A Global Look at Retail Theft
Retail theft, encompassing shoplifting, employee fraud, and organized retail crime
This report delves into the top countries affected by retail theft, highlights nations leading in anti-theft technology investments, and examines the trends and technological advancements over the past ten years.

Top 10 Countries by Retail Theft Rates

Retail shrinkage, defined as the loss of inventory due to theft, fraud, or errors, varies across countries. Based on available data, the following table presents estimated shrinkage rates as a percentage of retail sales for selected countries:

Country Estimated Shrinkage Rate (%)

- Brazil 1.6
- Mexico 1.6
- United States 1.5
- United Kingdom 1.3
- China 1.3
- Germany 1.1
- Australia 1.1
- Japan 1.0
- South Africa 1.7
- India 1.4

Top 10 Countries Investing in Retail Theft Prevention Technologies

In response to escalating retail theft, several countries have significantly invested in loss prevention technologies. The following nations are recognized for their proactive approaches:​

- United States: Retailers have adopted advanced surveillance systems, RFID technology, and AI-driven analytics to combat theft.​

- United Kingdom: UK retailers have implemented body-worn cameras for staff and collaborated on initiatives like Project Pegasus to address organized retail crime. ​

- Japan: Japanese retailers have embraced self-checkout systems equipped with enhanced security features and have fostered collaborations to share anti-theft strategies. ​

- Germany: Investments focus on RFID systems and comprehensive employee training programs to deter internal theft.​

- Canada: Retailers are piloting receipt-scanning security gates and enhancing surveillance to prevent shoplifting. ​Capital Computer Group

Read more of the report here: internationalsupermarketnews.com


Retailer Partners with Auror, Unveils New Tech to Fight Crime
UK: Currys unveils major safety spend to protect staff, curb retail crime
Currys, a British omnichannel technology retailer, has unveiled its most significant annual investment in store safety measures to date reaffirming its focus on staff security. The move is aimed at protecting employees and discouraging retail theft. The announcement coincides with the company's observance of 'Safety Week' for its store personnel throughout the UK.

It follows a report from British Retail Consortium which revealed reveal that incidents of violence and abuse against retail staff surged to more than 2,000 per day in fiscal year 2023-24, compared to 1,300 daily occurrences the previous year.

The retailer is introducing an array of new technologies and safety protocols as part of this extensive investment in safety.

Upgrades include enhanced Public Display Monitors in stores deemed high-risk, experimentation with novel product security measures, and a commitment to better intelligence gathering and analysis. Additionally, there will be a heightened focus on security personnel and surveillance systems.

Currys is piloting the use of staff headsets in select locations, with a full rollout expected by the end of May this year. These devices enable staff to communicate more effectively on the sales floor, enhancing their sense of security, particularly when dealing with shoplifters.

Currys has also partnered with Auror for the implementation of a crime reporting software platform that streamlines crime reporting and increases its precision.

The software facilitates secure information sharing about crimes and suspects among stores. By correlating data on offenses nationwide, it not only equips store employees with knowledge of current threats but also supports law enforcement efforts to make shopping environments safer.

Currently undergoing trials in two regions, there are plans to expand this platform across all stores early next month. finance.yahoo.com


New Jersey Enacts New Retail Theft Law
Governor Murphy Signs Bill to Protect New Jersey Businesses Against Retail Theft

Legislation Expands on Commitment to Create Safer Communities for Businesses, Retail Workers, and Consumers

Governor Phil Murphy today signed A4755/S3587, which establishes and upgrades certain crimes related to retail theft, provides that repeat offenders can be sentenced to extended prison terms, addresses gift card fraud, and requires the Attorney General to take actions to combat organized retail theft.

“No business owner or retail worker should have to fear for their safety or endure the financial loss caused by organized retail theft,” said Governor Murphy. “Over the past few years, we have worked to crack down on organized retail theft, which threatens livelihoods and public safety. With today’s bill, we are taking decisive action to combat this growing threat and protect businesses and workers statewide.”

To impose stricter penalties for these crimes and establish a dedicated effort to combat organized retail theft, the bill specifically:

1. Upgrades any simple assault to an aggravated assault when committed against a retail employee engaged in the performance of their duties

2. Upgrades to a second-degree crime the failure to pay a tax, fee, penalty, or interest due if accrued through conduct as a leader of an organized retail theft enterprise

3. Establishes fostering the sale of stolen property as a disorderly persons offense

4. Provides that the value of merchandise involved in a shoplifting offense may be used to upgrade the offense

5. Provides that a person may be sentenced to an extended prison term for repeat convictions related to retail theft

6. Requires merchants that sell gift cards to ensure that the gift cards are enclosed in secure packaging and that they display a consumer notice related to gift card fraud provided by the Division of Consumer Affairs

7. Requires the Attorney General to undertake steps as deemed appropriate to effectively investigate, prosecute, and deter organized retail theft, which may include establishing a retail theft unit, task force, or other office or initiative nj.gov

Does Bail Reform Fuel ORC?
No Clear Link Between Bail Reform and Surging ORC

By the D&D Daily staff

​Recent discussions have centered on the potential impact of bail reform on organized retail crime. Bail reform initiatives aim to reduce pretrial incarceration by eliminating cash bail for many nonviolent offenses, allowing individuals to await trial without financial constraints. Some critics argue that these reforms may inadvertently lead to an uptick in organized retail theft by enabling repeat offenders to return to criminal activity more readily.​

However, empirical studies have not substantiated a direct correlation between bail reform and increased crime rates. A comprehensive study by the Brennan Center for Justice analyzed crime trends from 2015 to 2021 across 33 cities, comparing those that implemented bail reforms with those that did not. The findings indicated no statistically significant difference in crime rates between the two groups, suggesting that bail reform has not led to increased criminal activity. ​

Similarly, research from John Jay College examined New York City's bail reform law and its effect on recidivism. The study found that eliminating bail for most misdemeanors and nonviolent felonies resulted in reduced re-arrest rates, indicating that such reforms may contribute to lowering recidivism among individuals charged with less serious offenses. ​

While concerns about organized retail crime are valid, attributing increases solely to bail reform lacks robust evidence. Factors such as economic conditions, law enforcement practices, and broader societal issues also play significant roles in crime trends. Addressing organized retail theft effectively may require a multifaceted approach that includes targeted law enforcement strategies, community engagement, and social support systems, rather than solely focusing on bail policies.


Progressive Candidate for NYC Proposes Alternative to NYPD
NYC mayoral hopeful Zohran Mamdani floats ‘community safety’ agency as alternative to more cops
Zohran Mamdani, the most left-leaning candidate in this summer’s mayoral election, rolled out a public safety plan Tuesday that hinges on launching a new city agency tasked with using non-police emergency responses to combat complex problems like mental illness, homelessness and gun violence.

The agency would be called the Department of Community Safety and have an annual budget of $1.1 billion, according to the plan from Mamdani, a state Assembly member representing western Queens whose mayoral campaign has gained significant traction recently, especially among younger voters.

Setting himself apart from many other candidates in the June 24 Democratic mayoral primary, Mamdani, a democratic socialist, isn’t proposing to hire more NYPD officers as part of his public safety plan.

His blueprint argues more cops won’t be necessary as his newly envisioned agency would absorb certain responsibilities currently in the NYPD’s wheelhouse, including responding to mental health emergencies. That will, in turn, free up officers — who have “a critical role to play” — to focus on more pressing police work, the plan maintains.

“Its mission will be to prevent violence before it happens by taking a public health approach to safety,” the plan states of the Department of Community Safety. nydailynews.com


Alaska property crimes decline over long term, but violent crime remains high

Maine Legislature weighs updates to machine gun definition, ghost gun regulations
 

Cybersecurity Can't Be Separated From World Events
Why global tensions are a cybersecurity problem for every business
With global tensions climbing, cyber attacks linked to nation-states and their allies are becoming more common, sophisticated, and destructive. For organizations, cybersecurity can’t be treated as separate from world events anymore, they’re closely connected.

Conflict between countries is spilling into cyberspace. Whether it’s during military escalations, trade disputes, or diplomatic standoffs, governments are using cyber operations to exert pressure, gather intelligence, or disrupt systems. These attacks often hit private businesses, not just governments or critical infrastructure.

One growing concern is the blurred line between cybercrime and state-sponsored hacking. Criminal groups sometimes work directly with governments, or at least operate with their blessing. This makes attribution harder and retaliation riskier.

A PwC report outlines how board members and CEOs are paying closer attention. Executives are asking new questions about risk exposure. For example, does the company rely on suppliers in politically unstable regions? Are there assets located in jurisdictions with rising tensions? These are now cybersecurity questions, not just supply chain ones.

Industrial cyber threats are growing more strategic

Energy, manufacturing, and healthcare remain top targets. But the range of sectors at risk is expanding. According to Dragos’ 2025 OT/ICS Cybersecurity report, cyber threats to operational technology (OT) are becoming more strategic. Adversaries are learning the inner workings of industrial environments and probing for weak spots.

This is not limited to power grids or water plants. Any system that blends physical and digital components is vulnerable. In a geopolitical crisis, these systems can become high-value targets for sabotage or disruption. helpnetsecurity.com


AI Cybersecurity Detection & Response
AI-Powered Cybersecurity Firm ReliaQuest Raises More Than $500 Million

Armed with AI agents, ReliaQuest’s platform detects and responds to cyberattacks within minutes, company says

ReliaQuest, a once-bootstrapped startup that uses artificial intelligence to automate cybersecurity detection and response, on Monday announced more than $500 million in funding.

The round, led by investing firms EQT, KKR and FTV Capital, lifts ReliaQuest’s market valuation to $3.4 billion. Other investors include Ten Eleven Ventures and Finback Investment Partners. The new funding will go toward driving global expansion, among other initiatives, the company said.

Launched in 2007, and based in Tampa, Fla., ReliaQuest operated for nearly a decade before seeking investor funding. It runs six global operating centers with more than 1,000 enterprise customers, including banks, airlines, hospitals and the Boston Celtics professional basketball team. Recurring revenue recently surpassed $300 million, according to the company.

Large cybersecurity vendors in recent years have sought to add tools and bundle services in a bid to become one-stop shops for corporate security chiefs—an approach known as Extended Detection and Response, or XDR. wsj.com


Can Security Keep Up with AI?
Generative AI Is reshaping financial fraud. Can security keep up?
Fighting financial fraud has always been an arms race between financial institutions and fraudsters, and AI has made it a much tighter race. As payments innovations continue, legacy fraud solutions can’t keep pace. Today, you need to be able to fight AI with AI to beat fraudsters at their own game.

With many fraudsters leveraging generative AI to launch attacks, fraud solutions can leverage generative AI to stay ahead in many areas. For example, generative AI has already been adopted to automate rule creation and tuning to provide better detection and save fraud teams time and money on trial-and-error methods.

Organizations need to have adaptive responses to be ready for new and evolving fraud and scam attacks. Sophisticated AI technologies and machine learning models can analyze large sets of data and signals in real-time to identify hidden patterns and correlations through usage patterns, device information, location information, network characteristics. These technologies are essential in identifying new and evolving threats, and they continuously improve over time, which is particularly crucial in combating deepfake threats. helpnetsecurity.com


How to build an effective cybersecurity simulation

Houston, TX: 5 members of 'sophisticated' organized crime ring from Romania arrested in Houston
A massive investigation by federal, state and local law enforcement led to the recent arrests of five people in Houston who are charged with a series of sophisticated fraud schemes. The agencies worked together to uncover and dismantle a Romanian organized crime ring operating in Houston and other cities, according to the Texas Financial Crimes Intelligence Center. They said the crimes included motor vehicle theft, ATM skimming, identity theft, organized retail theft and more. Elizabeta Stefan and Madalin Trifu are charged with forgery with intent to defraud. Vasile Trifu faces charges related to ATM skimming. Ion Trifu and Catalin Trifu were also detained by Homeland Security Investigations on unspecified charges. The investigation included the Houston Police Department, Homeland Security, the Secret Service, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Texas Financial Crimes Intelligence Center (FCIC).  khou.com


Los Angeles, CA: Smash-and-grab burglars use car to plow into downtown L.A. shoe store
An investigation is underway after burglars used a vehicle to smash in the front of a shoe store in downtown Los Angeles overnight. The damage was visible Tuesday morning at the Sports Town shop in Maple Alley Fashion Corner on 12th Street and Maple Avenue. The front security door had been smashed in and peeled back allowing the burglars access to the store. Glass and debris could be seen outside the shop while the inside had been ransacked with shoe boxes and merchandise left all over the floor.  ktla.com


San Rafael, CA: Historic North Bay camera shop damaged during break-in, $50K in merchandise stolen
Seawood Photo on 4th Street in San Rafael was broken into on Monday during the early morning overnight hours. Seawood's store president told KTVU that someone ultimately drove a car through the store's front window and ransacked the premises, resulting in an estimated $50,000 in stolen merchandise, along with $10,000 in repair costs.   ktvu.com


Florence County, SC: Man arrested for stealing over 20 weapons from gun store
A man was arrested on Tuesday morning for stealing over 20 weapons from a Florence gun store, according to Chief Deputy Tommy Sullivan with the Florence County Sheriff's Office. Deputies arrested 26-year-old Kelvin Anderson Mitchell on Tuesday morning near a Florence hospital on East Cheves Street in connection to this incident that happened on Second Loop Road in Florence, according to Sullivan. The suspect is charged with two counts of burglary to the second degree, two counts of grand larceny, two counts of possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime and sale or delivery of a weapon/pistol to and possession by certain persons unlawful, according to Sullivan.   wpde.com


Liberty Township, OH: Man accused of stealing $16,000 worth of merchandise arrested
A suspected serial shoplifter accused of stealing more than $16,000 from stores has been arrested. Donald Wright is charged with two felonies for theft and one for possessing criminal tools, according to the Butler County Sheriff’s Office. “Several stores including Victoria’s Secret, we have him going in Dick’s,” explained detective Mike Steele. “I know he would frequent Macy’s locations as well. Allegedly, the total is over $16,000 alone from the Liberty Center Mall.” Wright, according to Steele, was tracked down after a deputy got a hit off of the flock camera system.  fox19.com