Striking the Right Balance Between LP & Shopper Experience
At What Point Does Loss Prevention Cross Into Sales Prevention?
Earlier this month, the Council on Criminal Justice (CCJ) released statistics on crime rates across the country, which quantified the rising concern retailers have been facing regarding shoplifting. Despite falling rates of violent crime across the country to either at or below pre-pandemic levels, one statistic stands out: Retail theft is on the rise at an alarming rate, up 24% in the first half of the year compared to the same period in 2023. In May of this year, the CCJ reported the highest monthly crime rate since before 2018 for shoplifting, as depicted in the below chart.

Faced with this, some companies are even resorting to extreme tactics to stop the bleeding of profitability. Retailers are currently weighing the tradeoffs between being customer-centric and combating rising rates of shoplifting across the country.

Locked cases have been installed across several major chains, including Walgreens, Target, and Walmart, to encase basic items ranging from pharmacy or personal care items to apparel and accessories such as socks and underwear.

Many of those same retailers are also walking back self-checkout initiatives that have presented opportunities for theft. Additionally, some mall properties have hired security staff at entrances to check identification and enforce adult supervision for anyone under the age of 18.

Another strategy some luxury retailers have begun to test, in part to combat theft, is changing to appointment-only shopping models. Most recently, a Sak's location in San Francisco swapped to appointment-only availability, citing crime as one of the factors in this decision.

While these tactics are essential for reducing losses, they often come with a tradeoff that can impact the overall customer experience at the expense of sales. These measures can create a perception of distrust among honest customers, potentially leading to a decline in sales.

In the face of surmounting obstacles, what can retailers truly do? To counterbalance some of the negatives, a ramp up in customer service and staffing can help. Adding more staff across the store will increase expenses, of course, but a higher presence of employees can, with proper training, improve customer service and therefore increase sales, as well as be a shoplifting deterrent.  retailwire.com


Canada's Retail Theft Fight is Working
Anti-theft efforts making impact in Winnipeg, say retailers who still hope for stronger penalties

'Shoplifters will think twice if ... they're not just going to be slapped on the hand'

Manitoba's recent efforts to curb retail theft are working, by many accounts, and some businesses are hoping for more permanent changes. Winnipeg police warned last December of a sharp rise in retail theft - sometimes involving violence - and boosted officer presence in retail areas.

In May, the provincial government announced it would pay for police officers in Winnipeg to work overtime to target parts of the city where retail theft was most rampant.

Munther Zeid, whose family owns the local Food Fare chain of grocery stores, says shoplifting incidents have gone down slightly, most notably those committed by organized thieves who steal not to feed themselves but to resell goods for money.

Police officers, sometimes in uniform and sometimes not, have visited Food Fare stores regularly and word of the increased police presence has served as a deterrent to some thieves, Zeid said. The head of the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce also feels recent efforts have worked.

"The increased presence of the police officers is serving as a deterrent to those that would potentially be looking to do theft," chamber president Loren Remillard said.

Police released statistics last month on the program's impact over the first several weeks. There were 203 arrests. There were 31 tickets issued for offences such as trespassing.

"We're trying to change the narrative that (shoplifters) can just walk out of the store and nothing's going to happen," McKinnon said. Zeid would like to see stronger penalties for shoplifters.  cbc.ca


Everyday Americans Turn Toward Theft
Retail theft on the rise: Here's why Americans have resorted to shoplifting to make ends meet
More than one in five Americans has resorted to shoplifting just to make ends meet.

"Lots of people are struggling in the face of still-rising prices, and they're going to somewhat desperate measures to help them get by," noted Matt Schulz, chief credit analyst for LendingTree, an online lending marketplace which recently quizzed shoppers about their patterns of theft. "With inflation stubbornly sticking around, that's not likely to change soon."

LendingTree's data - the result of a survey of 2,000 U.S. consumers ages 18 to 78 - shows that 23% of Americans have shoplifted, and 90% of recent shoplifters say they were motivated to do so because of inflation and the current economy.

The study showed that 52% of shoplifters were older than 16 at the time of the crime and 55% of thieves say they hid the items on their bodies. Meanwhile, 36% hid the items in purses or bags and 25% carried them out in plain sight. Millennials (30%) and those without children (30%) are the most likely groups to utilize the latter bold strategy.

And Schulz says what they're shoplifting tells you a lot about why they're shoplifting: "These generally aren't thrill-seekers looking for an adrenaline rush or a big score," he added. "These folks are taking things they really, really need, like food, clothing and even makeup."  silive.com

   RELATED: New Survey Shows Why Shoplifting Has Become So Common


Violence Crime Drops 25% in Some Cities
New data shows violent crime dropping sharply in major U.S. cities
New preliminary data from major U.S. cities shows a sharp drop in violent crime in the first half of the year - more than 25% in some communities - as the COVID-era crime wave recedes.

By the numbers: An Axios analysis of data from the Major Cities Chiefs Association found an overall 6% decline in violent crime among 69 cities during the first six months of 2024 compared to the same period last year.

54 of the 69 major cities in the report saw drops in violent crime - defined as homicide, rape, robbery and aggravated assault - in the first half of 2024, according to the Axios review.

Columbus, Ohio, experienced the largest percentage decline in violent crime in the nation, with a massive 41% drop so far in 2024. Omaha, Nebraska, was second with a 30% decrease. Miami and Washington, D.C., so far, have seen 29% declines in violent crime.

Austin, Texas, saw a 28% drop, followed by New Orleans with a 26% decrease. Both cities have been under fire for rising crime rates in recent years.

The intrigue: The Axios review also found that the number of homicides in the 69 reported cities fell by more than 17% during the first half of 2024 compared to the last period last year.

Boston experienced a dramatic 78% drop in homicides. Philadelphia was among others that saw a big fall in homicides, with a 42% decrease in 2024. axios.com


Another Example of the Youth Contributing to ORC Surge
Kids aged 11, 13 among suspects arrested for "violent and prolific" organized retail crime in San Francisco
Two children aged 11 and 13 years old were among a group of suspects in what police called "violent and prolific" organized retail crime that included dozens of smash-and-grab robberies in San Francisco, police said Thursday.

Some of the retail thefts involved violence against store employees, the San Francisco Police Department said in a statement. In most incidents, eight to 10 suspects would rush in and ransack the stores, at times breaking glass display cases to steal items, police said.

In several cases, police said suspects would force their way into stores that were closed but still occupied by workers. The suspects would often go behind the counters to confront employees, steal high-value items or or try to take cash from the register, police said.  cbsnews.com


The California Legislature is back - and so is work on crime and public safety bills
 
The debate over Minnesota murder stats heats up in the political space
 

Chicago, IL: Five Armed Robbers hold up Jewelry store in Southwest Side mall
A group of five robbers held up a jewelry store at gunpoint on the city's Southwest Side Monday evening. At 5:50 p.m., the five men robbed the jewelry store inside the Super Mall of the Midway, at 5220 S. Pulaski Rd. in the West Elsdon neighborhood. Squad cars were seen in front of the mall, an indoor marketplace where vendors sell jewelry, cellphones, clothing, crafts, and other items. During the robbery, one of the men smashed display cases and took unspecified property. A robber also demanded property from a woman in the store before they all fled south on Pulaski Road. No injuries were reported.  cbsnews.com


East Hartford, CT: 2 suspects tracked from NH to CT following theft of $50,000 worth of iPhones
Thieves who stole $50,000 worth of iPhones from a store in New Hampshire were tracked to Connecticut and arrested, according to state police. Troopers said on Monday that they were contacted to help find the suspects' vehicle following the thefts from Plaistow, NH. "It was reported that approximately $50,000 worth of iPhones had been stolen from a business in New Hampshire, and tracking had been enabled on one of the stolen devices," state police said. "Based upon real-time updates on physical location and traveling speed, troopers located the suspect vehicle and initiated a traffic stop in the area of I-84 westbound exit 58 in East Hartford." Troopers said two people were arrested. They have not yet released their identities.  wfsb.com


Lakewood, WA: Thieves steal pricey Pokémon cards, Lego sets from Lakewood store
Police are investigating after thieves targeted a gaming and collectibles store in Lakewood. The break-in over the weekend is a major setback for the small business owner. At Pacific Northwest Gaming and Collectibles, they're still tallying the cost of what was taken. "Binders of Pokémon cards valued anywhere from $1 to $500, $600 each," said owner Robert Cantrell. Also gone are video games and Lego sets. Cantrell said at least $26,000 worth of merchandise was stolen. A surveillance camera captured a car pulling into the parking lot on Sunday after 2 a.m.  king5.com


Cumberland County, PA: Suspect identified in $6,500 Victoria's Secret robbery

Greenwich, CT: Woman with Booster Bag Arrested after Trying to Return $1600 of Stolen Items to Store on Greenwich Ave

Victorville, CA: Woman Arrested After Stealing Over $1,300 in Merchandise from JCPenney