Shoplifting Continues to be a Challenge for Home Depot
Home Depot says shoplifting challenges aren't getting any easier

CFO Richard McPhail said the operating environment is "getting harder and harder."

Shoplifting and organized retail crime was a dominant story in retail last year. While the issue hasn't made as many headlines this year, Home Depot said the issue hasn't gone away. "This is a problem for all of retail," CFO Richard McPhail said Tuesday during the company's third-quarter earnings call. "It's hard to quantify."

"Our investments are paying off," he added. "That does not mean that the operating environment is getting any easier. In fact, it's getting harder and harder." In other words, casual shoplifters and organized criminals continue to be a thorn in Home Depot's side - they're just better handled now, according to the CFO.

The company said its anti-shrink efforts improved profit margin for the quarter by nearly half a percentage point. Home Depot did over $40 billion in sales last quarter. "It's an everyday initiative that our teams are fighting every single day," McPhail said.

Home Depot has been both a prominent target and opponent of organized retail theft in recent years. The company's VP of asset protection, Scott Glenn, previously told BI that the company wanted to strike a balance between securing merchandise and allowing customers to get what they need.

One solution to the puzzle: power tools that don't work unless activated at the point of sale. Glenn also highlighted at the time the difference between solo thieves and "professional shoplifters," which he said are often connected to a larger network.

In September, the company highlighted some of its ongoing efforts to address retail crime in its stores, including its support for federal legislation that would help centralize and coordinate an interstate response. businessinsider.com


Another Statewide Push to Take on Shoplifting Rings & Repeat Offenders
New Jersey Assembly panel to consider toughening penalties for shoplifters

Lawmakers seek boosted penalties for shoplifters amid post-pandemic rise, but advocates warn steeper sentences unlikely to deter crime.

Assembly lawmakers will weigh heightened penalties for shoplifters and new restrictions on gift card sales on Thursday amid a recent rise in retail theft.

The bipartisan bill before the Assembly Public Safety and Preparedness Committee would enhance penalties for leading shoplifting rings, allow extended sentences for repeat offenders, and elevate assaults against retail workers to a more serious charge, among other things.

The legislation would allow extended sentencing for individuals convicted of shoplifting three times in a 10-year period or within 10 years of their release from confinement and upgrade penalties for leading a retail crime ring to carry between 10 and 20 years' imprisonment.

It also allows law enforcement to aggregate the cost of goods stolen by suspects within a year, allowing prosecutors to levy more serious charges against serial shoplifters regardless of previous convictions.

The bid to raise penalties comes amid a recent spike in thefts following the pandemic. In 2023, law enforcement agencies reported 102,724 instances of larceny, up from 91,942 in 2019 and a pandemic slump that generally brought crime down overall in 2020 and 2021, according to crime statistics maintained by the FBI. yahoo.com

   RELATED: New Jersey must combat organized retail crime


Retail Worker Safety Survey Makes More Headlines
U.S. Retail Workers Cite Increased Safety Concerns Ahead of Holiday Shopping Season

Researchscape conducted the U.S. Retail Worker Safety survey to gauge retail workers' perspectives about safety and workplace security.

A majority of American retail workers (57%) report feeling unsafe going into the peak holiday shopping season, according to Motorola Solutions' second annual U.S. Retail Worker Safety Report.

Many of the 1,000+ retail managers and staff surveyed said they have experienced increases in various forms of crime in the last year, and more than half reported concerns about hostile customer interactions and store theft.

The independent market research firm Researchscape conducted the U.S. Retail Worker Safety survey in September 2024 to gauge retail workers' perspectives about safety and workplace security measures. The results "show that security technologies - systems that can detect weapons, lock doors and allow store security officers to view real-time video of unfolding incidents - make people feel safer at work."

Similar independent Retail Worker Safety surveys were conducted in the U.K. and in Australia and New Zealand, countries also dealing with high retail crime rates.

"As we approach peak shopping season, it's clear that the retail industry continues to grapple with theft and, at times, even more violent crimes," says Sharon Hong, vice president of Ecosystem Solutions at Motorola Solutions, in the company announcement. securitysales.com


Cargo Theft Surge Driven by California Incidents
California accounts for nearly half of all cargo theft incidents in Q3
New data shows that cargo theft incidents have continued to increase through the third quarter of 2024.

According to a recent report from Overhaul - an Austin, Texas-based supply chain risk management company - a total of 500 thefts were recorded from July through September, marking a 6.2% increase from the previous quarter. The company estimated an average loss per theft of $176,290.

Those numbers also eclipsed the third quarter of 2023, up 7% year-to-year. That increase is of note, considering the volume of theft that occurred in the third quarter of last year. Data from Overhaul showed that 486 cargo theft incidents were reported over that span in 2023, a 177% increase from 2022.

In terms of what thieves were targeting, electronics took the No. 1 spot, accounting for 30% of all reported incidents in the third quarter.

"As cargo theft in the US continues to grow, shippers must be aware of the country's unique risks," the company said in a statement. "We hope our report helps keep your cargo secure as you navigate new and evolving threats throughout the rest of the year and beyond."

Going forward into the fourth quarter of the year, Overhaul anticipated the total number of thefts would continue to rise, with organized crime rings driving much of that increase. Recently, the group warned carriers about crews operating in Chicago and Los Angeles. landline.media


Retailers Walk a Fine Line Between Fighting Theft & Angering Shoppers
Walmart and other retailers apply stronger measures to battle theft
Walmart and other retailers have adopted stronger measures to cut down on theft in their stores, a problem that continues to eat into their profits. Some efforts, such as cutting back on or eliminating self-checkout, have riled customers.

Another controversial measure that retailers such as Walmart, Walgreens, CVS and Target use to thwart would-be shoplifters is keeping merchandise such as shampoo, mouthwash and underwear locked in display cases that only employees with keys can open.

In a recent survey by noncommercial resource guide Consumer World, 55% of respondents said that if a product they want at a store is locked up, they'd go elsewhere to buy it.

But Walmart Inc. is reportedly testing technology at stores in some locations that could eventually allow its Walmart Plus members to unlock the cabinets themselves through the Walmart app. nwaonline.com


Walmart is already testing its new anti-theft system - The problem is that customers don't know how it works and it is being chaotic

Baton Rouge, LA: Crime cameras to go along interstate after deadly shootings
 

Portland, OR: Retail theft mission at Clark County Target leads to 9 arrests
The Clark County Sheriff's Office arrested nine people during a retail theft sting operation at the Hazel Dell Target in Vancouver on Nov. 8. Clark County Sheriff's Office detectives recovered more than $1,000 in stolen merchandise and seized weapons and drugs during the bust. Many of the suspects arrested during the mission were booked in the Clark County Jail for retail theft, forgery, outstanding warrants and other felony crimes, officials said. "CCSO is committed to disrupting retail theft and associated crimes in Clark County and is planning additional missions in the future," the CCSO said. "Those engaging in retail theft will be arrested and jailed. The operation was the CCSO's fourth retail theft mission since June. The mission was led by the CCSO Tactical Detective Unit with help from the Special Investigations Unit, Major Crimes Unit, patrol deputies and Target's loss prevention team.  koin.com


Taylorsville, UT: 3 Romanian nationals arrested in multiple retail theft, fraud cases in Utah
Three Romanian nationals wanted in another state have been arrested in Utah and accused of stealing from local stores. On Tuesday, police received information from loss prevention agents at Target and Walmart that "a group of individuals were going to multiple retail locations committing theft and fraud throughout Utah while driving a rental vehicle," a police booking affidavit states. The group would attempt to make large purchases using cash. But after the cashier counted the money provided by the suspected thieves to pay for their items, "they would confuse the cashier and ask for the money back to verify the amount. When the individuals verified the money, they would give the cash back to the cashier while taking a cut by sleight-of-hand removing some of the money from the stack causing it to be short money without the cashier double checking the amount again," according to the affidavit. "The individuals involved are Romanians residing in New York and have no ties to Utah," according to the arrest report. All three have also "been flagged by the FBI as an organized crime transnational suspect on the national database," as well as having active warrants for their arrests in South Carolina. All three men are in the United States illegally, the affidavit says.  ksl.com


Nashville, TN: 'The same names': Davidson County grand jury report highlights repeat retail theft offenders
A recent grand jury report put into writing what officers see on a daily basis: criminals breaking into businesses, stealing goods, and getting away. The report called the phenomenon a "financial burden on consumers." "We're seeing organized groups that plan to come up there, they separate, the divide and they go in and they take multiple thousands of dollars," commander Kevin Lovell told News 2 earlier this year. Police data showed that in October, the department investigated nearly 80 incidents of commercial burglary ranging from vape shops, jewelry stores, and even big-box stores. Commercial burglary has risen across four precincts compared to this time last year, including West, Central, North and Madison. A recent grand jury report out of Davidson County revealed that residents saw that "retail theft can lead to increased prices as businesses attempt to recover losses." Further, the grand jury reported that they "frequently heard the same names committing these offenses." "A lot of the people we were getting that were shoplifting at Tanger were also banned from places like Green Hills, Nashville One, Opry Mills," Lovell added.  yahoo.com


Memphis, TN: 18-Year-Old Caught Stealing $11K in Goods from Memphis Boxcar
An 18-year-old from Memphis now faces serious criminal charges after police say they apprehended him in connection with the theft of nearly $11,000 worth of merchandise from a boxcar. The arrest was part of a significant operation by Memphis police as they worked to curb an increasing number of boxcar break-ins across the city. The suspect, Dietrich Williams, was allegedly part of a group of men unloading boxes from the train containers. Officers managed to catch Williams, though several others escaped. Following Williams' arrest, authorities took stock of the stolen items and assessed their approximate value, which totaled nearly $11,000. Police recovered various goods, including 70 Worthington coats valued at around $7,000, 20 high-end purses totaling $1,600, and 100 packs of Hanes underwear worth $1,800. These goods represented a range of popular retail items that could likely be sold on the black market or through unauthorized channels. The items appeared to have been strategically selected to include a mix of valuable and easy-to-move products, which could have allowed the group to turn a profit relatively quickly. With recent retail thefts on the rise, law enforcement is increasingly alert to such incidents, which often involve goods that can quickly be resold, often through illicit online channels or local markets.  theindustry.biz


Enfield, CT: Woman caught shoplifting nearly $4,000 worth of merchandise; Enfield Police Retail Theft Operation

Dayton, OH: Police looking for suspect accused of using counterfeit money to steal over $700 in items

Edwardsville, IL: 2 women charged with felony theft at Glen Carbon Lowe's