Imperial Security provides retail security guards for shops, markets and shopping centres across Southwark, from independent traders around Borough Market and Bankside to multiple retailers on Walworth Road and the new units at Elephant and Castle. We work with store managers, centre managers and facilities teams who need a visible, approachable guard presence to prevent theft, manage difficult customers and keep staff and shoppers safe during trading hours.
Southwark's mix of dense tourist footfall, market crowds and high-street retail creates different pressures depending on the site, and our guards are briefed accordingly.
Southwark's local Safer Neighbourhoods teams have identified shoplifting from small supermarkets and convenience stores around London Bridge and Borough High Street as a recurring problem, driven in part by prolific repeat offenders who move between nearby premises. Anti-social behaviour and street drinking around Borough High Street, London Bridge station and Tooley Street also spill into shop doorways and forecourts, particularly in the evening, which is why many retailers in this part of Southwark now budget for a guard rather than relying on staff alone.
Two business improvement districts, Better Bankside and Team London Bridge, run additional street-level measures such as extra cleaning, lighting and warden schemes across the retail core, but these do not replace a dedicated guard inside or outside an individual shop. Our guards work alongside these wider schemes, giving each retailer their own point of contact for incidents on their own premises.
7 Day Rolling Contract
No hidden fees, hassle free, Flexible. Not locked into a long-term contract. Easy to scale up or down
Sector Specific Experience
Each security guard is selected based on experience relevant to that specific sector
Street Wise & Vigilant
Local, street-smart expertly trained to protect & deter threats. Confident & observant
| What Our Southwark Retail Security Service Provides
From market stalls to department stores, our guards adapt these core duties to the building type in front of them.
Visible deterrent and customer service
A uniformed guard at the entrance or on the shop floor discourages shoplifting and gives shoppers someone approachable to ask for directions, particularly useful on streets with heavy tourist footfall around Borough Market and Bankside.
Proactive loss prevention
Our guards watch for known shoplifting behaviour rather than just standing at the door, spotting concealment and distraction techniques early so stock loss is addressed before it reaches the till point.
Incident response and management
When a theft, dispute or medical incident happens on site, our guards step in to de-escalate, secure the area and liaise directly with police or ambulance crews so your staff can keep serving other customers.
Access control and staff safety
Our guards manage staff and delivery entrances so only authorised people come through, which matters most at opening and closing when cash handling and stockroom deliveries create the greatest risk.
Queue and crowd management
On busy weekends near Borough Market and at seasonal peaks, our guards manage queues and entrance flow so browsing customers are not crowded out and store capacity limits are respected.
Liaison with local BIDs and police
Our guards can report incidents through the channels used by Better Bankside and Team London Bridge and share information with prolific-offender initiatives run by the local Safer Neighbourhoods teams.
| Who We Provide Retail Security For In Southwark
Southwark's retail mix means our guards work across several different types of premises, often with quite different needs.
Independent traders and market stalls
Traders around Borough Market and Bermondsey Street often lack the back-of-house security of a large store, so a shared or dedicated guard covers stock and till points during trading hours.
High-street and multiple retailers
Stores on Walworth Road and around London Bridge dealing with repeat shoplifters need a guard who can identify known offenders and support staff in refusing entry where appropriate.
Shopping centre and multi-unit retail
As new retail units open at Elephant and Castle town centre, centre managers and individual tenants need guards who can cover shared entrances as well as their own unit.
Seasonal and event retail
Pop-up shops, Christmas markets and one-off retail events around Bankside need short-term cover that can be booked without a long contract.
We also support Southwark businesses that combine retail with other operating needs, including door supervision for licensed premises trading alongside a shop and key holding for out-of-hours alarm response.
| The Security Problems We Solve In Southwark
Southwark's retail streets sit close to major transport hubs and tourist attractions, which brings footfall but also draws a small number of repeat offenders who move between premises. Local police teams have flagged shoplifting from small supermarkets and convenience stores near London Bridge as a recurring pattern, alongside anti-social behaviour around Borough High Street and Tooley Street that can put off customers and unsettle staff. Our guards are briefed to work within this picture rather than treat every shop as a blank slate.
Repeat shoplifters targeting the same stores
A small number of prolific offenders account for a disproportionate share of retail theft in this part of Southwark. Our guards learn to recognise recurring faces and behaviour patterns and share relevant information with the store and, where appropriate, with police-led offender initiatives.
Anti-social behaviour spilling into shop doorways
Rough sleeping, begging and street drinking around London Bridge station and Borough High Street can settle into shop entrances, particularly overnight and in the early evening. Our guards keep entrances clear and handle these situations calmly, involving outreach services or police where welfare or safety is a concern.
Bag and phone theft near transport hubs
Robbery targeting phones and bags has been identified as a local hotspot issue around Borough High Street, and retail premises nearby can see the same opportunist behaviour inside and just outside their doors. A visible guard at the entrance reduces the opportunity for this kind of theft against customers and staff.
Crowd pressure during market and tourist peaks
Weekend crowds around Borough Market and Bankside attractions can overwhelm smaller shop floors, making it easier for theft to go unnoticed and harder for staff to manage entry and exit safely. Our guards manage flow at the door so staff can focus on customers rather than crowd control.
| Why Choose Imperial Security In Southwark
Local operating knowledge
We understand the difference between a compact Bermondsey Street boutique and a large store near the Tate Modern, and we brief guards on the specific footfall, layout and known issues of each site rather than sending a generic patrol.
We cover retail premises across Southwark's SE1 and SE16 postcodes and can extend to neighbouring areas including Bermondsey, Lambeth and Kennington.
Guards who represent your brand
Our guards are trained in customer service as well as security, so they support your brand at the door instead of making customers feel watched or unwelcome.
Vetting, licensing and insurance
Every guard we place on a Southwark assignment meets our company standards.
- Valid SIA licensing: appropriate to the role & verified qualifications
- BS 7858 compliant vetting: five-year employment & education history
- Enhanced DBS checks: The level appropriate for your sector
- Professional reference verification: All previous security employers
- Insurance: Public liability, employers' liability & professional indemnity
- First aid trained: Emergency response & CPR certified
- ACT counter-terrorism awareness training: Threat recognition & response certified
| How Our Southwark Service Operates
01
Site assessment
We visit your premises to assess entrances, blind spots, stock layout and footfall patterns before proposing cover.
02
Tailored proposal
We put together a written proposal covering guard numbers, hours and duties matched to your trading pattern and known local risks.
03
Guard selection and briefing
We assign guards with relevant retail experience and brief them on your store's layout, staff procedures and any known local offenders or hotspots.
04
Deployment
Guards arrive in professional uniform and check in with your management team before taking up position at the agreed times.
05
Ongoing reporting
Guards log incidents and notable observations so you have a clear record for insurance, HR or liaison with local police and BID schemes.
06
Review and adjustment
We review cover with you regularly and adjust guard numbers or hours as trading patterns or local conditions change, without locking you into a long contract.
Get your free Southwark retail security quote
Send us your address or postcode, the type of premises, your preferred start date, the hours you need covered, the number of entrances and what has prompted the enquiry, and we will put together a proposal.
Call us on 0208 088 2878, or send your details through the quote form and we will come back to you with a written proposal.
Related services and nearby areas
See our full service page on retail security, or other cover in the area: all Southwark security services, door supervision in Southwark, key holding in Southwark, retail security in Bermondsey, retail security in Lambeth, retail security in Kennington.