Supermarket Chain Blames ORC for Price Hikes, Urges Federal Action
Organized retail crime causing increased grocery prices at Boston Stop & Shops
Confronted with “more economic challenges than ever before,” Stop & Shop is calling on Congress to pass legislation to stop organized retail crime, an issue it says is causing prices to climb.

The Quincy-based regional supermarket chain says brick-and-mortar retailers in Boston and elsewhere in the Bay State are “struggling with the vast impact of organized retail crime,” and action is needed to prevent it.

President Roger Wheeler has revealed the issue in a letter sent to members of the Massachusetts delegation in response to an inquiry about potential price gouging at Stop & Shop’s urban store locations.

“Retail theft is a major concern for retailers like us, and we need legislators to act swiftly by advancing legislation … to help protect our customers and associates,” Wheeler said in the letter, sent on Wednesday. “Our business’s ability to continue to invest in our stores, our customers, and our communities relies on Congressional action to stop organized retail crime.”

Wheeler highlighted the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act, reintroduced last month, that would look to “crack down on flash mob robberies and intricate retail theft schemes.”

The legislation, reintroduced by Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), would specifically establish an organized retail and supply chain crime coordination center within the Department of Homeland Security. bostonherald.com


Stronger Retail Crime Enforcement Needed in the UK
Government acts as UK retail crime escalates

Despite the new legislation, industry leaders highlight the necessity for stronger enforcement and greater support for those affected.

Retail crime in the UK has reached unprecedented levels, with incidents of theft and violence against shop staff surging in the past year. In response, the government has introduced new legislation aimed at curbing the growing crisis.

In response to the escalating retail crime crisis, the UK government has introduced the Crime and Policing Bill 2025. Key measures include the creation of a standalone offence for assaulting a retail worker, carrying a maximum penalty of six months in prison and/or an unlimited fine.

The bill also repeals Section 22A of the Magistrates’ Courts Act 1980, which previously allowed shoplifting of goods valued under £200 to be treated as a summary offence. This change ensures that all shop thefts are treated with the seriousness they deserve, with potential custodial sentences of up to seven years.

Retail industry bodies, including the BRC, have welcomed the proposed legislation but stress the need for effective implementation and enforcement. They advocate for increased police presence and better support for retail workers to combat the growing threat of retail crime. retail-insight-network.com


Friction Between PDs and CA City Leaders Over Retail Crime
California police department defends retail crime crackdown, bashes cities that don’t punish thieves
Police in a Southern California city used the Mother’s Day arrest of a shoplifter to highlight its own tough stance on theft, while also commenting on lax attitudes toward retail crime in the Golden State.

Seal Beach police posted an Instagram photo of a theft suspect nabbed on suspicion of stealing flowers, and penned a lengthy caption saying its harsher approach to shoplifting differs from other California cities where the crime is “so normalized that it’s barely reported, let alone prosecuted.”

“We decided that allowing criminals to steal without consequence wasn’t just bad policy—it was a betrayal of the residents and businesses we swore to protect,” Seal Beach police wrote Monday on social media. “That’s why, unlike in some counties, when you commit theft in Seal Beach, you don’t get a ticket or a warning. **You go to jail.**”

The police department, based in Orange County, said its “zero tolerance” policy was inspired by the brazen retail theft seen throughout the state following the COVID-19 pandemic. California turned into a haven for rampant shoplifting after the coronavirus lockdowns wound down. washingtontimes.com


Robberies Up in Atlanta, Despite Overall Crime Drop
Atlanta crime overall continues declining. Community programs lead the change
Atlanta’s police chief and members of the department’s Criminal Investigations Division report crime has gone down in many categories. The department credits using a wide range of strategies for the improvement.

Homicide, vehicle theft, and shootings are all down compared to this time last year. Vehicle theft saw the largest decline, from 1,347 cases in May of 2024 to 790 this year.

There has been a slight rise in some crimes including robbery and sexual assault. APD reports 26 cases of rape compared to 21 this time last year and 202 robberies compared to 154 in 2024.

Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens recently proposed a 19% increase in police funding. APD reports some of the money will go toward expanding the C.A.R.E Unit, a civilian unit handling non-emergency calls. gpb.org


Thefts prompt Southern California grocery store to change bag policy
A Grocery Outlet store in Hemet is now requiring customers to leave their reusable shopping bags and personal bags with a cashier due to a rise in theft.

Mobile, AL 2024 Crime Report: Homicide numbers up; other violent crimes were low

New Dashboard Surfaces Allentown, Pa., Crime Data to Public
 

The Real Reason the Retail Apocalypse Never Arrived?
Has Physical Retail Endured the Worst of Its ‘E-Commerce Disruption Era,’ or Is More Uncertainty Ahead?
The Colliers report illuminated several key data points in favor of the argument of e-commerce and brick-and-mortar retail synergy, rather than the domination of the latter by the former:

• E-commerce stability: Held steady at 16.4% of all retail sales in Q4 2024 — the same as in Q2 2020, and up from 6.6% in Q4 2014.

• Retail space resilience: U.S. retail space vacancy rate was just 4.2% as of Q1 2025, and shopping center occupancy reached a decade-high peak.

• Omnichannel fulfillment: 30% of online retail sales are supported by physical stores through curbside pickup, in-store pickup, and direct shipping from store inventory.

“Physical stores still account for the vast majority of core retail sales — 76.2% — and the pace of erosion is slowing as online growth stabilizes,” the Colliers study underscored.

By 2030, Colliers expects that omnichannel methods will fulfill more than a third (36.3%) of online orders. On the other side of the equation, physical retail stores will likely shoulder at least some of the responsibility for fielding returns related to online purchases. Data suggests that 77.1% of those polled by Colliers agreed or strongly agreed that they were reluctant to pay return fees for items bought online — a trend that is becoming more commonplace due to a variety of factors. retailwire.com


The Tariff Pressure Continues to Build
Tariff fallout takes hold as pressure builds on retailers and consumers
The Trump administration’s evolving tariff policies are starting to hit home—impacting both the psyche and behaviors of businesses and consumers.

Consumers are showing clear signs of concern. Forty-six percent of consumers worry about rising fashion and clothing prices due to tariffs, and over half say they’re willing to switch brands based on price, per a mid-April survey by Wunderkind.

Spending behavior is already shifting. Twenty-three percent of shoppers have started cutting back on nonessential purchases—even before most price increases have appeared on shelves. More ominously, 37% plan to reduce spending during the summer and holiday periods.

Small businesses are growing more pessimistic. The NFIB Small Business Optimism Index fell 1.6 points in April, the second straight month below its 51-year average. The share of owners expecting better business conditions dropped 6 points from March, the lowest since last October.

Business owners are bracing for headwinds. The net percentage expecting higher real sales volumes declined for the fourth consecutive month, down 4 points in April. The share planning to boost inventory investments fell 3 points to an 11-month low. emarketer.com


Not Just Walmart: Canada's Loblaw to Raise Prices Over Tariffs
Loblaw CEO warns of “large wave” of tariff-related increases
While the tariff situation might be improving between the U.S. and other countries, that’s not yet the case here in Canada. In fact, we’ll be facing a large wave of tariff-related increases in the weeks ahead, warns Per Bank, CEO & President, Loblaw Companies Limited.

“Our customers might have seen a “T” symbol on our shelf labels, which indicated that a product has been impacted by tariffs. So far, we’ve been able to limit the number of T symbols on our shelves to a little over 1,000 items. But our inventory is running out, and in the next week or two, the number of products with a T symbol will surge to over 3,000. Within the next two months, that number could peak at over 6,000,” wrote Bank in a LinkedIn post.

“On average, our store portfolio combined carry roughly 80,000 items. So while the majority of products will be unaffected, customers will start to see more impacts in non-produce categories like natural foods, pantry staples, health & beauty products, and more.

“It’s been good to see Prime Minister Carney and other leaders engaging in dialogue with U.S. officials, as we’re all hoping for a rapid de-escalation of this situation. We were also pleased to see the change in policy, where only finished food products from the U.S. are subject to tariffs." retail-insider.com


Is Guidance Irrelevant Amid Tariff Uncertainty?

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