Retail Security Guards and Loss Prevention Officers

What’s included

Who we protect

• High-street shops and independent retailers
• Retail parks and out-of-town units
• Shopping centres and malls
• Supermarkets and convenience stores
• Pop-up shops, sale events and seasonal trading

The retail risks we plan around

Retail security is rarely about one problem. Theft by individuals, organised groups working in pairs, verbal abuse towards staff, and disorder at closing time all call for slightly different tactics. A single officer by the door suits some stores; a mixed team with one visible officer and one in plain clothes suits others.

Staff safety matters as much as stock. Shop workers are often the first people to face a confrontation. A trained officer on site gives them someone to call, and a calm, procedure-led response to incidents helps protect both staff and the business.

Because every unit differs, we start with the layout, trading hours, footfall pattern and the stock you most want protected, then recommend a deployment rather than a one-size package.

How deployment works

1. Brief

   You tell us about the store, trading hours, your main concerns and your existing policies on detaining or reporting suspects.

2. Recommendation

   We propose uniformed, plain-clothes or mixed cover, with hours that match your trading pattern.

3. Deployment

   SIA-licensed, BS 7858 screened officers are briefed on site and start on the agreed date, or at short notice where needed.

4. Reporting

   Incident and shift reports follow each assignment, and we review the arrangement with you as your needs change.

Every officer we deploy holds a valid SIA licence and is screened to BS 7858. You are welcome to check any licence on the SIA public register of licence holders.

Choosing the right level of retail cover

The cheapest arrangement is rarely the cheapest outcome. A single officer who spends the day at the door will stop some opportunist theft but will see little of what happens in the aisles. A plain-clothes officer sees more of the floor but offers no visible deterrent. Many stores find that a visible officer at peak times plus plain-clothes cover at the times and in the areas where loss is highest gives better value than one officer for every trading hour.

It helps to bring your own data to the conversation: which days and hours lose the most stock, which product lines disappear, where staff feel least safe and whether you have CCTV coverage. If you do not have this information yet, we can start with a short period of cover and review what the officers observe before you commit to a longer arrangement.

Questions to ask any retail security provider

• Are the officers licensed for the work they will actually be doing, and can I check the licences on the SIA register?
• What will officers do when they see theft, and is that consistent with my store’s policy on challenging customers?
• Who covers the shift if an officer is sick, and how quickly will I be told?
• What will I receive in writing after an incident, and how soon?

Why MEHXIV

Retail teams often need cover quickly: a spike in theft, a sale weekend or a sudden absence. We keep a pool of licensed officers able to deploy at short notice, and female officers are available where you would like a female officer on the shop floor or at the door.

We operate around the clock, and we donate 5p from every £1 donated to children’s charities as part of how we do business. You can read more about our approach on the About MEHXIV page.

Frequently Asked Questions

Related services

Areas we cover

Based in Middlesbrough. Deploying across Teesside, the wider North East and Yorkshire; other UK areas by arrangement.

Sectors