Stuart Wheeler, Managing Director of Keynetics, discusses common challenges faced in retail alarm response operations and explains the importance of keyholding arrangements for effective delivery.

Retail is undeniably a sector that experiences a higher volume of crime and recent industry statistics confirm that the number of offences is increasing.

Many of the smaller scale, yet still very concerning, crimes that occur in daytime – such as shoplifting, violence and abuse toward staff and other offences – have led to an increased presence of security guards around stores and heavy investment in theft-prevention solutions by retailers.   

However, while daytime crimes are troubling, offences committed after-hours can be much more severe.

Vandalism and break-ins result in theft, damage to property and stock, as well as potential financial losses from a single isolated incident. Furthermore, a night-time break-in on a larger scale could prevent a store from opening the following day.   

The time factor is also critical. Daytime crimes are more likely to be executed quickly, as criminals are aware that the chances of getting caught are much higher.

Nighttime break-ins, on the other hand, provide criminals with a window of time to complete their activities before an alarm responder arrives to the location, which sometimes can take up to a couple of hours.  

The worrying trends in keyholding  

Interestingly, professional security patrols are not always involved in retail alarm response.

Over the past years, we’ve spoken with numerous retailers, including some well-recognised, large companies that have passed their keyholding and alarm response duties to store managers; this is concerning.  

While such arrangements may undoubtedly help retailers save on keyholding costs, they can have serious consequences for the staff who respond to security alarms during unsociable hours. 

In many cases, the decision to assign alarm responses to store managers stems from another factor: the frequency of false alarms that require only a quick check and reset.

Yet, this cost-saving approach can lead to several issues.   

The hidden costs of staff callouts 

Firstly, when staff are asked to urgently return to work during their personal time, even if it’s only once a month, their work-life balance is disrupted.

This can lead to poor employee retention rates with further financial burdens of repeatedly rehiring and training new employees.

If a keyholder walks off the job without notice, additional key and lock replacement charges are expensive.

Now multiply this by the number of stores in a retail estate and the total cost of a staff key holding policy can escalate very quickly. 

More importantly, what happens if the alarm is activated for a legitimate reason, and there are intruders on site?

Every employer is responsible for safeguarding their staff and in this case, the responsibility is being neglected, potentially putting employees at serious risk. 

Doing it right without breaking the bank  

A professionally delivered alarm response that includes traditional keyholding can be expensive.

In addition to a fixed monthly keyholding fee, which can run into the hundreds of pounds for each location, there is also a callout charge per visit.

In an ideal situation, with no callouts, retailers with hundreds of locations may still face six-figure invoices just for key storage. This is why some retailers opt out of these services altogether.  

But what if keyholding fees could be significantly reduced while still giving a retailer’s security team full control over access to premises across multiple sites?

This could include security patrols responding to alarms, staff opening and closing stores, and simplifying access for after-hours deliveries, facilities management and reactive maintenance contractors.   

This is possible (in a cost-effective manner) if keys are stored at the point of need – at the location – in a digital key safe.

Some may argue that the risks associated with criminals using the keys from a key safe to enter a building are high, but they overlook the advancements in access control technology, including key safes and their enhanced security features.   

Security due diligence  

It is crucial to conduct thorough due diligence and assess the risks associated with any solution used for storing keys on-site.

For example, over-the-counter key safes are not suitable for commercial use, while more robust solutions may claim to offer adequate protection from unauthorised intrusion but lack proper evidence or security certification from reputable certifying authorities.   

From day one, we’ve focused on ensuring that our key management solutions are suitable for commercial applications; this has entailed key safe design considerations, repeated attack tests and continuous product improvements – all aimed at achieving the required security standards.

Our solutions have achieved the unrivalled C1 and C3 security grading of the LPS 1175 loss prevention certification.  

In addition to attack testing our solutions for security, we’ve also conducted comparative attack tests that demonstrated the poor performance of some other products on the market. 

This includes not just security, but the digital capabilities of these devices, which are essential for auditing and ensuring accountability for temporary keyholders accessing premises through a key safe.  

The digital side of retail key management  

When keys are stored at the point of need and handled by various parties, it’s essential to track who accessed the keys, when, and if keys have been returned to the key safe.  

Digital capabilities vary depending on the supplier and the key safe model.

Let’s explore how Keynetics’ SentriGuard system works as an example.   

SentriGuard consists of three components: a key safe, a cloud-based platform for remote access management and an app that allows registered users to open allocated key safes, add visit notes and upload photos.

The key detection feature notifies designated individuals whenever a key is not returned to the key safe. Then, the platform’s audit reports help track the last person who had accessed the keys.   

SentriGuard key safes use Bluetooth technology, and the app is the key component that enables automated, real-time access reporting on the platform.

This eliminates the need for manual uploads for audits from each key safe.  

The SentriGuard system is designed for commercial use, allowing the addition of subcontractor companies—such as security or facilities management providers—to the platform.

This provides clients with a complete audit trail of all access without the administration of service providers’ staff access, which is passed on to the relevant company.  

Key management systems like SentriGuard are gaining popularity and, as long they offer adequate resistance to intrusion, they are an ideal cost-saving alternative to traditional keyholding, enabling auditable, secure and quick access to stores for staff, FM and security patrols.  

This article was originally published in the February 2025 Edition of Security Journal UK. To read your FREE digital edition, click here.