2025: Celebrating 20 Years of LPRC IMPACT and 25 Years of the LPRC

GAINESVILLE, FL - 2025 marks a milestone year for the Loss Prevention Research Council (LPRC). LPRC is celebrating 25 years of protecting people, property, products, and profits. Since its founding in 2000, LPRC has been dedicated to detecting and preventing theft through evidence-based solutions. Today, LPRC is proud to support over 100 retail members, including recognizable brands like 7-Eleven, Kohl's, and Nordstrom, as well as over 160 solution partners whose expertise and resources help advance the field of loss prevention.

Quarter of a Century Providing Research & Evidence

Reflecting on LPRC's 25-year journey, Scott Ziter, Chairman of the LPRC Board of Advisors, remarked, "Congratulations to LPRC for reaching its milestone of 25 years of service to the loss prevention and asset protection industry. I've been part of this great organization since 2014 and have had the honor of leading the Board of Advisors these past several years. Wishing this best-in-class team nothing but success for years to come."

LPRC's commitment to research, innovation, and collaboration has led to groundbreaking studies and field-tested solutions that have significantly advanced the loss prevention industry. Through initiatives like the LPRC's INNOVATE program, LPRC has provided a collaborative environment for developing and testing cutting-edge technologies aimed at reducing theft, fraud, and violence.

Celebrating Two Decades of LPRC IMPACT

In addition to this business anniversary, LPRC will host the 20th annual LPRC IMPACT Conference this March. LPRC IMPACT is the Loss Prevention Research Council's flagship conference, a three-day event that brings together hundreds of retail security professionals, industry leaders, and researchers to shape the future of loss prevention.

The 20th annual LPRC IMPACT Conference will take place March 24-26 in Gainesville, FL. Attendees will have the opportunity to network with experts in the field, attend presentations and panels, and participate in breakout sessions and hands-on demonstrations.

LPRC's Legacy and Plans for the Future

The Loss Prevention Research Council is guided by five core values: research, innovate, collaborate, inform, and engage. LPRC has made immense progress in the arena of loss prevention through its commitment to these principles, namely through the release of groundbreaking studies and field-tested solutions.

One of the best examples of these values in practice is LPRC's INNOVATE program, an ongoing, collaborative program that highlights the application of research and data in partnership with several cities across the country. To complement the real-world application of LPRC's research, the LPRC has continued to grow and develop several LPRC labs equipped with cutting-edge technology to allow the team to prototype, test, and simulate solutions aimed at deterring theft, fraud, and violence in a controlled environment.

Reflecting on the organization's journey, Dr. Read Hayes, Founder & Executive Director of LPRC, stated, "A lot of imagination and hard work by a lot of people built LPRC's capabilities, reputation, and hundreds of actionable report briefs. Even after 25 years, it feels like the growing LPRC Community is just getting started."
 

'Nightmare for Shoplifters'
Walmart is testing a new form of self-checkout to stop theft without us even noticing
Walmart is quietly rolling out a new tech upgrade that's a win for paying customers -but a nightmare for shoplifters. If you have recently noticed that your self-checkout experience has vastly improved, you are not imaging things (nor have you suddenly developed Wild West reflexes while scanning codes). Walmart has secretly improved their self-checkout stations so that honest customers don't struggle.

A viral TikTok video back in September 2024, filmed by a Walmart shopper showed how she could Great Value items at the self-checkout without even needing a barcode. "Omg guys, you can literally scan the item anywhere, and it still works," the on-screen text exclaims. The items, indeed, were detected correctly as soon as they approached the scanning area.

This discovery comes after Walmart teamed up with Digimarc, the brains behind this tech, investing $3 million a year to revamp its barcode system.

Back in 2022, Walmart deepened its collaboration with Digimarc, aiming to streamline store operations and keep checkout lines moving faster-because nobody likes getting stuck behind a cart full of mystery produce.

Digimarc's website explains that its technology works by embedding hidden codes into product packaging-completely undetectable to the human eye but easily recognized by self-checkout machines.

According to a Digimarc press release, the upgrade makes scanning much faster. "Scanning speed increases significantly with Digimarc technology," said partner company Datalogic. "Customers no longer have to search for barcodes, making self-checkout smoother. Plus, imaging cameras can scan multiple items at once."

In other words, no more flipping cereal boxes like a detective hunting for clues -just scan and go! eladelantado.com


New ORC Bill Officially Signed Into Law
McMaster signs 'organized retail crime' bill into law
South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster signed a bill into law last week which allows authorities to "issue felonies for organized retail crime in an effort to stop large scale theft in crimes where people made up of two or more people, groups or gangs conspire to steal large quantities of merchandise," according of the bill.

"The governor was proud to sign the Retail Crime Bill into law, which provides law enforcement with the tools needed to stop organized crime rings and repeat offenders from preying on our state's businesses," said Brandon Charochak, a spokesman for the governor. "With this new law, these criminals will be held accountable and placed behind bars where they belong."

Oconee County Sheriff Mike Crenshaw said the South Carolina Sheriff's Association supports the new law.

"The way that I understand the bill, you can combine several smaller crimes over a 90-day period, up to $2,000," he said. "If someone goes in and shoplifts over a period of time, and we've got video, and it's the same people, we're going to be able to combine that, and this will carry a much stiffer penalty than what we currently have with just shoplifting. I think that's going to be even more of a benefit, because someone that goes into a retailer in Pickens County, Greenville County, and then comes to the same retailer in Oconee County, we will be able to go through the state grand jury, combine all of those and then they can be prosecuted under this new act."

Maximum penalties can rise to 20 years in prison and a $50,000 fine for a second offense of the law. Previously, the penalty would have been up to 30 days in jail and a $1,000 fine.

"It's a relief for law enforcement. It's a relief, for I think small businesses, it's a relief for bigger retailers and it's a relief for citizens as customers of stores from having to pay higher prices due to this kind of theft," Crenshaw said.  upstatetoday.com


Both Carolinas Waging War on ORC
Organized retail crime crackdown intensifies across the Carolinas
Leaders and law enforcement across the Carolinas are taking extra steps to crack down on organized retail crimes. North Carolina businesses lost more than $1.8 billion in revenue in 2022 because of theft. According to a Forbes study, 64% of small business retailers were forced to increase prices due to theft.

State leaders are pushing for action to stop organized retail crime. A bipartisan group of 38 attorneys general are urging Congress to reintroduce a bill that would provide state and federal resources to help combat these crimes. They also want it to include increased federal penalties for supply chain thefts.

Big-box retailers like Home Depot, Walmart and CVS are also impacted by organized retail crimes. Huntley says, although he is armed on the job while working security, that doesn't always stop the criminals.

Some of the companies named have several safeguards in place. They offer extensive training to their employees. Home Depot has new technology to make in-store theft more difficult. wcnc.com


Scottish Retailers Getting Crushed by Retail Crime
SGF reveals 'devastating' retail crime impact costing shops £19,673 per year

The Scottish Grocer's Federation (SGF) crime report has shown the average cost of retail crime has reached £19,673 per store

The amount the average Scottish convenience store is losing per year to crime has increased by around £5,000 per year to £19,673, according to the Scottish Grocers Federation's (SGF) newly released annual Crime Report.

The increase, which represents a 38% rise, is based on data from 755 stores. Scaled up to represent Scotland's 5,220 convenience stores, the SGF claimed this equates to an annual cost of approximately £102.7m per year -which the group said is 'crippling' the sector.

The survey also showed 99.8% of convenience retailers agreeing that shoplifting has increased in the past year, while 99.5% say that shoplifting is now a daily occurrence.

More than eight out of 10 stores also reported that hate crime occurred once a month, while almost all stating violence against staff occurred at least once a month. Likewise, almost all (98.8%) of respondents also reported weekly incidents of abuse when refusing a sale or when asking for proof of age.

The data also revealed a significant decline in confidence in the Scottish justice system's ability to tackle retail crime, with 48.2% of respondents stating they are either unlikely or very unlikely to report shoplifting incidents to the police. betterretailing.com


UK: One in four shoppers witnesses theft, and assault or abuse on retailers
Shoplifters are becoming "bolder and more aggressive", with almost a quarter of consumers witnessing incidents of theft, as well as abuse or assaults on staff, in the past financial year according to a new report. forecourttrader.co.uk


Crackdown on organized retail crime advancing through Tennessee legislature

NOPD Reports on Crime Statistics from City Mardi Gras Period
 

Oakland, CA: More than $779K worth of stolen merchandise recovered from Bay Area theft ring bust
A suspect believed to be behind an organized Bay Area retail theft ring has been arrested. The California Highway Patrol says they recovered stolen makeup and skincare products worth more than $779,000. Officers say the items were found at a home, two storage facilities, and two vehicles in Oakland. The Golden Gate Division Organized Retail Crime Task Force first launched the investigation over the summer.  abc7news.com


Okaloosa County, FL: Mastermind behind retail thefts at multiple Northwest Florida stores arrested
The Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office has arrested the man who it says is the mastermind behind a series of organized retail thefts across multiple stores in Northwest Florida. Claudio Solano-Olascoaga, 43, was arrested Tuesday on multiple grand retail theft charges. He also has an immigration hold. Deputies served a search warrant early Tuesday morning at Solano-Olascoaga's Fort Walton Beach home. "Solano-Olascoaga is accused of masterminding a series of retail thefts across multiple stores in Okaloosa County and surrounding counties," the sheriff's office says in a release. The investigation began several months ago. The sheriff's office says it revealed that Solano-Olascoaga "employed a deceptive scheme to steal merchandise." "Retail Loss Prevention Investigators from various stores, working in conjunction with OCSO investigators, were able to identify the suspect and his criminal activities after reporting significant financial losses," the release states. According to the arrest report, this past October, Solano-Olascoaga stole over $3,000 worth of items from Lowe's stores in Destin, Fort Walton Beach and Crestview. "The arrest marks a significant step in addressing organized retail crime in the community and serves as a reminder of the ongoing efforts to protect local businesses from theft," the sheriff's office says.  weartv.com


Police stop thieves from making off with $55,000 worth of beef in South Philadelphia
Police stopped thieves from walking away with all the beef in an attempted cargo theft in South Philadelphia. It happened along the 3300 block of South 7th Street Tuesday morning. Authorities say the thieves pulled up in a stolen box truck and began taking beef products from a parked tractor trailer that was making a delivery. The commotion woke up the driver. "He was awakened by what he described as a shaking of the vehicle. He looked in the mirror and he saw at least four individuals carrying boxes to a white ford truck," said Dep. Commissioner Frank Vanore. When officers arrived, the thieves jumped into a different vehicle and drove off, leaving the meat behind. After a brief chase, the suspects got away. There were 185 boxes full of beef worth about $55,000. The cargo truck driver was not hurt.  6abc.com


Sacramento, CA: California man charged after Lego larceny worth $25,000
Michael Ivory Fletcher, 32, was charged by the Contra Costa District Attorney with multiple counts of second-degree burglary and grand theft after he was accused of stealing nearly $25,000 worth of Lego merchandise from Target stores in San Ramon and Walnut Creek between August 2024 and February 2025. The Contra Costa Public Defenders office, which is representing Fletcher, did not immediately return requests for comment. The Lego heists happened in a total of six California counties, where authorities say Fletcher loaded up his shopping cart with the expensive building toys, disappeared into the parking lot "in a matter of minutes" and drove away, according to the DA's office.  capradio.org


Glen Mills, PA: $8K-Plus In Merchandise Stolen From Lululemon