Christmas shop security
SIA licensed shop security guards for Glasgow stores, from Black Friday through Boxing Day and the January sales.
Christmas brings Glasgow's shops their busiest weeks, while shoplifting in Scotland is at its highest level since 1971. On Guard Security provides SIA licensed retail security officers to shops in Glasgow over Christmas, at the door in branded uniform or on the shop floor in business casual for loss prevention. Cover runs from Black Friday to the January sales, with free quotes by WhatsApp or email.
Source: Scottish Government, Recorded Crime in Scotland 2025/26 (assaults as reported by Scottish Grocer).
Buchanan Street, Argyle Street and Sauchiehall Street are Glasgow's main shopping streets, with the St Enoch Centre and Buchanan Galleries at either end of the city centre.
Outside the centre, we can cover stores at Silverburn, Braehead, Glasgow Fort and The Forge, along with high streets in Partick, Shawlands and the surrounding towns. For retailers with more than one store, we learn about each location and set out the cover for each in one loss prevention plan. For cover beyond Christmas, see our commercial security page.
Every site is different. Tell us about yours and we will send a tailored quotation and plan.
Police recorded 53,369 shoplifting crimes in Scotland in 2025/26, against 28,650 in 2016/17.
Source: Scottish Government, Recorded Crime in Scotland 2025/26.
Police Scotland has a team of crime prevention officers, led by a sergeant, working on shoplifting in Glasgow city centre. With Retailers Against Crime, it runs days of action in the city centre, which RAC says take place quarterly. A day of action in May 2025 led to five arrests and twelve more people charged.
Sources: Police Scotland, "Crackdown on shoplifting and retail crime in Glasgow city centre", November 2024; Scottish Grocer, 13th May 2025.
Glasgow is a regular part of our work, on events and commercial contracts alike. For Christmas 2025 we put more than 12 staff into Clydeside Christmas Village on South Street, led by a Security Team Manager and a Security Operations Manager. The team handled site walkthroughs, closed gaps in access, managed the crowd and dealt with antisocial behaviour. We have also run full site security for Spooktacular Glasgow for the whole of October.
Retail contracts start the same way, with a walk of the store before we decide where officers stand. Our founder, Dean Waters, has over 15 years in the security industry, including loss prevention.
"Dean and his staff are always professional, reliable and well-presented at every event. They handle situations calmly and confidently, while also staying approachable and respectful to guests and staff. Dean provides us with peace of mind knowing our events are in such capable hands. His communication is always excellent, and he goes above and beyond to ensure everything runs smoothly. I would not hesitate to recommend to anyone looking for dependable, high-quality security services!"Lauren Napier, MT Attractions (organisers of Clydeside Christmas Village), verified 5-star Google review.
Each store has its own layout, hours and peak days. Get in touch with the store address, the dates and hours, and whether you want officers in uniform or business casual, by WhatsApp on +44 7348 955836 or email dean@onguardsecurity.uk. We learn about your store or stores and your requirements, then send a free, tailored quotation and loss prevention plan.
There are no set rates: the price follows the number of officers, the hours and dates, and the notice given. Book as soon as you know your dates, and we will keep the same officers on your store through Christmas wherever we can.
If your store is closed over the bank holidays, see Christmas closure security for closed sites. For stores in the capital, see Christmas retail security in Edinburgh.
Coverage
Examples of where we work. If your location is not listed, get in touch.
FAQs
Yes. On Guard Security supplies SIA licensed retail officers to stores across Glasgow and nearby towns, including Paisley, Clydebank, East Kilbride and Hamilton. Glasgow is a regular part of our work, and our page for the security company covering Glasgow sets out the wider services we offer in the city.
Yes. Officers can stand at the entrance in branded uniform as a visible deterrent, or work the shop floor in business casual or corporate dress for loss prevention. We agree which with you before the first shift.
Yes. We plan cover around your peak trading days, such as Black Friday, the Saturdays in December and the Boxing Day sales, and set out officer numbers and shifts in your loss prevention plan. A surcharge may apply to bank holiday and late shifts, depending on the job.
We quote each store individually rather than publish rates. The cost of a shop security guard in Glasgow depends on the number of officers, the hours per shift, the dates, the length of cover and the notice given. Quotes are free and most are sent in writing within 24 hours. Our guide on how much a security guard costs in Scotland explains the factors.
Yes. Most Glasgow deployments are within 2 to 4 hours, and often within 60 to 90 minutes for genuine emergencies, depending on location, with a 24/7 emergency line. See our last minute and emergency security guards page, or WhatsApp us for the quickest reply. For December, booking early makes it easier to keep the same officers on your store.
Is your Glasgow store heading into its busiest weeks of the year?
Contact us on WhatsApp or email us today to receive a written quotation and loss prevention plan.
Google reviews
"Dean and his staff are always professional, reliable and well-presented at every event. They handle situations calmly and confidently, while also staying approachable and respectful to guests and staff."
"No matter the location, whether it is Larbert, Troon, Aberdeen, Livingston, Bathgate, Inverness, Shetland, Stornoway or anywhere in between, the standard of service is always professional, reliable and well organised."
"Working alongside their team is always an absolute pleasure. Their staff is highly trained, incredibly reliable, and handles event operations with the utmost composure."
"After the first day Dean pointed out a potential security risk which I was not aware of. He also came to the site several times to check if everything is ok."
"Dean and his team are professional, reliable, well-presented, and understand the fairground and attractions industry extremely well."
"Absolutely fantastic service from the team at on guard needed last minute security and they were spot on 10/10"
"Dean and his team have been excellent. Flexible, professional and clearly understand the best approach to each individual situation."
"As an SIA-certified Close Protection specialist, his strategic preparation was spot on, and the subsequent execution left nothing to be desired."
"Dean is always a great asset in the team and his staff all align with our values of delivering above and beyond service."
"We use On guard for many of our events around Scotland. There a great bunch of guys & gals with great management and knowledge of licensing and policies."
Learn about us
A Scottish event and site security company with more than 65 SIA licensed personnel, led by founder Dean Waters, who has over 15 years in the security industry. We work across Edinburgh, Glasgow, the central belt and beyond, for events, commercial sites, construction and private clients.
Watch the video below to learn more about us
Contact us
Tell us your location or locations, dates and what you need covered. We will learn about your requirements and send a written quotation and security plan, usually within 24 hours.
Or call +44 7348 955836 · dean@onguardsecurity.uk