Preparing for Black Friday With Blackbird Security
Blackbird Security retail security teams across Canada spent Black Friday 2024 safeguarding our clients’ businesses. Our team went in the field during the sale weekend to gain an insider perspective from our teams at Downtown Vancouver’s largest mall, Pacific Centre, where we’re proud to protect multiple businesses, including Sephora, Moose Knuckles, and Holt Renfrew.
Now that the second busiest retail day of the year (losing first place to Boxing Day) is over, we're sharing key insights and strategies that helped our retail security teams maintain safety and prevent loss during this high-traffic period, as well as how you can prepare your business for this upcoming Black Friday. Watch the video below, where Francesco Fontana, Digital Marketing Lead at Blackbird, shares inside knowledge from Downtown Vancouver on Black Friday.
Black Friday Insights from Blackbird Security Leadership
We asked Krupal, Vancouver Regional Manager at Blackbird, about behind the scenes operations on Black Friday. Here’s what he shared:
What are the heightened risks during Black Friday sales?
“With busy retail shopping days, there is always a higher risk of shoplifters. There's also bigger crowds, which sometimes get out of control, so you have to make sure your team communicates well to handle the crowd control.”
When do clients usually order Black Friday retail security?
“Usually a month out from the date. That gives us time to prepare for the site and have our trained guards ready to go.”
Does the shopping frenzy continue after Black Friday weekend?
“Yes, many of the sales now go on for the entire week after Black Friday, so the heightened risks definitely carry on within the stores.”
What are the hot spots in terms of risk?
“Anywhere around the retail stores, especially due to the amount of sales these stores usually have. The specific hot spots within the stores depend on the client, but its usually the more expensive items. For example, at a store like Moose Knuckles, we'd see a lot of shoplifters trying to steal the jackets, specifically the puffer jackets. For a client like Sephora, the fragrances/perfumes & other high ticket cosmetic items are what's usually targeted.”
The Blackbird Difference: Leadership in the Field on Black Friday
While most security companies limit their Black Friday oversight to site supervisors, Blackbird Security takes a more comprehensive approach. During this extremely busy retail weekend, our entire leadership team, including owners, regional managers, and district managers, maintains an active presence across multiple locations throughout the day.
This hands-on involvement from senior management allows for real-time feedback and quality control. Our leadership directly engages our security teams, ensuring every guard maintains Blackbird Security’s high standards of service during one of retail’s most important and challenging days.
At Pacific Centre in Vancouver on Black Friday, Alex Van Ryke, Operations Manager at Blackbird Security, was present to provide live quality assurance for our clients throughout the day.
“We service approximately 22 sites in the immediate area with over 30 guards deployed,” says Alex. “Generally clients request coverage in advance for these days, but we understand that ad hoc requests will come in and we’re always ready to provide services coast to coast.”
Read more about our unique approach to Black Friday retail security in our previous blog, Retail Security: Black Friday with Blackbird Security.
Key Takeaways for Black Friday 2025
Black Friday continues to be a hugely busy day for retailers, with unique security challenges that require specialized preparation. Here are the key lessons from this year's operations that can help inform your store’s retail security strategy for Boxing Day 2024 and Black Friday 2025:
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Early preparation is critical. Businesses should secure additional security coverage at least one month in advance of Black Friday.
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Sales events often extend beyond Black Friday, requiring sustained security presence throughout the holiday season.
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High-value merchandise areas need a thorough security strategy, specialized protocols, and often additional guards.
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Leadership presence on-site makes a significant difference in the effectiveness of security measures on Black Friday weekend.
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Well-trained security teams with clear communication protocols are essential for managing high-traffic areas and times.
Preparing Your Retail Business for Black Friday
Black Friday presents some serious retail security challenges for stores. However, with careful planning and a strong retail security strategy, risks like theft and overcrowding can be minimized.
Why Is Retail Security Important on Black Friday?
Every day, but especially during Black Friday weekend, retail security creates a safe and enjoyable shopping experience for customers and staff members. With hundreds, and often thousands, of customers flocking to your store for deals, crowd control becomes a significant focus. Well-trained security guards maintain order, monitor for theft, and provide a visual factor that reassures guests while deterring disruptive behaviour.
When businesses lack a strong security presence, they may face challenges such as shoplifting, property damage, or physical harm to staff and other customers.
Common Black Friday Retail Security Threats
Black Friday chaos can create several unique security threats. Here are some of the most common issues retailers face:
1. Overcrowding
Black Friday draws massive crowds and often results in stores reaching capacity. This creates the risk of overcrowding, which can overwhelm staff and pose a serious safety hazard to guests. Poorly managed crowds can result in injuries, accidents, and potential liabilities for businesses.
2. Theft
Shoplifters can blend in with high-energy crowds of legitimate shoppers. Valuable items are often displayed in easily accessible locations on Black Friday, making them prime targets for theft. Without a watchful security presence, retail theft and shrinkage can become a problem that impacts a store’s profitability on Black Friday.
3. Disorderly Lineups
Tensions often run high when customers line up for hours in advance of a store opening. Disputes over places in line or misunderstandings about store policies can quickly escalate into disorderly conduct, affecting the safety and enjoyment of everyone in and around the lineup.
4. Fire Hazards
Overcrowding and blocked exits create fire hazards in retail spaces, making it difficult for customers to evacuate quickly in the event of an emergency. Retail security teams ensure safety by enforcing capacity limits and maintaining clear exits.
5. Customer Conflicts
The combination of long lines, high tensions, and limited quantities of sale items can lead to customer conflicts. Arguments over products or altercations between customers are common on Black Friday, and without proper, professional intervention, these situations can escalate into more serious issues.
How A Retail Security Team Can Keep Your Store Secure
To protect your retail store from these threats, a professional retail security team will employ multiple strategies tailored to the unique demands of Black Friday. Here are some of the services that can help maintain safety and order:
1. Security Guards
Having security guards present in-store and at entrances provides a visible deterrent to potential thieves and helps maintain a sense of order. Security guards also assist with crowd control, help staff manage customer flow, and respond quickly to incidents as they occur. Guards stationed at entrances provide a warm welcome to customers entering the building, closely observe for suspicious activity, and respond to triggered electronic alarms at store exits by verifying customer receipts.
2. Undercover Loss Prevention
Plainclothes undercover loss prevention operatives blend in with customers and discreetly identify suspicious behaviour. These guards catch shoplifters in the act through on-the-ground observation on the store floor. They work closely with the rest of the retail security team to apprehend shoplifters and create reports cataloguing incidents.
3. CCTV Monitoring
A comprehensive CCTV system enables security teams to monitor key areas in real-time, from high-traffic zones to less visible corners. Retail security personnel can identify suspicious activity early and respond accordingly by keeping a watchful eye on these areas during store hours.
4. Report Writing
Effective reporting is essential for tracking incidents and trends, especially during Black Friday. Security guards will document any attempted thefts, customer altercations, or safety concerns, creating a record that informs future security planning and helps manage risk. As a best practice, security teams should review previous years’ Black Friday report data to strategize for the 2024 sale weekend.
The Blackbird Security Difference: Advanced Training
When it comes to retail security, experience and advanced training make a significant impact. At Blackbird Security, our retail security guards receive specialized training to handle the challenges of high-traffic shopping events through Blackbird Academy, our in-house training program. Our guards undergo training in key areas, including fire safety, reporting, and standard first aid, as well as peaceful de-escalation training, customer service training, and crisis intervention training, skills important to the retail security field.
Partner With Blackbird Security for Your Retail Security Needs
Investing in high-quality, comprehensive retail security coverage pays off significantly on busy sales days, such as Black Friday. If your business needs ongoing retail security services or is looking for security coverage heading into the holiday season, our retail security team is ready to help secure your store. We provide comprehensive, coast-to-coast coverage across Canada with security solutions that protect your inventory, property, team, and customers, while maintaining a positive and customer-service-focused shopping environment.
Get in touch with us to learn how we can enhance your retail security strategy.
In addition to retail security, we provide services in the following areas:
