The Best Multi-Site Retail Board-Up Practices

Many businesses have been affected by the waves of protests over police reform and political conflict. With so much civil unrest resulting in violence, retail owners and facility managers are seeking best practices for enacting multi-site retail board-up.

While large retail chains have the resources to insulate themselves quickly, small businesses may not know how to proceed. Below, we will discuss some practical tips for approaching multi-site retail board-up. Although each business will have unique security needs, some of these practices will be useful for everyone.

Secure Wood Panels Over All Front-Facing Windows

This first tip is the most obvious and the most useful.

Purchase enough wood to cover all the front-facing windows of your retail sites completely. Large sheets of sturdy wood can be found at almost any big box home improvement or hardware store.

No business owner wants their property to have the only unprotected windows in the neighborhood. When a business district is boarded up, a set of unshielded windows can cause property damage, tempting to those who are lost in the emotion of the civil unrest.

Placing boards over your windows signals to those in the streets that you have proactively protected your business. When they see this, they are less inclined to think that your merchandise is unguarded and vulnerable.

Boarding up your front-facing windows also protects your property from projectiles and tear gas canisters fired by those participating in or involved with the riots. This is the most critical practice involved in multi-site retail board-up.

Confirm that Automated Security Measures are Working

Although boarding up windows is the most obvious best practice, be sure to check that other security measures are functioning properly. Under normal business circumstances, you may have surveillance cameras, a security system, or an alarm.

To avoid unnecessary property damage, check the functionality of all automated systems regularly. Make a point to double-check these systems before conflicts between citizens and police are expected.

Attend to the following elements of automated security systems:

• Confirm that alarms are powered, working, and active
• Check that any security cameras are functioning, recording, and aimed correctly
• Be sure that any automated locks are working properly

Ensuring that automated security measures are functional is important for your property’s physical protection and insurance purposes.

Review Your Insurance Policies

When you plan to undertake a multi-site retail board-up, reviewing your insurance policies is essential. Make sure you know who to speak with and the protocol for a range of possible outcomes.

Typical business insurance policies will cover property damages and losses from events like looting, riots, and vandalism. Still, it is crucial to be familiar with the specifics of your policies if the likelihood of damages is elevated.

Additional Proactive Steps to Take for Multi-Site Retail Board-Up

Being proactive is key to protecting your multi-site retail locations. Spend some time thinking about the factors that make your business or location unique. Your retail sites may have security needs or advantages that others do not.

Leave the lights on at the site in order to dissuade people from entering. Also, if time permits, remove the most valuable merchandise from the retail location. Valuable items like televisions, tablets, and other electronics are tempting for looters who are using political protests as cover. Removing these items before you board up is ideal.

When you are planning to board up a retail site, speak with your tenants or landlord beforehand. Developing explicit contingency plans will help you to be prepared for possible scenarios. While there are always unknown factors, coordinating a plan with everyone involved will greatly decrease your risk.

Although each retail site is unique, these standard practices will help you to enact the most effective multi-site retail board-up.