The challenge
Boots is one of the best-known names on British high streets. In recent years there has been a move to retail parks situated on the edge of towns. As a result thieves have targeted the stores seeking to steal well-known brands of perfume and cosmetics.
Options
Stores have been fitted with ‘conventional' security; CCTV, monitored alarms and physical security such as shutters and grilles. These have failed to stop the increasing losses to burglary.
Solution - Smoke Screen
This series of images graphically illustrates the technology's effectiveness. The scene is not staged, these are real thieves and their reaction to the sudden appearance of smoke is genuine.
Multiple Smoke Screen generators are located immediately above the protected area. Hold-off sensors ring the perfume counter acting as a safety ‘hold-off' and allowing authorised personnel to enter and leave the store without activating the smoke.
Once the smoke is produced the effect is electric. The would be thieves literally stop in their tracks and then run from the store empty-handed.
Boot's satisfaction is summed up by the Mike Green, Property Manager.
"The move to edge of town sites caused us problems. Break-ins increased by 10% and nothing we did seemed to have any significant effect.
We tried Smoke Screen in a number of priority stores, those suffering repeated break-ins. The effect was dramatic.
We now have Smoke Screen installed in 300 stores and we have seen burglary losses drop by 70%.
Would I recommend Smoke Screen? Absolutely, it works!"
