How Malls Can Combat Evolving Security Threats
Mall Security Adapts to Evolving Retail Crime Threats

By the D&D Daily staff

As retail crime becomes increasingly sophisticated and organized, shopping malls across the country are ramping up their loss prevention efforts to protect both retailers and shoppers.

Mall operators and store owners are turning to a mix of traditional security measures and new technologies to deter theft, reduce shrinkage, and maintain a safe shopping environment. Strategies range from visible deterrents like uniformed security personnel and surveillance cameras to advanced tools such as artificial intelligence, license plate recognition, and facial recognition systems.

"Retail crime today isn't just about petty shoplifting—it’s often coordinated and well-planned," said Lisa Harmon, a retail security consultant. "Mall security has to evolve just as quickly."

Organized retail crime (ORC) has been a particular challenge. According to the National Retail Federation, nearly 70% of retailers saw an increase in ORC-related incidents in 2023, with many of those taking place in or near large shopping centers. Criminal groups often target multiple stores in a single location, making malls high-risk areas that require coordinated security responses.

To address these threats, many malls are expanding partnerships with local law enforcement and private security firms. Some are implementing real-time crime centers that allow for rapid response and information sharing among tenants. Others are investing in predictive analytics software to identify patterns and potential vulnerabilities.

Retailers located within malls are also updating their own in-store loss prevention protocols. This includes securing high-value merchandise, training employees to recognize suspicious behavior, and using electronic article surveillance (EAS) tags that trigger alarms at exits.

While these measures can enhance deterrence, some experts caution that maintaining a balance between security and customer experience is essential.

"You want to create a safe environment without making shoppers feel like they’re under constant surveillance," said Harmon. "It’s about being proactive, not intrusive."

As malls continue to recover foot traffic post-pandemic, crime prevention remains a top priority for the industry. With both financial and reputational stakes on the line, retailers and mall operators say the goal is clear: a safer, more secure shopping experience for everyone.


ORC Becomes Central to Price Hike Blame Game
Stop & Shop's blame of theft for higher prices is making more headlines

High grocery prices? Grocery stores blame the thieves

If you continue to shell out more and more for groceries, one major grocery retailer says: blame the thieves.

Stop & Shop, which runs more than 300 markets across the Northeast, has penned a letter to Congress saying retailers like them are operating on ‘razor-thin’ margins and are “struggling with the vast impact of organized retail crime.”

The company is urging Congress to pass the “Combating Organized Retail Crime Act,” which has now been reintroduced.

The bipartisan legislation specifically targets flash mob robberies and what it calls ‘intricate retail theft schemes.’ It cites data from the National Retail Federation showing larceny incidents increased by 93 percent in 2023 compared with 2019. The letter says that in recent years, “criminal organizations have increasingly turned to retail crime to generate illicit profits, using internet-based tools to organize flash mobs, sell stolen goods and move money.”

Stop & Shop says it does not, “under any circumstances take a neighborhood’s demographics into consideration when setting prices. The specific process for setting prices is highly confidential and competitively sensitive for any major retail business.”

But theft has been weighing on retailers.

Albertson’s, which operates Vons and Pavilions, referred an inquiry about the retail theft trend and its impact on grocery prices to the California Retailers Association. Similar requests were sent to Kroger, parent company of Ralphs, and also to Whole Foods. ktla.com


Prop 36 Fueling Felony Theft Charges
L.A. County DA Files Over 1,000 Felony Theft Charges Under Prop 36 in Retail Crime Crackdown

DA Nathan Hochman Unveils Major Enforcement Effort Targeting Organized Retail Theft

Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman announced that his office has filed more than 1,000 felony charges since December under a new state law targeting repeat retail theft offenders, marking one of the most aggressive enforcement efforts in California since voters approved Proposition 36 last year.

The measure, which passed overwhelmingly in November 2024, revised existing laws to allow prosecutors to charge repeat petty theft offenses as felonies. Previously, thefts under $950 were classified as misdemeanors, even for serial offenders, unless the crime involved violence or aggravating circumstances.

“Retail theft has plagued our communities for too long,” Hochman said in a statement. “With Proposition 36 now in effect, we are using every tool available to hold repeat offenders accountable and protect businesses.”

Hochman emphasized the collaborative nature of the crackdown, crediting joint task forces involving LAPD, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, CHP, and federal partners for making arrests that have resulted in millions of dollars in merchandise being recovered since January.

To bolster deterrence efforts, the DA’s office is distributing 10,000 warning decals to businesses throughout the county. The stickers, which can be displayed in storefronts, are intended to signal that theft crimes will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. westsidetoday.com


Pima County sees drop in crime during summer months

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Is the American Shopping Mall Rising from the Ashes?
Malls Invite New Tenants as Store Closures Outpace Openings, but Is the Risk Worth the Reward?
The rise, fall, and rise again of the American shopping mall has been the subject of much controversy over the past decade or more, but according to a recent Forbes report penned by senior contributor Pamela Danziger, the mall could be the next proving ground for upstart retailers looking for a novel foothold.

Danziger noted that, last year, 1,300 more stores closed than opened throughout 2024 — and that real estate firm Cushman & Wakefield suggested that Q1 2025 was the softest quarter in terms of store leasing rates since the COVID-19 pandemic kicked off in early 2020. Cushman & Wakefield data further indicated that 6 million more square feet of retail space was vacated during that time frame than was occupied, with projections looking to continue that trend by the time this year draws to a close.

The Forbes writer cited Placer.ai’s Shira Petrack on the subject, pointing to recent upticks in mall traffic for both indoor and outdoor venues.

“April 2025 mall data reveals a significant upswing in mall traffic across all formats along with an increase in average visit duration, demonstrating a recovery that extends beyond the influence of the Easter calendar shift,” Petrack said.

“These positive trends reveal malls’ continued role as key destinations for shopping and leisure — even in times of economic headwinds,” she continued. retailwire.com


What's Fueling Employee Burnout & How to Fix It
Heavy Workloads, Poor Leadership Leading to Burnout

New Society of Human Resource Management survey finds 30% of workers would take a pay cut for better mental health support.

As this is Mental Health Awareness Month, the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM) released new research that found that nearly a third of U.S. workers said their job causes high levels of stress.

Key Findings Include:

• 31% of U.S. workers say their job causes frequent stress.

• Younger employees (ages 18-34) are most affected, with 37% reporting they’d take a pay cut for better mental health support at work.

• Workloads (47%), compensation (42%), and poor leadership (40%) rank among the top drivers of workplace stress.

The survey found that only 25% of organizations focus more on preventing mental health issues, while 38% focus more on reacting to issues.

What could turn this around is the level of fulfillment that employees feel. The survey found that employees who felt fulfilled by their work cite feeling that their work makes a positive difference (42%), recognition and appreciation for their work (40%), and supportive leadership (38%) as top reasons they are less likely to seek new roles. ehstoday.com


Target Looks to Stop the Bleeding
Will Target’s ‘Charm Offensive’ in Small Town America Work?
Target is facing a few coalescing headwinds as of late: a Q1 sales slump of 3%, falling foot traffic, and a bout of prolonged bad PR over its perceived backtracking related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts, as Modern Retail’s Mitchell Parton outlined.

At least one prong of the response: a “small town charm offensive” being launched by the retailer. According to the news outlet, Target’s list of store openings includes a number of full-size locations in areas where it hasn’t been competitive in the past — part of an effort to expand its footprint among new customers or those who have previously been underserved.

“Target’s list of upcoming store openings on its website — which doesn’t specify when each store will open — includes a range of towns quite far from dense areas, from Chubbuck, Idaho, to Indian Land, South Carolina. For some, it’s their first Target store,” Parton wrote. retailwire.com


The Return of Tariffs?
US signals reciprocal tariffs will return for some countries

The White House will alert countries of their specific rates in the next two to three weeks, President Donald Trump said Friday.

The United States will reinstate reciprocal tariffs first announced April 2 for countries it is unable to reach deals with during the current 90-day pause, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in multiple interviews Sunday.

Bessent’s comments came two days after President Donald Trump, while visiting the United Arab Emirates, said countries would be notified of their tariff rates within two to three weeks.

On April 9, Trump instituted a 90-day pause on a slew of country-specific tariff rates subject to his reciprocal tariff policy, instead maintaining a 10% baseline rate for most trading partners.

Since then, the U.S. has outlined a trade deal with the United Kingdom and agreed to a 90-day tariff reduction for imports from China. retaildive.com

   RELATED: Home Depot doesn’t plan to raise prices despite tariffs


Kroger To Hire 15,000 Workers To ‘Enhance the Customer Experience’
In a press release, the supermarket chain said it will hire new employees in roles such as cashiers, baggers, deli bakery clerks, pharmacy technicians, and delivery drivers. Kroger is looking to attract new applicants by highlighting the potential to turn their role into a long-term career.

Rite Aid To Close All Stores Following Chapter 11 Bankruptcy

Costco To Close All US Locations for 24 Hours in May

San Francisco's vacant retail space could become office gyms and other amenities