The Association of Convenience Stores’ 2026 crime report still puts shop theft at crisis level: more than 5.8 million thefts across the sector, plus hundreds of thousands of abuse incidents against colleagues. Retailers spent hundreds of millions on prevention last year — CCTV upgrades first, then tagging and security staff.

What store managers in UK cities are asking for

Repeat offenders, not opportunistic tourists, drive most loss. That is true on Oxford Street and in Birmingham Bullring as much as in a night-open store in Liverpool, Leicester or Bradford. Managers want a licensed presence at peak hours, a radio into a supervisor, and a report they can hand police — not a rumour that someone was in the aisle.

Guards, door supervisors and the shop floor

Door supervisors belong on licensed premises and late-night retail. Security officers belong on the shop floor, warehouse cage and car park. Both need a valid SIA licence for the role. We put licence numbers on the officer profile so your area manager can check before the first shift in Manchester, Leeds or Cardiff.

Incidents — theft, abuse, fire, damage — should be logged in the moment with a photo. Reliance Patrol does that from a phone. You open the same-night list in a read-only portal instead of waiting for a book at the week’s end.

Shopping centres, retail parks and convenience

We cover high-street units, retail parks and 24-hour convenience in London, Birmingham, Manchester, Glasgow, Liverpool, Bristol, Sheffield, Edinburgh, Nottingham, Newcastle, Southampton, Brighton, Belfast and Hull. Rotas can follow footfall: Friday–Saturday nights, delivery windows, and school-holiday peaks.

Frequently asked questions

Is facial recognition required?

No. Most stores get more value from licensed colleagues, tagging and a clear exclusion process. We do not sell facial-recognition software.

Can one guard cover a park of units?

Sometimes for patrol and car park. Inside a high-loss store you usually need a dedicated officer.

Do you work with police?

Yes. Officers log facts, preserve CCTV requests and share PDF incident packs when you ask.

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