The retail sector in South Africa faces a number of security challenges, chief among them being theft and a growing trend towards violent armed robbery. Theft is a common problem across retailers, from grocery stores to clothing merchants and everything in between, whether the stores are located in malls or are street facing. This age old issue includes petty theft from within the stores, items going missing in delivery bays, and items not being scanned at till points, all of which contribute to increased risk and lowered profitability.

However, the more worrying concern for many retailers, particularly convenience and grocery store chains that are not positioned in high-security malls, is that of armed robbery. Apart from the risk of stock and profit loss, which is common with theft, armed robbery poses its own unique risks. Employees and patrons of the stores are put in harm’s way, and there are many reports of people getting seriously injured and even killed in modern armed robbery incidents. This damages the reputation of the store, as customers may be too scared to shop there, leading to further reduced profitability....

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The full article is available in the December/January 2012 Issue of Business Brief and is available in the online magazine. To access this magazine, click here to subscribe