Tom’s Top Security Tips for Retailers This Holiday Season

November 27, 2025

Calculating...

Proactive protection, calm support, and proven frameworks for safer stores.

Black Friday is no longer just a big shopping day – it kicks off what many consider the start of the Christmas trading period. According to PwC UK, consumers in the UK are expected to spend £6.4 billion this Black Friday, with average spend per shopper rising to £262 – the highest perhead level since before the pandemic.

That surge in footfall and purchasing intention presents a major opportunity for retailers… but also a significant security and loss prevention challenge.

To share some expert insight, we spoke with Tom Colman, Director of Business Support at Professional Security, who previously led Tesco’s national shrinkage and security programme, overseeing thousands of stores through multiple peak seasons.

A Security Framework That Delivers

At Tesco, Tom’s team built a data led security framework designed to protect stores during the busiest, most unpredictable trading periods. Key elements included:

Practical, actionable advice from subject-matter experts on how to implement effective lockdown procedures – from staff briefings to escalation workflows.

Risk-based store assessments to identify vulnerabilities that could be exploited to create a threat and therefore a risk to both colleague safety and shrinkage – from layout and access points to high-value product zones.

Centralised monitoring and December readiness checks, ensuring all doors, locks, alarms and access-control systems are functioning correctly ahead of peak trading and extended opening hours.

Guarding rotas synced with trading hours, especially when stores extended hours or operated overnight around key dates.

Target hardening measures – from secured delivery zones to controlled access, to prevent opportunistic theft and burglary.

Ongoing shrinkage tracking and compliance audits – to spot early signs of theft, internal losses or procedure failures before they became serious.

Understanding the Pressure Points

“The pressures intensify at Christmas,” says Tom. “High footfall, busy colleagues, longer opening hours, and opportunistic offenders all combine to create risks. Add in transport disruption or reduced overnight cover, and small oversights can quickly become big losses.”

Organised criminal gangs often increase activity at peak times. For example, trolley push-throughs are a key risk, where offenders load multiple items and exit via fire exits. Physical vulnerabilities, staff fatigue, and long trading hours all contribute.

Why Black Friday and Christmas Amplify Risk

The PwC forecast puts Black Friday spend at £6.4 billion, with heavy demand for fashion, tech, and other high-value items.

Combine that with the extended festive period and these factors and you get a recipe for heightened security risk:

High footfall + busy, crowded stores

Increases opportunity for theft, distraction theft, or organised shoplifting.

Extended trading hours and staffing pressures

Stores often open earlier, close later, or operate 24 hours during key dates, creating fatigue and stretched resources.

Highvalue items and seasonal promotions

Popular Black Friday and Christmas products attract attention, not always of the right kind.

Opportunistic and organised crime

Gangs often target stores during this peak trading period, including push-through thefts and burglary attempts.

Unpredictable consumer behaviour

Crowds, rushes, and holiday excitement can make it easier for offenders to exploit lapses in security.

As Tom puts it:

“Black Friday and the Christmas trading period create the perfect storm. Stores offering seasonal deals, running long hours, and facing surges in footfall all need to anticipate risk – not react after the fact.”

Tom’s Security Tips for Black Friday & Christmas Retailers

Drawing on his experience from Tesco and his current work, Tom shares his top recommendations:

Plan guarding early

Don’t leave it until stores are already busy. Schedule security support to match trading hours, delivery windows, and known highrisk days.

Secure high value areas and manage access

Lock down stock rooms, secure delivery zones, control movement of trolleys and fire exits, especially when crowd volumes spike.

Empower store teams

Not just security officers – reduce shrinkage by training staff on process compliance, delivery checks, logging abnormalities, and ensuring consistent cash/stock controls

Monitor data and trends

Use shrinkage reports, incident logs, footfall patterns and loss prevention audits to spot where loss is likely, and adjust resource deployment accordingly.

Prioritise people and safety

When staff feel supported and safe, they perform better. A confident, protected workforce reduces risk, improves customer service, and deters criminal behaviour.

Protecting People, Products, and Reputation

As our #SantasWatchingAndSoAreWe campaign continues, Tom’s insights highlight one clear truth: effective retail security is about calm, consistent preparation – not crisis response.

From 24/7 monitoring in our Security Operations Centre (SOC) to expert guarding and retail intelligence, Professional Security provides peace of mind through precision planning and reliable delivery.

Because this Christmas, the most valuable thing we can protect isn’t just stock, it’s your people.

Get in touch to review your retail security plan and ensure your stores are prepared for the festive season.