Short answer
The mall’s security guards and cameras watch the common areas; they do not see inside your shop, your cash register or your back storeroom door. To protect the shop after closing, a contact is fitted on the shutter or glass door, a glass-break detector on the shop window, a motion sensor inside and a separate contact on the service corridor door. Before installation, you need to learn the mall management’s rules on cabling, sirens and electricity.
What does mall security protect, and what doesn’t it?
A mall has security guards, checks at the entrances and corridor cameras. This system protects the common areas, the parking lot and the outer shell of the building. Corridors are also patrolled after closing. But the mall’s cameras do not look inside your shop, do not see who is standing at your register, and do not know whether your back service corridor door has been opened.
Incidents inside the shop are also usually the responsibility of the shop owner, not the mall. During opening hours, shoplifting, cash discrepancies and arguments between staff and customers; after closing, forced shutters, entry through the service door and storeroom theft are the main situations shop owners face.
That is why a shop inside a mall has two separate needs: cameras for opening hours and a burglar alarm for after closing.
Talk to mall management first
Malls have technical specifications or a tenant handbook for tenants. Ask management for this document before any installation. It usually includes rules such as whether cables can be run outside the shop, use of the ceiling void, siren volume, permission for installation outside opening hours and not touching the fire system.
In some malls, power to the shop distribution boards is cut at closing. In that case the alarm panel, camera recorder and modem are left without power at night. Ask mall management whether there is a separate circuit for the security system that stays on after closing. If there is no such line, plan for a UPS or battery-backed power supply to keep the system running through the night.
Internet is a separate issue. Connecting to the mall’s shared internet is not always possible or secure. If the shop has no line of its own, a GSM module can be used for the alarm panel and a 4G modem for the cameras.
Expert note: A siren sounding inside the mall brings the patrolling security guard to your shop. So when setting up the alarm, agree in writing on the mall security unit’s phone number and in which cases they may open the shop.
Where does the alarm go?
The entry points of a shop inside a mall are clear: at the front, the shutter or glass door and the shop window; at the back, the door opening onto the service corridor; and in some shops, the suspended ceiling. The alarm protects each of these points as a separate zone.
- Magnetic contact on the shutter or glass door
- Glass-break detector on the glass shop window
- Separate contact on the service corridor and storeroom door
- Motion sensor in the sales area and storeroom
- Shock detector on the safe or valuables cabinet
- Silent panic button under the cash register
- Indoor siren inside the shop, plus a strobe if needed
- Tenant technical specifications requested
- There is a line that stays powered after closing
- Shutter and shop window alarmed
- Service corridor door is a separate zone
- Panic button under the cash register
- Recorder locked in the storeroom
- Alarm notification chain in writing
- Mall security’s number on the panel
Don’t forget the service corridor door
The most overlooked point in shops inside malls is the back door. This door is used for receiving goods and opens onto the mall’s service corridor. The corridor is closed to customers after closing but may be open to cleaning and maintenance staff and the staff of other shops.
Set up a separate alarm zone for the back door and keep a log of the door opening during opening hours as well. Some panels can send a notification to your phone when a particular door is opened, even when the alarm is not armed. A camera facing the inside of the door is also useful when receiving goods.
In shops with a suspended ceiling, the ceiling void may be connected to the neighboring shop. In that case, a motion sensor facing the ceiling or a separate sensor placed in the ceiling void can be considered.
Cameras: register, door and shelves
The in-shop camera plan is kept simple: a camera at the entrance that can identify faces, a camera at the register showing payment and the cash drawer, one or two cameras covering the sales area as a whole, and a camera for the storeroom. In shops that sell valuable products, the shop window and counter are also covered.
Lighting in malls is usually good, but strong corridor light in front of the shop window can darken faces on the door camera. Positioning the door camera from inside at a slight angle, rather than directly facing the corridor, reduces this problem.
Put the recorder in a locked cabinet in the storeroom, not next to the register. A burglar’s first move is to take a visible recorder. Connect the recorder to the internet so you can also view recordings on your phone.
In shops that suffer shoplifting during opening hours, a visible monitor next to the camera also helps. A screen at the entrance where customers see their own image reminds them that the camera is working. Placing the screen near the register also makes it easier for staff to watch the sales area at the same time.
Who does the alarm notify?
When the alarm goes off after closing, the alert needs to reach you, mall security or a monitoring center. When something happens, the panel can send a notification to your phone and call you. If it is connected to a monitoring center, the center calls you and, if necessary, the police.
Sending notifications directly to mall security requires an agreement with management; some malls are open to monitoring tenant alarms in the security room, others are not. So set out the notification chain in writing before installation and check regularly that the phone numbers are up to date.
Forgetting to arm the alarm when closing the shop happens often. A panel that sends you a reminder or arms itself automatically if it has not been armed by a set time reduces this risk.
Installation and quote
Installations inside malls are usually done after closing or before opening in the morning. So plan the installation schedule and permission together with mall management. Wireless alarm sensors make the job easier at shop window and ceiling points where running cables is difficult.
After installation, test each zone one by one: raise the shutter, open the back door, walk in front of the shop window and check whether the notification reaches your phone. Desa Bilişim installs alarms and cameras for shops inside malls in Şanlıurfa in line with management’s technical requirements. After seeing your shop, we can prepare a written quote zone by zone.
Frequently asked
Does a shop need cameras if the mall already has them?
Mall cameras watch the corridors and common areas, not the inside of the shop. The cash register, shelves and storeroom need the shop’s own cameras. After an incident, getting the mall’s corridor footage is only possible with management’s permission and may take time.
Can an outdoor siren be installed inside a mall?
Most malls do not allow a siren outside the shop or limit its volume. An indoor siren inside the shop and a strobe visible from the shop window are usually enough. Check the rules in the tenant specifications.
Will the alarm work if the power is cut at closing?
The backup battery inside the alarm panel keeps it running for a while, but this battery is not enough for the camera recorder and modem. If there is no uninterrupted line, a UPS with suitable capacity is chosen for the whole system.
Keep your shop protected after closing, too
Let’s review your shop and the mall’s technical requirements together and prepare a written quote for alarms and cameras.
