Retail security can’t be a siloed effort

Today’s threats potentially impact every area of business

After a motivational keynote that encouraged attendees of NRF PROTECT 2025 to become the best version of themselves — and to show up for others — the slate of sessions during the conference’s first day reinforced the importance of seeing retail security as a “team sport.” Today’s threats go far beyond one department to potentially impact every area of a business.

Whether educating employees about phishing and smishing dangers; highlighting the fact that proprietary information shouldn’t be entered into ChatGPT; training store associates to handle consumers fired up by mis/disinformation; establishing relationships with law enforcement before an event occurs; or taking tabletop exercises to the worst-case scenario — awareness, planning and preparation may be more important than ever before.

“Mitigating Enterprise Risks: A Comprehensive Approach” saw Matt Gorham, leader of PwC’s Cyber and Risk Innovation Institute, sit down with Diane Brown, vice president, IT risk management with ULTA Beauty, and Scott McBride, chief global asset protection officer and CSO at American Eagle Outfitters Inc. They dove into, for example, taking a “Goldilocks” approach to finding the right level of executive protection, referencing the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in late 2024: There’s no one-size-fits-all.

Lisa Kaplan, founder and CEO of Alethea, presented “Navigating an Evolving Information Ecosystem: Mitigating Threats to Digital and Physical Assets Posed by Mis/Disinformation.” She spoke about bad actors’ attempts to influence and change behavior through social media algorithms, curating content that aligns with previous actions and preferences. That can generate strong emotions — and inspire real-world actions.

It’s not illegal; it’s speech, and the narratives being created could impact business continuity. Kaplan shared a case study of a group of brands called out for harboring undocumented immigrants. It led to people showing up, stalking patrons in-store and creating risks of violence.

Companies must define their own risk, she said, based on the actors involved (who is spreading the information); their behaviors (how are they doing it); the content (what are they saying); and who it targets (whether the brand or an individual). nrf.com
 

Is Enforcement the Key to Curbing ORC?
How Law Enforcement Task Forces Are Stepping Up the Fight Against ORC

By the D&D Daily staff

While new laws targeting organized retail crime (ORC) continue making headlines, the day-to-day enforcement of those laws often falls to under-resourced law enforcement teams quietly working behind the scenes. Across the country, dedicated ORC task forces are stepping up efforts to track, investigate and dismantle the criminal networks responsible for billions in annual retail losses.

These specialized units—often comprised of detectives, local police officers and regional retail loss prevention specialists—play a critical role in connecting theft incidents across jurisdictions. What may look like isolated shoplifting cases are frequently part of a larger, coordinated network involving boosters, fences and even online marketplaces used to resell stolen goods.

In cities like Los Angeles, Chicago and Miami, law enforcement agencies have created multi-agency task forces that bring together local police, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), district attorneys and retailers to identify patterns and coordinate responses. These collaborations are proving essential in a space where ORC groups are increasingly tech-savvy and mobile—often operating across state lines and using encrypted communications to evade detection.

Still, challenges remain. Many law enforcement departments face staffing shortages, limited budgets, and a backlog of cases. Additionally, traditional criminal databases weren’t designed with ORC-specific tagging in mind, making it harder to connect repeat offenders or track regional trends without internal collaboration or private sector intel.

Some jurisdictions are working to address this by creating centralized ORC intelligence centers or leveraging real-time data-sharing tools between retailers and police. Others are investing in training to help officers better identify ORC-specific red flags during seemingly routine theft arrests.

Ultimately, while legislation provides the legal framework, enforcement is what brings results—and task forces are where that happens. As the retail industry continues pressing for federal action and stronger penalties, it’s these boots-on-the-ground collaborations that will determine whether those laws translate into real disruption of ORC activity.


States Turning Up the Heat on Shopping Cart Thieves
'It’s a crime that could cost shoppers up to $2,500 and even land them in jail'

The Surprising Crime Costing Walmart and Target Shoppers Thousands

Rolling a shopping cart off store property might seem harmless, but in some states, it could cost you thousands or even jail time.

Walking off with a shopping cart might seem like no big deal, but in several U.S. states, it’s a crime that could cost shoppers up to $2,500 and even land them in jail.

Major retailers like Walmart and Target lose an estimated 2 million carts a year, racking up more than $175 million in replacement costs. In response, states across the country are cracking down, introducing stricter laws and steeper penalties to deter what’s now seen as a serious source of loss.

In Illinois, offenders can be slapped with the highest fine—$2,500—depending on the cart's value and any prior offenses, according to the Daily Mail. Jail time is also on the table. And that’s not the only place getting tough.

In California, cart theft is a misdemeanor that could carry a $1,000 fine and up to six months behind bars. San Jose now requires large retailers to install locks or GPS systems to prevent carts from vanishing.

Florida hits first-time offenders with a $100 civil fine, but repeat thefts could lead to $1,000 fines and a year in jail. Hawaii, meanwhile, imposes a $500 fine and 30 days in jail, following thousands of carts reported missing in Honolulu alone.

Even states with lighter penalties aren’t taking the issue lightly. Texas cart theft typically carries a $500 fine, but that jumps to $2,000 and jail time if the offender has a record. Washington state hands out $50 fines and impound fees, but also allows for misdemeanor charges with up to 90 days in jail.

These laws come as stores battle rising shoplifting and operational losses. Some are ditching self-checkouts altogether. Dollar Tree recently removed machines from 12,000 stores and saw an 8 percent sales jump. mensjournal.com
 

Pennsylvania's War on ORC Makes More Headlines
Organized Retail Crime Unit combating violent thieves
Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday Attorney General Dave Sunday joined Philadelphia-area law enforcement and community partners to discuss Year One achievements of the Office of Attorney General’s Organized Retail Crime Unit, and how collaboration is resulting in arrests, prosecutions and recoveries of stolen goods.

The Organized Retail Crime Unit launched July 1, 2024, following Act 42 of 2023 and a new criminal statute that made retail theft of goods more than $50,000 a first-degree felony. In its first year, the unit opened more than 65 investigations, charged more than 40 alleged thieves and recovered nearly $2 million in stolen goods.

The Organized Retail Crime Unit responds to high-dollar thefts, typically perpetrated by multiple thieves who manipulate gift cards and store return/exchange policies — or, in many cases, enter retail stores in packs and steal as many items as they can as quickly as possible.

“This unit is aggressively pursuing thieves who operate in packs, oftentimes terrorizing purely innocent store employees and shoppers,” Sunday said. “The perception that retail theft is a petty crime is outdated, as these crimes are violent in nature and designed to menace and frighten bystanders. With the help of our partners, we have made big strides in stopping these criminal enterprises, and sending a strong message to anyone thinking of committing these crimes.”  bradfordera.com


NYC Mayoral Front-Runner's Controversial Views on Public Safety
Zohran Mamdani once supported defunding the police, before backtracking

A Look at Zohran Mamdani’s Stances on Key Issues
Mr. Mamdani has proposed creating a Department of Community Safety, separate from the Police Department, to respond to people having mental health crises, and to expand violence interrupter programs. In April, he told The Times that the new department would free up “police resources to increase clearance rates for major crimes.”

Mr. Cuomo and other candidates seized on his expressions of support for major cuts to the department’s budget during his 2020 campaign for State Assembly. But Mr. Mamdani says he now supports keeping the police force at its current size. In the final primary debate, he vowed that he would not “defund the police.”

He said he would, however, curb the department’s massive overtime budget and that he would consider keeping Jessica Tisch on as police commissioner. He has praised some of her policies, like cutting the department’s communications staff and fighting corruption. nytimes.com


Law enforcement partnership helps lower Montgomery crime rate, state says

Colorado mandated reporting on police violence, 5 years later, data is mostly useless
 

Walmart Seeks to Remake Itself
Can Walmart Shed Its Discount Vibe? Its New Home Office Offers a Clue.

The retailing giant is spending billions to attract workers to a new headquarters and woo shoppers with drone delivery and a broader range of items (like Louis Vuitton handbags).

“There are no cash registers in the home office.” It’s a mantra at Walmart and a reminder that every dollar earned comes from its nearly 11,000 stores worldwide. Everything done at its corporate headquarters in Bentonville, Ark., is an expense.

For decades that expense was minimal — the retailer’s main office was a spartan distribution center with wood-paneled offices and few windows. Most of the white-collar employees here were focused on merchandising and logistics.

But that thinking has changed as the company has had to figure out how to compete in an increasingly tech-fueled, competitive industry. A big symbol of that is a multibillion-dollar splurge on a new headquarters meant to attract and retain top talent and modernize the ethos of the discount store Sam Walton founded in 1962.

Walmart built its empire by dominating on price. But to maintain that empire it must now compete on convenience, breadth and speed. During Associates Week — its annual gathering of thousands of employees from around the world — the company made a number of tech-focused announcements, like a new artificial intelligence assistant that it says will help customers shop online and an expansion of its drone home-delivery operation to more cities. nytimes.com


The Down Sides of Returns Continue to Pile Up
Can In-Store Returns Get Less Clunky?
A new survey finds retailers still struggling with the extra costs and new workloads created by processing in-store returns while barely benefiting from returnees making an add-on purchase.

A 2023 study by academic researchers in the UK concluded that returns from online sales — particularly those made in-store — are eroding profitability and urged retailers to adopt a strategic approach to treating returns as a potential profit center. Recommendations included expanding physical storage space, hiring more staff, and investing in IT systems to better track and manage returns.

The study stated, “Many businesses have complex procedures for managing returns. With little senior management oversight of the returns process, retailers find it difficult to pin down crucial information such as the rate of return and the costs of handling a returned item.”

A Shopify blog entry noted that BORIS can lead to inaccurate inventory data, as returned items sit in stockrooms, as well as in-store congestion and longer lines. Shopify suggested creating designated areas for handling in-store returns, although the standard checkout processes returns in many stores.

In March, Kohl’s temporarily stopped accepting Amazon returns at some stores in a test, following social media complaints from store associates about the added workload — from lifting heavy boxes and finding storage space for returned items to managing long customer lines. Several associates also indicated that customers returning Amazon packages rarely take advantage of the 25%-off Kohl’s coupon they receive as an incentive. retailwire.com


Don't Become Complacent on Workplace Safety
What OSHA's "Most Cited" Means: Three Lessons for Safer Workplaces

With the same issues appearing annually on this list, it should be a wake-up call, says Jade Brainard of KPA.

Each year, OSHA’s top 10 most frequently cited standards underscore many of the same issues across industries, from inadequate fall protection to poor lockout / tagout procedures.

Familiarity can easily breed complacency, especially in a shifting regulatory environment where rules and enforcement could loosen under the new presidential administration. But in our line of work, complacency is quite literally dangerous.

1. Repeat Violations Point To Systemic Issues That Should Alarm Every Safety Professional

Although the same citations top OSHA’s list year after year, it’s rarely because employers don’t understand the rules in question. The likelier root cause: a break-down of protocols under everyday jobsite conditions.

2. View the Top 10 as a List of Blind Spots to Monitor and Correct

Behind each citation is an opportunity to improve training, strengthen supervision, or equip workers more effectively. By digging into your organization’s own inspection and near-miss data, you can identify where those gaps exist before OSHA does.

3. Safety Still Matters, No Matter How the Regulatory Winds Blow

The new presidential administration has cast doubt over the future of OSHA and its regulatory reach. But even amidst uncertainty, it’s important for safety professionals to maintain a full-court press when it comes to avoiding the top OSHA violations. ehstoday.com


Tariffs Taking a Toll
Jewelry retailer shops for buyers amid tariff struggles

Trump's tariff policies cited as major factor for the once-popular mall staple now facing $500M loan deadline

Claire's Stores Inc. is weighing a potential sale as the beleaguered teen jewelry store contends with relentless competition and the impact of President Donald Trump's tariffs, according to a report. The company, primarily owned by private equity firms Elliott Management and Monarch Alternative Capital, tapped Houlihan Lokey Inc to find potential buyers for some or all of Claire's locations, people familiar with the matter told Bloomberg.

A recent survey from consulting firm McKinsey revealed that they have already changed their spending habits or expect to change them soon in response to tariff announcements. Among them, more than half said this includes cutting back spending on nonessential items, according to the May survey. foxbusiness.com


Walgreens swings to a loss ahead of Sycamore acquisition
Store closures and weak front-of-store comps led to a retail sales decline in Q3, but U.S. pharmacy and international sales were strong.

H&M has bad news for its loyal customers

Trump Organization scraps ‘made in the USA’ tag for its gold T1 smartphone