Fighting Theft Inside & Out
Combating Theft: Solutions For Retail Leaders

A look at loss prevention strategies for retail facilities, and how each can help facility managers combat retail theft.

According to a report from Statista, 13% of small business owners in the U.S. said they experienced retail theft every single day in 2023. The data is unclear on exactly what's driving the trend or why the rate is rising, but preventing these instances is top of mind for leaders in the retail space.

Facility leaders need to understand the different types of loss prevention strategies: Visible deterrents and security make potential theft seem less appealing or achievable; exterior solutions make it difficult to enter the store after hours; and interior solutions make it difficult to obtain product without purchasing it. Here are a few examples of each type of solution and how they can help combat retail theft in your locations.

Visible Deterrents

Potential thieves are much less likely to try to swipe product if they don't think they can get away with it. This could be as straightforward as installing cameras and reminding customers that they are being recorded. Having an attentive staff goes a long way with customers, but it also reminds potential thieves that there is someone likely to notice any shady behaviors. When these strategies alone aren't enough, consider hiring a security guard to watch the store and ensure things are running smoothly.

Exterior Solutions

Security film can help prevent a forced entry on glass storefronts; provides deterrence to smash and grab perpetrators; and gives the facilities team precious time to react. It also requires no maintenance after initial installation, and is available in varying defense levels to stop anything from small vandalism to ballistics. Rolling shutters can protect storefronts, retail service counters, kiosks, or concession areas against break-ins, theft and vandalism. Entry point rolling grilles can protect exterior and interior openings in nearly every type of store.

Automatic door deadbolts not only keep doors closed, but they can defend against blunt strikes and can be fitted to a variety of doors. There are also options for emergency exit doors that bolt a full inch into the door frame and are not visible from the exterior.

Interior Solutions

Utilizing acrylic locking cases can ensure small, high-value merchandise is handled by the facility's team before getting into a thief's hands, making it less likely the theft would try to leave with the item. Drawer and hook locks are other options that require staff assistance when picking out an item, but don't impact the look of displays as much.  facilityexecutive.com


The Battle Over California's New Anti-Theft Self-Checkout Bill
California bill proposes new rules for self checkout at stores
The Retail Theft Prevention and Safe Staffing Act, also known as SB 1446, is designed to decrease retail theft by increasing the number of workers in self-checkout areas, said Sen. Lola Smallwood-Cuevas, D-Los Angeles, the bill’s author. She also said the improved monitoring will make stores safer. The Senate passed the bill in May and it’s being considered by the Assembly.

Under the legislation, grocery stores and retail drug stores could assign each worker to watch no more than two self-checkout stations. The bill also would add requirements on the number of items per checkout, and also what could be checked out at a self-serve station.

The bill would require stores to notify workers if new technology will eliminate, automate or electronically monitor their jobs. Each day of violations would cost stores $100 under the bill.

Labor supports self-checkout bill

The legislation has been endorsed by the United Food and Commercial Workers Western States Council and the California Federation of Labor Unions, AFL-CIO. Both organizations say it will protect good jobs, keep stores safe and reduced organized theft.

Opponents include Chamber of Commerce, grocer and retailers groups

The legislation has faced opposition from the California Grocers Association, the California Retailers Association and the California Chamber of Commerce. They say SB 1446 wouldn't protect employees and customers.

The grocers association urges consumers to oppose the bill, noting it would limit the number of items to 15. It said it would actually increase theft because of its restriction against self-checkout purchases of locked items such as razors.

The legislation would raise costs for stores by at least $497.1 million annually, according to the California Chamber of Commerce. It cited an California Foundation for Commerce and Education analysis that said the bill would mean hiring more than 10,000 additional cashiers.

Concessions made to opponents: vcstar.com


New Study Finds Washington Top State for Retail Theft 
New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon and Oklahoma rounded out the top five

These States Have the Highest Retail Theft in the US
Retailers in the U.S. lost an estimated $121.6 billion to retail theft in 2023, and this number is expected to rise, reaching $150 billion by 2026. But which states have the highest retail theft?

A new study conducted by researchers at Storeganise analyzed the latest crime data in the US to determine which states experience the most retail theft. Looking at incidents like burglaries in places including convenience stores, department stores, shopping malls, specialty stores, liquor stores, and gas stations, the data was then calculated per 100,000 businesses to create a final ranking.

Texas took sixth place among all 50 states, with 1,771.59 retail theft cases per 100,000 businesses.

Washington took the top spot, with 3510.66 retail theft cases per 100,000, while New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon and Oklahoma rounded out the top five.

On the other end of the spectrum, Florida has the lowest rate of reported retail theft in the US, followed by New York and New Hampshire.

“Businesses across the country are facing increasing challenges from burglaries,” said Miles Davison, spokesperson for Storeganise. “It’s crucial to support business owners and ensure their safety, as well as the safety of their employees. In Florida, shoplifting incidents have reportedly dropped by 30% since 2019, which might be reflected on this study. This unexpected trend is a positive sign for businesses in the state but it doesn’t mean the state is entirely safe. Despite the decrease in shoplifting, other forms of property crime, such as burglaries and thefts, may still be on the rise. It’s important for businesses to remain vigilant and implement effective security measures.”  cw33.com


More Coverage of Portland's Decision to Disband Property Crimes Unit
Portland Police Bureau dissolves Property Crimes Unit, retail theft missions continue
The Portland Police Bureau is dissolving its Property Crimes Unit while promising to still investigate property crimes. KOIN 6 New first reported the decision on Aug. 26. According to the report, Police Chief Bob Day made the decision for understaffing reasons.

The three detectives who currently make up the unit will be reassigned to the Special Victims Unit and the Sex Crimes Unit. A sergeant previously with PCU will be added to patrol, wherever needed.

“This comes as City of Portland data shows a drop in reported robberies and aggravated assaults in the first half of the year compared to last year. However, the number of rape cases has remained roughly the same. The Portland Police Bureau also reported that “person crimes,” like those linked to domestic violence, have only gone down by about 1%,” KOIN 6 News reported.

The story broke about three weeks after the Oregon Criminal Justice Commission notified PPB that it will be receiving $474,244 through the Organized Retail Theft Grant Program. The funds will allow PPB to continue working directly with retail partners to identify, apprehend and prosecute offenders. After a retail theft mission, officers conduct a follow-up and work with the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office to achieve convictions. portlandtribune.com


Ground Zero of the 'Defund the Police' Movement Dealing with Surging Crime
Minneapolis business owners face 'almost impossible' challenges including crime, regulations

MN reportedly ranks 46th in the nation for GDP and 47th for job creation

In the town that pioneered the movement to defund the police, the homeless population is present on most city blocks. Open-air drug use is so common it doesn’t attract attention and petty crime plagues the businesses who were able to re-open.

As a result, Drilling says, the suburban population which used to push his business from surviving to thriving does not come downtown anymore. "I think they feel like they are unsafe in the city, in this area and in the [other] areas. They're a little scared to come down here," says Drilling. Criminals make every aspect of business difficult in downtown Minneapolis. foxnews.com


New scholarship honors Dollar General mass shooting victim & his cybersecurity dream

Ohio 3rd out of 50 states for unsolved violent crimes in 2022, report says
 

Integrated Risk Management Becomes Priority for Orgs
EHS Professionals Need to Change Safety Management Methods

78% of EHS staff were less likely to be moving forward with AI , says new survey.

Integrated risk management (IRM) is becoming a priority across organizations, according to a new study from Origami Risk. The reason for this is complex risks such as those arising from extreme weather and climate issues, indoor air pollution, and infectious disease.

These risks pose daunting challenges which may not be adequately addressed by traditional approaches. Therefore, EHS professionals are increasing collaboration with other organizations in their companies including risk, compliance and other departments. And mobile technology is aiding this effort.

The study compared EHS professionals to individuals in risk-related domains including insurable risk, enterprise risk and compliance, and found EHS professionals less optimistic than risk practitioners about their preparedness and overall business outlook.

The EHS professionals, who accounted for approximately 25% of the 240 participants in the survey, were 15% less likely to feel “moderately or highly prepared for the next crisis” and 5% less likely to feel above average or excellent about their six-month performance outlook.

In terms of technology, EHS respondents were 18% more likely than other risk professionals surveyed to be using mobile technology, but 78% less likely to be moving forward with AI programs. The survey traced the EHS reticence to lack of bandwidth and readiness, for both learning a new technology and processing all the data it will generate. There was also concern over AI replacing current safety jobs.   ehstoday.com


Benefits of Facial Recognition are Real, the Criticisms are 'Baseless'
Facial recognition demonstrates its worth at the Tampa airport

Transportation Security Administration officers at Tampa International Airport (TPA) found out firsthand how well facial recognition works.

The TSA is going full board with facial recognition, despite criticisms of data misuse, racial bias and other errors that are made by the software. However, as the recent incident at the Tampa airport demonstrated, if the CAT-2 system cannot confirm a match, a manual examination of the identification can be used to confirm the person’s identity and their eligibility to travel.

The TPA incident demonstrates several benefits of CAT-2 using facial recognition. It also illustrates that many of the criticisms are baseless.

If facial recognition is accurate 99% of the time, as some research says, the time savings for those who pass the software test is significant, while the delay experienced with those who require manual ID authentication would be minimal. Most importantly, with so many people quickly passing through the ID verification process with CAT-2, every person benefits from higher throughput rates.

For airport security to remain one step ahead of bad actors, it must continue to evolve. This means exploring new layers of security screening that will keep the air system secure no matter what bad actors plan to do and throw at it. Keeping threat items off airplanes has been the strategy used to meet this goal. What facial recognition does is both deter bad actors from trying to enter the air system and if they decide to enter, forces them to expose their identity to the TSA.

Those who oppose facial recognition at airport security checkpoints may provide loud voices of opposition, but they are not the best informed. If the TSA is to remake airport security over the next decade, facial recognition must be a critical component of this makeover. What occurred at TPA is just the first of many pending demonstrations that the technology works, and that the future is closer than many realize. chicagotribune.com


When Does Store-Within-a-Store Provide Equal Benefits?
In a column for Toronto’s The Globe and Mail, Joanne McNeish, a marketing professor at Toronto Metropolitan University, said the store-within-a-store concept is a win-win for both partners as long as the two brands are complementary.


What Impact Will Walmart’s ‘Let’s Grow!’ Initiatives Make?

Foot Locker to exit several international markets, move headquarters to Florida
 

Publishing Note:
The Daily will not be publishing Aug. 30 & Sept. 2 in observance of Labor Day

Whether you're spending the holiday weekend on the road or at home, let's keep 'em all safe out there!