Carrefour chose the most professional solution

At Carrefour in Rambouillet, a few miles from Paris, just like in any supermarket around the world, merchandise worth significant sums is stolen every day. Security personnel has since long been mandatory, but Carrefour’s management wanted to raise the level of ambition and signed a contract with Securitas, which offers security officers specialized in the retail sector.

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The store space at Carrefour in Rambouillet covers 11,950 square meters, which is considered an average size. Two million customers a year, 472 employees, a couple of thousand parking lots and a shopping mall is the extent of Securitas’ assignment in Rambouillet. Eight security officers on daytime and two security officers at night have been assigned to solve the task. 

The central purchasing department of Carrefour decides about the content and quality of security services at the chain’s department stores. The choice of supplier is also decided upon centrally following a procurement procedure. Price was not decisive when Securitas won the Rambouillet procurement.

“Until now we have been contracting several small suppliers who sometimes fail to match our needs. Their security officers do not comply with our training requirements”, says Geoffroy Berger, Director of Security and Safety in all Carrefour’s French hypermarkets. “We compared competitors and found that Securitas responded quicker and acted in a more professional way. They have a nationwide presence combined with a local organization and resources close to the customer, which convinced us that we can rely upon support when needed. The security officers are recruited locally by Securitas close to our department stores, and it is an advantage that they know the neighborhood.”  

Securitas today is the largest contracted private security company within the retail sector in France. 2,500 Securitas officers are active within retail and the segment’s turnover is estimated at 50 million euro. In Rambouillet security officers are specialized in different fields; some are specifically trained in detecting potential thefts and are posted at exits and check-out counters, others patrol inside the department store or are in charge of video surveillance. Securitas officers also receive training in fire protection and first aid.

Cameras are also installed in the ceiling throughout the entire department store. The cameras are connected to a video headquarter where a Securitas officer monitors screens receiving images from 125 cameras. The training program of Securitas officers includes operating and maintaining video equipment, processing and handling of images and when required saving sequences that subsequently could represent evidence. Everything else gets destroyed within a short time span.

Carrefour’s 218 hypermarkets in France generally have a similar design. This implies that the security assignments are similar from place to place. Carrefour and Securitas have mutually developed a framework agreement signed on a national level, and implemented locally when required. Securitas is presently contracted by five department stores. 

“Our experience from cooperating with Securitas has been satisfactory”, says Geoffroy Berger. “An advantage is that we will be able to measure Securitas presence financially through key-ratios, thus providing us with progressive information regarding theft for instance”.

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