CCTV for small shops: a UK buyer's guide

A small shop usually needs three to five cameras: the entrance, the till, the shop floor and the back door or stock room. A wired system with a recorder is the most reliable choice, and good consumer brands such as Reolink, eufy and Tapo are perfectly capable for most small retailers. The bigger difference from home CCTV is the law: as a business, you have legal duties from day one.

This guide covers what to protect, which kit suits a shop, what it costs and what you must do to stay legal.

What shop CCTV is for

Be clear about the job before you buy. For most small retailers, CCTV needs to:

• identify people coming in, especially anyone you later need to report to the police
• watch the till, for disputes, refunds and staff protection
• cover the shop floor where stock goes missing
• protect the back door and stock room, which is where a lot of loss happens out of hours
• deter. Visible cameras and a clear sign put opportunists off

A camera that does none of these well is just decoration.

How many cameras?

For placement detail, read where to put CCTV cameras in a shop.

Wired or wireless?

For a shop, wired (PoE) CCTV is usually the better choice:

• it records continuously, not just short motion clips
• no batteries to charge or Wi-Fi to drop out
• footage stays on a recorder you control
• it copes with a busy shop, where battery cameras would drain quickly

Wireless makes sense if you rent the unit and cannot run cables, or for a single extra camera somewhere awkward. For the full comparison, see wired vs wireless CCTV.

Can home CCTV brands work in a shop?

Yes, for most small shops. Brands such as Reolink, eufy and Tapo make cameras and recorders that are more than good enough for a single-site retailer. You do not need a commercial system costing thousands unless you have several sites, a large floor area or specialist needs.

What to look for:

• at least 2K resolution, so faces at the door are clear
• good night vision, for the shop after hours
• a recorder with enough storage to keep footage for a few weeks
• an app you can check from home, with sensible alerts
• privacy masking, to block out areas you should not film

What it costs

Published UK price guides put a four-camera system with a recorder, supplied and fitted, at roughly £600 to £1,500. A shop is often at the lower end if the unit is small and cable runs are short. For what drives the price, see how much CCTV installation costs.

The legal basics

This is where shops differ from homes. Business CCTV is not covered by the domestic exemption, so data protection law applies in full. In short, you will usually need to:

• pay the ICO data protection fee unless you are exempt
• put up clear signs saying CCTV is in use and who runs it
• have a written reason for each camera, and record no more than you need
• be careful filming staff, and tell them about the cameras
• keep footage secure and delete it when you no longer need it
• respond to requests from people who want footage of themselves

The full detail is in our guide to shop CCTV and the law.

CCTV is not a response

Cameras record. They do not turn up when an alarm goes off at 2am. If your shop has an intruder alarm, think about who will attend when it activates. Our guide to alarm response and keyholding explains the options.

Quick checklist

• Four cameras covering entrance, till, floor and back door
• Wired system with a hidden recorder
• Clear CCTV signs at the entrance
• ICO data protection fee checked and paid if required
• Staff told about the cameras
• Footage set to overwrite after a sensible period
• A plan for who responds if the alarm goes off

Want it fitted? We install CCTV for small shops and businesses across Worcestershire and the West Midlands. Get a quote.