TK Maxx hopes to win planning permission to make alterations at its Ayr store to stop people using drugs and loitering.
The department chain said the building “has increasingly been the target of anti-social behaviour,” which includes people taking illegal substances.
It wants to make changes to a number of flights of stairs to deal with the problems at its River Street premises.
People can get into the stair ways from the roof level car parks – and the steps have become a magnet for dodgy behaviour.
TK Maxx said in a design statement lodged with South Ayrshire Council: "In recent years the building has increasingly been the target of antisocial behaviour and the unrestricted access to several enclosed stair cores from the roof level car parks has been exploited.
"This presents challenges to the users of the building and detracts from the retail experience in Ayr town centre."
It said the "unrestricted access to the stairwells during opening hours has been the target of antisocial behaviour including drug use."
The company said the issue had "created problems for the security of TK Maxx and the staff who work there."
The proposals "aim to address these issues with alterations to the building fabric."
The bargain hunter shop hopes to get the go-ahead from South Ayrshire Council to alter four sets of step involving the removal of doors and other measures.
Conservative group leader Councillor Martin Dowey said: “It is very welcome that one of our biggest retail employers is hoping to take steps to enhance the shopping experience and safety of customers.”
Doors are to be removed from two stairwells in the multi-storey car park — leaving only metal gates instead.
To stop people loitering, empty space at the base of each flight of stairs would be filled with concrete.
Opaque panels would be ripped out and replaced with metal grating to increase visibility and ventilation.
There are also plans to restrict access to a pair of stairways from the main TK Maxx rooftop car park with new security cameras, signs and “enhanced ironmongery.”
South Ayrshire Council is considering the planning application from TK Maxx owner TJX Europe.
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