used with existing security cameras.

Transparent Communication with Customers

It’s expected that you’ll be recorded anytime you enter a shop these days. Even when a camera can’t be easily spotted, there’s a level of understanding between most customers and retailers that shops are always recording for heightened security and loss prevention. But it’s still important to communicate that effectively and be as transparent as possible about security measures. Signs at the entrance of the store, for example, notify customers as soon as they enter that they may be recorded for such purposes.

Training staff to effectively communicate and enforce security policies also goes a long way in creating trust. They should be knowledgeable about the store’s security systems and protocols and able to address questions and concerns confidently and courteously.

The Path to a Better Shopping Experience

Security measures and anti-theft devices may not be going anywhere anytime soon, but they are certainly becoming more discreet and less impactful in the carefully designed shopping environment. Between slimmer physical tags and stickers and enhanced security software, security measures are blending into the background while also becoming more effective. By taking advantage of these newer technologies, retailers can improve the customer experience and their store’s aesthetics—they can move away from locked display cases and products in protective plastic boxes back to a more interactive and harmonious experience.