CCTV used to be something only larger shops installed. Today, the cost of cameras has dropped, remote viewing on a phone is standard, and the risk of not having coverage — stock loss, disputed transactions, break-ins — has stayed exactly the same. For most retail businesses, it's no longer a question of if, but how well.
What a modern setup actually includes
A proper CCTV installation today is more than a camera pointed at a door. A typical setup includes:
- HD or 4MP cameras — enough resolution to identify faces and read number plates, not just silhouettes
- A network video recorder (NVR) with enough storage for at least 30 days of footage
- Remote viewing via a phone app, so you can check in from anywhere
- Night vision coverage for after-hours monitoring
- Motion alerts that notify you the moment something happens outside business hours
Where cameras actually need to go
More cameras isn't automatically better coverage — placement matters more than count. The priority points for a typical retail shop are:
- The entrance and exit, angled to capture faces clearly, not just the tops of heads
- The till/point-of-sale area, to cover every transaction
- High-value stock shelves or display cases
- The stockroom or back office, where internal shrinkage is hardest to catch otherwise
- The perimeter — parking area, back entrance, and any blind corners
IP cameras vs. the older analogue systems
Older analogue CCTV is cheaper up front but limited in resolution and awkward to view remotely. IP (network) cameras cost a little more but deliver sharper footage, easier expansion, and proper remote access — which matters most when you're not on-site and something happens.
It's not just about catching theft
Footage settles disputes — a customer claiming they paid when they didn't, a delivery claiming to have dropped off stock that never arrived, a staff disagreement over what happened during a shift. Cameras remove the "he said, she said" from situations that would otherwise be unresolvable.
A well-planned system doesn't need to be expensive to be effective. What matters is getting the coverage, storage, and remote access right from the start, rather than adding cameras piecemeal after something has already gone wrong.