Set Up Locks, Vaults, and Safes for Valuables

Securing your liquor store’s assets is crucial for deterring and preventing theft. You’ll want to take special care to lock up your most valuable inventory items and your cash. 

For example, if your liquor store carries rare, limited-edition spirits, it’s a good idea to secure them more carefully than your standard well liquors. 

Let’s look at a few liquor store security tools that you can use to protect your cash and your most expensive stock: 

• Locks are versatile solutions that can restrict access to certain items or areas within your liquor store. You’ll want to invest in high-security, tamper-proof locks to place entrance doors, storage rooms, and cabinets where valuable items are kept. For a more high-tech solution, consider using electronic keypad locks that allow you to set unique access codes for employees, track entry and exit, and change codes as needed without the need to physically change locks.

• Vaults are typically built into your liquor store’s walls and provide the highest level of security. Vaults are a great option for securing large amounts of rare, expensive inventory or sensitive documents. 
• Safes allow you to store business documents and cash securely. Safes are a flexible solution, and there are several different options available depending on what you plan to store in your safe. For example, you might opt for a wall safe if you’re hoping to discreetly store valuable inventory or documents, or you might choose a drop safe for your employees to deposit cash from sales throughout their shifts. 

Installing an adequate combination of locks, vaults, and safes can deter criminals from targeting your store, delay access to valuables if a thief breaks into your store, and even protect your assets in the event of flooding, fire, or another disaster. 

Restrict Access to Inventory Areas

While shoplifting and break-ins are a major cause for concern, it’s also important to protect your liquor store from internal threats. Unfortunately, employee theft is a common problem, with one in five small business owners reporting that an employee has stolen from them. 

The key to preventing employee theft is strategically limiting access to your liquor store’s assets. Consider installing access control systems that restrict access to the spaces where you store your excess inventory, cash, and sensitive documents. 

Technologies like key cards and biometric scans provide the ultimate level of security to ensure that only your most trusted employees have access to your secure areas. With these systems, you can assign your employees a personalized key card to enter your storage rooms, or you even implement employee fingerprint or facial recognition tools for heightened security. 

Another benefit of these technologies is that they keep a detailed record of who accessed your secure spaces and when they entered, making it easy to keep a close eye on your valuables and investigate potential issues as they arise. 

For added security, you can install cameras in strategic areas of your stockrooms to further protect your valuable inventory. 

Use Lighting and Signage To Discourage Theft Attempts

Subtle changes to your store’s layout can be surprisingly effective in your mission to secure your small business. 

Installing bright lighting and putting up clear signage throughout your store are two foundational liquor store security strategies that can deter criminals from targeting your business. 

Thieves do their best work in the dark, so make sure that all areas of your liquor store are well-lit with bright lighting. Pay special attention to your entrance and exit, any dark corners of your space, and your parking lot. 

Ensuring that your space is illuminated with appropriate lighting does more than just deter shoplifting; it also creates a more welcoming environment for your customers, enticing them to spend more time exploring all the spirits your liquor store has to offer. 

Signage is another powerful theft deterrent. A few well-placed signs letting visitors know that they’re on camera, that your store has security measures in place, and that you plan to prosecute shoplifters can be very effective. 

For the most visibility, place these signs at your store’s entrance and near your checkout counters. 

 

Leverage Surveillance Technology To Safeguard Your Liquor Store

Security cameras and alarm systems are classic liquor store security strategies for a good reason. 

Well-placed security cameras are an effective way to deter theft and catch thieves if they decide to target your business. Let’s look at three types of security cameras you might consider employing in your store: 

• CCTV Cameras: Closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras are a reliable and cost-effective way to cover all angles of your space. They provide a constant loop of footage that’s stored on a device in your store, so you can easily refer to the footage in the event of criminal behavior. 
• IP Cameras: Internet protocol (IP) cameras are digital cameras that are connected to the internet. While these cameras tend to be more expensive, they enable you to keep an eye on your store from anywhere. Newer IP cameras also offer higher-resolution video than older CCTV technologies. 
• Motion Sensor Cameras: These cameras are ideal for areas that require monitoring but don’t have constant activity, such as stockrooms or after-hours on the sales floor. They conserve energy and storage space by recording only when triggered by movement, making them a cost-effective and efficient option.

Along with cameras, you might consider investing in an alarm system to protect your store and your staff. Here are the two main types of alarm systems for liquor stores: 

• Motion Sensor Alarms: This type of alarm system uses motion sensors to detect unauthorized movement in your store after hours. When armed, these detectors can trigger an alarm or notify a monitoring service if movement is detected, allowing you to respond to a break-in immediately. 
• Silent Alarms: Silent alarms are a critical tool for keeping your staff safe. If a criminal decides to target your store during your open hours, your employees will be able to trigger a silent alarm that alerts the authorities without escalating an already dangerous situation. 

The right camera and alarm system for your liquor store will depend on your unique security concerns, the size and layout of your store, and your budget. You might also consider investing in a combination of multiple types of cameras and alarms to provide flexible monitoring.

Consider Bottle Caps, Tags, and Anti-Theft Holders

If you carry a selection of rare, expensive spirits or wines, then you might want to take additional precautions to prevent shoplifters from targeting these items. 

Fortunately, there are some simple retail solutions that you can implement to secure these items while still displaying them on the sales floor. Let’s look at a few security technologies: 

• Bottle Caps: Bottle caps fit over the caps of your wine or liquor bottles to prevent them from being poured without removal. They are designed with a unique unlocking mechanism that only the store staff can open with a special key or magnetic device.

• Bottle Tags: You can attach hard security tags to the neck of bottles that can only be removed at the checkout counter. These tags either set off an alarm when taken from the store or spill ink onto a shoplifter. 
• Anti-Theft Holders: Anti-theft holders secure your bottles completely, allowing your customers to see them on display but not move or touch them. If a customer wants to purchase a bottle from an anti-theft holder, one of your employees will have to unlock the anti-theft holder. 

Bottle caps and tags are a flexible, affordable option if you carry a larger selection of valuable bottles, and they allow your customers to interact with your products and carry them around as they make a decision. In contrast, anti-theft holders are far more secure, but they might negatively impact your customer’s experience in your store. 

The right type of liquor security technologies will depend on your concerns, inventory, and budget, so spend some time determining what will work best for you and your customers.