The UK’s jewellery and luxury watch sector is facing an escalating security challenge, with new industry figures revealing a dramatic increase in organised criminal activity targeting high-value retailers.
According to intelligence published by SaferGems, more than £2.2 million worth of watches and jewellery was stolen during the first ten weeks of 2026 alone, compared with just over £500,000 of losses recorded across the whole of 2025. The number of armed robberies has also increased significantly, with armed attacks accounting for more than half of all reported incidents this year.
The figures paint a concerning picture for jewellers, luxury watch boutiques and high-value retailers, many of whom are now reassessing their physical security infrastructure as organised criminal gangs become increasingly sophisticated in how they identify and target potential victims.
For Birmingham-based security manufacturer Warrior Doors, the trend reflects a growing need for security systems designed not simply to deter crime, but to physically prevent access to high-value assets.
Managing Director Brett Barratt said the latest figures highlight why retailers must increasingly view physical security as a critical business investment rather than an operational afterthought.
“The value of luxury watches, jewellery and precious metals has increased substantially over recent years, making many retailers attractive targets for organised criminal groups,” said Barratt.
“What we are seeing is a shift towards more professional and coordinated attacks. Criminals are carrying out reconnaissance, identifying vulnerabilities and looking for locations where they believe they can gain access quickly.
“The challenge for retailers is ensuring they are not perceived as the easiest target.”
Industry experts believe rising gold prices, global uncertainty and continued demand for luxury watches have created an environment in which organised criminals can generate substantial returns from a single successful attack.
As a result, security strategies are evolving beyond traditional alarms and surveillance systems towards integrated physical protection measures capable of resisting forced entry, ram raids and smash-and-grab attacks.
Warrior Doors has seen increasing demand for its range of specialist security products, including LPS-certified security doors, ram-raid resistant retail entrances, high-security shutters, secure display vaults, strongrooms, vault doors and bespoke physical protection systems for luxury retail environments.
The company also manufactures Secured by Design Gold Award-winning security display vault systems, designed to protect high-value jewellery and watch collections while maintaining an attractive customer experience.
“Visible physical security remains one of the most effective deterrents available,” said Barratt.
“While CCTV, monitoring systems and alarms all play an important role, they primarily record or report an incident. Physical security is what actually prevents criminals from accessing valuable stock in the first place.
“When a retailer invests in properly engineered security doors, reinforced shopfront protection and secure display systems, it fundamentally changes the risk calculation for those considering an attack.”
Recent incidents reported across the jewellery sector have highlighted the increasing prevalence of ram raids and coordinated smash-and-grab robberies, with offenders often targeting stores believed to have vulnerabilities in their physical protection measures.
Barratt believes retailers should take a layered approach to security, combining trained personnel, surveillance technology and independently certified physical security systems.
“There is no single solution to security,” he said.
“The most resilient environments combine multiple layers of protection, from high-security doors and reinforced entrances through to secure display vaults, internal strongrooms and controlled access systems.
“The objective is simple: make access difficult, increase the time required to breach the premises and create enough resistance to deter criminals from attempting the attack in the first place.”
Warrior Doors supplies bespoke security solutions to luxury retailers, jewellers, vault operators, critical infrastructure providers and high-security commercial facilities throughout the UK.
With organised retail crime continuing to evolve, Barratt believes physical security will remain firmly on the agenda for businesses responsible for protecting high-value assets.
“Retailers work incredibly hard to build their businesses, their reputations and the collections they hold,” he said.
“Our role is to provide the physical protection that helps safeguard those assets, whether that’s through ram-raid resistant doors, secure display vaults, high-security strongrooms or fully integrated security environments.
“As the threat continues to grow, the importance of proven, independently tested physical security has never been greater.”
