I do worry for the people that work in the convenience store and newsagent channel when I read newspaper stories like this in the Argus, Brighton’s local newspaper.

The Argus reports: “A 20-year-old woman, who was working behind the shop’s counter, was threatened and grabbed by a man with a large kitchen knife. He demanded money from the till and stole £450.”

£450 in a till draw is a significant risk, and it’s the shop worker that bore most of this.

Poor cash management puts people at risk, both store employees and customers. The NFRN advises its members with the following:

1. Keep a maximum of between £50-£100 cash notes in the till – depending on the size of the store.
2. EPoS systems now have an alert system to indicate when money needs to be removed from the tills and we recommend that staff adhere to same.
3. Money should be transferred to a drop safe box regularly with another staff member present, for safety purposes.
4. If the retail person is alone in the store, money should not be transferred in view of the public within the store. If the counter is near the window, staff should be aware of their actions in view of people watching the store externally.
5. Retailers or staff should not keep money in cash bags under the counter, awaiting transfer to the office or the bank.
6. We recommend that retailers put up signage stating that ‘This store carries minimum cash levels’.

If you haven’t put a cash security policy it’s time to put one in place before your store becomes a victim like Marina News in Bexhill.

Take a look at this video from the NFRN regarding ways you can protect your store from the threat of external crime.

This NFRN produced video looks at ways to deal with employee theft.

Check out our other posts on crime and security.