Staff Protection Screening Rolled Out Across Hundreds of UK Retail Stores

A three-phase national programme to design and manufacture security screening structures: protecting frontline staff at scale

THE CHALLENGE

A Safeguarding Trigger with a National Rollout Mandate

A major UK grocery retailer operates a strict safeguarding policy: after three recorded incidents of attempted theft or violence at a customer service or tobacco desk, that store must have physical security screening installed to protect staff.

With incidents recorded across hundreds of stores, the policy triggered a significant national programme, requiring a reliable manufacturing partner capable of delivering to programme at

THE CLIENT

Engaged Through a National Fit-Out Contractor

Ludwick Precision was appointed by a national fit- out contractor responsible for delivering the programme on behalf of the retailer. The scope covered the manufacture of the steel panels and structural framework for each screening installation, with timber panel elements supplied separately. Speed, consistency and the ability to scale
across multiple phases were non-negotiable requirements from the outset.

THE APPROACH

Precision-Manufactured Security Screening — Built to Specification, Shipped to Programme

Ludwick manufactured the steel panels and structural components for the security screening units to the fit-out contractor’s design specification. Each unit provided a robust physical barrier between customers and staff at service counters, engineered to be installed quickly by regional teams without complex on-site fabrication.

With the steel structure manufactured entirely in-house at Ludwick’s Hitchin facility, quality and consistency were maintained throughout all three phases of the programme. Components were despatched to the fit-out contractor’s central distribution warehouse in Doncaster, from where regional installation teams collected and deployed to stores across the UK.

IMPLEMENTATION

A Phased National Programme — Delivered in Full

The programme was structured across three phases, each requiring Ludwick to manufacture and despatch under challenging timescales.

Programme Scoping & Design Alignment
Ludwick worked with the fit-out contractor to confirm manufacturing specifications for the steel panel and structural
components, ensuring the design could be produced consistently at volume across all phases.
Phase 1 — Initial Store Rollout
The first phase of manufacturing was completed to programme, with units despatched to the central warehouse in Doncaster for distribution to the priority stores identified by the retailer.
Phase 2 & 3 — Scaled Delivery
Building on the systems and production processes established in Phase 1, Ludwick scaled output for Phases 2 and 3, maintaining quality and delivery performance as store volumes increased across the national estate.

Central Warehouse Distribution Model
All completed units were shipped to the fit-out contractor’s Doncaster warehouse. From there, regional installation teams collected and deployed to stores, enabling a coordinated national rollout without logistical complexity for Ludwick.
Consistent Quality Across All Phases
In-house manufacture at a single Hitchin facility ensured complete control over quality and consistency, with no subcontracting of the structural steel elements throughout the programme.

Ludwick delivered consistently across all three phases of the programme — the quality and reliability of supply was not something we had to worry about.”
Fit-Out Contractor | National Retail Programme

THE RESULT

Staff Protected. Programme Delivered. Mission Accomplished.

Unlike many commercial programmes, the success metric here was not financial return, it was the safety and wellbeing of frontline staff across hundreds of stores. The screening structures manufactured by Ludwick provided the physical safeguarding required by the retailer’s own policy, with tangible downstream benefits in staff confidence, retention, and the ability to recruit in challenging environments.

The programme also demonstrated Ludwick’s capability to sustain quality production across a long-running, multi-phase national rollout, a track record that speaks directly to clients with complex, phased requirements.