Written By: Brad Campbell | February 3, 2025
A shoe store installing bulletproof glass to prevent forced entry and burglary might sound like overkill, but that’s exactly what one fed-up Victoria business owner did after experiencing multiple smash-and-grab thefts.
Here at Riot Glass, we often talk about the wave of smash-and-grabs rocking retailers across the U.S., but our friendly neighbors up north are also getting hit hard, causing Canadian retailers to increasingly explore our solutions for protecting against vandalism, forced entry, and related threats.
With a population of less than 100,000 (and around 400,000 in the greater area) Victoria, British Columbia is a small city by most standards, but it faces many of the same problems with crime as much larger cities.
In 2023, 61% of small businesses in the province of British Columbia reported vandalism or a break-in, with that number jumping to 68% in 2024.
A Victoria running shoe store, 2:18 Run, was one of these businesses, having been hit not once, not twice, but three times by smash-and-grab thieves during the past year.
In at least one of these incidents, the intruders threw a large rock through the retailer’s storefront windows to gain entry, destroying the storefront and making off with thousands of dollars in high-end Nikes and other merchandise.
After the third incident requiring the store’s owner to clean up broken glass in the middle of the night, take inventory of missing merchandise (up to 50 boxes of shoes, plus accessories like sunglasses), and file insurance claims, he’d had enough — he decided to take action by contacting a local Canadian Riot Glass dealer and inquiring about his options for forced entry prevention.
The solution they landed on was installing bullet-resistant Riot Glass on the retailer’s storefront windows, providing the highest level of burglary and smash-and-grab theft protection available to ensure the store would never again be a victim of these types of retail crime.
With the flexible, highly impact-resistant security glazing and shock-absorbing security framing installed, this particular store is no longer vulnerable to smash-and-grab theft or forced entry of any kind.
A repeat attempt to throw a rock through the business’s storefront windows would result in the rock bouncing right back at the would-be intruders. Even more determined professional attempts to force entry using sledgehammers, jackhammers, or other burglary and power tools will be met with frustration.
In TV news interviews, the Victoria shoe store’s owner highlighted that not only was he worried about continued broken glass clean-up, storefront repairs, inventory losses, and restless nights, but that he was also highly concerned about the willingness of insurance companies to keep providing coverage after filing so many claims.
The business owner decided that making a one-time investment in Riot Glass was the right proactive step to both provide himself with peace of mind and guarantee the insurability of his business for years to come.
It’s becoming increasingly clear that no retail business is safe from vandalism, break-ins, and smash-and-grab theft.
This case study highlights the importance of taking proactive measures to protect businesses — whether big or small — against forced entry-related crimes.
While installing bullet-resistant security glazing on a small storefront might seem excessive, it’s quickly becoming the new norm.
All it takes is one devastating incident to understand the difference Riot Glass can make — the difference between a sleepless night spent sweeping up glass, boarding up your storefront, and adding up the value of stolen goods versus waking up to a few scratches on your business’s windows and doors at most.
Riot Glass has an extensive network of authorized dealers and installers all across the U.S. and Canada who are ready to fortify your business against crime without making it look fortified.
Ready to discuss your options? Contact us today for a consultation.
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