An example of an airlock we installed for client as part of a secure shop project

The benefits of an airlock in your retail store

Here at Secure House, we have worked on a wide variety of retail store and commercial property security projects over the years and amassed a vast knowledge of what works and what doesn’t. One thing that does work and does stand out as a key feature for lots of our clients is an airlock specification.

As such, many of the secure shop front projects we’ve worked on over the years have included the specification of an airlock in the overall design. So, in this blog post, we take a look at the numerous benefits of having an airlock included in your retail store and the ways in which they can enhance overall retail security.

An airlock will deliver the very highest levels of protection

The inclusion of an airlock to any high value retail store, such as a jewellers or couture fashion boutique, provides a highly secure, and safe, entrance to the store for both staff and customers. The first benefit of it is that it will provide additional peace of mind all round and deliver the very highest levels of protection against professional burglars and opportunistic thieves at all times.

An example of an airlock we installed for client as part of a secure shop project
An example of an airlock we installed for client as part of a secure shop project

Main benefits of airlock

An airlock essentially creates a double entrance to your store and enables the isolation of a potential attacker should the need ever arise. The airlock comprises two doors and only one door can be operated and opened at any given time. The first door to the airlock will often be accessed directly from the street or pavement.

This steel security door will lead the customer into a glass ‘lobby’ where it will close and lock behind them. When the individual is in this particular, they can be quickly and safely identified by a member of staff. Once positive identification is made then the second security door can be opened and the individual can only then enter the actual store itself to start shopping or collect goods.

Check our bullet proof doors for jewellery shop →

Not only does it prevent criminals from ‘tailgating’ a genuine customer who enters or exits your store, it will also act as a very powerful deterrent since most professional criminals will plan their attack in advance and always ensure there is a viable escape route! Having an airlock in place will mitigate this and certainly make potential thieves think twice.

A prime example of a working airlock

Take a look at the images that we have included in this post, and you will see a prime example of a working airlock that we that we recently designed and installed for a client in London. The owner of this store had been searching for several months for an airlock solution and a fellow business owner recommended Secure House after we completed a very successful secure shop front project for him.

An example of an airlock we installed for client as part of a secure shop project
Once a positive ID has been made, the second airlock door can be opened

So, after reading this post you think that your business could be at risk of theft or aggravated burglary, then we strongly suggest that you consider including an airlock in your overall secure shop front design. The benefits are numerous, as we have outlined, and it will provide long-term peace of mind for all parties.