Strategies for Securing Holiday Operations
The Holiday Reality: Record Sales, Rising Risk
The 2025 holiday season is on track to set new sales records. Organized retail crime (ORC) groups and cargo theft are reaching new levels of sophistication, targeting retailers across North America. With U.S. holiday retail sales projected to reach $994 billion (U.S. Census Bureau), the opportunities for theft have expanded. Organized groups are using staffing shortages, overcrowded stores and freight surges to their advantage, turning what should be the most profitable period of the year into one of the riskiest.
To stay ahead, retailers need to use a layered approach to retail security, one that integrates trained security officers, off-duty law enforcement and remote monitoring to reduce losses and maintain continuity.
The Staffing Challenge: Seasonal Hires Create Security Gaps
According to the National Retail Federation, retailers are expected to hire between 400,000 and 500,000 seasonal employees to meet record demand this November and December. That surge helps handle crowds but also introduces serious security vulnerabilities. Shorter onboarding cycles and high turnover often mean new hires lack proper loss-prevention training or familiarity with store protocols.
Common risks include:
- Missed red flags due to inexperience or distraction
- Lapses in access control (stockrooms, cash-handling areas)
- Slow or inconsistent incident reporting
- Reduced supervision during shift changes or extended hours
According to Motorola Solutions, 57% of retail employees report feeling unsafe entering the holiday rush. That anxiety can affect morale, service and retention. Empowering staff through training, communication and visible security presence not only deters theft but also reinforces a culture of safety.
Looking for more seasonal security insights? Check out our article: Preventing Retail Theft: Holiday Season Best Practices for expert tips on reducing shrink, improving store readiness and protecting your assets during the busiest time of year.
Preparing Your Retail Security Audit for the Holiday Season
Retailers should conduct a comprehensive retail security audit before the holiday rush to identify vulnerabilities and align store teams on proactive prevention by considering the following steps:
Inspect entry points, stockroom doors and loading docks, ensuring store alarms, CCTV systems and lighting are fully functional and eliminate blind spots.
Confirm that seasonal hires receive loss prevention training and understand escalation procedures; maintain consistent scheduling to prevent coverage gaps during peak hours.
Test and maintain retail anti-theft equipment and integrate alarms, cameras and remote monitoring systems for centralized oversight.
Update local law enforcement contacts and communication systems and establish a clear chain of command for incident escalation.
Get access to our complete checklist on retail security audits for the holiday season – a practical, step-by-step guide to strengthening your stores against organized retail crime and retail store theft.
Stay Ahead of Seasonal Risks
Connect with Protos Security to build a proactive retail security plan tailored for the holiday season.
How to Prevent Retail Store Theft During the Holiday Season
1. Make Security Visible and Reassuring
Shoppers pick up on subtle cues: locked cases, empty shelves and long waits for assistance. Instead of reassurance, those signals can make stores feel tense or unsafe. A better approach is strategic security touring, regular, visible patrols by trained officers who circulate through high-risk areas.
Guard touring replaces reactive signals of control with a proactive, reassuring presence. A circulating patrol not only deters potential offenders but also reassures shoppers and employees that someone is watching over the environment. This visibility helps restore balance and signals safety without signaling threat.
Key Takeaway: These proactive patrols serve a dual purpose: deterring theft and showing customers and employees that the environment is actively managed. When paired with technology like randomized patrol routes or mobile incident alerts, touring transforms perception from “understaffed” to “attentive and protected.”
Read more about the benefits of guard touring in our blog: Retail Security During the Holidays: Why Guard Touring Tech Matters More Than Ever.
2. Prioritize Employee Safety and Confidence
Retail workers are the first line of defense but should never be put at risk. Equip every team member with clear escalation procedures such as who to call, what to say and when to step back. Offer short refresher training focused on observation, de-escalation and communication. Encourage a culture where reporting concerns is not discouraged and ensure managers model calm, consistent responses. By giving employees the right tools and support, you empower them to act confidently without ever placing themselves in harm’s way.
Key takeaway: Having retail security officers present during high-traffic periods builds confidence for staff who might otherwise feel alone in volatile situations. Uniformed officers also act as an immediate deterrent for potential offenders watching the floor.
3. Optimize Store Layout and Flow
Crowded displays, blocked aisles and overstocked endcaps create blind spots that criminals exploit. Before the season begins, walk your store from a thief’s perspective. Can employees see key zones? Are cameras obstructed? Is checkout adequately staffed during peak hours? Consider whether high-value items are too easily accessible, and identify any corners where visibility drops during rush periods. Small layout adjustments made now can significantly reduce opportunistic theft once foot traffic increases.
Key Takeaway: Simple layout adjustments, including clearer sightlines, open aisles and high-value items near staffed counters, improve both customer experience and security visibility.
4. Strengthen Processes and Policies
Loss prevention starts with consistency. Tighten return and exchange policies, require receipts for all refunds and clearly communicate restrictions on high-value purchases. Regularly review bag-check or exit-monitoring procedures to ensure they’re courteous but effective. When shoppers see clear, uniform practices in place, it reduces confusion, limits loopholes and deters those looking to exploit inconsistent processes.
Key Takeaway: Daily security briefings before opening can align managers, sales staff and officers on current risks, incident trends and coverage assignments. These quick touchpoints keep everyone alert and reduce confusion when an incident occurs.
The Critical Role of Security Officers in Holiday Retail Protection
During the busiest shopping weeks of the year, a strong on-site security presence can make the difference between prevention and crisis. Trained retail security officers provide a visible deterrent, assist with crowd control and respond quickly to incidents. Their calm, professional presence reassures staff and shoppers alike that the environment is both safe and managed.
Security officers are trained to identify behavioral cues that signal potential theft, coordinate with store management to prevent escalation and maintain vigilance during the most chaotic shopping periods. They monitor high-theft departments like electronics and cosmetics, manage lines at entrances and checkouts and conduct proactive patrols through parking lots to reduce smash-and-grab attempts. At closing time, they can escort employees safely to vehicles or help secure deposits and stockrooms.
For retailers operating multiple stores, consistent coverage ensures every location follows the same loss prevention and safety standards. It also supports unified reporting and accountability, helping regional managers spot trends and refine strategies in real time.
Protect Your Stores Before the Rush Starts
Connect with Protos Security to build a proactive retail security plan tailored for the holiday season.
Why Off-Duty Law Enforcement Elevates Retail Security During Peak Season
In higher-risk environments or locations dealing with repeat theft or organized retail crime activity, many retailers enhance their strategy by integrating off-duty law enforcement personnel. These professionals bring advanced training, de-escalation skills and firsthand crisis-response experience. Their authority and situational awareness often deter organized theft groups before incidents occur.
Off-duty law enforcement can also coordinate seamlessly with local police, ensuring that if an incident escalates, the response is fast. Their presence adds another layer of credibility, one that organized theft crews recognize and often avoid.
The Role of Technology and Remote Video Monitoring
Technology can strengthen human security without replacing it. Remote video monitoring, motion-activated analytics and incident alerts enable off-site teams to verify alarms, dispatch on-site personnel or escalate to law enforcement faster than ever.
For retailers with multiple locations, centralized monitoring creates a single command center view helping retail managers track incidents, analyze trends and allocate resources more effectively. Integrating cameras, alarms and patrol logs into one platform delivers the transparency and accountability retail leaders need during high-pressure seasons.
Secure the Season Before It Starts
The 2025 holiday season presents both opportunity and risk. With record sales, organized retail crime and cargo theft at historic highs, relying on single-layer or reactive security simply isn’t enough.
The holiday rush is coming fast. Partner with Protos Security now to strengthen your retail loss prevention strategy – with trained security officers, off-duty law enforcement and advanced monitoring that keeps your stores protected through the busiest season of the year.
